Do you want to know how to make an iced chocolate almond milk shaken espresso like Starbucks at home? You can make it at home very easily with the tips in the later section below. So, let’s continue reading to know more about it!
We all like to be self-sufficient in the kitchen. And that means knowing how to make kick-ass recipes that are complicated—or, at least sound complicated—so we can enjoy them without having to pay someone else to do them. Or so we can impress our friends and family. Whatever the reason, it’s always a good idea to learn new recipes.
The perfect recipe for such an occasion is, without a doubt, the iced chocolate almond milk shaken espresso. It sounds incredibly fancy and complicated to make when in reality it is quite a simple recipe. This is a really good recipe that anybody can make with just a little bit of patience and time to learn the recipe.
The inspiration for this recipe is the famous Starbucks drink by the same name, although it is hard to say whether they were the first to come up with the drink or whether they simply came up with a cool name for it.
The drink has almond milk as the main ingredient, which is already used in many other preparations. The secret ingredient, though, is malt powder. What exactly is malt powder?
What is Malt Powder?
Malt is a grain that has been used for thousands of years. Ancient Sumerians used malt in a variety of ways and dishes using malt still survive to this day. It is thought that Ancient China also used malt in various ways.
As a grain, malt has a lot of value. It contains a plethora of different vitamins and minerals, but more importantly, malt contains enzymes that make it very valuable when it comes to fermenting and producing different flavors. A lot of beers and other liquors use malt as one of the main ingredients during fermentation. Does the term “malt liquor” ring a bell?
Malt, as a grain, is also roasted and ground into a fine powder. It can be consumed as a drink using milk or just water and it has a distinct toasty, chocolatey taste that goes perfectly with that of coffee or chocolate.
In fact, many chocolate confections use malt to enhance the taste of chocolate. Ovomaltine is one such confection that is made using mostly malt.
In other words, malt powder is actually a perfect ingredient for pairing with coffee! So it’s a good thing you’re learning to use malt with this drink because you’re likely to have to use it in the future for other recipes.
Besides, malt powder is ridiculously cheap and incredibly nutritious. So, really, more coffee beverages should be using malt. It is great both in flavor and nutrition.
How to Make a Perfect Iced Chocolate Almond Milk Shaken Espresso at Home Like Starbucks?
Now that we know what malt powder is, we can get on with our recipe. The first thing you need to know is that this drink requires a lot of shaking (who would’ve thought?) So before you start prepping the ingredients, you might want to check if you have a bartender-style shaker or something else that’s similar. You can also use an empty soda bottle or a mason jar.
Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
- 90ml almond milk, unsweetened
- 15 grams cocoa powder
- 15 grams malt powder
- Sweetener of your choice
- 60ml (two shots) of espresso
Instructions
- In a separate bowl or cup, mix cocoa powder and malt powder.
- Heat up almond milk until it is warm. This is to help with frothing.
- Combine milk, powder, and coffee in one container.
- Taste test and add sweetener if needed.
- When you’re satisfied with the taste, pour it into your shaker/soda bottle/mason jar.
- Shake. You should be shaking for about one minute. It’s okay to take breaks every ten or twenty seconds!
- When done, grab a tall glass and add ice to it.
- Pour your coffee over the ice.
- Enjoy!
FAQs
Can I Make this Drink Without Malt Powder?
Yes, you definitely can! The malt powder introduces a more complex flavor profile, but it’s definitely true that the taste of malt is not for everyone. So, if you’ve tried malt and decided you don’t like it—no problem! Simply sub malt powder for more cocoa powder.
Can I Substitute Almond Milk for Another Type of Milk?
There are legitimate reasons for not wanting to use almond milk, so it’s very understandable if you’d want to skip the almond milk on this one. However, the drink still needs a similar flavor in order to work with the malt flavor.
So, when substituting almond milk, you should look for one that has a similar flavor. Nut milk is the first thing you should look at. Cashew, hazelnut, and even peanut milk are great options. Cashew milk is great for texture and overall frothiness, although it tends to be high in fat. Peanut and hazelnut are perfect matches for the chocolatey flavor in this drink, so feel free to go with any of them instead of almond.
What Roast is Better for the Iced Chocolate Almond Milk Shaken Espresso?
It depends on the person. Some people swear by dark roasts and are unable to drink anything that has even medium roast coffee in it, which is a little too much.
There are two ways you can think about this problem. The drink itself is rather small, so a dark roast will definitely overpower it. But if you’re a fan of dark roasts, then that’s a good thing, and you should definitely go for a dark roast if you want a very strong flavor that overpowers the drink.
On the other hand, you might be a fan of more subtle flavors and would rather not have your coffee overpower the rest of the ingredients. In such a case, then it’s better to go for a light roast. This will still give the drink a coffee flavor that’s pleasant, but it won’t be strong enough; you’ll still get to savor the almond milk and malt powder, which some would say is the whole point of the drink. Either way is right as long as you like it!