Double Chocolate Malt Cookies

The ingredient you didn't know your cookies needed.

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My father usually prefers to have seconds of the main course and skip dessert, but even he’s a fan of these double chocolate malt cookies. Jam-packed with toasted walnuts and chocolate chips, these rich, malty cookies pair all the nostalgia of our childhood’s favorite chewy chocolate chip cookies with an adult twist that makes them—in the words of my father— “just a little more interesting.”

These cookies contain two ingredients that you might not typically keep in your pantry: whole wheat flour and malt barley powder or flour. I don’t typically call for unusual ingredients without good reason, but believe me when I say that those two specific ingredients, working together, absolutely MAKE these cookies. The barley adds a complex sweetness that amplifies the cocoa and the chocolate, while the whole wheat flour provides an earthy backbone that grounds them both. It’s a magical trio.

Malt barley powder is a specific type of barley flour that’s made from sprouted barley grains, so it’s sweeter than straight-up barley flour. While it adds a rich deep flavor to any baked good, it’s particularly known for its ability to pop the flavor of chocolate—which is why I’m using it here. Malt barley powder comes in both diastic and non-diastic forms, and you’ll want to buy non-diastic to make these cookies. However, if you happen to have diastic, you can easily transform it into non-diastic by baking it in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes. 

These cookies taste amazing when they’re fresh, but in testing I also found that they “age” very well. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days, and you’ll notice the flavors of the whole wheat flour and the malt powder mingle together and deepen into a whole new level. They’ll become slightly more chewy, too. You can also make the cookie dough in advance and refrigerate it for up to 3 days or freeze the rolled balls in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Enjoy!

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Double Chocolate Malt Cookies

(Makes 13)

Prep time: 20 minutes

Bake time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

⅔ cup (133 g.) light brown sugar

½ cup (113 g.) unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ teaspoon kosher salt (I used Diamond Kosher)

2 tablespoon (10 g.) natural cocoa powder (NOT Dutch processed)

1 large egg

1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup (60 g.) all-purpose flour

⅓ cup (40 g.) whole wheat flour

¼ cup (32 g.) non-diastic malt barley powder

½ cup (3 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips, plus more for topping

½ cup (2 oz.) walnuts, toasted and chopped, plus more for topping

Equipment: large bowl, hand mixer (or stand mixer), flexible rubber spatula, cookie scoop (or two spoons), two large baking sheets

Instructions

1. Arrange a rack in the center of the oven; preheat oven to 350° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), combine brown sugar, butter, and salt. Using a hand mixer (or the paddle attachment on the stand mixer), beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add cocoa powder and beat until combined.

3. Add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated, then add baking soda and beat 45 seconds longer.

4. Add all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and malt barley powder, and beat on low until only a few streaks remain. Switch to a flexible rubber spatula and fold in chocolate chips and walnuts. (The dough will be sticky and more elastic than typical cookie dough, and this is totally normal.)

5. Use a cookie scoop (or two spoons) to scoop ping-pong ball-sized portions of dough (1.5 oz. each) and drop onto cookie sheet, spacing at least two inches apart from each other. Flatten dough balls slightly (slightly wet fingertips will help prevent your fingers from sticking) and press additional chocolate chips and toasted walnut pieces into the top if desired.

6. Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, until set on the edges and still very soft in the center, about 10 minutes. Using oven mitts or thick kitchen towels, grasp both sides of the sheet pan, lift pan two inches above the oven rack, and bang the pan evenly and firmly three times.

7. Remove pan from oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining sheet pan.

Originally published February 8, 2026.