Dairy Free Lactation Cookies
Dairy free lactation cookies, made with coconut oil. Packed with oats, brewers yeast, flax seed and hemp seed that will increase your milk supply while breastfeeding. Or, just a delicious and healthy chocolate chip oatmeal cookie if you’re not nursing!
Ok nursing mamas, these lactation cookies are for you.
After my 6 week postpartum check up, my doctor cleared me for exercise. After all that time I spent on hospital bedrest, and then having extremely limited mobility while recovering from my c section (ouch!), I was excited to be able to go outside with Josh strapped to my chest for long walks in the sunshine.
We go for an hour walk every day around the neighborhood. I do 3 laps up what I lovingly refer to as “hell hill” – a very steep and long street that leaves me breathless and sweating, even in the middle of January. The walking has been so therapeutic for me. I love getting out of the house, getting my heart rate going, and seeing all the people stop and smile as they sneak a peak at little Josh. He is just so dang cute!
A few days after I started exercising, I noticed a decrease in my milk supply. Eeek! I didn’t want to give up my walks, so I started researching ways to boost it naturally. Mother’s Milk Tea and lactation cookies were the biggest recommendations.
I was skeptical about whether or not lactation cookies would really work. If anything, I thought it was just a great excuse to eat more cookies. And with all the extra calories my body is burning while breastfeeding, I’ll take all the cookies I can get. I am craving sweets, and feel way more hungry than I ever did pregnant.
I needed a dairy free lactation cookie, since Josh has acid reflux and eating dairy provokes it. I tried a few different versions. Some that used shortening (ick), some that used Earth Balance vegan “butter”. As much as I love Earth Balance on toast or when scrambling eggs, I don’t like the taste it gives to baked goods.
I experimented with my own version, and wanted to try one that used all coconut oil since I love the subtle flavor and sweetness of coconut oil. Plus, coconut oil has great health benefits. After a few tries, I finally perfected the BEST dairy free lactation cookies made with coconut oil. They are also packed with oats, brewers yeast, flax seed, and hemp seed, which are all nutrient dense and will naturally boost your milk production.
These dairy free lactation cookies are delicious! Shawn is obsessed with him. When he saw them on the counter and ate one, he proclaimed them the best chocolate chip cookies he’s ever had. I told him they are actually lactation cookies, and he stopped mid-chew.
“Are these going to make me lactate Nat?”
I wanted to trick him and tell him yes. Ha! But no, they’re just nutrient dense and can be enjoyed by all.
These cookies have crispy edges, and have a semi soft interior. They’re not dense hockey pucks like other lactation cookie recipes I tried. The oats give them a delicious chew, and the coconut oil gives it a light and pillowy texture, along with giving them a subtle sweet coconut flavor. You do not taste the brewers yeast, flax seeds or hemp seeds at all. And of course the chocolate chips are delicious. I use Trader Joe’s or Kirkland semi-sweet chocolate chips, which are naturally dairy free.
But even better than tasting great? They really do work! I noticed within a few hours that my milk production was back up to what it was before exercising. Josh was back to being a full and happy baby.
And all thanks to eating cookies! I also started eating oatmeal every morning for breakfast and adding a tablespoon of flax seed and hemp seed to it after I heat it up which I think also helps.
Glad to have a happily fed baby once again!
And if you don’t have time to make your own, or want even more lactation boosting snacks, check out these dairy free lactation granola bars from Oat Mama!
Dairy Free Lactation Cookies
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats, NOT quick cooking oats
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons brewers yeast
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1 tablespoon ground hemp seed
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup virgin coconut oil, room temperature (not melted)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup dairy free semi-sweet chocolate chips, I prefer Trader Joe's or Kirkland brands, both are dairy free
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees with the oven rack in the upper and lower third. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium size bowl, combine the oats, flour, brewers yeast, flaxseed, hemp seed, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- Using your stand mixer (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer) beat the coconut oil, granulated sugar and brown sugar over medium high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat another minute until combined. Turn the speed down to low, and slowly add the dry ingredients. Beat until combined. Add the chocolate chips and beat briefly until just combined.
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days.
- Using a medium size cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoons), scoop the cookie dough onto the cookie sheets, 12 per sheet. Will make exactly 24 cookies.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the cookies are just starting to turn golden on the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before eating. Will keep in an airtight container for 1 week.
Notes
122 Comments on “Dairy Free Lactation Cookies”
I’m going to make these for my friend who had her baby about 7 months ago. She got sick and her supply dropped, so she’s anxious to get it back up. Thank you for providing this awesome recipe!
I loved the taste!
Question: do they turn out super oily? Mine did even though I used about 2/3 of coconut oil. In the oven, so much coconut oil came off the dough and essentially flooded the cookies. Is that expected?
Hi Corey- Darn! I’ve never had this happen! I recommend measuring coconut oil melted. I hope that solves the problem!
I never review recipes but I’m so grateful for this one that I have to!! I’ve tried so many dairy free lactation cookie recipes and this is by far the best one! The cookies are decadent and I actually look forward to eating them! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Thank you, Nicole! I am so happy to hear this and wish you all the best in your journey!
Flax doesn’t usually agree with me. What would you recommend as a substitute?
