How Jamie Oliver Makes Hot Chocolate Even More Delicious

Few things are as cozy or delightful as a warm cup of hot chocolate. Although it's basically perfect as-is, there are several creative additions that can take it even further. There are the classics, like marshmallows or whipped cream, or you could go a little further and add cornstarch to make it Italian-style. But our favourite addition comes from none other than celebrity chef and restaurateur Jamie Oliver, who uses malted milk powder in his hot chocolate. When added to hot chocolate, its toasty, creamy texture adds complexity and makes it even more comforting.

Invented by the Horlick brothers in 1873, malted milk powder was initially developed as a baby supplement but unexpectedly skyrocketed to mainstream success thanks to its delicious taste. You can still find the classic Horlick's malted milk powder sold today, but there's plenty of other famous malt brands you can try, like Ovaltine or Milo — although Horlick's is one of the only blends that doesn't include chocolate powder. 

Featuring a finely ground mixture of malted barley, wheat flour, and evaporated milk powder. Malted barley is barley that has been soaked, allowed to sprout, and then dried. When sprouted, the natural enzymes are released, which break down the starches and proteins into fermentable sugars. This is what gives it its sweet, toasty flavor, with the wheat flour and evaporated milk contributing to the rich and creamy texture. While it's most famously used in milkshakes, it's also commonly used to add depth to baked desserts, and can even be used in savory sauces. 

As far as add-ins go, malted milk powder is also super easy to incorporate into your hot chocolate. Jamie Oliver recommends combining the malted milk powder with your other chocolate mix ingredients and whisking them into your warm milk. To prevent clumping, you can pre-mix the powder with some cold milk to create a paste.

Malted milk powder is certainly delicious, but too much can cause your hot chocolate to become sickly sweet. There are already plenty of sweet elements in the mix, so the best way to use malted milk powder is to start with just one tablespoon, then adjust for taste. Remember, you can always add more, but once it's in, it's not coming out. To balance things, you could also add in sea salt flakes, which will complement the malted milk powder by adding further depth and complexity to your hot chocolate, making it less one-note. 

Or, instead of whisking the powder directly into warm milk, you could go back to its roots and blend as you would a milkshake. This is the best method for those seeking a frothy, silky-smooth cup of cocoa. Simply combine all your ingredients in the blender and pulse until well mixed. While warm milk is recommended for the best results, make sure it's not too hot, as the steam produced can cause pressure to build up and blow off the lid. Aside from creating a mess, in serious cases, this can also cause burns. For a non-hazardous hot chocolate, make sure that the blender is only half-full.