Top 10 Foods Highest in Maltose

Maltose is a disaccharide, which is a sugar that's made up of two smaller sugars linked together. Maltose is composed of two glucose molecules. It is commonly produced by plants, especially in seeds and grains when they germinate.

Maltose is also produced when glucose is caramelized, meaning that it’s heated to a relatively high temperature. This is why this sugar is commonly found in toasted (browned) foods, such as bread, crackers, and bagels. Maltose is also used in food manufacturing; it is added to a wide variety of foods as a sweetener and is also used to make beer.

Very little research has been done to determine the specific effects of maltose on human health. However, because maltose is rapidly broken down into glucose in the digestive tract, it’s expected that the health effects of maltose are likely similar to those of glucose. (1) When a sugar such as glucose is consumed at high levels, this leads to an increased risk of many health issues, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. (2)

Foods high in maltose include pancakes, sweet potatoes, French bread, fried onion rings, bagels, pizza, hamburgers, edamame, and malt-o-meal cereal.

Below are the top 10 foods high in maltose based on data in the USDA database. Please note that maltose data is incomplete in the database. There may be more foods high in maltose. Remember that when food is browned (such as toasting bread) or caramelized (as in cooked sweet potatoes) maltose may be present.