Craving a nostalgic treat? These Milo biscuits are a delightful blend of malted chocolate goodness and crunch. Simple to make and loved by all ages, they're an Aussie classic that's perfect for any occasion.
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I used to be a Milo addict.
It’s embarrassing to admit but 11 teaspoons was my regular dosage in an ice cold glass of milk. I also remember getting busted on school camp eating it straight from a tin. Is there an Aussie kid without a Milo story?
But why stop at adding to to milk – hello Milo cookies.
These delicious biscuits are really simple to make and budget-friendly.
They make a great alternative to classic chocolate chip cookies.
Let me tell you about my niece when she was younger.
Pretty much every time that she visited, the first thing she said after ‘hello’ was ‘do you have any biscuits?’
Apparently this is something she says when she visits most houses.
But after being treated to a couple of chocolate freckle biscuits here one day, she expected me to have something better than a plain biscuit from a packet in answer to her question.
Why you’ll love these
- Just 5 ingredients – nothing fancy required.
- Kid-approved and lunchbox-friendly – they hold up well, freeze and aren’t too crumbly.
- Customisable – add choc chips or make them gluten-free with a simple flour swap.
- Taste like childhood – classic Aussie flavour with that signature Milo crunch.
For her third Birthday I thought a nice little add-on to her present would be a big bag of her very own biscuits made with Milo.
Ingredients
To make Milo biscuits you will need:
- Butter
- Caster sugar - you could use brown sugar but the finished cookie will be a little more chewy than crunchy
- Egg - free-range if possible
- Self-raising flour - here's how to make self-raising flour with plain flour and baking powder
- Milo - you can get a tin of Milo from most regular supermarkets in Australia
Instructions
- Stare by pre-heating the oven to 160C fan-forced and line two baking trays with baking paper.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer (or using an electric beater), beat the butter and caster sugar together until light and creamy.
- Scrape the sides then beat in the egg.
- Add the flour and Milo (the dry ingredients) and mix slowly until a dough forms.
- Using a level tablespoon (for smaller cookies use a teaspoons of mixture) of dough at a time, roll it into balls and place on the lined baking trays leaving at least 4cm between each one.
- Flatten the balls slightly and bake for about 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Leave to rest on the oven trays for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Other methods
The biscuit dough can be made my hand with good old muscle power in a large bowl with a wooden spoon or in the Thermomix or food processor.
The recipe said that it makes 20.
I only used half the dough (popped the rest in the freezer for later) and made 20 which I thought were quite a reasonable size so unless you want jumbo cookies, the recipe makes 40.
How to freeze the milo biscuit dough
I often freeze biscuit dough for quick cookie making.
Press the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.
It helps to write the name of the biscuits and baking instructions on the wrapping.
Substitutes
Milo is a brand of malted milk powder made by Nestle.
You can get it at most supermarkets in Australia or on Amazon.
If you can't buy Milo, you can substitute it with a malted milk powder.
Tips
- Make sure you us regular Milo, not the “reduced sugar” version, for the best flavour.
- Don’t overbake the biscuits – they firm up more as they cool.
- If you do want biscuits though, bake for an extra 2-3 minutes.
Variations
I think these are perfect as is but if you want to mix it up a little here are some ideas:
- Choc chip Milo biscuits – add ¼ cup chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips for an extra treat.
- Milo & coconut biscuits – add ¼ cup desiccated coconut to the mix.
- Milo sandwich cookies – spread a little Nutella or melted chocolate between two biscuits & stick them together.
Storage
Store the biscuits in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
They also freeze well.
I like to pop them in a ziplock bag.
The verdict, because yes I had to try one myself?
They were nice and crunchy around the outside and a teensy bit chewy inside.
The Milo gave them a mild chocolate flavour, nothing too intense and they weren't too sweet either.
They would go quite nicely dipped in a glass of ice-cold milk.
Enjoy!
What about you?
Do you get on a roll with certain ingredients?
Do you ever write yourself notes months in advance and get a nice surprise when you find them?
Recipe
Milo biscuits
Ingredients
- 125 g butter
- ¾ cup caster sugar
- 1 free-range egg
- 1½ cups self-raising flour
- ½ cup Milo
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 160C fan-forced and line two baking trays with baking paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and caster sugar together until light and creamy.
- Scrape the sides then beat in the egg.
- Add the flour and Milo and mix slowly until a dough forms.
- Using a level tablespoon of dough at a time, roll it into balls and place on the trays leaving at least 4cm between each one.
- Flatten the balls slightly and bake for 15 minutes.
