Lactation Cookies.
No, never did I ever think I would be typing “lactation” and “cookies” in the same sentence and especially not on my blog.
But these
are
GOOD.
Here is my take on lactation cookies: I don’t know if the COOKIES really work, but I do believe that the key ingredients (oats, brewers yeast, coconut oil, flax) work. I sort of think that the cookies are an excuse to… eat cookies? But in a good way! Also, this is why I think they are so great – in those first few weeks, and heck, even now, I was so freaking hungry, like had never been so hungry in my life. Having something quick to grab, like something even quicker than a banana and almond butter, was imperative while in survival mode. Especially in the middle of the night.
Even since having Max, I’ve developed this hangry hunger every morning, to a point where if I don’t eat something very soon after waking, I feel physically sick. Most likely because he is taking calories from me at night? I’ve never dealt with that before. So having one of these as a snack in the middle of the night or even right when I wake up is a complete LIFESAVER.
Now, these are cookies. Like actual taste-good cookies. I tried a few recipes in the last couple weeks that tasted like cardboard and were drier than dirt. I wanted to make actual enjoyable cookies, ones I wanted to eat, ones I’d be happy to grab twice a day, maybe three times.
The texture: These are thick cookies, not cakey at all, slightly crunchy, but not in a bad or stale way – they are crunchy from the crazy amount of rolled oats inside. I wrote the recipe exactly as I’ve been making them – meaning mostly organic ingredients. Feel free to use non-organic ingredients and what you have on hand.
I know you’ll probably have questions on what you can substitute, what you can leave out or add, what you can change and so on, so I’ve added some notes below the recipe. These will taste best written EXACTLY as is. But I know that sometimes you gotta make some changes! I really, really suggest leaving the amount of fat/butter in the cookies – it adds to the calorie value and new moms need those calories! It will also help the cookie to be a more filling “snack.”
If you want to gift these to a new mom, I would make a batch and bake them, then make a batch and freeze them. Or bake half a batch and freeze the other half. Deliver both. Making a freshly baked double batch isn’t great because the cookies aren’t super soft and moist and that number of cookies will dry out before eaten. Unless of course their family will eat them too. If you’re a mom-to-be, you can totally make these ahead of time – scoop the dough into rounds, flash freeze it then place them in a ziplock bag. My friend Julie has a great tutorial on freezing cookie dough!
Do you have an awesome lactation cookie recipe? If so, share below!
What the video of how I make my Lactation Cookies!
Lactation Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached organic all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons brewers yeast
- 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons organic unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons unrefined organic virgin coconut oil
- 1 1/2 cups organic cane sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips/chunks, I like ghirardelli
- feel free to add: unsweetened flaked coconut chopped almonds, 1 to 2 tablespoons of almond butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven the 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, yeast, flaxseed, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and salt.
- In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter and coconut oil on medium speed until creamy. Add in the sugar and beat on medium to high speed until fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed. Add in the egg and egg yolk, beating until combined, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract and beat until combined again. Gradually add in the dry ingredients, beating on low speed until just combined and mixed. Stir in the chocolate chips with a spatula until they are evenly dispersed.
- Scoop the dough into 1-inch rounds (I use an ice cream scoop so they are fairly uniform in size) and place on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, or until the bottoms are just golden. Let cool completely before storing in a sealed container.
Notes
2. You can use all butter if you don’t have/can’t find coconut oil. If you swap any butter amount for more coconut oil, the cookies will spread a bit more. If you decrease the fat (butter/oil) amount in total, these cookies will be drier. It’s up to you!
3. You can use 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour with similar results – any more and the cookies with be drier and grittier.
4. You can probably decrease the sugar by 1/4 cup without issue.
5. I do not have experience in making these vegan, so I can’t say what it would be like without the eggs or with vegan butter. I also am not sure how the consistency would be with gluten free flour.
6. I personally think you can increase the brewers yeast amount by 1 to 2 tablespoons.
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
2,110 Comments on “Lactation Cookies.”
Hi, do you think the sugar could be substituted with honey or maple syrup? If so how many ml’s would you recommend? Thanks, Michaela.
