Hannah’s Super Versatile Lactation Cookies
(adapted from the website The Lean Green Bean)
I’ve made these cookies countless time for my clients and I’ve made them different every.single.time. based on what the client had on hand. They ALWAYS turn out good, no matter which ingredients we use. The main parts that are necessary are oats, some kind of flour, some kind of nut butter, and some kind of oil. And then something to sweeten them. They can easily be gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, etc.
These can also easily be frozen - either unbaked or baked. If you freeze them unbaked, put them on a cookie sheet as if you’re going to bake them then stick them in the freezer for a few hours. After that you can put them in a bag or tupperware and pull out however many you want to bake at a time. Just add 2 extra minutes to the bake time.
I’ve had several clients tell me that they felt like their supply actually did increase after eating these. Whether they do or not, they’re tasty and filling! Tell your husband and kids that they’ll start making breast milk if they eat them, otherwise they might eat them all! (just kidding)
**If you are having serious issues with your milk supply, please don’t rely on cookies and tea to get your supply to where it needs to be. Contact a lactation consultant and get evaluated - the MOST common reason for a low supply is a poor latch (this is not always noticeable or painful).**
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of oil (or applesauce!)
- 1/2 cup any kind of nut butter
- 2 eggs (or two flax seed eggs)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2/3 cup of something sweet (brown sugar, white sugar, coconut sugar, 1-1 Stevia. You can also use honey or maple syrup, but decrease the amount to 1/2 cup and you might need to add a bit extra flour)
- 1 tsp cinnamon (or leave out if you don’t like it)
- 2 cups rolled oats (choose gf if you need it to be gf)
- 3/4 cup flour (any kind! Whole wheat, white, almond, all-purpose gf, cassava, etc. Coconut flour is the only kind that probably wouldn’t work quite right, or you could try using only 1/4 cup of it)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 heaping Tbsps brewers yeast (NOT bakers or nutritional yeast. You can leave this out if you don’t have it)
- 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed (must be ground, not whole. Can leave out if you don’t have it)
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips (dairy free, sugar free, regular, mini, chunks…I’ve even used M&Ms before!)
- Optional: You can also add 1/4 cup of protein powder if you’d like. If you do, check the consistency and consider adding another egg or a bit of water if it’s too crumbly.
Preheat the oven to 350. If you’re using coconut oil, melt it in the microwave. Mix your oil together with the nut butter, then add the sugar/sweetener, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon and mix well. Add all the rest of the ingredients and mix until combined. Scoop onto a cookie sheet (lined or unlined, greased or not…it doesn’t really matter in my experience) and bake for 10-12 minutes.