Lactation Cookie Recipe to Increase Breast Milk Supply

A lactation cookie recipe to increase breast milk supply made with all natural and healthy ingredients. If you’re struggling with supply, this is for you.

A lactation cookie recipe to increase breast milk supply made with all natural and healthy ingredients. If you're struggling with supply, this is for you.

“No,” I told my husband’s snickering friend. “These lactation cookies aren’t cookies made with breast milk. They’re cookies formulated to boost breast milk.” He was still a bit reluctant to try them, though. Which is a shame, because this lactation cookie recipe is so delicious.

Bring on the galactagogues

This lactation cookie recipe is chocked full of “galactagogues,” which are foods that may promote or increase the flow of mother’s milk. Though there are no definitive studies that support food/herb-based galactagogues, too many moms experiences say otherwise.

But, let me be clear, if any mama is struggling with low breastmilk supply, the first thing she needs to do is consult with an IBCLC-certified Lactation Consultant. If funds are tight, she could go to a La Leche League meeting or check out Breastfeeding USA. Often chronic low milk supply can be tied to other anatomical issues like tongue ties or lip ties in babies or hormonal imbalance or insufficient glandular tissue in mom. It’s important to get help fast to address these issues (and perhaps get on a pumping plan).

But, if your breastfeeding relationship is going well, and you’d like to give your breastmilk a little boost, these may help. I found them helpful to make a few batches, freeze, and then eat a few cookies (if I must 🙂 at one sitting as needed. Of course, the way I make these cookies doesn’t really qualify as dessert (they’re not that sweet). Think of them more as a scone or yummy granola bar cookie. I fed these to my husband, son, and some friends that came over, and everyone loved them. And no, these cookies won’t cause children or men to lactate (although you may wanna let them believe that so you can keep the cookies all to yourself 🙂 )

Most store-bought lactation cookies are made with junk

Yes, similar to teething biscuits, most lactation cookies on the market contain soybean oil, refined sugars, and/or gluten. Boo!

Additionally, the majority of recipes online contain flaxseed or flaxseed meal. While not necessarily a “bad” food, flax can oxidize and become rancid when heated. That’s because flax contains a delicate and unstable fatty acid profile. So I omitted this ingredient and used fennel instead, which can deliver the same pro-milk qualities without any issues with rancidity. Plus, the fennel adds a wonderful flavor!

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More milk makin’ ingredients

The foundation of this recipe is oats. Known for their pro-lactating qualities, they make a wonderful gluten-free flour alternative. I also added brewer’s yeast, a known galactagogue by many. I like this one because it is derived from non-GMO beets, is gluten free and doesn’t feed yeast. And unlike so many brands out there, it doesn’t contain added synthetic vitamins.

Coconut oil also figures into the recipe, since the fatty acid profile is very supportive for healthy breast milk. And good old almond butter  can boost supply – and add a nutty yumminess.

lactation-cookie-boost-breast-milk-supply-ingredients

So, without further ado, here’s my recipe for delicious and effective lactation cookies. I hope these bring you more milk and enjoyment during your postpartum days!

Lactation Cookie Recipe Ingredients

Lactation Cookie Recipe Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit.
  2. Put your 2 cups of rolled oats into a high speed blender or food processor. Blend until the oats are a flour-like consistency.
  3. Measure out 1 TB of fennel seeds and grind in coffee grinder or with mortal and pestle until fine powder.
  4. Put dry ingredients into large bowl and mix.
  5. In a smaller bowl, put your almond butter, melted coconut oil, honey, eggs and vanilla extract. Mix well.
  6. Pour the contents of smaller bowl into the dry ingredient bowl. Mix well with spoon or clean hands.
  7. Grease a cookie sheet with coconut oil. Form small flat balls, about the circumference of a silver dollar.
  8. Bake cookies in oven for 15-20 minutes. Check for slightest browning on outside of cookie.
  9. Take out and transfer cookies to a cooling rack.
  10. Enjoy warm, or let cookies cool to room temperature. Then store in an air-tight glass container.
  11. Enjoy for breakfast with raw milk or yogurt. Or as a dessert or snack throughout day. This lactation cookie recipe would be delicious in an ice cream sandwich too 🙂

Please share this lactation cookie recipe with any mamas who could use a boost! And ENJOY!

