Maltesers vs. Whoppers vs. Mighty Malts vs. Maltitos: Differences and Reviews 2025

Table of Contents

1. The Origin of Malted Milk Balls

2. What kind of malt balls should I buy and try?

3. Maltesers vs. Whoppers: Differences and Reviews 

4. Maltesers vs. Whoppers: Appearance

5. Maltesers vs. Whoppers: Taste

6. Maltesers vs. Whoppers: Texture

7. Maltesers vs. Whoppers: Ingredients

8. Maltesers vs. Whoppers: Nutrition

9. Maltesers vs. Whoppers: Which Is Healthier?

10. Maltesers vs. Whoppers: Popularity

11. Verdict: Maltesers vs Whoppers, Which Is Best?

12. Mighty Malts vs Whoppers

13. How about Delfi Chocolate Maltitos?

14. Maltesers vs. Whoppers: Which Comes First?

15. Conclusion 

1. What Is Malt?

Malt is a sweetener used in various food and drink products.

Malt probably first was used to make beer, but malted grains also can be served as a sweet paste. For example, samanu is a traditional Persian recipe made with malted wheat. Barley and wheat grains have been prepared in this way for thousands of years in China, Egypt, and other countries where those grains first were cultivated.

Several different types of candy also contain barley and/or wheat malt as an ingredient. Malted milk balls (Hershey's Whoppers and NECCO Mighty Malts are two examples) include malt made from gluten grains, so you'll need to steer clear of those when you're following the gluten-free diet.

The Origin of Malted Milk Balls

In 1887, William Horlick, a food manufacturer from England, settled in Racine, Wisconsin, and experimented with producing dried milk products. Thus, Horlick created malted milk powder. His original intent was to promote its health benefits.

Instead, people discovered it was a fantastic sweetener. They began using it to sweeten everything imaginable, including fountain drinks, waffles, and even infant formula. 

However, it wasn’t until 1936 that the idea to make candy sweeter with malted milk powder emerged. Forrest Mars Sr. created the first candy using a malted milk center. 

This unique candy is still enjoyed today by children, teens, and adults of all ages.

Their unique texture and flavor make them very popular

Malt gives malt ball candies their unique flavor and texture. For many, it has connotations of nostalgia. Satisfy your taste buds with these malted milk balls covered in a smooth and delicious layer of luscious milk or dark chocolate.

Chocolate Malt Balls are a decadent snack or dessert in their own right. While it might be an overstatement to say that malt balls are a healthy snack, they do provide some fiber, protein, calcium, and iron.

Malt candy remains a popular candy that can be found in trick-or-treating bags. They are often featured in candy displays and as gifts during the holiday season.

However, over time, people have discovered other ways to include this candy in snacks and desserts. 

Malted milk cookies made with crushed malted milk balls are a wonderful snack. Brownies made with malt balls can be served as a dessert or as a snack. You can easily find recipes for no-bake chocolate bars using malted milk bars. Chocolate malt balls are an ideal topping for cakes, cupcakes, pies and ice cream.

2. So, what kind of malt balls should I buy and try?

No matter how complicated the history of malt balls, it is not difficult to understand that malt balls are delicious. By ordering online or stopping by one of several retailers, you'll be able to find several well-known brands of malt balls!

Here, we focus on several classic malt brands such as Maltesers, Whoppers, Mighty Malts, and Maltitos!

When it comes to the two top brands, Maltesers and Whoppers, it's interesting to note that they are sweet candies with a malted milk center, but they differ in taste, texture and nutritional content, which is what this article focuses on.

Maltesers vs. Whoppers: A quick look at their differences

Now that we’ve learned a bit about Maltesers and Whoppers, let’s compare the two!

Maltesers vs. Whoppers: Appearance

Whoppers are smaller and have a matte finish, while Maltesers are larger and have a shiny finish.

Whoppers are slightly darker brown and Maltesers are slightly lighter brown.

Maltesers vs. Whoppers: Taste

When it comes to candy, taste is everything!

The chocolate coating on Maltesers is much better in taste and quality than Whopper.

The thicker chocolate layer on Maltesers also accentuates the chocolate flavor. If you compare the ingredient lists of these two malted milk balls, you'll see that the Maltesers contain cocoa butter, while the Whoppers do not.

The coating on Whoppers is more like an artificial chocolate-flavored candy shell with a thinner layer of chocolate, which is crunchy and brittle rather than smooth and milky like Maltesers.

Second, both Maltesers and Whoppers have a malted milk center, but Whoppers have a sweeter and richer malt filling that overpowers the chocolate.

The center of Maltesers is like a crunchy cookie that complements the main chocolate flavor.

The result is a more balanced flavor profile between malted milk and chocolate in Maltesers, and a crunchy center in Whoppers.

