Effective Lactation Cookies Recipe
I can't lie, I went crazy right before baby G came because I had heard all sorts of horror stories of women not being able to breastfeed (and wanting to) but for one reason or another they "weren't producing enough/any milk, weren't eating the right foods to produce milk", etc. (not that cookies are a substitute for eating actual food [no, cookies aren't ACTUAL food])... Long story short, I heard a tale of these miracle "Lactation Cookies" that were out there, and I tried several recipes before I found some that I actually liked. These were my favorite, and while I cannot scientifically prove that these helped me establish a solid milk supply - (and there is SO much more involved in being able to establish the milk supply, but that's a whole different post...) I can say that these at least made me feel good while working my new mommy magic. And who knows, maybe they did have something to do with our success?! If you're a new mommy going through the milk motions, or you know one - bake up a batch of these bad boys.
Prep time: approx. 15 minutes
Oven temp: Preheat to 170C or 338F
Makes approx: 14-16 cookies using a tablespoon (double recipe for more)
When making these lactation cookies, please try to source organic, local ingredients where possible. They’re so much better for you. I’ve tried to use healthy alternatives where I can, however the lactation cookies need to be sweet enough to hide the very bitter taste of one of the most powerful ingredients! If you are already breastfeeding, try eating the dough as well as the cookies, as it seems to be even more effective at increasing supply. Do not eat uncooked dough if you are pregnant. This is due to the risk of bacterial infection from eating raw egg. - See more at: http://www.bellybelly.com.au/breastfeeding/lactation-cookies/
Ingredients:
1 cup self raising wholemeal flour (if you have plain flour, add 1/2 tsp baking powder)
1/2 cup butter (for a healthier option, use organic, virgin coconut oil instead which is super good for you!)
3/4 cup brown sugar (if wanting to reduce sugar, you could try just 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
1 egg
2-3 tablespoons of water (depends if you prefer moister cookies)
1 tablespoon vanilla (optional, for flavour)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional, for flavour)
1-2 tablespoons of brewers yeast – do not substitute with bakers yeast or any other yeast 1/2 teaspoon salt – use himalayan salt if possible
1 & 1/2 cups oats – organic, steel cut oats are best for you
OPTIONAL: 1/2 cup of your fave biscuit ingredients (see suggested list below)
DO NOT leave out or substitute the brewers yeast when making lactation cookies. It’s one of the main ingredients that makes them work. Nutritional yeast and bakers yeast are different and will not work the same. Lactation Cookies Recipe – Method In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar then add the egg and vanilla. Mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the flaxseed and water, let sit for a few minutes before adding to mix. Add the dry ingredients (apart from the oats and your additional ingredients) and mix well again. Finally, stir in the oats and your additional ingredient. Make the biscuits (I use a desert spoon as a rough size guide) and place them onto a lightly greased or lined baking tray. Flatten them a little with your fingers or a spatula – if you like a soft centre, don’t squish them down too much. If you like you can just make them into balls – I do this and love the soft center!
Bake the lactation cookies for around 10-12 minutes depending on how well cooked or crunchy you like your biscuits.
Lactation Cookies Recipe – Method
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar then add the egg and vanilla.
Mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine the flaxseed and water, let sit for a few minutes before adding to mix.
Add the dry ingredients (apart from the oats and your additional ingredients) and mix well again.
Finally, stir in the oats and your additional ingredient.
Make the biscuits (I use a desert spoon as a rough size guide) and place them onto a lightly greased or lined baking tray.
Flatten them a little with your fingers or a spatula – if you like a soft centre, don’t squish them down too much. If you like you can just make them into balls – I do this and love the soft centre!
Bake the lactation cookies for around 10-12 minutes depending on how well cooked or crunchy you like your biscuits.
Boosting Your Lactation Cookies For Better Results
Try the above lactation cookies recipe first, but if you don’t notice much of an increase in supply, add more brewers yeast. If you like, add more flaxseed meal too, but don’t forget to increase the water when you increase dry ingredients. Add a tablespoon of water for each tablespoon of flaxseed meal. If the lactation cookies aren’t working or for supply issues in general, please get some reliable help from a qualified lactation consultant or breastfeeding support organization.
Lactation Cookies – Ingredient and Variation Ideas
There are so many delicious ingredients you can add to your lactation cookies to flavor them up! You might like to add coconut, banana, grated apple, chocolate chips (*these were my favorites), almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, chopped dried apricots, chopped prunes, dates – the list is endless. You could even try one of these variations of the lactation cookies recipe by using these delicious combinations:
Coconut and banana
Choc chip and cranberry
Dried apricot and white chocolate
Apple cinnamon: 1 tsp cinnamon instead of vanilla, 1/2 cup chopped dried apple and 1/2 cup sultanas.
For a healthier cookie, substitute some or all of the butter for virgin coconut oil which is SO good for your body (inside and out). Virgin coconut oil has a mountain of benefits, including anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. Choose an organic oil if you can. For more benefits of coconut oil, visit the Coconut Research Center website.
For a more fiber rich, healthier flour, use half or all coconut flour (you may need to add in an extra egg). If you only have regular white flour to make lactation cookies, that's ok too, it's just not the healthiest flour of choice, but if that's what you have it will work.
Enjoy!
