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    You are here: Home / Recipes / Cookie Recipes / Lactation Cookies

    Lactation Cookies

    BY: Courtney PUBLISHED: Nov 8, 2018 11 Comments UPDATED ON: Feb 12, 2022

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.
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    JUMP TO RECIPE

    Our lactation cookies recipe is not only easy to make they’re also the best lactation cookies recipe we’ve ever tried. Filled with healthy ingredients like brewers yeast, oatmeal, quinoa, flaxseed, and pumpkin seeds, some of the best foods for breastfeeding.

    lactation cookies tied with string milk in a glass

    I breastfed my daughter for 4 years and lactation cookies were a great treat for me to keep up my breastmilk supply. I even had to stop eating them sometimes because I would get too much milk! They really worked wonders. I always had a fresh batch of cookies in the oven so I could share with other nursing moms at our local breastfeeding meetup.

    Do lactation cookies work?

    Yes! These lactation cookies work and they’re the best lactation cookies I’ve ever tasted! I’ve tried my fair share of store bought.

    Why did I breastfeed for 4 years? I know most only breastfeed for a year, but my daughter had a rare food allergy called FPIES. She was extremely underweight and eventually fell off the growth chart. I was constantly told she was sick, but it was actually her stomach, she was allergic to many different foods and we couldn’t even supplement with formula. I had to avoid her trigger foods and her main source of nutrition was breastmilk.

    I worked on this Lactation Boosting Cookie Recipe for about a month. My sister in law was the main reason I wanted to come up with a really good lactation cookie recipe. I wanted lactation cookies that not only worked but tasted like a delicious cookie. She had tried to breastfeed her first son and she had some difficulties, she didn’t produce enough so she had to start supplementing. Unfortunately, at that time I wasn’t even a mom and had very little knowledge about breastfeeding.

    When she saw me breastfeeding my daughter she said she prayed that she could breastfeed her next baby, and I promised her we would make it happen! I was beyond thrilled when my homemade lactation cookies helped boost her breastmilk supply. My brother in law asked me to make more so they could keep up her supply, so I made a bunch of dry cookie mix in a jar so they could just add in the wet ingredients before baking cookies. I always make a batch of lactation cookies for baby shower gifts, even if the mom won’t be breastfeeding, the cookies are delicious!

    Who wants to eat a boring and weird tasting cookie?! I tried coming up with a few recipes and then started to tinker in the kitchen. The results were good and bad. I tried to make healthy lactation cookies using coconut oil, but the butter definitely helped it more than the coconut oil for flavor and texture. I combat the butter issue by using only grass-fed butter which is much better for you.

    lactation cookies stacked tied with ribbon and glass with milk

    One thing that concerned me was that some recipes had cups of sugar, both brown and white! I wanted this cookie to be sweet and delicious – but not full of sugar.  I took these cookies over to my in-laws where my sister in law was visiting too.  She just had the baby so obviously, everyone was there and they all wanted to try the cookies! 🙂

    I made plenty since I was actually testing the recipe.  I like to try my recipes 3x at least before posting to make sure it’s perfection!  The results were unanimous. They all LOVED the cookies!  At first, I didn’t tell them that the cookies were actually to boost lactation in nursing mothers. Do lactation cookies really work? Absolutely, but if you’re not a lactating mom they’re still a great treat. Besides the ingredients are not harmful to people who aren’t nursing – they’re actually healthy and good for you ingredients.  So kiddos and daddy can enjoy them too!

    Lactation cookies that taste delicious! I have had many readers even email me telling me they loved this recipe and it makes my heart so happy when they tell me it helped them increase breastmilk supply for their baby.

    chocolate chip lactation cookies recipe stacked

    What is Brewers Yeast

    Brewer’s yeast is actually an ingredient that is used in the production of bread and beer. It is classified as a fungus. Brewer’s yeast is commonly used as a nutrition supplement for things like increasing breastmilk, regulating blood sugar, vitamin B, and a probiotic for digestion. Brewers yeast can counteract with certain medications so it’s always best to speak with your doctor before trying any new medications or supplements.  (Where to buy brewers yeast I went to my local vitamin store to ensure it was fresh.)

