Malted Milk Chocolate Chip, Peanut & Pretzel Oatmeal Cookies
58 comments » 
Last week, I had fail #2 in my attempt to make fresh homemade mozzarella cheese. I’m currently 0 for 2 on the mozzarella front. When I had to throw yet another pot of not-quite mozzarella, I was frustrated. However, instead of crying over spilt milk, I made the most ridiculous cookies you could imagine. I’ve made malted chocolate cookies and malted milk ice cream, but this time I went sans Whoppers and proceeded to go crazy with add-ins. These started out as innocent malted oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. As you can see, things got a little out of hand. Which is to say, these turned out to be some seriously amazing cookies. Sometimes crazy things happen when you’re doing emotional baking. Most of the time when it comes to baking, crazy can only mean good things.
So, here’s what happened… I decided to spike some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with malted milk powder. I had my regular semisweet chocolate chips all ready to go in when I smelled the cookie dough all mixed together. That sweet, malted aroma was just begging for milk chocolate. I grabbed the milk chocolate chips instead. Then, I was thinking of some nuts (walnuts, perhaps?) and maybe some white chocolate to balance everything out. I was standing there, indecisive, staring at the dough, when it dawned on me that these cookies – with the malted milk powder and milk chocolate chips – needed some peanuts and pretzels. Because when isn’t chocolate, peanuts and pretzels a good idea?! That’s what I thought 
These cookies are soft and chewy and loaded to the max with chocolate, peanuts and pretzels. Chocolate, sweet, salty and crunchy in every bite! They made me feel better about my mozzarella miseries, that’s for sure. My mom said that these cookies rival my beloved thick & chewy chocolate chip cookies. That’s a serious, serious compliment and not one to be taken lightly!
The moral of the story: if you have a major kitchen fail, take a deep breath and make something that you love, that you know you’ll get right. Or… make cookies with the most obscene amount of “stuff” you’ve ever dreamed up. Either one should make you feel better!
One year ago: Bread and Butter Pickles
Two years ago: Artichoke Spinach Dip
Three years ago: Fontina-Stuffed, Bacon-Wrapped Dates
Four years ago: Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Malted Milk Chocolate Chip, Peanut & Pretzel Oatmeal Cookies
Yield: About 42 cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
2½ cups traditional rolled oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup malted milk powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
¼ cup whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1½ cups chopped salted peanuts
1 cup chopped pretzelsDirections:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, malted milk powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the bowl after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and slowly add the milk, and then the vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the oat mixture, mixing until barely combined. Using a rubber spatula, mix in the chocolate chips, chopped peanuts and pretzels.
4. Using a large cookie scoop, drop mounds of dough on the cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until they are just set and light brown around the outside, but still pale and puffy in the middle. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
print
save
email
I love oatmeal cookies – thick, chewy, wonderful! And these spiked with malted milk powder – YUM!
Reply
What amazing looking cookies! I need to get my hands on some malted milk powder!
Reply
I emotionally bake all the time
I need one of these cookies..like now!
Reply
You’ve managed to put all the things I love the most in one cookie!!!!! Amaaazziing! Your a mad scientist I tell you….i love it!
Reply
I’m a big fan of malted shakes but just can’t get into whoppers. These look like a good way to get around that – yummy malted flavor without breaking a tooth!
Reply
Yum to everything in here!
Reply
I love oatmeal cookies because they lend SUCH a chewy texture. But adding in crunchy pretzels and melty chocolate chips just makes them THAT much better. I love texture and chunks in my cookies. I had a big baking fail last night and it really got me down! But that’s the fun of all this, learning from your mistakes! Plus, a “go-to” recipe that never fails always brightens my spirits.
Reply
Another delicious recipe! I would so love to try some.
Reply
These sound so good! I love cookies that contain everything but the kitchen sink
Reply
Oh your cookies look delish! I love the pretzel addition to the recipe!
Reply
These sound amazing! Don’t worry about the cheese…third times the charm
Reply
I’ve had my fair share of kitchen missteps too, but don’t worry; I’m sure you’ll get it right with the mozzarella very soon! Third time’s a charm, right?
In the meantime, keep making awesome cookies like these, they look soooo amazing!!!
Reply
Oatmeal cookies are my favorite…these look too good to be true!!
Reply
Love these!
Reply
Pretty much everything I love in a cookie!
Reply
I need these! They look so good!
Reply
These would definitely cheer me up after 2 fails at cheese! Hubby is going to start making cheese this winter. He has a couple books, and is ready. Now I am really worried about the outcome!
Reply
Ah, I emotionally bake all the time and these are most certainly next in line! Thanks for sharing.
Reply
There are so many things I love about these cookies!
Reply
Well! ALL these are my Favorites! Making TODAY!!!
Reply
I have the same knee jerk reaction in the kitchen. When I face a “fail”, I must bake ridiculous cookies, full of salty sweet goodness. I hope those darlings brought back your confidence.
Reply
I love that your kitchen fail turned into these delicious looking cookies! Sometimes inspiration strikes at the most unlikely of times.