I did 1/2 c cane sugar & 1/4 c maple syrup. They were great.
Next time, I’ll try all maple syrup. 3/4 c)
a whole 5 stars! these were soon so good. will definitely be a staple in my breastfeeding stash. I will say I did not have the brewers yeast and subbed with some tea leaves from my lactation tea- which so far has been working so this is an even better way to take in what I need for lactation 😊🙌🏽
I made these ahead and froze them for postpartum – totally delicious and a late-night saviour.
Made these for a new mom but ate so many before I made it to her house! Read some comments & used two whole eggs to avoid a dry crumb. I also subbed a half cup of sugar for brown sugar. Very soft & chewy cookie, as long as it doesn’t bake longer than 10 minutes. Delicious!
Ok, first of all, I made 1.5-inch balls and I got 40 cookies. I have no idea how she only got 20-22 cookies with 1-inch balls.
As others mentioned, the dough is very dry and crumbly. After all the creaming and beating in step 3, I wasn’t expecting that. If I make these again, I will try with 3/4 cups of flour. If you make as written, make sure you flatten the balls before baking because they don’t spread at all in the oven.
The flavor is good, but I always use salted butter so that’s what I had on hand. I would imagine they would be much more bland using the unsalted butter.
I haven’t tried other lactation cookies so I don’t have anything to compare these to, but I will say they are ok.
I made some changes after reading reviews. I used two whole eggs, added 1 tbsp of almond butter, used 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1 cup of regular sugar, and used scant cups when I measured the flour and oats (didn’t fill them quite all the way). I made half with chocolate chips and half with salted caramel chips from Trader Joe’s. They’re delicious. I tasted them even though I made them for a friend. I would decrease the sugar next time, use 1/2 cup brown and 3/4 cup white. But with the changes I made, I didn’t have any problem with them being dry, they’re a perfect chewy texture.
Really good and I think they actually do help quite a bit
I made these cookies at my daughter-in-laws request…it sounded yucky to me. She wanted half w/chocolate chips and half with currants- coconut- and nuts (and I use 2 whole eggs)
She absolutely loved them…BUT now she only wants the ones without chocolate chips!!! ì have made them 3 times for her…and have also made them for myself. I am definitely not breastfeeding as I am 72!🤣 SO GOOD!
These cookies are absolutely delicious! This recipe is my “new”oatmeal cookie recipe!
Better than any oatmeal cookie I have ever eaten!!
These cookies are delicious
Alright first, I’m not sure about boosting my milk supply; it has gone significantly up since I started making these cookies but that’s probably because I remembered to drink water – don’t be like me, hydrate!
Second, these cookies are DELICIOUS. I used 1 additional tbsp butter and refrigerated before baking and didn’t find them to be too dry – in fact, I’ve been sharing this as my go-to oatmeal cc cookie recipe since I discovered it. My husband and I both recommend these cookies so highly.
I have made these dozens of times for myself and for gifts and they are unanimously the BEST EVER lactation cookies. I sometimes add in some nuts – walnuts, pistachios macadamia or any combo of these I have in the pantry at the time. I also use a combo of milk and dark chocolate.
The ads on the page are rediculous. Had to watch 30secs if ads before it got into a 10 sec video…
How long will these last in the freezer (after being baked)?
Do you know if can consume in the 3rd trimester?
Hello! I want to make these for my daughter – she is having triplets. Can I use debittered Brewers yeast? That seems easier to find in smaller quantities for this recipe (I wouldn’t use it otherwise).
I used to debittered brewers yeast yes.
these are literally the best. I use all coconut oil instead of butter and they are fantastic! I am not even breastfeeding anymore and my family still asks for these. I don’t put in all the brewers yeast because the flavor is so strong but I do add a few teaspoons for a double batch. Highly recommend trying!
I love this recipe. It’s the best. For all those who are wondering how substitutions work with the recipe. I substituted coconut sugar for regular. A variety of low carb flours for the regular flour with great results. I process half the oats, and leave the other half whole. I used sprouted organic oats. Also used 2 whole eggs. Used 8 tbsp each of butter and coconut oil.