Genevieve Howland

About the Author

Genevieve Howland is a doula and childbirth educator. She is the bestselling author of The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth and creator of the Mama Natural Birth Course. A mother of three, graduate of the University of Colorado, and YouTuber with over 135,000,000 views, she helps mothers and moms-to-be lead healthier and more natural lives.

95 Comments

  1. Can you freeze these cookies?

  2. I’m excited to try these cookies! However, I’m not much of a baker, and when I started looking for vanilla extract in the store, I noticed the overwhelming majority of them contain alcohol. Is this an issue while pregnant or breastfeeding? It’s very difficult to find non-alcoholic extract now that I am looking!

    • The alcohol evaporates when you cook it

  3. Would it be possible to start eating these at the last week of pregnancy or is it better to wait till after?

  4. If I use oat flour is it still 2 cups or would it be less? Thank you for your help! They sound delicious and looking forward to making them!

  5. Can you use butter as a substitute for coconut oil? Does coconut oil have more lactating inducing properties than butter?

    • Oops, I read the whole article and answered my own question LOL

  6. How many should I eat per day to see results??

  7. How many lactation cookies should I eat a day on average to increase milk supply?

    • Thanks a lot for the great recipes! I started on just Lactation cookies and noticed minimal improvement. I started Domperidone (Motilium) (I’ve got it online, if you’re curious just search on Google for this keyword “MAKE24MLK” ?, I don’t remember the link) I got great results ?. Now I take Domperidone (Motilium) and Lactation cookies.

  8. Do these taste like licorice? I ground my fennel seeds and they smell so horrible that I’m afraid to make the cookies!

    • I don’t feel like it does but, I like licorice!

    • No they dont they’re amazing. I add chocolate chips to my cookies I LOVE THEM and they really helped my supply!

  9. Are these “safe” for women to eat when they are not lactating? Or would it cause issues?

    • Eat away!

  10. Great Recipe! I adjusted it a little bit by adding one ripe banana, 2/3 cup of whole oats (to balance the extra moisture from the banana) and 1 1/2 cups of dark chocolate chips (because everything is better with chocolate!). They came out light and fluffy and I do think they are helping increase my milk supply as well! Will definitely make them again (and again, even when I’m done breastfeeding!) Absolutely delicious 🙂

  11. Great recipe! I searched for many recipes like these while pumping for two babies. After needing to order all of the various ingredients online, I decided to develop a blend that had them all together, ready for baking. That’s why we made Milk Shakers, three different blends of the most commonly used ingredients in lactation recipes. We’d love to send you a sample if you’d like to try them!

  12. Second child is here and these cookies are still a life saver. Usually I add chocolate chips, but didn’t have those today so I put one heading Tablespoon of Nutella in the mix… uh… YUMMMMMM ???

    • I do the same so good with chocolate chips!! These were a total life saver with my first son he was a preemie and I had trouble producing these helped so much my dad actually made them and brought them into hospital while I was in NICU breastfeeding my son I heard another woman going through same issue I gave her some of my cookies and she produced so much milk as well I always turn to these now these are a real life saver!!!

  13. The link for the Brewers yeast doesn’t work, so I can’t tell which one you recommend.

  14. Several of the links are not working.

    • Thank you for heads up! I went ahead and updated the links.

  15. Thank you for this very effective recipe! I have been eating these cookies for the past few days and the results have been amazing – I’m able to pump twice as much and feel full of milk all day. There’s cookies work! Thank you thank you!

  16. Anyone else have issues with tummy upset after eating these? Maybe the brewer’s yeast?

    • I haven’t made this recipe yet, but someone else’s and was very gassy the following day. Granted, ate a lot of them, but my baby also was gassy and he stinky toots for the first time…I don’t know, but I too thought it was the brewer’s yeast. I hope to try this recipe today.

  17. Question – I have fenugreek powder but not fennel. Could I substitute?

    • Sometimes fenugreek can actually decrease lactation, depends on the person. Can also cause baby to have upset stomach, so if you haven’t tried fenugreek before, just be cautious! But if it is working for you, give it a try!

  18. For the sole purpose of boosting lactation, how many should one eat, and how often? Like 2 a day, etc?

  19. wow.. this is great thanks… I will love to try this..

