Lactation Cookies
Published 9/6/2022 • Updated 8/21/2023
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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.
Why you’ll love ’em!
Nutrient dense: these lactation cookies contain nourishing ingredients to support breastfeeding, such as brewers yeast, flaxseed meal and oats.
Amazing for meal prep: double triple or even quadruple this lactation cookie recipe to give to a new mom or keep on hand in your freezer throughout a breastfeeding journey.
Chewy & delicious: there’s nothing worse than a dense and dry lactation cookie! But these cookies are chewy and oh so flavorful — aka the perfect snack to grab when you’re nursing.
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.
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.
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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
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.
There are a wide variety of lactation cookie recipes out there, but the 3 most commonly found ingredients in a lactation cookie are brewers yeast, flax and oats as these ingredients contain important nutrients for breastfeeding individuals.
Of course! Lactation cookies can be eaten by anyone, even if they’re not breastfeeding.
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!
Lactation Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup creamy, all-natural peanut butter
- 2 cups quick-cooking oats, gluten-free if desired
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
- 2 tablespoons brewers yeast
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- Sea salt, for garnish
Instructions
- First, preheat the oven to 350ºF and spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- 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.
- 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. Your dough should be the consistency of cookie dough.
- 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. The batter will feel a bit wet, but they will be so soft and chewy when done baking!* Sprinkle the tops with sea salt.
- Repeat the process above until you’ve fit 6 cookies on your baking sheet.
- 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 for at least 20 minutes to firm up.
Tips & Notes
- If your cookie dough feels too wet to form into balls, place the cookie dough in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Cookie dough – the cookies will spread just a little bit when baking. If you don’t press them down, you will get dome-shaped cookies.
- It might help to slightly moisten your hands before rolling the cookie dough and washing your hands in-between balls because the dough is pretty sticky.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Ashley McGlaughlin from The Edible Perspective.
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You should try this recipe!
These cookies are the best!! I have tried lots of recipes in the past and these are the tried and true, delicious, and easy to make. The flavor is the best with the subtle hint of PB. I’m all about PB, so if you want them more gooey or just more PB, just add extra or top the cookie with more PB. YUM! Happy lactating, gals!
Good dish.
Yummy, but make sure to use DRIPPY peanut butter or the cookies get pretty dry! I used creamy natural PB, not realizing it was “no stir” so my cookies were pretty dry. Delicious, but dry!
Great tip, Katie! Glad you were still able to enjoy your batch 🙂
I’ve tried several lactation cookies and these are by far the best, nice job, ladies!!