How to Make Homemade Malt-O-Meal: Malting Barley and Milling Farina from Scratch

ByThe Answerlode Editorial Team

Making Homemade Malt-O-Meal: A Complete Guide

Malt-O-Meal cereal is a simple product at its core—wheat farina blended with malted barley—but recreating it from scratch requires understanding two distinct processes: malting grain and milling flour. The good news is both are doable at home with basic equipment and some patience. This guide walks through each step so you can make your own version without commercial additives.

Understanding Malt-O-Meal Ingredients

Commercial Malt-O-Meal contains two main components: wheat farina and malted barley, enriched with B vitamins and iron. Wheat farina is the milled endosperm (the starchy interior) of wheat grains, ground to a fine, uniform consistency. Malted barley contributes a subtle sweetness and complex flavor from the malting process, which activates enzymes that break down the grain’s starches into simpler sugars.

To make your own version, you’ll need to source or produce these two ingredients, then mix them together. The malted barley is the more involved step, but it’s manageable if you follow the process carefully.

Step 1: Malting Barley at Home

Malting is a three-stage process that takes about one week total. Start with whole barley grains—specifically, unhulled malting barley with the hull still intact. Hulled barley will not sprout, so this is non-negotiable. You’ll find this at homebrew supply shops or specialty grain retailers.

Stage 1: Steeping (12-24 Hours)

Soak the barley in cool water (around 60-70°F) for 12 to 24 hours. Use enough water to cover the grains completely. A jar with a sprouting lid works well, or you can use cheesecloth over a regular jar. The grains will absorb water and begin the germination process.

Stage 2: Germination (3-5 Days)

Drain the water and keep the grains moist by misting or rinsing them every 4 to 8 hours. Spread the grains out so air can circulate, and turn them by hand regularly to prevent clumping and to aerate them. During this stage, small white shoots will emerge—these are the acrospires (the plant’s first leaf). Keep germinating until the acrospire is nearly as long as the kernel itself. This typically takes 3 to 5 days. You can monitor progress by slicing a kernel lengthwise with a sharp knife to check the white shoot’s length.

Stage 3: Kilning (Drying and Heating)

Once the acrospire reaches full length, you have “green malt.” Now you need to stop the germination by drying it. Spread the green malt on a clean cloth or screen and dry it at around 90-120°F for at least 24 hours, until the small rootlets (chits) fall off easily. After drying, heat the malt to around 180°F for 1 to 5 hours to finish the kilning process. This final heating creates the characteristic malt flavor and stops enzyme activity. Longer kilning times and higher temperatures will produce darker, more flavorful malts if you want to experiment.

After cooling, grind the kilned malt to a coarse powder using a grain mill, food processor, or blender. Store in an airtight container.

Step 2: Making Farina from Whole Wheat

Farina is the endosperm of wheat grains, milled fine and sifted to remove the bran and germ. Commercial farina is then enriched with vitamins and minerals. To make it at home, you have two options.

Option A: Refined Farina (Closer to Store-Bought)

This requires more equipment but produces a product more similar to commercial farina. Grind wheat berries in a grain mill to a fine flour. Then use a sifter or flour mill’s fine setting to separate out the bran and germ. The remaining fine starch is your farina. This is labor-intensive and requires specialty equipment, which is why most home cooks skip this step.

Option B: Whole Grain Flour (Simpler and More Nutritious)

Grind whole wheat berries in a grain mill to a medium-coarse consistency (grainy but not powdered). This retains all the grain’s components—the bran, germ, and endosperm—making it nutritionally superior to refined farina. Use this whole grain powder as your Malt-O-Meal base. You sacrifice some of the refined texture but gain nutrition and simplicity.

If you don’t own a grain mill, check local food co-ops, bakeries, or friends who bake—many are willing to grind grain for you, or you can order pre-ground whole wheat flour and use that instead.

Step 3: Assembling and Cooking Your Homemade Malt-O-Meal

Mix your ground malted barley and farina (or whole wheat flour) in whatever ratio you prefer. A good starting point is equal parts of each, but adjust to taste. The malted barley will add sweetness, so less farina may be needed than in commercial Malt-O-Meal.

To cook, bring water or milk to a boil in a saucepan. Slowly whisk in your grain mixture while stirring constantly to prevent lumps—use about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of grain per 1 cup of liquid, adjusting thickness to your preference. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches a creamy consistency. Add sweetener (maple syrup, honey, or sugar) to taste, along with salt, butter, or cream if desired.

Simplifications and Shortcuts

If the full malting process feels too involved, you have alternatives. Toast whole barley (hulled is fine here) in a dry pan until fragrant, then grind it to add to your cereal for a malty flavor without the week-long malting process. This won’t taste identical to proper malt, but it captures some of the character. Alternatively, you can purchase malted barley flour online from homebrew or specialty grain suppliers and skip the malting step entirely.

For the farina component, whole wheat flour, spelt, or even oat flour can serve as a stand-in if milling from scratch isn’t feasible. The final product may differ slightly from the original Malt-O-Meal, but it will still be a warm, nutritious hot cereal made from grains you’ve processed yourself.

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