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These dairy free lactation cookies are delicious oatmeal cookies that naturally boost milk production for nursing mamas. They are made with flax seeds, oatmeal and brewers yeast and come together in less than 25 minutes! They are great to make at home for yourself or a loved one.
These cookies have been years in the making! I have been tweaking this recipe since my first daughter was born in 2018. The result of all these tweaks and tests are the BEST lactation cookies!
Seriously, my husband asks me to make these because he likes them so much. They have a soft oatmeal cookie center, are filled with gooey chocolate, and are made with healthy ingredients. They are naturally dairy free and soy free as well.
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works
- These breastfeeding cookies help mamas produce more milk. Rolled oats, flaxseed meal, brewer’s yeast and almond flour are all ingredients that are beneficial to lactation.
- These cookies are delicious! And anyone can eat them because they have other health benefits. They are a good source of fiber and vitamins, and they can help with digestion. Brewer’s yeast is a probiotic, so it helps with your gut and digestion. Source.
- They are made with healthy ingredients, like olive oil, coconut sugar and almond flour.
- They are great for those that are dairy and soy free. My daughter had a dairy intolerance so I had to cut out all soy and dairy from my diet.
- They are great to bring to the hospital before your baby is born. They are also great to make as a gift for any mama in your life.
Recipe ingredients:
- rolled oats– make sure to buy organic rolled oats to avoid pesticides and chemicals like glyphosate. Rolled oats are a great source of iron, which boosts milk production.
- white flour– an organic white purpose flour.
- almond flour– blanched almond flour works best in baking. It is full of protein and calcium, which is also great for nursing mamas.
- baking soda– this helps the cookies rise.
- flaxseed meal– has phytoestrogens that can have a positive influence on breast milk production.
- brewer’s yeast– is full of B vitamins, protein, iron and minerals which are beneficial to nursing mamas.
- cinnamon– this helps flavor the cookies and cover up some of the taste of brewer’s yeast.
- vanilla– to flavor the cookies
- egg– this helps bind the cookies together.
- coconut sugar– this has a lower glycemic index than other kinds of sugar.
- olive oil– this is used as the fat content in the cookies. It replaces the butter.
- apple sauce– this is also used to replace some of the butter content in the cookies.
- dairy-free chocolate and raisins– these are my favorite add-ins of choice. Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips and HU chocolate chips are great dairy free options.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions/Substitutions
- To make this recipe nut-free, replace the almond flour with regular flour. You can replace it at a 1:1 ratio. So instead of 1/2 cup of almond flour, add another 1/2 cup of regular flour.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, replace the all purpose flour with gluten-free flour at a 1:1 ratio.
- Instead of olive oil, you can use coconut oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil.
- Instead of coconut sugar, you can use maple sugar or brown sugar at a 1:1 ratio.
- Add raisins to make oatmeal raisin lactation cookies.
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Mix together the rolled oats, salt, flour, almond flour, baking soda, flaxseed meal, brewer’s yeast and cinnamon.
Step 2: Mix together the vanilla, egg, coconut sugar, water, oil, and apple sauce.
Step 3: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until the batter is wet.
Add your mix-ins ( chocolate chips or raisins)
Step 4: Scoop cookie dough into balls, put onto cookie sheet and bake.
Expert Tips
- Use a combination of old fashioned rolled oats and quick oats for a better cookie texture.
- Make sure your flaxseed meal is already pre-ground before you buy it.
- Make sure you like the taste of the brand of brewer’s yeast you are using. I LOVE my brewer’s yeast from Anthonys. I’ve tried other brands and do not like the taste, which affects the taste of the cookies.
- Try mixing chocolate chips and raisins in your cookies. It is SO good.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! The ingredients in these cookies are known to boost milk production in women.
Yes! You could make them without them, but they may not be as effective for milk production.
As soon as baby comes! I brought these to the hospital with me and they were life savers.
I would say 3-4 a day for best results. Though, I have to be honest, I often eat 5 a day because they are so good!
In an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days. In an airtight container in the fridge for 5-6 days.
Yes! Make them as usual and once they have cooled, wrap them up individually or put them in a freezer friendly bag. Then, microwave them for a few seconds or let them thaw overnight before eating.
Other lactation recipes you may enjoy:
These No-bake Lactation Cookies from Texanerin. They are SO good!
Other oatmeal recipes you may enjoy:
Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten-Free Chia Oatmeal Cookies
Dairy-free Banana Oatmeal Muffins Made with Olive Oil
Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!
The Best Dairy-free Lactation Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats, (I like using 1.5 cups of one minute oats and 1.5 cups of old fashioned rolled oats)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3 Tbs flaxseed meal
- 5 Tbs brewers yeast
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 cup coconut sugar, (or maple sugar or brown sugar)
- 1/4 cup water
- ¾ cup olive oil, (avocado oil, coconut oil or corn oil work too)
- 1/4 cup apple sauce
- 1 cup mix-ins, ( chocolate chips or raisins)
Instructions
- Cover a cookie sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, add the rolled oats, salt, flour, almond flour, baking soda, flaxseed meal, brewers yeast and cinnamon together in one bowl. Mix.
- In another large bowl, add the vanilla, egg, coconut sugar, water, olive oil, and apple sauce together. Mix until blended and the mixture thickens.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until all of the batter is wet. (Make sure there is no dry flour in the mixture)
- Fold in your mix-ins. (Chocolate chips, raisins, or other mix-in of your choice). I personally like adding 1/2 cup of raisins and 1/2 cup of dairy-free chocolate chips.
- Scoop golf ball sized spoonfuls of the batter onto the cookie sheet. ( I wet my hands and then roll the batter into balls in my hands before putting them onto the cookie sheet and pressing down on them lightly with the back of a spoon.)
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. 10 minutes works perfect for me. Then, let the cookies sit on the pan for a few minutes before letting them cool on wire cooling racks. You can also just put them onto plate immediately as well.
- This recipe yields 24-28 cookies.
Notes
- To make this recipe nut-free, replace the almond flour with regular flour. You can replace it at a 1:1 ratio. So instead of 1/2 cup of almond flour, add another 1/2 cup of regular flour.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, replace the all purpose flour with gluten-free flour at a 1:1 ratio.
- Instead of olive oil, you can use coconut oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil.
- Instead of coconut sugar, you can use maple sugar or brown sugar at a 1:1 ratio.
- Add raisins to make oatmeal raisin lactation cookies.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I recognize that the brewers yeast is a lactogenic ingredient, but is there any good substitute? I googled and saw I could use nutritional yeast or sourdough starter.  I’m presuming the brewers yeast is more an addition for milk stimulation than for leavening, though.Â
That is a good question. I haven’t tried using anything to replace it so I’m not sure how that would change the recipe. I’m worried the nutritional yeast would change the taste. In general though oats and almonds are great for lactation.
How often do you eat them and how many each time? Â Do you have to regularly eat them to notice a difference?
It depends on your body, but I eat about 2-4 a day. And I would say if you need a boost, they help! I also highly recommend drinking a lot of water and coconut water.