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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1,879 Comments on “Lactation Cookies.”
Second time making these cookies – these are the best! I am convinced these increase my supply. I am making them with Caramilk chips this time around for a cheat treat lol
Love this recipe. It’s my go to for lactation cookies without all the extra steps and items to add.
How many of these should I consume everyday to see results?
Thank you for these! My supply is steady, but I am starving and this gives me a great excuse to eat cookies! 😉 They are delicious!
hi, how long can i freeze the dough in the freezer? i am
planning to make it before i pop😊
I’m sorry but I just made them and they taste disgusting, like a beer cookie. Wondering what I did wrong as I followed the recipe exactly.
You probably did everything right. The brewer’s yeast has a specific taste and it’s not for everyone. They definitely don’t taste like a classic chocolate chip cookie but I got used to the flavour and have made this recipe multiple times.
Maybe just adjust the brewer’s yeast to your taste.
Idk if it’ll help but I just made a batch of lactation brownies and encountered brewers yeast for the first time in my life. After reading comments of taste the first thing I did when opening it was smell it. I bought the Mommy Knows Best debittered brewers yeast on Amazon and smelled nothing upon opening it and didn’t taste it in the brownies. Idk if it’s because of the chocolate in the brownies but it may work for this recipe as well? I haven’t tried making this yet, but the fact that it’s debittered may help with that.
I just made them for the first time this past weekend and they tasted fine to me. A little on the dryer side but it did not taste anything like beer I would definitely notice I hate beer.
Did you use the correct brewers yeast? I got mine off of Amazon and it specifically says on it that it is for increasing milk supply.
Hi Amber Ive made these without brewers yeast because my local grocery store didnt have it. They can still increase supply without and they taste amazing!
Hi there, I also can’t find brewers yeast, did you omit that step completely without any yeast and cookies came out soft and delicious? Seems like no one else here commented on ‘not’ using yeast so wasn’t sure if it would actually bake just as delicious. Thanks!
Hi. I found in another recipe they suggested substituting wheat germ for the yeast. Thats what I did. It turned out very yummy. II dis wnd up adding a lil more coconut oil cause the batter seemed to be dry. I also switched out some of the white sugar for brown sugar..since brown sugar is always in chocolate chip cookies.
I made these with my last two kids, and this is the third time. Followed the recipe this time with a few edits: I didn’t have brewers yeast on hand, so I added 2tbsp of black seeds and coarse ground fenugreek. I noticed it’s a very large batch, so I added 1/3rd cup ground flax seed, added 3 tbsp more butter, 4tbsp peanut butter, 3 while eggs, 1 cup white sugar and 1 cup brown and 2 cups chocolate chips. My 1 n 1/2 scoop yeilded to 34 cookies. This will definitely increase your supply. I found it worked better for me if I took a cookie either last thing at night or first thing in the morning with hot tea or warm milk. Don’t ask why, I have no clue!!
This definitely is the best recipe for lactation cookies as is our with few tweaks.
I haven’t made these cookies yet, but they look and sound delicious! Do you have Nutrition Facts for this recipe?
Over the past 2 months, my milk supply dropped significantly and my milk freezer stash went from 60+ bags to 4. I was literally in tears! As a last resort, I looked up ways to increase milk supply and came across this recipe. After 2 days, my milk supply increased by several ounces, and now 1 week later I was able to make 3 extra bags! I have no doubt it was these cookies – that was the only change I made. Praise God. I eat 4 cookies per day and am SO HAPPY with the results I’m seeing and that I can continue my nursing/pumping journey.
Oatmeal chocolate chips cookies are my favourite so I was excited for a cookie that could help keep my supply up. I used debittered brewers yeast and these are still quite bitter tasting to me. The recipe also made about double the amount stated when I used a 1.5″ cookie scoop. I hope they help with my milk supply.
The recipe is well written and easy to follow and the cookies look good. If they work, I think I will add more cinnamon and maybe some other spice to help mask the brewers yeast the next time I make them.
Delicious. I love them and my infant does too. Happy mommy, happy baby! Thanks!
Tried out this recipe a couple times now and both times came out wonderful!
Did a couple tweaks: I did cut back on the sugar to just 1 cup. 1/2 cane sugar 1/2 brown sugar. Also, I think adding a bit more coconut oil to the mix helped with the cookies moisture. None of the batches were “dried out” from being left on the counter in a ziplock baggie or too dry to form. All my ingredients were room temp. Cooking time was accurate, took about 12 min for my batches to come out looking golden brown. Added a dash of turmeric powder as well for more flavee!
In my opinion, not a big chocolate fan (especially since these are great 3am snacks when breastfeeding) so I only placed chocolate chunks on top and not folded into the batter.
I almost halved the sugar, and reduced choc chips to a bit less than a cup and found the sweetness perfect for me. Cooked it 14min and no beer taste. Cookies also turned out great :) I’m coming back for more!
