Mar 8 2012
The answer is of course no, but now that I have your attention, let’s talk about something that will help a breastfeeding mom boost her milk supply. And yes, this does involve CHOCOLATE!
Lactation cookies are one of the yummiest ways to try and increase your supply. Most moms fear their supply will dwindle and they will be forced to supplement. Before you lose all hope, try making these delicious cookies. Shoot, you can even make them for your children and husband. The key ingredients are flaxseed meal, Brewers Yeast and oatmeal. You can always add other ingredients like coconut, walnuts, raisins, or anything that your heart…. and taste buds desire.
- Lactation Cookies
- Ingredients:
- 1 C butter
- 1 C sugar
- 1 C brown sugar
- 4 T water
- 2 T flaxseed meal (DO NOT substitute)
- 2 Lg eggs
- 1 t vanilla
- 2 C flour
- 1 t baking soda
- 1 t salt
- 3 C Thick cut oats
- 1 C Chocolate chips
- 2 T Brewers Yeast (DO NOT substitute)
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Mix 2 T of flaxseed meal and water, set aside 3-5 minutes.
- Cream butter and sugar.
- Add eggs.
- Stir flaxseed mix into butter mix and add vanilla.
- Beat until well blended.
- Sift: dry ingredients, except oats and choc chips.
- Add butter mix to dry ingredients.
- Stir in the oats and then the choc chips.
- Drop on parchmant paper on baking sheet.
- Bake 8-12 minutes.
I would recommend eating more than 4 cookies a day. In fact, you should be eating plenty of calories while breastfeeding. Think of it this way… While eating all this delicious food you can say, “hey! I’m doing this for my baby and for my supply!”
“Breastfeeding is a mother’s gift to herself, her baby and the earth.”~Pamela K. Wiggins.
HAPPY EATING!
Looking for more ways to increase your milk supply? Check out this article HERE
This is GREAT! I had my supply dwindle when I went back onto birth control (2 years ago now) and I wish I would have know this then! Now I know what to do when the next baby comes.
You got me with the tag line! But glad you did. Great post and recipe! Will be favoriting
Aww thank you Cassie! Hope it works well for you if you decide to make them.
I have a 7 month old that I have nursed but have had to start supplementing because I lost most of my milk, I think I’ll make these and see if it’ll help get my supply back up……..thank you
Definitely give these a try! There are other great ways to try and increase your supply. Simple ways include eating oatmeal (I’d recommend at least twice a day), drinking more water, offering to nurse more, etc. We will have a post up sometime soon with a list of ways to help. If you ever need anything, please email us! All of the moms here have nursed and can offer advice! Congrats on making it 7 months so far! =)
Would it make a difference if I am still pregnant? I really want to breast feed and do everything in my power to make it easier but some of the things people suggest to boost milk supply, like raspberry leaf tea, has been said to be bad to take during pregnancy. Must it all be so confusing? lol ;p
Hi Tracy, I would definitely ask your doctor on this one. My doctor recommended I add flaxseed to my meals while I was pregnant, but there are a lot of debates about whether or not you should.
Brewer’s Yeast contains a lot of wonderful vitamins and seems to be safe for pregnancy, but I would definitely put in a call and ask as well. Here’s some info about Brewer’s Yeast: http://www.livestrong.com/article/534539-brewers-yeast-pregnancy/
As for the other ingredients, all should be safe as they are normal ingredients to regular cookies
Also, how far along are you? I am not sure if trying anything while pregnant would make a difference since your milk wont be coming in until your little one is born. But, the cookies are still delicious either way
What is the difference between flaxseed meal and ground flaxseeds?
Hi Christina! Great question and one I was unsure of, so I went searching!
According to LiveStrong.com, it is the same thing. Here is the article: http://www.livestrong.com/article/396172-is-ground-flaxseed-the-same-as-flaxseed-meal/ Hope that helps!
Im so excited to try these im baking them tonight. I did substitute the chocolate chips for cacao nibs. Rich in antioxidants and magnesium and chocolate in its purest form. I hope they turn out as good if not better cause I perfer dark chocolate anyway.
Do you have other lactation receipts?
How did they come out?? I currently do not, but I will be on the hunt for some!
