Healthy lactation cookies are made with flax seed, brewer's yeast, and rolled oats to help promote milk production for breastfeeding. They make an excellent gift for new moms!
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the coconut oil, sugar, egg, and vanilla and mix well.
Add in the oat flour, ground flax seeds, brewer's yeast, baking soda and salt, and stir again until a thick batter is formed. It may take a few minutes of stirring to incorporate the dry ingredients evenly. Fold in the oats and chocolate chips. (Do not taste-test the batter at this point.)
Use a 1-ounce cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop the dough and drop it onto the lined pan, about 2 inches apart to allow for the cookies to spread. You should get 18-20 cookies from this recipe, so you'll need to use 2 pans, or bake in 2 separate batches. Bake at 350ºF for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cookies have spread and are lightly golden around the edges.
When the cookies are done baking, let them cool on the pan for at least 15 minutes before serving. Once they have totally cooled to room temperature, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Or, freeze them for up to 3 months, if you want to make a double-batch.
Notes
Nutrition information is for 1 of 20 cookies. This information is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
Use coconut oil that is labeled "refined" or "expeller pressed" if you want a cookie with zero coconut flavor. You can also replace the coconut oil with a 1/2 cup of softened butter, if you prefer.
To make a vegan lactation cookie, replace the egg by adding an extra tablespoon of ground flax seed plus 3 tablespoons of water to make a flax egg substitute.
Brewer's yeast can taste VERY bitter and ruin the flavor of your cookies. Look for non-bitter or debittered yeast for the tastiest results. (I most recently tried Blue Bonnet's brewer's yeast flakes, which have no bitter flavor.) You can also try using nutritional yeast instead, or replace this with a scoop of unflavored protein powder or an extra 3 tablespoons of oat flour, for a similar texture.
If you are gluten-intolerant be sure buy certified gluten-free oats. If you cannot find a brewer's yeast that is certified gluten-free, try using nutritional yeast instead, which is thought to have similar properties for milk production.
Flour Note: If you prefer a flatter cookie, try using only 3/4 cup of oat flour in this recipe. I increased the amount to 1 cup in May 2023, because some readers reported them spreading too much on the pan with only 3/4 cup flour. They will turn out delicious either way, so the thickness is up to you!Update Note: This recipe was updated in September 2022. You can find the original recipe at the bottom of this website, if you prefer that version. (I found them too dry, which is why they were updated!)