Lactation Cookies
Chances are if you are reading this post you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or know someone who is pregnant or breastfeeding.
If you are none of those things, you really don’t need this recipe in your life. There is nothing spectacular about a lactation cookie that makes it better than any other cookie. Except that it has a few more ingredients to help with lactation.
What specifically? Well, the main ingredient is rolled oats which apparently can help increase a mothers milk supply. They also contain brewers yeast which some have claimed to do the same.
These cookies also have a few other ingredients to help increase the healthy fat and protein content. As well as a few to help with flavor!
After experimenting with this recipe over the past 6 weeks, I am proud to say that this lactation actually tastes pretty good. And trust me, after trying a few other recipes, that is not something they all can say.
How to Make Them
As I mentioned above, the thing that makes these cookies “special” are the ingredients.
While they are an oatmeal cookie at their core, there is one additional ingredient you need to make them “lactation cookies”: the brewers yeast.
But I like to add a few other things to help boost their nutritional value and thus their milk-making power:
Hemp seeds, protein powder, and flax seeds (or flax seed meal).
Now these ingredients are totally optional if you don’t have them available or just don’t like them. But I encourage you to add something to add a little protein and fat. Some other options include:
Coconut oil (add 1-2 tbsp)
Almond Butter (2 tbsp)
Chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, etc) (add 1/4 cup)
Flaked coconut (add 1/4 cup)
Almond flour/meal (add 1/4 cup)
If you decide to add coconut oil or almond butter (or any nut butter for that matter), cream it in with the butter and sugar.
For any additional dry ingredients, add them in with your oats and flour.
One last variation you can make is swapping out the chocolate chips for something else.
If you are concerned about caffeine getting into your milk supply, you can switch in carob chips or white chocolate chips.
It you want to reduce the sugar, then add in raisins or dried cranberries.
Really, add anything you like that will make these cookies taste good to you!
These cookies aren’t going to win a blue ribbon at any cookie contest, but they will help you get some additional nutrition to help increase your milk supply.
I actually noticed a difference after I ran out of my last batch. The day after I made these my milk supply was back up! It was kind of incredible how well they worked!
Recipe
Prep Time:15 Min Cook Time:15 Min Total Time:30 Min
Yields 36
INGREDIENTS
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp molasses
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tbsp flax seeds (or 2 tbsp of flax seed meal)
2 tbsp brewers yeast
2 tbsp hemp seeds (optional)
2 tbsp protein powder (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips (or carob chips)
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugars, and molasses until light and fluffy. Then mix in the eggs and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, oats, flax seeds, hemp seeds, protein powder, brewers yeast, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Then slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. It's okay if there is still a little flour showing.
Fold in the chocolate chips so that they are consistently incorporated throughout the dough.
(Optional) Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes, although an hour or more is preferred. Alternately, you can portion out balls of dough and refrigerate or freeze them until they are ready to bake.
Once dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Form 1-2 tbsp balls of dough and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.
Notes
Other optional ingredients:
Coconut oil (1-2 tbsp added with butter)
Almond Butter (1-2 tbsp added with butter)
Chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, etc) (1/4 cup added to flour)
Flaked coconut (1/4 cup added with chocolate chips)
Almond flour/meal (1/4 cup added with flour)