Maltesers vs. Whoppers: Texture

While Maltesers are bigger on the outside, they are decidedly less dense than Whoppers on the inside.

Maltesers have a heavily aerated center that is light tan in color. Furthermore, Whoopers have a thinner layer of exterior chocolate compared to Maltesers.

The center part of Malteser feels light, like air with a little crunchiness. Unlike Whoppers, they melt down very quickly and smoothly with delicious malted milk flavor. 

On the other hand, Whoppers have a denser texture that is crunchy and chewy simultaneously. It takes longer for the biscuit-like filling to break down, and often by the time this happens all trace of the chocolate coating has gone.

We can say that Whoppers, because of their dense texture, take a longer time by first giving you the chocolate flavor and then comes the crunchy and chewy center.

In contrast, Maltesers can disappear in seconds, with the flavor of chocolate and malted milk perfectly combined throughout.

So basically, Maltesers are light and airy with a more intense chocolatey flavor, while Whoppers are denser, crunchier, and packed full of malted milk flavor. Which you prefer will ultimately come down to personal preference!

Maltesers vs. Whoppers: Ingredients

The key difference in terms of ingredients between Maltesers and Whoppers is the use of cocoa butter in Maltesers.

Cocoa butter makes the taste of Maltesers better than Whoppers, and that is why many people mention that Whoppers feel like artificial chocolate, whereas Maltesers have a real chocolate taste.

The outer coating on Whoppers is likened to a chocolate-flavored hard candy shell, which explains why they are crisper and less intensely flavored.

Whoppers – Sugar; Corn Syrup; Partially Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil; Whey (Milk); Malted Milk (Barley Malt; Wheat Flour; Milk; Salt; Sodium Bicarbonate); Cocoa; Contains 2% Or Less Of: Resinous Glaze; Sorbitan Tristearate; Soy Lechithin; Salt; Natural And Artificial Flavor; Calcium Carbonate; Tapioca Dextrin.

Maltesers – Sugar, Skimmed Milk Powder, Cocoa Butter, Glucose Syrup, Barley Malt Extract, Cocoa Mass, Palm Fat, Lactose and Protein from Whey (from Milk), Whey Powder (from Milk), Milk Fat, Emulsifiers (Soya Lecithin, E492), Wheat Flour, Palm Kernel Fat, Palm Kernel Oil, Raising Agents (E341, E500, E501), Wheat Gluten, Salt, Glazing Agent (Pectin), Natural Vanilla Extract.

Maltesers vs. Whoppers: Nutrition

There aren’t enormous difference in the nutrition facts between Whoopers versus Maltesers. Whoppers win out in calories, total fat, and cholesterol. However, Maltesers have less sodium, carbs, sugars, and higher protein.

Maltesers vs. Whoppers: Which Is Healthier?

When you compare Maltesers to Whoppers in terms of sugar content, you’ll likely discover that the two aren’t very different.

Still, Maltesers have a slightly lower sugar content with 14 pieces being the equivalent to 15.5 grams of sugar. Whoppers contain 17 grams of sugar per 13 pieces.

Whoppers are sweetened with corn syrup, while Maltesers are made with glucose syrup. Both are naturally derived sweeteners and are often used interchangeably in recipes.

Let’s be honest… neither candy is going to make you any healthier. Without being too nit-picky, one area in which both Malteser’s and Whoppers seem to differ most is sodium. Whoopers has about 70 mg of sodium while Maltesers appear to only have 33.2 mg.

Whoppers have higher calorie counts as compared to Maltesers. Maltesers, on the other hand, have higher protein content.

So we can easily conclude that Maltesers are healthier than Whoppers.

Maltesers vs. Whoppers: Popularity

It's hard to pick a better product in terms of sales, as Maltesers are sold primarily in the UK, while Whoppers are sold in the US.

It's only in the last few years that the two have become more commonly available globally, and both types of malt balls are available in many countries, so it's not fair to compare the two in this way.

Which you prefer out of Maltesers and Whoppers will inevitably come down to personal opinion. And it may be that you like them both equally, with neither coming out on top! 

3. Verdict: Maltesers vs Whoppers, Which Is Best?

When it comes to which is better – Whoppers or Maltesers – you’ll have to be the judge.

Both originated from different countries, so the malted ball to which you are most familiar is likely to be your preference. 

It appears, however, that Maltesers are the better choice on paper.

The flavor is more natural, and the light and airy texture of the filling is what makes them so moreish and irresistible. Maltesers are generally considered to be a higher quality product than Whoppers.

The balance between chocolate and filling is also perfectly calculated in Maltesers, so every bite contains equal levels of both.

But when it comes to Whoppers, any hint of chocolate will likely have disappeared by the time you get to the middle of the dense, malty center.

