There is nothing better than a cup of Ovaltine Vs Horlicks hot chocolate on the cold winter days. These drinks are the perfect combination for your warm milk, and they taste amazing. The powder is convenient and mixes well with milk or other liquid. However, they don’t taste the same and are not made from the same ingredients. If you wonder which you may like better, let’s see what they can offer here.
In this comparison, we are going to talk about:
- Why We Love Chocolate
- What are Ovaltine and Horlicks
- How are the Packages of Ovaltine and Horlicks
- How to Prepare Ovaltine and Horlicks
- What are the Ingredients of Ovaltine and Horlicks
- What are the Nutrients in Ovaltine and Horlicks
- How is the Taste of Ovaltine and Horlicks
- Ovaltine Vs Horlicks
Human and Chocolate
Chocolate is delicious, and they rarely fail when making anything chocolate flavored. If you want to try some drink or snacks but are unsure whether they will taste okay, try the chocolate flavor, and chances are they will taste at least decent. It is our safe option whenever trying something we are not familiar with yet. Whether it is chocolate cookies, chocolate-flavored milk, chocolate candy, chocolate ice cream, or chocolate dessert, this flavor is almost like a guarantee that you will like them.
You may wonder why people love chocolate so much besides the taste itself. The reason is a compound in chocolate called theobromine, a mild stimulant and a vasodilator. Chocolate also contains tryptophan and phenylethylamine, which may contribute to the addiction-like response and make you crave. But, above all, chocolate products like candies and chocolate bars are loaded with sugars which also explain why it is hard to refuse a chocolate dessert or stop you from making one.
The phenylethylamine increases pulse rate and is often called a love drug because it gives you a similar feeling to falling in love and probably also why Valentine’s day is always related to chocolate. Chocolate naturally contains magnesium, and if your body is experiencing magnesium deficiency, it is possible to crave the food. For women, chocolate is a popular snack during the pre-menstrual cycle because the body loses blood and may experience hypoglycemia, so the chocolate can help balance blood sugar levels.
About Ovaltine and Horlicks
Chocolate comes in different forms and flavors. Nowadays, you can find strawberry-flavored chocolate and matcha-flavored chocolate from the white chocolate variant. The most popular is still milk chocolate and other traditional products like chocolate powder. Often mistaken for chocolate-flavored milk, drinks like Ovaltine Vs Nesquik are not made with milk. However, they are a perfect addition to your warm milk. They are also versatile for making different drink recipes and desserts like chocolate pudding.
If you love malty chocolate drinks, try Ovaltine and Horlicks because these two are made using malt. They are an excellent substitute for regular chocolate milk because you can use them in your favorite drinks. Ovaltine is a very popular drink that you can find almost everywhere. This chocolate drink is often called milk and does contain milk but only for the ready-to-drink variant. This variant seems unavailable in the US, but you can find them in some Asian countries.
Horlicks is an English brand, and personally, we are not very familiar with the brand. Aimia Foods market the brand but William Horlick develops the beverage. The brand seems to be available in Asian countries like Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and India outside the United Kingdom and New Zealand. However, India’s company was bought by Unilever in 2018. In India, the drink is a substitute for breakfast while it is associated with bedtime in the UK.
Regardless of the marketing, you can drink the beverage at any time of the day. Both Ovaltine and Horlicks don’t contain caffeine, so they are safe before bedtime and don’t give you the kick like a coffee. The difference between Ovaltine and Horlicks is taste and ingredients. The chocolate variant of Horlicks is more like a liquid cereal than a chocolate drink and is maltier than Ovaltine. Both taste great and perfect with a cup of warm or cold milk.
Ovaltine and Horlicks Packaging
Unlike Ovaltine, which is only available in chocolate flavor, Horlicks is available in several options. The Instant Horlicks contains milk and is convenient if you don’t have milk in the refrigerator. There are Original, Chocolate, Vegan, and Instant variant from Horlicks. They are coming in a plastic canister and in powder form. On the other hand, Ovaltine only has a chocolate flavor, but there are two variants available in the US; the classic formula and the no-artificial flavors and sweeteners variant.