Can you do chia? That would be a great swap out!
Besides being delicious they Work so well!! Thank you! 💕
Hi Valeria! I am so glad you liked these, and that they worked for you! Congrats mama!
Upsies I commented without stars, here they are and if I could put 6 i would
Delicious recipe!
Aww, thank you!
Thank you so much!!
This cookies are so delicious!😋 Great recipe.
I’ve start working again and because my job is very physical I have noticed a decrease in my milk supply, I hope this help! I will update later if increases my supply
Hi Valeria! I am so glad you like this recipe! These work so well for me when I need to increase my supply so I hope they have worked for you! Good job mama!
I tried these out tonight. 2 questions I had
1. I put the mixture in the fridge for a couple of hours and then went to scoop it and it was too hard. Was I meant to scoop first then put in the fridge
2. I needed a egg free option and I used half a mashed banana instead. They seem to have held together okay just spread out a little more. is there another alternative you have tried with this recipe that would work better instead?
Thanks it was delicious!
So glad you’re giving them a try!
1. I like to scoop into balls first, THEN refrigerate. Much easier.
2. I haven’t tried it, but you *may* be able to use a chia egg or flax egg to replace the egg in the batter. Combine 1 tablespoon ground flax seed or chia seeds to 3 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for 5 minutes until it is gelatinous. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
These were absolutely delicious. I ate them all in 5 days. I guess I got used to the bitter taste from the brewers yeast because of the chocolate and would say the coconut oil made it so hard to scoop the cookies out and had to warm them in the microwave before baking them so they weren’t sitting out on the counter to spoil.
I’m so glad you liked them! I’m sorry you had an issue scooping them out! I appreciate the feedback!
Do you have to use the brewer’s yeast if it’s not for a lactating mama?
No, you could skip! I’d replace it with flour, or unflavored collagen peptides if you want to add in more protein. If you try this and it works let me know!
Made these yesterday and wow they are delicious!! I was honestly shocked at how much I loved them and my husband did too lol. Love the coconut oil and the flavor it gives the cookies!! Thank you for the recipe, will absolutely make more once I run out!!
Hi Laura! I’m so glad you liked this recipe! It’s crazy how they are just like the perfect cookie with hidden lactation benefits! My husband loves them too! So happy to have you here!
DELICIOUS. but I think maybe there is a typo with the flour? Mine came out kind of flat.
So glad you loved them! It’s the correct amount of flour. But you may have issues with your baking powder or baking soda and not allowing them to rise? Make sure it’s fresh (if it’s too old it loses its lifting abilities!)
How many is necessary to eat over a few days to increase milk supply? I don’t want to go overboard.
Hi Erika! I would recommend no more than 1-2 per day, but go slow and really pay attention to your supply! Once you feel your milk supply increasing, you can just maintain by eating one whenever you feel it dip again. But definitely don’t go overboard!
Best lactation cookies I’ve tried!
Awww, I’m so honored!
Enjoying one right now! I did use quick oats despite your warning not to, and I added a handful of chopped walnuts. They came out perfectly!
Hi Emily! So glad these turned out great! Walnuts are a great addition!
I made these last night – This is a good effort but I really don’t like the cookies. Way too much coconut oil and somewhat bland flavor. They just don’t taste very good at all. Maybe adding in some coconut, cinnamon, nuts, etc would make them better? I’m not sure but I’m going to try a different lactation cookie recipe. I ended up throwing them out which is sad because I hate wasting food.
Well shoot! So bummed you didn’t enjoy the cookies Elizabeth. I agree it is always so disappointing to try a new recipe that you do not enjoy. Thank you so much for your feedback though!
What’s the replacement for brown and granulted sugar? I want to try your recipes because my baby is a preemie…
Congratulations on your baby Kat! You can substitute any sweetener of your choice for the granulated sugar and brown sugar. I would suggest honey, maple syrup or even monk fruit. I haven’t recipe tested the cookies with those sweeteners but I think they would work. Keep in mind that the ratio when you convert the recipe isn’t always the same. When using honey you generally use 3/4 cup to each 1 cup of sugar. With maple syrup it is a 1 cup for 1 cup. Monk fruit is 1/3 cup to 1 cup of sugar. I sure hope you like the cookies. They helped me so much!
First off, I love these! Are they 178 calories per 1 cookie? Just curious what the serving size is?
The recipe yields 24 cookies in total for 178 calories each LaShae.
Hi Natalie! Thanks so much for this recipe! I’m making them for my daughter who is a new Mom to a 2 month old little boy. Question, Can these be frozen after baking or do they need to be frozen in scoops as you described while raw? Thanks!
That is so nice of you to make the lactation cookies for your daughter Elise! Yes you can freeze them after baking. Just wrap them individually in saran wrap and store in a zip lock bag.
FYI, both Kirkland and TJ’s semi-sweet chocolate chips have cow’s milk protein in them making them unsafe to eat if your baby has a cow’s milk protein intolerance. Dark chocolate chips are a much better choice in this case. :)
Thanks so much for the information Laura! It’s much appreciated.
Made these yesterday and they are GOOOOOOOOD! Thanks for the recipe. :)
I loved having a yummy, nutritious treat when I was nursing my boys Laura.