Which is the Best Milk Masala Brand in India?

Garma garam kadha hua doodh and a chilly winter night! Now that’s a match made in heaven. Cardamom, saffron, and a liberal serving of nuts make a delicious milk masala. Just add a spoonful to hot milk and turn it into a halwai-style doodh at home.

We picked and tested four brands of milk masala in our review lab for their ingredients and taste. All our brands are available locally as well as on online platforms. After multiple taste tests, we chose Everest as one of the Best Milk Masala Brands in India. It lends a wonderful, sweet cardamom flavor. We also recommend Badshah Milk Masala for its beautiful cardamom and saffron flavor. Both of them are loaded with nuts.

Here is how we did it!

Here is all that you need to know about the milk masala brands.

1. Available Flavors

Milk masala can be a different blend of spices and nuts for everyone, but two standard flavors are Kesar (saffron) and Badam-Elaichi (almond-cardamom). 

2. Available Quantities

Milk masalas are available in two sizes – 

• 50 gms
• 100 gms

3. Price Range

The price range of milk masalas varies between Rs 115/- to Rs 205/- for 50 grams.

4. Shelf Life

The shelf life of packaged milk masala is between 6-12 months.

 5. Form Factor

These are coarse masala milk powders, and most of them have lots of nuts visible throughout the mix.

6. Packaging

The milk masala comes in two types of packaging – 

• In a carton
• In a plastic jar

Our review was divided into three stages – 

• Dry inspection – This stage included us checking the dry milk masala powder for its color, texture, and aroma. We also inspected the labels for the list of ingredients.
• Preparation – We used Amul toned milk to make the beverage. We made them as per individual instructions given on the pack. If the pack specified the milk and masala to be boiled, we did so. No additional sweeteners were added to the milk. We did this so that nothing alters the true taste of the product.
• Taste test – Our taste test was done over multiple rounds, including blind tasting rounds to narrow down the contenders. Here we gauged the flavor, color of the milk, aroma. To put it simply – we were looking for the tastiest milk masala. 

1. Ingredients

Ingredients are a prime parameter because many times as consumers we only grab a product for its taste. What goes into making that product is often put on the back burner. At Mishry, we always appreciate a clean ingredient list. No nasties, just good quality ingredients. 

We checked all the brands for their list of ingredients. The percentage of nuts, cardamom or any other flavorings used. Does the milk mix use any artificial flavorings, sweeteners, or preservatives?            

2. Flavor

The game-changer parameter – flavor! This can make or break the position of a brand in the race. From the type of spice used to the nuts and sugar, we took every aspect into consideration.

Which spice or a blend of multiple spices does the brand use? Cardamom, saffron mace, nutmeg, or something else? If a single spice is used, how prominent is the flavor? Is it overpowering or underwhelming?

Does the brand use any sweeteners? If yes, how are the sweetness levels? If not, do we feel the need to add some from the top? 

3. The Nuts – Quality & Quantity

The ratio of nuts to milk masala – too much, too less? How fresh/stale are the nuts added to the milk masala? A crunchy significant bite or rancid-tasting soggy nuts? 

4. Texture

How fine or coarse is the powder? How thick and chunky are the almonds? If the powder is too coarse, does the masala come into our mouth and reduce the overall experience? Do the almonds/nuts enhance the mouthfeel of the beverage? 

5. Color and Consistency

When we talk about appearance we mean the final color of the milk. Does the milk masala change the consistency of milk in any way? 

6. Price

Is the product value for money? If it is priced higher than its competition. If yes, why? 

Related reading – 18 Most Popular Dairy Products in India Tried And Tested By Mishry

Here is a table comparing all the milk masala brands we reviewed – 

Everest Milk Masala was the most aromatic during our visual inspection with a prominent cardamom and saffron aroma. We could spot lots of almonds and pistachios. The nuts are a mix of almond slices and pistachio chunks. The dry fruits taste fresh and retain a good crunch. We could also see saffron strands spread generously throughout the mixture.

As instructed, we added ½ tsp of the Everest Kesari Milk Masala to 2 cups of milk and boiled it. The powder dissolves easily.

We liked the clean label. This doesn’t have any added food colors or flavorings, unlike some brands. The pale yellow color of the milk resembles that of natural saffron strands.

The collective flavor of cardamom, nutmeg, and mace gives this milk masala a vibrant and warm flavor. None of the spices added to the masala overpower the natural sweetness of the milk. In fact, cardamom lends its own sweetness to the milk and enhances the flavor even further. When you are adding the sugar, taste the prepared milk before you add extra sugar.

Features

• A 50 gm Everest Kesari Milk Masala is priced at Rs 205/-.
• Shelf life – 12 months
• Ingredients – Almond, Cashewnut, Pistachio, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Mace, Saffron
• No artificial colors used.
• Calories: 561.4 Kcal per 100 grams

Likes

• We liked the clean label. No food colors and artificial flavors!
• The pale yellow color is pleasing.
• The cardamom and saffron flavor are delicious and enhance the natural sweetness of the milk.
• We do appreciate that this masala is LOADED with nuts. No compromises there!

Best Suited For

This is a hassle free way to make a delicious glass of masala doodh at home. Add it to kheers and kulfis to enhance the flavor of your homemade desserts too!

Badshah Kesari Milk Masala has an inviting aroma that is dominant on cardamom and saffron. The powder has a yellow color which is due to E100. E100 (curcumin) is a food color derived from turmeric. We could see a lot of dry fruits which were cut thinly in comparison to our Top Pick. We could see lots of kesar strands.

