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12 fl oz
malta beverage, chilled
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1/4 cup
sweetened condensed milk
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1/2 cup
whole milk, chilled
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1 cup
ice cubes
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1
Divide 1 cup ice cubes evenly between serving glasses.
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2
In a pitcher or large measuring cup, whisk 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk and 1/2 cup chilled whole milk until smooth.
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3
Slowly pour in 12 fl oz chilled malta beverage and stir gently to blend without losing carbonation.
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4
Pour the mixture over the prepared ice cubes and serve immediately.
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About Malta con Leche
Also called: leche con malta, malta with condensed milk, malta y leche condensada
Malta con leche is a cold drink of malta mixed with sweetened condensed milk and whole milk, poured over ice. It is common in Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and among Caribbean families in the United States, where it is made at home rather than bought ready-mixed. It takes five minutes and no cooking.
Malta is a carbonated malt beverage brewed like beer from barley and hops but not fermented into alcohol, so it is non-alcoholic. It tastes of molasses and toasted grain. On its own it is quite sweet; the milk softens its bitterness and turns it into something close to a malted milkshake. Yes, malta can be drunk with milk, and this is the usual way: the condensed milk adds body and sweetness, the whole milk thins it to a drinkable texture, and the ice keeps the carbonation from foaming over.
Serving and keeping
Serve immediately while the malta is still fizzy. It does not keep once mixed.
Variations
Without condensed milk
Use whole milk only, about 1 part milk to 2 parts malta, for a less sweet glass.
Malta float
Pour the malta over a scoop of vanilla ice cream instead of the milks.
Evaporated milk
Replace the whole milk with evaporated milk for a richer, slightly cooked-milk flavor.
If it goes wrong
It foams over the glass
Pour the malta into the milk slowly, down the side of the pitcher, and stir rather than whisk, as in step 3. Chilled malta foams less than warm.
The condensed milk sits at the bottom
Whisk it into the whole milk first until smooth, as in step 2, before any malta goes in.
Too sweet
Cut the condensed milk by half and add more whole milk or ice.
Substitutions
- whole milk: evaporated milk or unsweetened oat milk. Evaporated milk is richer; oat milk is lighter and keeps the drink dairy-light but the condensed milk still contains dairy.
- sweetened condensed milk: coconut condensed milk. Removes dairy from that part of the drink and adds a coconut note.
- malta beverage: any brand of malta (Malta Goya, Malta India, Malta Polar). Brands differ in sweetness; taste and adjust the condensed milk.
Questions
Is there a substitute for sweetened condensed milk in Malta con Leche?
The entry for Malta con Leche calls for 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk. In its place: There is no quick swap. Simmer two cups of milk with two thirds of a cup of sugar until reduced by half, about 35 minutes.
Can I make Malta con Leche dairy-free?
Yes. The dairy in Malta con Leche is 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk, 1/2 cup whole milk, chilled. Swap the sweetened condensed milk for a plant-based version of the same product; the milk for unsweetened oat or soy milk. The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.
Is Malta con Leche vegan?
No, though it is vegetarian. What keeps it from vegan is 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk and 1/2 cup whole milk, chilled. For fully plant-based entries, see the vegan non-alcoholic drink collection.
How many calories are in Malta con Leche?
One serving (the recipe makes 2) is about 280 calories, with 6 g protein, 52 g carbohydrate and 5 g fat, plus 110 mg sodium. The figures are estimates computed from the ingredient list.
Can I batch Malta con Leche for a group?
Yes. As written it serves 2. Halved, the malta drops from 12 fl oz to 6 fl oz; doubled, it is 24 fl oz. Every line in this entry carries its half and double quantity, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. To make a pitcher, multiply everything and stir over ice at the end.
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