the best lactation cookies you’ll ever eat
There is nothing like the gift of food for a friend who has just given birth. Clothes, hats and baby toys are very nice, don’t get me wrong, but if you’ve been a new mom, especially one that’s breastfeeding, you know that you are hungry all. the. time.
So my favorite thing to do for my new mom friends is to make them these lactation cookies. I found a recipe years ago and it has changed so much that it has become my own. I honestly can’t believe I haven’t shared it here yet because they’re SO GOOD. Half the reason why I like to make them for friends is because I like to keep a few for myself!
I made a batch of these right before Rory was born and kept them in the freezer for middle of the night feeding snacks. They’re incredibly hearty, filing and nutrient dense, and some of the ingredients are galactagogues, which are foods that are said to help boost milk supply. These cookies have flax seeds, almonds, oats, brewers yeast, and lots of healthy fat, which help keep up your supply and make sure you never go hungry.
If you’re giving birth soon, make these NOW! Unless you’re my friend or family member, then I’ll probably make them for you :)
Lactation Cookies
Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup flour of choice (I’ve found that almond works best, but cassava is another good gf option)
2 Tbs Brewer’s yeast
2 Tbs chia seeds
2 Tbs flax seeds
2 Tbs hemp seeds
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch sea salt
1 egg
6 Tbs grass fed butter (against popular baking practices, I like to use salted because I like the salty/sweet cookie combo, but unsalted works, or even coconut oil)
1/2 cup sweetener, pure maple syrup or raw honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup of add-ins (chocolate chips, cranberries, chopped nuts, pumpkin or sunflower seeds)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. In a medium size bowl, whisk the wet ingredients. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips or other add ins. Using a spoon, scoop about a tablespoon of dough and pat into a cookie shape on the sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes.
