It’s taken a bit of trial and error (by that I mean, it’s taken a lot of cookie eating) but I finally think I’ve cracked my idea of the perfect cookie. Which is essentially a fudgy brownie encased in a crisp, crinkly cookie shell. Then stuffed full of crushed Maltesers with a generous scoop of Ovaltine, for extra malty, fudgy goodness. Who doesn’t love Maltesers?!
These Malteser Cookies are so moreish, it’s a good thing I made them in a week I had 3 fast days so I was forced to slow my troughing of them, as soon as they cooled sufficiently on the cookie tray. The key is chilling the dough sufficiently for the butter to solidify and I’ve found two hours is the minimum that will do.
Plus when you bake them, I take them to the just baked point in the oven, then leave on the baking tray which you pop on a rack to cool fully. This allows the gooey middle to firm up by finishing up cooking on the still warm baking tray. The Ovaltine powder (a mix of powdered barley malt, milk and cocoa) that gives a little spring to their step which is unusual in a cookie but it does offer that unmistakable Malteaser flavour to the dough itself.
I much prefer Ovaltine to Horlicks but you can substitute that if you wish.
Nigella once said that she uses top quality chocolate to bake with but the lure of cheap confectionary overcomes when you are eating in the raw. She’s not wrong. Sure, I adore a gooey brownie made with really fancy chocolate too but put a tub of Mars’ Celebrations in front of me, and I’ll be rooting around looking for a Malteser one before they get eaten!
Working in a hospital, we are often gifted chocolates and you can guarantee these will be the first to go, leaving a lonely Bounty or two in the otherwise empty tin lol. These Malteser Cookies are not left around long enough to get lonely – and yes, a glass of milk just takes these sweet treats to another level of pleasure, especially if you are eating them whilst still warm ooo…

A malted, chocolatey cookie studded with chunks of bashed up Maltesers. They are like fudgy brownies with a crinkly, chewy cookie coating - how can that not be cookie perfection?!
- 115 g soft butter
- 125 g soft brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp Ovaltine
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 medium egg
- 200 g plain flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 x 37g packs of Maltesers chocolate malt ball candies
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Beat the butter and sugar together until well creamed then beat in the cocoa, Ovaltine, vanilla and the egg.
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Sift over the flour and baking powder then mix into the creamed butter mixture until almost fully mixed.
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Prick a hole or two in the bags of Maltesers with a sharp knife then bash with a rolling pin (or the pestle from a mortar and pestle) until most of the chocolates are scattered, not dust and tip into the cookie dough. Continue to mix now until well dispersed.
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Chill dough (covered with clingfilm) for at least two hours if not overnight.
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Preheat oven to 200˚C and shape the cookie dough into cylinders using ping pong ball sized balls of dough - it will be very stiff once chilled. Place on a lined baking tray at least 2 inches apart and bake for 10 minutes. They should be dry to the touch and spring back (because of the Ovaltine) to the touch.
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Remove from the oven and using a clean oven glove or folded up tea towel, press down on the domed cookies with the flat of your hand to flatten them to just under 1 cm thick. They will crack a little.
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Cool completely on the baking tray before eating.
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Like this post? Then why not try these related recipes:
- Malted Milk (Malteser) Ice Cream
- No Bake Easter Slice
- Leftover Chocolate Slice
Oh Lord my son is gonna love these. He has malteser birthday cake every year and the odd one in between only because he thinks the whole cake is just for him! These are ideal he can probably have a go at making them himself ….maybe not ..doubt the dough would make the oven? Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
Woo hoo! So happy to hear these cookies will please your little man Annmarie! You might need to double the batch 😉
I will make these for my own Hungry Hubby as a Valentine’s gift. May have to have a test run or two first!
Aw that’s a lovely idea! And it makes good sense to test them out for such a special occasion 😉
Yum, these look so good! We love maltesers and also often make big maltesers cake so think I’ll be trying these next!
Then you must try them Jacqui!
Really want to try these Jo, but hate both Ovaltine and Horlicks with a passion!
Of course I realise how they would add to the cookie but can’t justify buying either just for this as I wouldn’t use otherwise.
(Does that make sense? Full on week seems to have scrambled my brain/mouth co-ordination!)
Well I will try them with DSM & let you know how they turn out! <3
Ok Kath you’ve lost on on using DSM – lol to me that’s a catalogue of Psychiatric diseases lol. You can buy a single sachet of ovaltine, like they do with hot chocolate sachets if you want to buy one of those. I’m not sure how they would be without it but it’s well worth a fiddle!
(Sorry hun – that would be Marvel to you – Dried Skimmed Milk)
Ohhhh! Lol gotcha now Kath ;). That’s a good idea for a substitution!
Kath, what about Malteaser hot chocolate powder? That might have the same consistency and properties as Ovaltine but without the barley-malt taste perhaps?
Worth a shot but sometimes hot chocolate powder doesn’t work out so great as the flavour is diluted by the other additives. Always worth a try!
It looks like it is a worldwide issue … the poor Bounty left in the tin/box. It is the same in Australian hospitals. Everyone loves a Malteser. Will make these this week. Thank you for all your great recipes.
Yep, the poor Bounty bars get a bum deal in the popularity stakes! And you’re more than welcome Louise. I hope you like the cookies!
Hi is it Ovaltine that you would make up with milk or water? want to make sure we buy the right stuff as these cookies look amazing.. my go to cookie recipe is a Nigella one .. happy to try a different flavour 😊
That’s the one Denise – it comes in an orange tub in the hot chocolate section of the supermarkets usually, next to the Horlicks (which I like less for baking with). I hope you enjoy the cookies 😀
Jo, looking at Tesco shopping app and there is 2 orange Ovaltines .. one says add water and the other add milk .. which do I go for?
Thanks for your help 😊
Either or will do Denise, both work j At as well in this recipe x
Brilliant Jo and thanks 😊 when its something you dont normally buy need to make sure its the right one 😉
What approximate dimensions do you make the cylinders? I’m guessing you mean that I should stand them up on their ends, not lay them down. Is that correct?
Hi Sarah! You’re looking for cylinders about two inches tall by about 3/4 of an inch in diameter and yes, stand them up on their ends. Check http://www.everynookandcranny.net/strawberry-milkshake-cookies as that has a picture of what I mean x
Great recipe.Very more-ish.Made the dough last night and baked them this morning.Got 12 cookies from 1 batch.Can they be frozen?
I’m so happy you loved these cookies Jason! Yes you can freeze them, either before baking or when they are cooked and cold. I tend to form the balls of cookie dough, freeze on a baking sheet then put in a plastic bag once frozen solid. Bake from frozen for 2 extra minutes x