Unless of course, you’re one of those people who likes to suck the chocolate off these candy balls before eating the center, which creates a whole different eating experience! There is also a much stronger flavor to the malted milk filling than there is in a Malteser’s subtle center.

Maltesers have a thicker layer of chocolate and a light, airy center that melts in the mouth, while Whoppers are much denser and take longer to chew.

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4. Mighty Malts - malted milk balls and classic candy from the 1970s!

The most popular name brands of malt balls are Hershey’s Whoppers in the U.S., and Mars, Inc.’s Maltesers in the U.K. In fact, there have been other options for malt balls, such as Necco's Mighty Malts and Delfi's Maltitos. These two types of malt balls are very rare today. If you are interested, we briefly introduce them here!

Mighty Malts vs Whoppers

Mighty Malts and Whoppers are both types of chocolate-coated malted milk balls, and they share many similarities. But in a taste test, some subtle differences between the two are revealed!

The malted milk interior of Mighty Malts is darker and stronger in flavor than whoppers and has a hint of yogurt flavor.

Mighty Malts have an outer chocolate coating that is more intensely cocoa flavored, while Whoppers taste more like mild milk chocolate.

Mighty Malts are also shinier than Whoppers and do not melt as easily.

Filled with chocolaty Mighty Malts malted milk balls, there’s no doubt they will add the perfectly sweet crunch to your dessert table on Thanksgiving Day!

This iconic brand Mighty Malts originated in the 1960s, but the Necco factory that made these treats shut down in 2018. 

The good news is, these treats are back – with a twist. Mighty Malts malted milk eggs embrace the spirit of spring and Easter, delivering the same sweets you’ve loved for decades in a bite-sized package with a fantastic new look. 

Speckled Easter candy eggs feature pastel colors, creamy chocolate, and that delicious and satisfying crispy malt interior. 

5. How about Delfi Chocolate Maltitos?

Delfi’s Maltito is a confectionary product made from biscuits and chocolate. The Australian company also included the colours red, black, white and brown in its trademark application.

Mar's Maltesers features malt and honeycomb balls covered in chocolate. The Maltesers packaging is also predominantly red and also features brown, white and black colours in its logo.

Delfi Chocolate Maltitos Malt Crunch contains sugar flowers and malt for a delicious premium flavour. The Delfi chocolate texture is wrapped in a soft chocolate lining that is even more velvety when chewed.

6. Maltesers vs. Whoppers: Which Comes First?

Ownership & History

Maltesers – 

This candy is owned by Mars Wrigley and has been made since 1937.

British Maltesers was developed by Forrest Mars Sr., an American who grew up in Canada!

Franklin Mars of Mars Inc., (the company that makes M&M's and Snickers) didn't want to take his company international, but his son and fellow Mars executive Forrest Mars did, so the younger man went to Europe in the 1930s to pursue his fortunes.

Forrest Mars Sr. started his own confectionery company in England, first developing Mars bars in the early 1930's and shortly thereafter, in 1937, Mars Maltesers.

Maltesers are bite-sized balls of malted milk covered in chocolate.

Originally marketed as energy balls, Maltesers were aimed at women looking to lose a few pounds. To this day, their slogan remains "A lighter way to enjoy Chocolate." Maltesers later went on to sell in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Canada. They only started selling in the US a few years ago.

Whoppers – 

The American Whoppers are owned by another snack food juggernaut, The Hershey Company.  They were initially developed 2 years after the Maltesers (in 1939) by the Overland Candy Company under the name “Giants.”  Leaf Brands eventually merged with Overland in 1947 which led to Giants being reintroduced as Whoppers in 1949. Hershey acquired Whoppers from Leaf in 1996. In addition to Whoppers, Hershey also obtained Jolly Rancher and Good & Plenty.

Egg-shaped whoppers that resembled bird eggs for Easter were popular during this time. 

Over years, many other versions of Whoppers have become available, the first of which were egg-shaped Mini Robin Eggs created as part of an Easter candy range.

Other variations include strawberry and vanilla, as well as discontinued varieties such as blueberry and orange cream.

Conclusion 

Now we are at the end of the discussion on Maltesers Vs. Whoppers, and without any doubt, the best malted chocolate balls in the world are Maltesers, which are of better quality and richer flavor in chocolate. It has a crispier center and is easy to eat a big bag of.

Also, when it comes to recipes where these candies are used, Maltesers can be easily added to any sweet recipe as there is a very low sodium content.

Maltesers are more versatile simply because it has real chocolate flavor. Many people have commented that Whoppers have an artificial chocolate flavor which clearly reduces the points.

Therefore, we can conclude that Maltesers are more versatile than Whoppers.

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