Lactation Cookies Recipe (2024)

These chocolate chip oatmeal Lactation Cookies are perfect for nursing moms who need a milk supply boost. These breastfeeding-friendly treats are freezer friendly to support tired new moms, and packed with nutrients to support breast milk supply.

Lactation Cookies

I've nursed five babies now, and these lactation cookies were my saving grace, numerous times. So I really wanted to pass on this recipe to help other nursing mommas who might be struggling with some supply issues.

These lactation cookies have oats, chocolate, brewer's yeast, and flaxseed, all of which are great for milk production. Of course, every body is different, so the degree of their effectiveness will be based on your own body and experience.

But even if they do nothing else, they'll provide a delicious (chocolate) nursing snack for a sleepy nursing mama. And they're so good, my hubby and bigger kids have been known to sneak a few.

How Do Lactation Cookies Help Milk Supply?

Lactation cookies can help milk supply because they're packed with galactagogues. Galactagogues are foods, herbs, or drugs that help to induce or increase lactation and milk supply.

These lactation cookies contain several all-natural galactagogues to help increase your milk supply.

Ingredients in Lactation Cookies

• The Classics - Butter, flour, sugar, eggs, salt, baking powder, and vanilla. These are the ingredients that are in pretty much every cookie recipe you'll ever make, and they're in this one too.

• Flaxseed - This ingredient is considered a galactagogue. It is also an excellent source of fiber.

• Oats - Oats are another galactagogue. Everyone is different, but in my experience, oats were the most effective way to increase my supply. So sit down with one of these oat lactation cookies, a glass of oat milk, Cheerio's (they're made with oat flour!), and a bowl of oatmeal, and prepare to be amazed.

• Brewer's Yeast - Brewer's yeast is another galactagogue. It is the reason some people say beer helps to increase milk supply. I will warn you that it does have a pretty strong and distinctive flavor. Brewer's yeast is not the same as nutritional yeast, which is more widely available in grocery stores. It is also the most difficult ingredient to find, in my experience. I've always had to purchase brewer's yeast from Amazon, as I've never seen it in a grocery store!

• Chocolate chips - No, these don't help with milk production. But they help with flavor. And a nursing mama's sanity. The more chocolate the better, I say. You can use any flavor chocolate chips you like here: dark, milk, semi-sweet, chunks,... It's up to your taste buds! I also like to add in extra chocolate chips. Just because I can.

Why Make Your Own Lactation Cookies Instead of Buying Pre-Made at the Store?

Well, for one, making your own is way less expensive. Store-bought lactation cookies can be extremely pricey. You can buy every single ingredient on the list below for the price of just 2 small packages of of store bought cookies!

And two, homemade tastes better. I think that's just a fact of life. All of the store-bought cookies I tried were dry and crumbly. I couldn't taste the brewer's yeast at all, so I wondered if there was even any in there! These homemade lactation cookies are chewy with melty chocolate chips and real oats.

I highly recommend making your own, and if you're thinking, "... but who has the time?...," keep reading because you can totally make these ahead and save yourself time!

How to Store, Make Ahead, and Freeze Lactation Cookies

I know baking when you have a tiny baby or even a tiny baby plus multiple other children, can seem daunting at best and impossible at worst. I've totally been there. That's why I like to make an ENORMOUS batch of lactation cookies or cookie dough when I actually have a minute and some sanity, and store it until I need them.

Storage

Once cookies are baked, cover and store at room temperature for up to a week. You can store them in the fridge, and they will probably stay fresh a little longer.

Make Ahead & Freezer Directions

You can make the cookie dough ahead by about 24 to 48 hours before baking, and store covered in the refrigerator. Bake for an extra minute to account for the cold.

For longer term storage, I suggest freezing.

You can freeze the whole batch of cookie dough in one freezer bag. Then thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking.

OR you can do it this way, which I think is the best and easiest way.

Once the dough is made, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (Buy these parchment paper sheets if you hate measuring parchment paper.) Scoop cookies onto the parchment paper (about 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie). The cookie balls can be close together because we're not baking them, but not touching.

Then place in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove baking sheet from the freezer, and transfer frozen balls to a labelled freezer bag (label with date, number, cook temperature, cook time, and "lactation cookies" because we all know that lack of sleep is affecting our memory right now 🥴😴). Freeze cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. When it's time to bake your lactation cookies, bake straight from frozen at the temperature in the recipe instructions for an additional one to two minutes to account for the cold, frozen dough.

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Lactation Cookies Video

UPDATE INFO: This recipe was originally published in September 2014. It was republished with new pictures, tips, video, and two more babies 😆in September 2023.