Homemade Lactation Cookies

Not all lactation cookies are created equal. If you’re looking for a cookie recipe that uses less refined sugar but still tastes like a delicious treat, this one is for you.

I’ve spent weeks refining this recipe to make it as nourishing as possible without compromising the flavor. I’ve learned that brewer’s yeast comes in different varieties, so be sure to read my notes below and avoid the mistakes I made during the testing process.

I love these cookies so much that even though I’m no longer nursing my babies, I still can’t resist taste-testing them when I make a batch. They are my go-to gift for new moms and freeze beautifully for a late-night breastfeeding snack.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review

“I had made another recipe that I’d gotten from my lactation consultant that I really did not like at all. These are SO GOOD.”

-Angelina

Why You’ll Love This Lactation Cookies Recipe

They may help boost milk supply. Ingredients like flaxseeds, brewer’s yeast, and oats are known as galactagogues. These may help to increase milk supply by boosting prolactin, the hormone responsible for breast milk production.

They’re nourishing. This is still a cookie recipe with sugar & chocolate chips, but the ingredients also provide essential omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and extra calories that nursing moms need.

They are unbelievably delicious. Not all lactation cookies are created equal, and this recipe is one of the best you’ll ever taste. It has enough sweetness to hide the bitter flavor of brewer’s yeast, and the perfect chewy texture, so it feels like you’re eating a real cookie.

They’re allergy-friendly. These lactation cookies are dairy-free and gluten-free when you use a gluten-free brewer’s yeast and oat flour that is certified gluten-free. You can also make your own homemade oat flour, if you need to! It’s a great way to sneak more oats into these cookies.

Ingredients For Lactation Cookies

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Oat Flour and Rolled Oats. Since oats may help with milk production, these cookies get a double dose! First, we use oat flour (which is simply ground oats) and add extra rolled oats for texture.
• Brewer’s Yeast. Brewer’s yeast also has a reputation for helping to boost milk production, but it can have an unpleasant taste. Look for “de-bittered” on the label when shopping for this ingredient. This product is available in powder or flakes, and I find the flakes to be the most neutral in flavor; however, either option will work for this recipe.
• Coconut Oil. This recipe uses coconut oil instead of butter because it has medium-chain fatty acids, including lauric and capric acid, which may help boost both mom’s and baby’s immune systems. (source) For the most neutral-flavored cookie, use refined or expeller-pressed coconut oil, which has zero coconut flavor. If you use virgin coconut oil, it will impart a subtle coconut flavor.
• Ground Flax. This ingredient is also known to support lactation, so it’s added to the cookies as a substitute for some of the flour typically found in a regular cookie recipe. (It also adds bonus fiber!)
• Egg. The egg is used for added protein and binding, to help hold the cookies together. If you need an egg-free option, a flax egg can be used as a substitute; however, the cookies will be slightly softer and more fragile in this case.
• Coconut Sugar. This granulated sugar is a great alternative to white sugar. It has a similar flavor to brown sugar and will help the cookies spread as they bake. (If you try to use less sugar, the cookies won’t spread as much.)
• Pantry Staples. Vanilla extract and salt complement the flavor in these cookies, while baking soda helps them spread evenly. Ensure you use fresh baking soda for optimal results, as old baking soda may prevent these cookies from rising and spreading as much.

How to Make the Best Lactation Cookies

Step 1:

Add the melted coconut oil, vanilla, sugar, and egg to a large mixing bowl and mix well. This is similar to “creaming” together the butter and sugar, as you would in a traditional recipe, except that the coconut oil here is melted for easier measurement. 

Step 2:

Next, add in the ground flax seeds, brewer’s yeast, oat flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well, until the batter sticks together, with no white flour visible. It might take a few minutes to stir it together evenly. 

Fold in the rolled oats and chocolate chips. The batter will be slightly thick and shiny, with oats and chocolate chips speckled throughout.

Step 3:

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, then use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop the dough onto the lined pan. Keep the cookie dough mounds 2 inches apart, to allow for spreading. 

This batch makes roughly 20 cookies, so you’ll need to use two baking sheets if you want to bake them all at once. Otherwise, you can bake them in two batches. 

Step 4:

Bake the lactation cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they spread and start to turn lightly golden around the edges. Let them cool on the pan for at least 15 minutes, allowing them to firm up even more. 

Once they are cool, they are ready to enjoy!

Lactation Cookies Recipe Variations

If you have substitution questions, I’ll offer my best suggestions here.

• Can I use a different flour? You can most likely use all-purpose or whole wheat flour with similar results in this recipe, or buckwheat flour is a great gluten-free option. Keep in mind that this recipe calls for oat flour as a way to incorporate more oats into the recipe, as they may help support milk supply. 
• Can I use a different sugar? Using granulated sugar is crucial to achieve a chewy texture in the cookies. If you use white sugar or brown sugar instead, the cookies will be sweeter than intended. In that case, feel free to experiment with cutting back on the sugar. (This might also affect the texture, though.)
• Do I have to use brewer’s yeast? If you don’t have brewer’s yeast on hand (or you can’t get past the flavor), you can replace it with three extra tablespoons of oat flour, or try using nutritional yeast instead. It is speculated that brewer’s yeast works as a galactagogue because it helps boost nutrition by boosting B vitamins and chromium, but you can find those in nutritional yeast, too.

If you try this lactation cookie recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like them.