    Brewer’s Yeast Benefits

    While many use brewers yeast for breastfeeding it has many other benefits as well. 

    While I took Brewer’s Yeast to increase breastmilk supply it also had great benefits that I wasn’t expecting. I noticed that my indigestion was much better and that even my hair and nails were much stronger! Here are some benefits that you may see when you try Brewer’s Yeast.

    • improves digestion – I personally noticed my digestion was much better while consuming brewer’s yeast daily.
    • fewer migraines – I noticed fewer migraines and I still take brewer’s yeast during that time of the month when women are most likely to get migraines.
    • increased energy – I attribute my increased energy levels to the vitamin B.
    • helps balance blood sugar levels, reduce high cholesterol (source)

    Brewers yeast is excellent for breastfeeding, but it tastes horrible. I remember trying to make some brewers yeast oatmeal or brewers yeast in a smoothie and I had to literally choke it down. Brewers yeast is often used to increase breastmilk supply and it works for many women, but it doesn’t work for everyone. If you’re having an issue with producing milk it’s always best to consult with a lactation consultant.

    melty chocolate chip lactation cookies recipe on parchment paper with milk in a glass

    How to increase breastmilk supply

    There are several ways to increase breastmilk supply but our a favorite way is by providing your body with optimal nutrients needed to produce breast milk. Drink tons of water! I always had my reusable water bottle filled up and ready to go, your body needs water to create breastmilk. Ensuring your baby has a proper latch is also a great way to ensure not only good milk flow but also prevent damage to the nipple. Skin to skin helped us tremendously in the beginning as well.

    Good Food for Breastfeeding

    Your breastmilk needs to be full of vitamins and nutrients for the baby so taking a prenatal, not skipping meals, and ensuring a healthy diet is ideal. Try avoiding gassy foods as these can cause gas for baby as well. Find more info on foods that are great for breastfeeding here.

    Foods that were an essential part of my breastfeeding diet

    • water!!!! – can’t stress how important it is to drink more water for breastfeeding
    • fresh, organic fruits and vegetables
    • brewer’s yeast
    • sesame seeds
    • quinoa
    • rolled oats – no instant oatmeal
    • fenugreek
    • salmon – omegas for baby and mom
    • cumin
    • sweet potato
    • chickpeas

    These were my favorite foods to eat while breastfeeding to increase milk supply and the one food I did avoid was tuna as tuna has large amounts of mercury. There are other fish that should be avoided, I stuck with salmon and sardines and limited those as well. I made sure to get a prenatal vitamin as well as prenatal DHA daily. I also enjoyed a strawberry banana breakfast smoothie pretty often.

    Know a nursing mom?  Make her a batch or two and she’ll thank you forever. They make a great gift for new nursing moms and you can even give them cookies in a jar! Just put the dry ingredients in the jar with and let them add wet ingredient using the instructions. They’re easy to make and eat 😉  I’m proud to say that both myself and my sister in law have noticed an increase in milk production eating and enjoying these lactation cookies.

    how to make lactation cookies

    Preheat your oven and start combining the ingredients. In a large bowl, you’ll combine the butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl combine all of the dry ingredients, the whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, brewers yeast, flaxseed, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and also add in the egg. Fold in the oats quinoa, seeds, and chocolate chips and mix just until the dough forms. Now you’ll chill the dough for at least 2 hours. Place the cookies on a cookie sheet when you’re ready to bake and bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove them from the baking sheet and place onto a wire rack to cool before enjoying.

    These are like a delicious bakery style chocolate chip cookie. If you want you could even add in peanut butter or almond butter for a little more protein.

    recipe tips:

    • we recommend rolling the cookies into balls then flattening into a cookie shape, not pancake flat.
    • If you notice the cookies aren’t getting flat enough take a metal spatula and press them down about 10-12 minutes in.
    lactation cookies recipe

    Lactation Cookies Recipe

    Our lactation cookies recipe is not only easy to make they're also the best lactation cookies recipe we've ever tried. Filled with healthy ingredients like brewers yeast, oatmeal, quinoa, flaxseed, and pumpkin seeds, some of the best foods for breastfeeding!
    4.50 from 6 votes

    click the stars to rate this recipe

    Print Pin Recipe
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 12 minutes
    Total Time: 17 minutes
    Servings: 12 cookies
    Calories: 136kcal
    Author: Courtney

