Lactation Cookies

Say hello to the most delicious lactation cookies on the internet, nursing mamas! These cookies pack lactation supporting ingredients like brewers yeast, flax and oats.

Delicious Lactation Cookies

Calling all breastfeeding, pumping, combination feeding mamas ( +truly anyone looking for a nutrient dense cookie!) — this recipe is for you! You’ll absolutely love these chewy and flavorful oatmeal chocolate chip lactation cookies.

What are lactation cookies?

Lactation cookies are cookies that contain specific ingredients to help support breastfeeding. Because nursing parents’ bodies are working overtime to produce breastmilk, nutrient dense ingredients such as oats, brewers yeast and flaxseed meal can be helpful in supporting milk production and keeping the body properly nourished.

Ingredients for Lactation Cookies

• Quick-cooking oats
• Flaxseed meal
• Brewers yeast 
• Light brown sugar
• Maple syrup
• Vanilla extract
• Egg
• All-natural peanut butter
• Unsalted butter
• Dark chocolate chips
• Baking soda
• Sea salt

Ingredient Swaps

Because the name of the game in home cooking is doing what works for you (especially when you’re breastfeeding!), here are some ingredient substitution recommendations and tips.

Brewers yeast: subbing brewers yeast for nutritional yeast 1:1 will also work, but please note it will impact the taste slightly.

Nut butter: technically any *drippy* all-natural nut butter will work for this recipe. Try using almond butter or cashew butter if you don’t have peanut butter.

Egg: we have NOT tested this recipe without an egg, but if you wish to test with a flax egg, let us know how it goes!

Brown sugar: another dark granular sugar such as coconut sugar will work just fine in these cookies!

Quick-cooking oats: we’ve made this recipe with both quick-cooking oats and rolled oats. We prefer quick-cooking oats, but either works.

Butter: we haven’t tested this with any other fat, but let me tell you, butter makes these extra delish.

How to Make Lactation Cookies

Combine Wet Ingredients

Cream the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl (we used an electric mixer but you can use a whisk and do it by hand, too). Then, add the egg and peanut butter to the creamed mixture and mix until combined.

Add Dry Ingredients 

Next, add the oats, flaxseed meal, brewers yeast, baking soda, and salt to the bowl and mix until combined. Add the chocolate chips and mix again.

Form Cookie Dough Balls

Scoop 2 tablespoons of batter into your hands and form it into a ball. Place it onto the cookie sheet and slightly press down to form a cookie shape. Sprinkle the tops with sea salt. Repeat the process above until you’ve fit 6 cookies on your baking sheet.

Bake & Enjoy!

Bake cookies at 350ºF for 11-14 minutes or until they begin to turn golden brown. Remove cookies and let cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Top Tips

Cookie dough too wet? If your cookie dough feels too wet to form into balls, place the cookie dough in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. 

When rolling cookie dough balls: We recommend slightly moistening your hands before rolling the cookie dough and washing your hands as needed when rolling because the dough is pretty sticky.

Press cookie dough balls down before baking: The cookies will only spread a little bit when baking. If you don’t press them down, you will get dome-shaped cookies. 

Lactation Cookies FAQs

Storage

Let the lactation cookies cool completely. Then, transfer cookies into an airtight container and store them in a cool, dark place for up to 5 days.

Freezer Instructions

Let the lactation cookies cool completely. Then, transfer cookies into a freezer-safe gallon-size bag or container. Remove as much air as possible and then seal. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Pro tip: make a double or triple batch of these lactation cookies for yourself or any other nursing mama to keep on hand in the freezer throughout their breastfeeding journey!