I will have to try the chocolate chip substitution! Those sound WAY better! Thanks for that!
The book Parents Need to Eat Too offers a whole chapter devoted to recipes to boost milk supply. The recipe for strawberry barley water sounds weird, but I liked it
I struggled with keeping my milk supply up during the last several months of breast feeding, but my own version of lactation cookies and the recipes from this book got me through a full year without having to supplement.
We will definitely need to check out that book! Thank you for the recommendation, Laura!
I really want to make these! But what exactly is brewer’s yeast? And where can I find it? I can’t use regular yeast, can I? What brand is it?
I found brewers yeast at my local health food store.
Hi Heidi! Definitely do not substitute the Brewer’s Yeast! It is one of the main ingredients that will help with your supply! Like Emily said, you can get it at your local health food store: Whole Foods, Trader Joes, GNC, etc. You can also get it online at places like Amazon.
These just came out of the oven and they are DELICIOUS. Hoping to see a boost in my supply in the next couple days but if not I just might continue to make these anyway!
Thanks for the recipe.
Oh!!! I am so glad to hear you enjoy them as much as I do! Remember: Don’t eat just one! It is your time to indulge! Hope they work for you like they did for me!
Found this on pinterest and I cant wait to make them! Can I double the recipe? I know I’m going to have little munchers on them too, so its good to have them in bulk!
)
(and how many should you have a day?
Absolutely you can double the recipe! We go through them quick at our house! haha. I would recommend at LEAST 4. Usually in a day I would eat about 6, but then again, I LOVE cookies!
saw this recipe on pinterest and i’m def gonna try these. i’m on 9 1/2 months with breastfeeding my first baby boy. there are some days i get a little worried that my supply will hold up. i have used a supplement called more milk plus by motherlove to increase my supply on days i am low. it works great but i’d love to try something like cookies which i looooove to eat! thanks for this recipe.
I am so glad you found this recipe! We also have a wonderful article on ways to increase your milk supply! http://www.simplyrealmoms.com/posts/increasing-your-breastmilk-supply/
Good luck!
Question..when do you put the yeast???
Found you on Pinterest! LOVE the cookies! I made them last night, and even my hubby loves them (which may or may not be a bad thing…).
) He’s calling them “boobie cookies.” Wish me luck…I’ve tried everything from Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle to oatmeal to beer at night to a hospital grade pump and Power Pumping. 
) I will NOT give up!!
I am SO glad to hear that, Brenna!!! Don’t forget to check out the “Increasing your Supply” article I have linked! Lots of great suggestions on there as well. I love your determination! Good luck mama!
I made these last night – they turned out delicious! I’m a few weeks away from my due date still, so they are in the freezer for now. The only things I would perhaps try next time is using whole wheat flour (maybe just half and half just to see), and pressing down on the cookies (like peanut butter cookies) before baking. That, or add more fat (in this case, butter). I found the cookies stayed in a very ball-like shape, which tells me there wasn’t enough fat for a better spread. Either way, what a great way to up my nutrition to the baby in these vital months in a delicious way! Thanks for sharing. I’ll let you know how the tweaks go next time…I’m sure they won’t last long
I am so glad you enjoyed these!!! Please let me know how you like the whole wheat flour if you decide to make some with it! It would be a great alternative!
Just made these today for my wife. They are fresh from the oven and cooling now! The batter was delicious and so far they smell amazing. Hoping they cooked well and taste even better. We are only a month in, but latching has been a painful challenge for her. We have been using the pump more and were concerned the production would drop so hope these will help. Thanks!
I am so glad you guys made some of these! I hope the latching issue gets better, I know how painful that can be. We have several articles that may be able to help her and she can also look at getting a breast shell or shield. That will help tremendously with the pain and latching issue. Here is our popular article on ways to increase milk supply! We have also had great suggestions in the comments as well! http://www.simplyrealmoms.com/posts/increasing-your-breastmilk-supply/
How many cookies do you have to eat in order to see supply increase?
This is embarrassing to admit … I ate ALL the cookies in 4 days.
I haven’t seen an increase
You should eat a few a day, so sorry you haven’t seen an increase
Have you checked out our article on other ways to increase your supply? http://www.simplyrealmoms.com/posts/increasing-your-breastmilk-supply/