    Ingredients

    • 1 Stick Butter , Softened
    • 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
    • 1/3 Cup White Sugar
    • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla (real)
    • 1 Extra Large Egg
    • 1 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
    • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
    • 1/4 Cup Brewers Yeast
    • 1/8 Cup Ground Flaxseed
    • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
    • 1 Cup Rolled Oats (not quick)
    • 1/2 Cup Quinoa Flakes
    • 1/8-1/4 Cup Sprouted Sunflower Seeds + Pumpkin Seeds (I buy a mix bag from Go Raw)
    • 1/2 - 3/4 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
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    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
    • Using a stand mixer combine the butter, sugars and vanilla.
    • In a separate bowl combine all of the dry ingredients, the whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, brewers yeast, flaxseed, and salt. 
    • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and also add in the egg. 
    • Fold in the oats quinoa, seeds, and chocolate chips and mix just until the dough forms. 
    • Chill the dough for 2 hours (or more!)
    • Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes.
    • Allow cookies to cool on a wire cooling rack.

    Notes

    We recommend rolling the cookies into balls then flattening into a cookie shape, not pancake flat.
    If you notice the cookies aren't getting flat enough take a metal spatula and press them down about 10-12 minutes in.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 136kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 148mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

    The nutritional information is automatically calculated and can vary based ingredients and products used. If the nutrition numbers are important for you we recommend calculating them yourself.

    nutrition disclaimer
    Tried this recipe?Mention @courtneyssweets or tag #courtneyssweets!

    lactation cookies recipe pin

    More Cookie Recipes

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    • Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Toffee
    • Sprinkle Chocolate Chip Cookies

    POSTED IN: Cookie Recipes Desserts Recipes

    About Courtney

    Family, Food, and Photography are Courtney's passions and you'll see all of that on this blog. She is happily married to her husband Chris and together they have two amazing kiddos!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Penelope

      February 25, 2015 at 8:22 am

      How great do these look! I wish there was something like this available when I was nursing, I hated taking pills! Courtney, you are so awesome, thank you for supporting new moms with wonderful and healthy recipes!

      Reply
      • Courtney

        February 25, 2015 at 10:20 am

        Thank you for the incredibly sweet comment, Penelope. I adore you! I’m so blessed that I’m able to help people with their nursing journey if and when possible. 🙂

    2. Jo-Lynne Shane

      March 02, 2015 at 7:19 am

      How interesting! These lactation boosting recipes are new to me. I wish I’d known about such things when I was nursing. Thanks for sharing on our #realfoodrecipes roundup!

      Reply
    3. Linda

      March 14, 2015 at 2:32 pm

      Can you leave the Brewer’s yeast out of the recipe?

      Reply
      • Courtney

        March 17, 2015 at 6:21 pm

        Yes, you can! 🙂 It’s not harmful if you’re not breastfeeding. Maybe add a touch more flour to make up for the dry ingredient missing.

    4. Breana

      August 17, 2019 at 7:29 pm

      This is my goto lactation cookie recipe. It really works!! 🙂

      Reply
    5. Brenda

      February 12, 2020 at 8:03 pm

      This is the best lactation cookie recipe I have tried so far! I made a few substitutions since I didn’t have all of the ingredients on hand:
      —1/2c ww flour and 1/2c flour for ww pastry
      —walnuts for seeds
      —almond flour for quinoa flakes

      This will be my go-to recipe from now on 🙂

      Reply
      • Courtney Lopez

        February 13, 2020 at 12:15 pm

        So glad you enjoyed! It took me a bit to get the flavors just the way I wanted, a cookie with benefits hahaha

    6. Brenda

      February 12, 2020 at 8:06 pm

      Oops, I meant 1/2 c cake flour!

      Reply
    7. Corazon

      October 03, 2022 at 12:14 pm

      This recipe is very dry, can’t even form a ball out of it because everything is jus loose. I followed all the measuring, ingredients and instructions but the outcome is loose dough. How do you make it stick together?

      Reply
      • Courtney

        October 04, 2022 at 5:12 am

        Oh no, it shouldn’t be like that. Did you make any substitutions?

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