Reply
Usually the best recipes come out of spontaneously adding random ingredients! These look amazing!! I love malt…and chocolate, peanuts, and pretzels
Reply
I absolutely love this idea! When you can’t have fresh mozzarella, why not have some amazingly delicious cookies??
Reply
I’ve been thinking about the whole malted milk in baked goods thing. After seeing these cookies – I can’t wait to try it!
Reply
Oh yummy. I love cookies, and I have been thinking about making some this week despite the diet I’m supposed to be on. I’m so suddenly craving salty/sweet now. Thanks a lot.
Reply
There is NOTHING better than cookies brimming with chunks. They look fantastic!
Reply
I will dream about these tonight.
Reply
Cookies make everything better!
Reply
I have never bought malted milk powder..what section of the grocery store should i look? Can you suggest a brand name? I live in nova scotia canada,hopefully it is available here. Btw love your recipes!!
Reply
OMG. dying over these!
Reply
Keep trying with the mozzarella! I had to try twice too, my first batch was super tough and chewy. These cookies look like a total win!
Reply
These sound freaking fantastic!
Reply
These cookies looked so delicious that I made them last night. My cookies did not spread out. They were puffy…. Where did I go wrong?
Reply
Michelle on September 27th, 2012 at 1:06 pm
Hi Amanda, Did you make any changes to the recipe or the size of the cookies?
Reply
Interesting combination! Everyone is into pretzel!!
http://www.shilohstaste.com
Reply
These cookies sound great. Is it alright to leave out the peanuts? My grandchildren cannot eat them.
Reply
Michelle on October 4th, 2012 at 12:32 am
Hi Linda, Definitely! You could leave them out entirely or replace them with other nuts or dried fruit.
Reply
What size scoop constitutes “large cookie scoop”? These cookies sound perfect for my family! Can’t wait to try the recipe.
Reply
Michelle on October 4th, 2012 at 12:33 am
Hi Dani, A large cookie scoop is about 3 tablespoons.
Reply
BakIng them now and the house smells delicious!!
Reply
Hi
If I chill the dough overnight, will the pretzels get soggy.
Reply
Michelle on October 5th, 2012 at 11:12 am
Hi Jackie, It’s possible, but I haven’t tried it myself. If you do it, let me know how they turn out!
Reply
Can you tell me where I might find malted milk powder? is there a brand name? I live in Canada and in a small town, I tried my local natural food store but they only had malt grain to make beer. weird.
Reply
Michelle on October 5th, 2012 at 11:25 am
Hi Deb, I purchase mine from King Arthur Flour:http://search.kingarthurflour.com/search?p=Q&asug=&af=type%3Aproducts&w=malted+milk+powder
Reply
I live in Whistler, BC and I can’t find malted milk powder anywhere. I am desperate to crank out a batch of these bad babies, and the sooner the better. I went to the two main stores where I live, and phoned the other. No dice (frowny face). I found myself with a jar of Ovaltine in hand and wondered if this would work as a substitute, or are there too many other ingredients in it that would throw your recipe off? Thoughts?
Reply
Michelle on October 5th, 2012 at 6:08 pm
I actually buy my malted milk powder from King Arthur Flour, and it looks like it ships to Canada! http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/malted-milk-powder-16-oz#1021#
Reply
All of my favorites in a cookie… this is fantastic!~
Reply
Just checking out the Foodie Blogroll rodnam blogs of the day.Wow…You have just made me so hungry posting this and the funny thing is I don’t eat many sweets and almost never do dessert. But I love “whoppers” and malted milk balls. Great blog!
Reply
Where can we find malted milk powder? Health store? Bulk Store? Grocery store? Internet? THX for the follow-up!
Reply
Michelle on September 26th, 2012 at 10:36 am
Hi Dominique, Some folks say that they can find it in their grocery store, but I have never been able to. I order mine from King Arthur Flour: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/malted-milk-powder-16-oz#1021#
Reply
Dominique on September 26th, 2012 at 10:41 am
I did the recipe this week-end and I used what is sold here in Canada, Ovaltine. I think it worked fine, my friends went NUTS! Guess its a winner!
Reply
Baked these last night and sent them with my husband to work. Just got 5 requests for the recipe!!
Mine came out a lot darker than yours though, hmmm.
Malted Milk Powder can be found at Walmart by the hot chocolate in case anyone is wondering.
Reply
it’s me again, just did some research and realized there is plain and CHOCOLATE malted milk!! I used the chocolate one-not realizing there were different flavors-
the cookies didn’t seem to mind though.
Reply
I just made these today and they were awesome!! I regret halving the recipe. As soon as I took the first batch out, they were gone in practically 10 minutes!!
I didn’t have peanuts so I added walnuts instead and omitted the pretzels. They were crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy from the inside and the after-taste of the malt milk powder was just divine! I used Horlicks and I think it did the job right! Thanks for the recipe Michelle
Reply
I read your recipe few months ago but tried it yesterday. My children liked it very much….
Reply
Made these today. Used easy to find ovaltine. Cookies a bit darker then the photo but amazing nonetheless. Very easy recipe.
Reply
the cookies look irresistable…never tried peanuts in cookies..
Reply