Looking for an alternative to hot chocolate? This homemade Ovaltine is made with 1/2 cocoa and 1/2 malt, then sweetened to taste. It can also be made vegan or gluten-free. The choice is yours!

We’re not big sweet tooths at our house, so when we went shopping for hot chocolate for a camping party, my son talked me into getting Ovaltine instead. (It has 1/3 the sugar!)
Surprisingly, it was a huge hit! No one even wondered where the hot chocolate was. Everyone loved it. Well… everyone except me… traditional Ovaltine is not gluten-free.
Then when we finished the jar, I realized the only way to get more Ovaltine was to buy another glass jar. Not my favorite option, as we try to avoid excess packaging and anything in non-refillable glass jars. We’re not fully zero-waste, but we definitely tend to make choices in that direction.
So what’s a gluten-free camper to do?
Make your own of course!
Make your own signature blend
The best thing about making your own drink mix is that you get to create a signature blend!
- Vegan: Replace the powdered milk with powdered coconut milk.
- Gluten-free: While malt powder is trad, feel free to use chicory, dandelion, or mushroom powder. (See below for details).
- Sugar-free: Make this as sweet as you want! Also, feel free to use your favorite alternative sweetener.
- Chocolate to taste: My family liked 50/50 cocoa powder, which is a bit more chocolatey than traditional Ovaltine. Feel free to reduce the chocolate and add more malt for a slightly less chocolatey beverage.
Alternatives to malt powder
Most homemade Ovaltine recipes start with malt powder… which is usually made from barley. However, I couldn’t find malt powder at any of my local grocery stores. I also wanted to create a beverage that I would be able to enjoy as well.
So I went for a powdered coffee alternative instead. There are a number of options, so feel free to use whatever you prefer:
- A grain and chicory-based coffee substitute (like Bambu and Cafix)
- Toasted and ground chicory root (it doesn’t stir into the drink in quite the same way, so simply strain before serving).
- Dandelion root extract
- Mushroom powder
A big advantage of using one of these options instead of malt powder is that they are all high in fiber and prebiotic! Chicory, dandelion, and mushrooms all offer other health benefits as well.
I look forward to making this!
Will this mix up cold like ovaltine?
That will depend on your milk. Most powdered milk requires hot water, however, buttermilk powder and powdered coconut milk can both be mixed up cold. Cheers!
Can this be mixed into cold milk?
It definitely works best when mixed into hot water. If you want a cold drink, mix a little into hot water to dissolve, then add cold water. Cheers!