Looove these cookies! Made a batch today (no substitutions made). After baking a few test cookies, the rest of the dough is in the freezer awaiting the arrival of baby #2. I really enjoyed having them on hand for #1 though I can’t solely credit them with my milk increase as a had an oversupply issue long after I stopped eating the cookies.
For those who say their cookies had an overly malty / beer taste, it may be your brand of brewer’s yeast, they are all a bit different. I recommend Solgar!
Omg I just made these and they are delicious! I can’t taste the brewers yeast at all. I did add the shredded coconut chocolate chips and some raisins. Hopefully they increase my supply! ❤️🙏
These were super easy to make and absolutely delicious. Now I don’t have to spend $20 a box on store bought lactation cookies. Incredible! Thank you for this delicious recipe. Looking forward to seeing if these help my supply. :)
Hello there, just wondering if I can make these in the microwave at all? I am currently on holiday and breast feeding my 4 month old. I don’t have access to an oven for a month and am keen to keep my supply steady. Thank you!
Hi Rochelle, just a fellow mama, not the author but I can empathize with you. I doubt these would work in the microwave but oats, flaxseed, and brewers yeast are the milk supporting ingredients so I recommend eating them often, can add to cereal, oatmeal, smoothies, etc. other good ingredients are fenugreek, moringa, and miso soup. good luck mama!
Thank you! I usually put those ingredients in my morning smoothie at home if I don’t have time to make the cookies. Not sure I will be able to while overseas but will see what I can do xx
I’ve made these cookies over and over for myself and as gifts to new moms. They’re delicious and I really do think they help but of course, every body is different. The batches come out really big, always over 2 dozens for me and I bake them 16 minutes. It took me a while to find the right timing :) I wish I can post a picture to show you how amazing they are
I’m making these cookies now. I’m so excited. My granddaughter is expecting a baby girl July 4.
Her friend just gave birth a couple days ago to a beautiful baby girl v
I’m excited to bake these for them
mine came out really dry and did not stick together. any tips?
Mine came out that way too. They were good but so dry. Use 2 full sticks of butter 2 full eggs add a Tbs or two of any nut butter 3tbs chia seeds and a scoop of vanilla lactation protein powder. They are so good with the added ingredients. And soft- if you use sunflower butter the middle may turn a spotted green color but that’s just because of the sunflower counteracting with other ingredients.
These really work!!! I did use the 5tbs of yeast but to combat the taste it I also used brown sugar and then added a little more when I was done mixing everything which seems to work really well!!!
I just made them. It’s the third lactation cookie recipe and BY FAR the BEST!!! The others tasted like dry cardboard. These actually taste like chocolate chip cookies. Question! How do we store them and for how long do you think? Can I leave them in a container on top of the fridge, or do they need to be refrigerated? Can I freeze some of them (after baking) to save them for later? I’ve never had issues with the cookies being out, but I made a lactation banana bread and it went sour pretty quickly.
Instead of chocolate chips, I used Reese’s pieces and let me just say absolutely delicious!! I would recommend for anyone that doesn’t like the yeast flavor to use peanut butter it counteracts the brewers yeast flavor. Not a first time fan of brewers either. But, again found something that works for the aftertaste.
Can I substitute milk chocolate chips for dark? Or is the dark helpful with lactation? Thanks!
I just made these and overall they taste good… But I am getting a very bitter aftertaste. Wondering if that is normal or if I did something wrong ?!
My supply is reducing and I need a boost. I’m hoping these cookies help, but I have to say they are seriously delicious. I will keep making these for sure.
I just made these for the first time I followed the recipe exactly but I added in half of a banana as well my cookies came out perfect not dry but moist and absolutely delicious! If no one told me these were lactation cookies I would have no idea because I don’t even taste the extra ingredients added into them. I really hope they increase my supply thanks so much for this recipe!
These are so delicious I made myself sick eating them the last time my daughter made them for me. More recently my milk supply had depleted so much that I was breaking down at work and considering formula. I’m not a baker but I had my daughter make these again last night (I pay her to bake them lol) and this time she added crasins instead of chocolate chips, they’re divine. I had two last night and I’m less than 10 minutes into pumping right now and I already have over three ounces, I was barely getting two in 30 minutes before. I’m so grateful I found this recipe.
These are delicious. Idk if these did it but I did see an increase my supply by about a half an oz a pump on average while eating them. But I’m also someone who sees a good increase following an evening of cake and Ice cream. Having these cookies definitely didn’t hurt. I don’t taste the brewers yeast AT ALL. I used Mommy Knows Best debittered.
Side note: my husband loves them!
Just made a batch! Wow! Love them! I used vegan butter and butterscotch chips and they taste great! Are they supposed to be super crumbly? I had one just out of the oven and it totally crumbled apart. Hoping once they cool down they hold better.
I was just wondering how many calories per cookie?
I have a question. Can I substitute the chocolate chips for raisins?
Can you omit the brewers yeast completely and the cookies will still turn out soft and delicious? I can’t find at any of my local grocery stores and wanted to make this weekend for a friend. Wasn’t sure if that was a main ingredient that will completely change the cookie. Thanks!