You can make some super lactation cookies out of these. Stellar recipe!
Just made these for a friend with a hospitalized babe. They are delicious! I’m not a baker so stuck to the recipe fairly closely. I did use salted butter but halved the added salt, and I stirred in coconut flakes and walnuts. Perfectly chewy, a lovely hint of cinnamon, crunchy oats and walnuts, gooey Ghirardelli dark chocolate. I’ve never baked with brewer’s yeast or flax before and wasn’t sure what to expect with taste but they’re amazing! I got 40 largish cookies from this recipe. Did not need to mash them down pre-baking or have a too-dry dough as some comments mentioned.
Hello! I’m making this for a friend but she has some dietary requirements..
Has anyone tried to make this with coconut sugar / honey or maple syrup instead of refined sugars?
Also full coconut oil instead of butter? How much do you use?
Thank you so much!!!
I’ve made these with dairy free butter and they turned out great! I found these a bit tooo sweet though so next time I will reduce the amount of sugar. Oh and I added a couple handfuls of almonds and cashews that I chopped up. Simply lovely!
Did you also substitute anything for the egg to make these vegan?
Hi Brittney, no. We are not vegan, simply dairy-free. Sorry!
What dairy free butter did you use?
This looks yummy!
Is it okay to put chocolate in the cookies? I’ve heard it irritates baby stomachs but not sure.
Two babies so far and I have had zero issues with chocolate and their stomachs.
Experiment and see, every baby and mother duo is unique.
nice
A solid 5 stars—these were so good! They’re definitely going to be a staple in my breastfeeding stash. I didn’t have brewer’s yeast, so I swapped it with some tea leaves from my lactation tea, and so far it’s been working great. Honestly, this feels like an even better (and tastier) way to get what I need for lactation!
https://www.daddysdough.com/
Can I use regular sugar?
I’ve now made this 4x. Here are my tips for success:
*use room temp butter
*coconut oil should be soft, not liquid
*use salted butter and increase salt to 1/2 tsp
*golf ball size balls will yield you about 3 dozen
*flatten slightly before baking
*resting the dough for 20-30 minutes helps the cookies spread a little more when they bake
*make sure your oats are not “toasted” the cookie will be too dry
Absolutely delicious!! I read the comments before making and decided to do 3 whole eggs, instead of 1 and a yolk, so they wouldn’t be dry. Also swapped in 1/2 C of brown sugar (replaced 1/2 C of white), added in 1/2 tsp of butter extract, and a little extra cinnamon because why not!
Honestly, they turned out perfectly moist and gooey while warm (they’re still cooling, but I’ve already had two because what’s better than warm, melty chocolate chips in a cookie 🍪🤤) and they still have a little crunch in there. Perfect combo!! I made mine more like 1 1/2 inch thick and still ended up with 20 large (delicious) cookies. These are going to be hard to stay out of!! lol fingers crossed for Mille supply increase and not the scale after eating all of these 🤣
We absolutely love these cookies! Started making them while I was breastfeeding and still doing so after I’m done haha. Do you know what the nutritional info on the cookies?
After reading some reviews, I used 2 whole eggs, 1 c brown sugar and 1/4 c sugar. I also added an extra Tbsp of yeast and an extra Tbsp of flax (which was actually a flax/hemp/chia mix). I creamed the sugar and eggs for half the recommended time bc I’m impatient. And I used a scoop to get 24 cookies, which I pressed down slightly before cooking. My cookies flattened to a normal cookie flatness and took 14min to cook. They were very moist and honestly a little less sweet than I would have liked, so I should’ve disregarded some reviews and kept the sugar at 1.5c. Otherwise great!
Does the recipe call for Brewers Yeast OR Brewers Yeast Powder? (Apparently there is a difference: one is flakier/granules and the other is powdered and recommended as a daily supplement for lactating moms.) Which do you use in this recipe? Thank you
How long do these cookies keep for? Thanks!
