Well, I actually can believe it’s not Milo. I lie, because it’s not exactly the same. It has that little crunch just like milo does though! Enjoy it as a hot or cold chocolate milk with the milk of your choosing. It’s a fabulous chocolate ice cream sprinkle too, as the ultimate nostalgic big kid treat, as well as for the little ones. It’s nut free, sugar free, fructose free, additive free and gluten free – cue the halo! The tiny amount of lactose in it is from butter, which most people tolerate. If you can’t do any lactose at all, make it with Organic ghee as it’s an equally great result with it.
If you’re not convinced of needing to let go of the milo, how’s this ingredient list…
MILK POWDER, BARLEY MALT EXTRACT, SUGAR, COCOA, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SOY LECITHIN, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, THIAMINE HYDRICHLORIDE, FERROUS FUMARATE, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOUR… Artificial Vitamin A, Artificial Flavour, Sugar in No 3 spot. It’s just not right. This stuff is far from food, occasional treat or otherwise. So, here’s to wiping the badness away with this delicious home made chocolate drink base. Double the batch and pop in a big jar if you have kids over regularly or a big family.
What you’ll need
100ml Rice Malt Syrup
25g salted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder (must be the powder as it will need to be dry.)
1.5 – 2 teaspoons raw cacao powder
What to do
Have a sheet of parchment ready, for a quick turn out of the toffee.
Melt your butter in a medium heat cast iron or stainless steel frying pan. Still using teflon? Read here as to why you might want to rethink it.
Add your rice syrup and stir them together until combined and bubbling.
Let the rice syrup and butter bubble away slowly together for 10 minutes or thereabouts depending of course on your stove heat and pan thickness. Not enough means it will not crisp up, and too much means you will burn it. Basically, as soon as you detect a change to a darker golden colour, get it onto the baking sheet pronto.
Leave on a baking sheet to harden. I use ‘If We Care’ brand. Great stuff.
Go and do something else. Read, relax, oh who am I kidding: bathe a child! The last 2 minutes work comes in half an hour.
Ok, now that you’re back, just break shards of the praline up into a whizz bang blitzer type of thing. Add your vanilla powder and cacao (1.5tsp first and check if it’s chocolatey enough for you, adding the other 1/2 teaspoon if you like) and blitz together for 30 seconds until a fine chocolate sand has formed. Go on – Taste it!
Pop it in a jar and it will keep nicely for a couple of weeks (that’s what I’ve tested thus far. It may well be longer and I will update the storage time, when I can confirm how much longer)
To make Cold Chocolate – Dissolve a heaped tablespoon with a tiny bit of boiled water. Top with the milk of your choice and an ice cube or two.
To make a Hot Chocolate – Dissolve 1-2 heaped tablespoons and 200ml your choice of milk per serving and warm for a few minutes on the stove.
To use as a topping – Pick up with hands in little pinches – or by the handful!!! Sprinkle on desired object be it ice cream or chocolate pudding.
If you make it and like it, please pop by either here in the comments or over on my facebook page here a little note! It always helps others thinking about trying to make something new, if they see others who have! I’m all about inspiring the collective to ditch the weird unpronouncables in supermarket aisles and get clever with a few easy home substitutes! Speaking of substitues and chocolate, feel free to try my delicious, nourishing and easy Faux Fudge or my Cocoa Caramel Chews which the lovely Sarah Wilson recently included as a contributing recipe in her Christmas recipe E book. Both are delicious and known to very easily fool both big people and small!
Real Treats. Happy Bodies.
Alexx xx
wow – this is awesome! I have a home-made milo recipe too on the blog, but it’s so different to this – go the homemade milo!!!
Yay Sonia – great minds! Enjoy the recipe and I shall absolutely have to check yours out too! No need to cut out treats. Just re-invent them. x
Alexx, what are your thoughts on traces of arsenic being found in rice? I got so confused, I stopped using rice malt syrup as a sweetener. Many thanks
Hi Madalaine,
It’s true, there’s indisputable trace arsenic in Rice syrup. I have noticed however too, that a couple of the articles site studies that are questionably funded – ie, perhaps the sugar, corn industry or specifically high fructose corn lobby, trying to make rice out to be the bad guy? Is trace arsenic in moderation better for us as an option that fructose? I’m not a scientist, but I’m thinking possibly yes. You’ve inspired me to find a friendly geek to help us explore the pros and cons here, and help all decide. If you tolerate / enjoy maple syrup or raw honey, use in place of anywhere I cite rice syrup, no problems
Thank you so much. I’d love to know more.
This is delicious, i’m drinking a warm mug now.
Thank you for all your awesome recipes and goodness
Donna! How fabulous. Am so glad you enjoy it and thanks for taking the time to let me know! x
Made this morning & popped it into the jar before I ate it all
This is delicious !!!
Think I might also make some & leave it in shards for
Eating as a lolly when I get a sweet craving
Thanks for sharing this great recipe ,)
You’re super welcome Toni! Adding grated ginger to the caramel shard makes delicious ginger lollies too if you’re interested! Alexx
This is great. I made it with carob powder instead – disappeared very quickly!!! Now making a cacao version and a carob version. Have tripled the quantity – one 500g jar of rice malt syrup is 350ml. So hopefully it will last a bit longer than last time! (Family of 6!)
I love that you’re making a super family batch and great to know it’s do able with carob for the caffeine sensitive and kiddies. Thanks for sharing
wow I can’t wait to make this for my nephew!
Thanks Jane – Apparently lots of happy little people out there wth this one. Yay! Knock em down, one fake food at a time