Brewers yeast is the acting ingredient that helps you lactate. You can buy on Amazon or Walmart.com
Love Love Love these cookies, even when stale! I have even caught my husband several times sneaking my cookies.
Amazing. I use 4T whole flaxseed bc I didn’t have ground, 1/2c brown sugar and 1c white, 2 whole eggs, 2 whole sticks of butter, and 1 whole tsp of baking powder to help them not spread as much. Also didn’t have chocolate chips so I used raisins and toffee bits. Came out soooo good!
I made these using nutritional yeast after looking up alternatives to brewers yeast. (Use the same amount of nutritional yeast as it calls for brewers yeast in the recipe.) They are amazing!!! You won’t regret it! :)
These cookies are amazing! You can’t even taste the brewer’s yeast! I used a full cup of vegan butter instead of coconut oil and they worked out perfectly! 1 cup of chocolate chips was enough. Will def be making these again!
I probably need to adjust the flour and baking soda for my altitude (7220ft), but mine turned out really dry and crumbling. The flavor is good though. Also, I eat 2 after every pump session and I tend to get a little more milk out of the next session. Hopefully next batch will have a better texture once I modify it a little.
I made these for a friend who recently had a baby. The only thing in the recipe I did slightly different was sub a bit of brown sugar for the cane sugar. I think it came out to 1 cup came sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar. I got about 3 dozen decent sized cookies. I sent half the batch to my friend and froze the rest for myself as I’m pregnant and due in a couple months. My husband and I taste tested and they are super delicious, taste just like a regular cookie with no trace of a bitter flavor at all from the yeast.
Time saving tip: line cookie sheet with parchment paper and place all of the dough onto it. Pat and shape into a rectangle. Bake and cool then cut into squares. Less time, less cookie sheets to wash! I’ve found I need to bake for a few extra minutes when I make them this way.
I love this recipe. I have made it many times. Currently nursing my 3rd and this is my go-to recipe. It’s a treat, and also helps boost supply :)
These are better than regular cookies…
Im so in love with this.
I altered the recipe a bit but the taste is awesome.
I made these because my period came back and i was bit on low supply after my ovulation ..
Im not sure these helped me or not because I normally have a oversupply on regular days.
Will update once i figured out.
I used now food brewers yeast and theres no bad taste at all..
I added 1/2cup of chocolate chips + 1 cup dried coconut + 1 cup dried cranberry .. instead of cane sugar i used 1 cup of dark brown sugar.
Drooling! These are absolutely amazing!! How many calories per serve? I just ate three haha
I make these for my daughter and she loves them. She’s gluten free & I substitute regular flour with King Arthur 1:1 gluten free flour with great results.
Really good cookies. They were very dry the first time but still good. i wanted to soften them up a bit and I tweaked the recipe a bit and they came out even better! I did 2 full sticks of butter instead of 1.5, two full eggs instead of one egg plus one yolk. Added 2 heaping TBS of sunflower butter. Added 3 TBS chia seeds. Added 1 scoop of vanilla cookie protein powder (boobie body superfood protein mix from Amazon)
2nd time I am making these, (used turbinado sugar) tasty but very sweet, dry and do not stick together.Any suggestions on how to moisten them up and reduce the sweetness?
First off, I love these cookies.
2nd, I didn’t have brewers(?) Yeast so I omitted it. Added peanut butter and molasses.
I would rather have used dark chocolate. But my dear husband picked up semi sweet….that’s fine, the cookies are a bit sweeter due to that. Either way, delicious. My son and husband are trying to leave them alone, cause they are for my milk but hey, I’m good at sharing.
I hope these help my milk supply. I caught covid and lost some weight and some milk….I have a lot of frozen but that was ment for my back to school stock. I need to pick back up the pumping to stock back up again.
Nothing like a sweet little pick me up to make me feel like I’m doing everything I can to produce more.
Thank you for the cookie recipe!!!!
I made this recipe a few years back and wanted to freeze a batch for my upcoming babe. I don’t remember the dough being so dry. The dough never really came together. So while I was forming the balls to freeze I coated my hands in coconut oil every few cookies. It seemed to help. Haven’t baked any yet, just wanted to share this tip!
I’ve never left a review on a recipe’s website before, but OH. MY. GODDDDDDDD!!!!!! These cookies. These are it. I can’t attest for the lactation aspect, since it’s been literally 3 minutes since they’ve come out of the oven and I’ve already eaten a hundred😂 They taste SINFUL!
These ended up to be the best cookie my family has ever eaten haha! I’m wondering if it’ll turn out again if I use gluten free one to one flour!? let me know if anyone has tried this to make a gluten free version.
My dough was quite dry and didn’t spread at all when I baked them, but I really enjoyed the recipe nonetheless! I just thought of them as lactation balls or bites rather than cookies. I’m thinking of upping the coconut oil in my next batch to help them spread more; anybody else have tips? I’m at a high elevation.