If you travel, Ovaltine is also available in ready-to-drink milk, usually comes in a carton box. Ovaltine circulating outside the US are still using the classic orange tin or carton, but the canister is now yellow and brownish-orange for the options available in the country. As for the price, Horlicks is not as widely available as Ovaltine. Ovaltine 12 oz canister is typically $4, while Horlicks 500 grams/17 oz is $13.
Serving Ovaltine and Horlicks
Making an Ovaltine and Horlicks drink is very simple, but most people are adding the powder to their milk. A cup of warm milk with a portion of the powder will improve the taste and boost the nutrient content. Not only warm, but you can also make cold beverages with them, such as adding some to a smoothie or your protein shake. The hot drink is relaxing and improves your mood, making them great for bedtime beverages, but don’t forget that they also contain sugar.
Besides making drinks, you can bake with this chocolate powder too. One of our favorite recipes is chocolate brownies. Add the powder into the brownies mix instead of regular chocolate blocks or powder and bake it for 35 minutes. You can also use the chocolate powder to make icing or spread for garnishing the dessert.
Ovaltine and Horlicks Ingredients
It is wise to know what your product is made of, especially when buying it for the first time and because Ovaltine and Horlicks are very different. Ovaltine is a malt drink, but the top five ingredients are sugar, whey, malt extract, maltodextrin, and food coloring; the cocoa powder is listed as the 6th ingredient after food coloring. On the other hand, Horlicks is made of malted cereals, barley malt, wheat malt, cereal extract, and barley. It also contains a little milk solids and cocoa powder for the chocolate variant.
Ovaltine and Horlicks Nutrients
Ovaltine and Horlicks are also enjoyed for the added benefits. For example, each serving of Horlicks contains calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus, and magnesium, beneficial for bone health. It also has a little protein and potassium for muscle. It has iron, vitamin, C, and A for blood health, while iodine, b6, B12, folic acid, and carbs will help brain function. It has sodium and chloride for electrolyte and fluid balance. Vitamin E, selenium, copper, and zinc are helpful for the immune system.
As for the calorie, Horlicks supply 502 calories per serving or 32 grams of the powder. On the other hand, Ovaltine has a serving size of 11 grams which becomes 40 calories when mixed with non-fat milk. It contains vitamins A, B, C, D, and E. It also contains calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and copper. Each serving contains 7 grams of sugar and 70 mg sodium, while Horlicks contains 15.4 grams of sugar.
Ovaltine and Horlicks Taste
Besides the nutrient content, Ovaltine and Horlicks are tasty and versatile. The powder of these drinks is slightly different because Horlicks is very fine and may appear clumpy out of the canister. The appearance reminds us of a pre-ground coffee for espresso. The color is darker than Ovaltine and similar to a cooking chocolate powder. The Ovaltine is a bit coarse and separating well but not to the point of granulated. They smell good and already taste great in powder form.
The simple preparation with milk produces beautiful chocolatey color. They make the milk a bit thicker and creamier. The taste is excellent, but Horlicks is malty and tastes like liquid cereal. We often think Ovaltine tastes like cereal, but Horlicks is more prominent. The chocolate taste is delicious, but we think Horlicks will make you feel full longer, or this will be an excellent substitute for a meal if you are in a hurry or diet. Ovaltine is sweeter, but Horlicks has a stronger malt and chocolate powder. If you want a more intense flavor, we can add more powder to the drink.
Ovaltine Vs Horlicks
Both Ovaltine and Horlicks are good options to enrich your good morning or good night milk. The difference between Ovaltine and Horlicks are taste and ingredients because Horlicks is maltier and has a slightly stronger chocolate flavor but not as sweet as Ovaltine. The nutrient content is about the same, but Horlicks has a higher serving, which means the number of calories and sugar is also higher than Ovaltine. This brand is also more expensive compared to many other similar chocolate drinks.
| Ovaltine | Horlicks |
|---|---|
| - Easy to find | - Not available in all countries |
| - Affordable | - Expensive |
| - Weaker chocolate taste | - Slightly stronger chocolate taste |
| - Sweeter | - Maltier |
| - Smaller serving size | - Large serving size |
Conclusion
We love the taste of Ovaltine and Horlicks because they are delicious. But, for the price, we recommend Ovaltine because it is much cheaper and similarly versatile. It has a good chocolate flavor, and you can increase the intensity depending on the serving size.