- Leave to rest on the trays for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Anna Elizabeth says
I felt like baking something new this morning and I thought I'd try something with Milo - it's a big favourite in our family and like you said it's nice to have it in a different way. I just took the first batch out of the oven and am waiting for the second to cook! They looked to yummy not to have one - they are so good! A little crunchy on the outside, and a little more chey on the inside, plus not too sweet! Love 'em! Thanks so much for this recipie, I will definitely be trying them again soon!! :)
Claire says
You're very welcome Anna! I'm glad you liked them.
Connie says
Hey, tried this seemingly delicious recipe, but I was in for a great surprise! As I was mixing the butter, I'd been a little careless and when I checked the label on my "flour" packet, only then I realised it was PLAIN FLOUR! I search around the house, looking for the Self-Raising flour I was once certain present, only to find I had ran out! I went with the recipe anyway. Though I added heaps of sugars and little milo. Also, I replaced the caster sugar with raw, not sure of how different it tasted. When I just took it out of the oven, it looked inviting, but my heart broke into a million piece when i touched and it was soft. I immediately knew that it was because I put in plain flour... I am not sure how much stars to rate it, it does look fantastic, I'll give it a five. :)
Claire says
Oh no Connie! A tip for you... keep some baking powder in the house and then you can make your own self raising flour. I never buy self-raising any more! Thanks for the five!
Nicole in Jakarta says
I finally made these with replacing the caster sugar with coconut sugar & they tasted great. They were loved by husband & kids. Next time I will use something a bit more healthier than butter
Claire says
Great idea Nicole. I would say you can use coconut oil instead but maybe a little less.
Nicole in Jakarta says
Just wondering if you could leave at the sugar in the biscuits & maybe substitute the sugar for coconut or quick cook oats
Claire says
Hi Nicole. I think leaving out the sugar might change the consistency a little too much. If you wanted to make them healthier you could try coconut sugar. It will change the taste but they should still hold together well. It would just take a bit of experimenting.
Isabel in Spain says
Hi Claire. I found your blog ckicking from link to link and must admit I enjoy it very much and find it makes the world a bit smaller reading all your entries from half way around the world from where I live!! I printed this recipe and thought I would have to substitue the Milo for a local Spanish ingredient but, to my surprise found Milo in the International foods English section of one or our local Carrefours. Needless to say I immediately picked it up (for €3.50) and that very afternoon I had a batch of "biscuits" (cookies for me) which the family loved! You can bet I will be making these ofen and feeling just a bit Australian every time I bite into one...
Claire says
Hi Isabel! Thank you for your lovely comments. How exciting to find Milo. It sounds like you were meant to have the biscuits. Glad you liked them.
Ali says
These look pretty spesh. Do you think sprinkling some extra milo on top before they cook would work...? Melt or burn, hmm...
Claire says
Hmm would have to test and see I think.
Barbara Good says
We're Ovaltine kids in this house (is that un-Asutralian?) but I reckon these would work just as well with ovaltine as milo and my kids would love them.
Claire says
Yes I think it would too.
Michelle says
Made these yesterday. Looking forward to putting a couple in my son's lunch ox tomorrow!
Claire says
Hope he likes them Michelle!
JJ - 84thand3rd says
Haha you make me laugh! These sound great too :D
Claire says
:-)
The Food Sage says
Your organisation sure paid off … for the rest of us, too. Thanks for sharing.
Claire says
You're very welcome!
Hotly Spiced says
These look perfect and I'm a big fan of Milo - so much nicer than Ovaltine. When I used to take Alfie to swimming lessons, (I still do) I made friends with another mother with three small children. I always used to pack food for Alfie like biscuits because he's so thin and I have to force-feed him. She had a very chubby forceful boy who was always on the hunt for food and every week, the first thing he would say to me was, 'Do you have any snacks?' I learned to pack extra or Alfie would miss out again! xx
Claire says
Haha that's hilarious. You were the snack mum! x
The Life of Clare says
These look delicious! I love milo! My slight milk cravings have been accompanied by milo. Go you for being so productive!
Claire says
Oh yum Clare. I drank so much milk in the beginning!
The Café Sucre Farine says
Such a simple but yummy looking recipe. Lucky Will to wake up to such treats!
Claire says
He wasn't too lucky this time... they were all packaged up for his niece!
Jennifer @ Delicious Everyday says
I used to love Milo when I was little, especially on ice cream. I love the idea of your milo biscuits. Very Australian :D And yes, I do get on a roll with certain things, themes and ingredients. Especially when I come across something I really love.
Claire says
Oh no Jen I'd totally forgotten about Milo on ice cream. I have vanilla in the fridge and Milo. May have to indulge tonight!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
I think I'd like these but I might try chocolate chips in there too. Just for overkill.
Claire says
Nothing wrong with overkill if it involves chocolate.