I followed the recipe exactly the except i used 2 extra tablespoons of butter. They are really good! Melt in your mouth, great texture and flavor. I added cocao nibs on the top just cause I had some and they are nice too! Thanks for the recipe,
Hopefully I see a little more milk so all the calories will be worth it cause I had like four right away 🤣😩
I know the brewer’s yeast is what is supposed to help milk supply (along with the oats), but is it possible to make without that ingredient if you don’t have it?
I make these for every new mom I know, and they all love them! I always make a double batch, bake a dozen or so and freeze the rest. It’s the best gift for the mom (and family!).
Just followed this and used regular sugar because we ran out of sugar cane, it’s delicious!
These tasted great, but they came out super crumby and fall apart very easily. What can I do different? Should I have warmed the coconut oil before mixing with the butter?
these cookies are delicious, I try not to eat more than 2 a day but to me I believe they help with increasing my supply. I tweaked the recipe a bit and used a cup of butter, instead of 1.5 cup of chocolate chips i used 1/2 cup of chocolate chip 1/2 raisins and 1/2 cup of shredded coconut. I used 3 tablespoons of coconut oil and sometimes added a piece of caramel. I used a full tablespoons of cinnamon too and a full tablespoons of vanilla 😋
I made the following changes that were advised in the comments:
2 whole eggs, 1/2 c brown sugar and 3/4 cup cane sugar and limit to exactly 10 minutes (I turned the oven off and opened the oven at 10 leading it cracked for 2 more minutes). That being said, they turned out perfectly moist, chewy and tasty.
These actually work. Breastfeeding twins and I eat these everyday and if I don’t my milk goes down and I have to use formula to top up… I’m so grateful for these
I am excited to make these! Where do you get your brewers yeast and what brand?
Much too dry… however I’m making it again this time with more fat. Let’s see how it turns out this time.
Hi, Just wanting to know if these freeze well once baked?
Thank you
Hi Michaela, what is the equivalent weight of 12 tablespoons of butter?
Thank you
This is a fantastic base cookie recipe. I have adjusted it slightly because they came out fairly dry and sweet for my preference. I now add about 1-1.25c flour, 1c sugar, and 2 whole eggs. That turns out perfectly every time for me. I often increase the flax and brewer’s yeast by a Tbsp or two each and it is not a noticeable flavor or texture difference.
Have successfully made with vegan butter and gluten-free flour. Both worked very well! I’m picky about gluten-free baked goods because they often turn out incredibly gritty. This was hardly noticeable at all, very good texture.
What happens if I don’t have an electric mixer?
Literally the best. I keep coming back to this recipe! Thank you!
Can I change to a sugar alternative and still get same results?
Looks good, can’t wait to try! How many cookies should be consumed per day?
Hi!
Wondering why mine is too crumbly and does not stick together. Did I put too much oats in the lactation cookies? Recipe says 3 cups though..
Hoping for your help. Thanks!
I thought the reviews might be inflated, but nope: these cookies really are that good. I made a few tweaks – I used two medium eggs plus a yolk, swapped half a cup brown sugar in for part of the white sugar, subbed half a cup raisins in for half a cup of the chocolate chips (mostly because I was short on chocolate), and I added half a cup of coconut flakes. Made 18 mondo cookies, which took about 18 minutes to cook for soft cookies with toasted edges.
Perfect sweetness, not dry, delicious.
I had tried other brewers yeast lactation recipes and usually they taste a little weird, but these are just great tasting cookies with possible lactation benefits.
So yummy! I did the 2 eggs like the comments say and also added coconut and sliced almonds. I baked them for 12 min but I think they could have gone a little longer. I’m still devouring them! I also did NOT smash them like some of the commenters say they did, I like a thicker cookie. Can’t wait to make it again!
Thank you! Absolutely love this recipe. I used GF flour and it works a treat too 😊
These are amazing! I usually buy the ones from target already made and they’re very dry but they are tolerable. I decided to google a recipe and this is the first one that came up. I was skeptical at first but figured I would give it a try. And they are absolutely amazing!
Made these for my daughter. She loved them and asked for a second batch. Only issue I found was they were crumbly when trying to scoop. I think for this batch I’ll add in two whole eggs and see if that helps with binding the ingredients together better.