We added ½ tsp of the masala to 1 cup of milk as mentioned on the pack. The milk has a light, pale yellow color.

Taste-wise, the warm saffron flavor is the most prominent. This doesn’t have any additional sweetener, but the cardamom lends a robust natural sweetness to the milk. You may want to add some jaggery or sugar.

There was nothing in particular about the taste that we disliked. Badshah was not selected as the Top Pick because the masala’s intensity was a bit lower than the milk masala of Everest.

Features

• A 50 gm Badshah Milk Masala is priced at Rs 205/-.
• Shelf life – 12 months
• Ingredients – Almond, Cashewnut, Pistachio, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Mace, Curcumin (E100), and Saffron.
• Calories: 475 (Energy % Daily Value) per 100 grams

Likes

• Just like our winner, Badshah Milk Masala has lots of nuts.
• The flavor of saffron and cardamom are delicious.
• The natural sweetness of cardamom enhances the natural sweetness of the milk.

Sri Sri Tattva Milk Masala has a dominant aroma of mace, and due to that, it borders towards smelling like a garam masala. This is a coarse powder but finer than all other contenders. We could see a few strands of saffron, but all the dry fruits were in powder form. There are no chunks or slivers of nuts, as seen in the other masalas. As a result, the whole experience of drinking masala doodh is reduced.

The milk masala has a cardamom flavor, but it is overpowered by mace (javitri). Unlike cardamom, mace isn’t sweet. Instead, it’s more woody and warm. Moreover, the intensity of the milk masala is much less than all the others.

Features

• A 50 gm Sri Sri Tattva Milk Masala is priced at Rs 185/-.
• Shelf life – 6 months
• Ingredients – Almonds 28%, Cashewnut 28%, Pistachio 24%, Cardamom 10%, Nutmeg 3.5%, Mace 3.5%, Saffron 3%.
• Calories: 395.35 Kcal per 100 grams

Dislikes

• There are no chunks or slivers of nuts. Everything is in powdered form.
• The flavor and aroma of mace overpowers everything else.
• The intensity of the masala when added to milk is comparatively less.

Sadabahar’s Milk Masala is a semi-coarse powder with a brown shade. We could see long strands of saffron and lots of thinly sliced almonds, and tiny chunks of pistachios. The dominant aroma is cardamom. This is the only brand not packed in a jar/bottle.

The milk made using this masala is delicious with a subtle cardamom flavor! The nuts taste fresh, and the number of saffron strands is much more than any other. We have no complaints from this brand, taste-wise or intensity-wise. The only reason it did not earn a spot in the Top 2 was due to the presence of food color. Our winners have a cleaner ingredient list.

Features

• A 50 gm Sadabahar Milk Masala is priced at Rs 115/-.
• Shelf life – 6 months
• Ingredients – Cashewnut, Almond, Pistachios, Cardamom, Food color, Saffron.
• Calories: 514.80 Kcal per 100 grams.

Likes

• The subtle, sweet flavor of cardamom is delicious.
• The nuts and saffron strands are visible and present in decent quantities.
• All the nuts taste fresh.  

Dislikes

• This has food coloring which could have been avoided.

Here are some interesting FAQs on milk masala brands.

1. Can these milk masalas be used to prepare kheer?

Yes. Adding a single serving of the milk masala powder to your kheer preparation will significantly enhance the flavor.

2. Do these milk masala powders contain additional flavours?

No. None of the brands mentioned above contain any added flavors.

3. Are dry fruits used in these milk masalas?

Yes. All the masalas use a notable amount of dry fruits like almonds, pistachios and cashew nuts. 

4. How  much milk masala powder is required for a cup of milk?

The answer for this differs from brand to brand. Do read the instructions before adding a heapful of masala into your milk.

5. Which is the best flavor of these milk masala powders?

Typically, cardamom, almonds and saffron are the frontrunners when it comes to flavoring milk masala. Our winner of the review, Everest Milk Masala also uses this combination.

Why did we choose Everest Milk Masala as our Top Pick? Why do we Also Recommend Badshah Milk Masala?

An ideal milk masala enhances a plain and boring glass of milk instantly. It should be high on two things – a mix of nuts with a substantial bite and a prominent spice flavor (preferably cardamom and saffron).

We chose Everest Milk Masala as our Top Pick because it hits the bulls-eye taste-wise. Moreover, it has a clean ingredient list. The natural sweetness of cardamom with the combination of other spices made this milk masala the tastiest one amongst all the contenders.

We Also Recommend Badshah Masala for similar reasons. It was just a tiny step behind Everest because we felt the intensity seemed a bit lesser.

Related Reading: Best Milk Powders Brands in India

We suggest the Everest Milk Masala if you love that aromatic masala doodh on a cold winter night. It is our Top Pick because it has the most balanced cardamom flavor and is loaded with chunky almonds. A clean ingredient list is a big plus as well.

We also recommend the Badshah Milk Masala solely for its saffron and cardamom flavor. Like our Top Pick, this also has ample nuts. 

Do you like pairing your masala doodh with some piping hot jalebis? We do!

* If you do agree with our review, please give it a thumbs up! And, tell us which one is your favorite from this list. If you don’t, please tell us why!

* Food & Beverage is a constantly evolving segment with new products launched daily. Our endeavor here is to help shoppers buy better. If there’s a product you would like us to review tell us by clicking here.

* Our reviews are unbiased and all samples used during the reviews were paid for by us. Read our entire ethics statement here.

* No part of this review is sponsored by any brand. All expenses were borne by us.