  20. This is such a great recipe. I mixed in some white chocolate chips and raisins. Always a hit at home and not just on the lactating mom. ?

  21. This is such an awesome recipe. I mixed in white chocolate chips and raisins and it’s always a hit at home, not just for the lactating mom. ?

  22. Very good write-up. I certainly love this website. Thanks!

  23. Can I make this recipe with cane sugar or stevia instead of coconut sugar, I don’t have that.

    • Cane sugar will work.

  24. Hello! I watch and read on this website weekly, just absolutely admire you. Question: Would eating lactation cookies give a boost if we ate it before delivery?

  25. Is the almond butter important for the lactation or can I use peanut butter instead?

    • Almonds in particular help with milk production more so than other nuts

  26. PLEASE add a PRINT button! Paper is so much safer (if ruined can be cheaply replaced) in the kitchen and much more convenient. Thanks!

  27. Has anyone tried putting bananas into the recipe? I have lots of bananas that need to be used and thought these cookies might be great as banana flavored. I’m not sure how much I should put in though. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

    • Yes, I added one banana, they were so much fluffier.

  28. I’m from the UK and I can’t find brewers yeast anywhere, the only yeast the stores have is the basic kind you put in bread (either dried active or easy bake) can I use that instead since buying brewers yeast online is expensive, ebay has a cheap brewers yeast powder but the package says its for dogs and horses

    • try nutritional yeast i think its more or less the same thing and it maybe available there, bread yeast is very different nutritional value

      • Nutritional yeast isn’t the same as brewer’s yeast. As I understand it, they start off as the same strain of yeast but they go thru a very a very different process and have very different results for your milk supply. Brewer’s yeast is known to help boost supply, nutritional yeast doesn’t do much for it…

  29. I have gluten sensitivity which includes oates. What other type of flour would you recommend?

    • A friend with gluten intolerance shared that while oats do not contain gluten, they are often processed near wheat, so the processed form contains gluten. Look for gluten free oats. That is what she uses, since they have never been around wheat and are thus uncontaminated with gluten.

  30. Can I freeze the dough?

    • Same question!! Could either shape and freeze the raw cookies, or if I could freeze them cooked so I can make them ahead.

  31. I am very sensitive to oats – they seem to make me feel very sick if I eat them without soaking them overnight first! Ideas on how I could tweak the recipe to include oats?

    • You could certainly soak your oats first. You would have to dehydrate or dry them to make them into flour. I know that To Your Health Sprouted Flour sells sprouted oat flour already made. You could also try substituting rice flour.

  32. Hi,

    I have gluten sensitivity which includes oates. What other type of flour would you recommend (cassava, green banana) please?

    Thanks

    • Christina Nov 26 at 7:09 am

      A friend with gluten intolerance shared that while oats do not contain gluten, they are often processed near wheat, so the processed form contains gluten. Look for gluten free oats. That is what she uses, since they have never been around wheat and are thus uncontaminated with gluten. Maybe that would work for you as well?

  33. Hi! I’d like to try these. How would it come out if I don’t grind the oats? I’m lazy and couldn’t be bothered pulling out the food processor. 🙂

    • They still taste the same just more like an oatmeal cookie that’s got chunky pats i just tried it

      • Oats not pats sorry

    • You can buy oat flour.
      I used a combination of oat flour and whole oats – better texture!

  34. Just made these last night (I was due 5 days ago with my first) and it took a ton of willpower to not eat the whole batch. I totally spaced on buying the brewers yeast, but I do have nutritional yeast I sprinkle on everything. I hope nutritional yeast helps as well as brewers yeast?

    • Haha! They are tasty 🙂 I believe that should work fine. Your boobs will tell you 😉

  35. Hi there! Is the fennel necessary? I’m making these for a friend who hates fennel…. It makes her throw up

    • I think u could make it without fennel I feel like it’s just more of a flavoring to the cookie than a necessity try it tho I didn’t have ground fennel so I used nutmeg and cinnamon instead and added a lil bit more coconut sugar to the batter.

      • Fennel is a galactagogue!

        • Hey there!

          My cookies kinda resemble snicker doodles…..they came out a bit crunchy. I forgot to add baking soda and I used vanilla coconut sugar. It’s kinda hard to measure 1/4 cups so I configured them to 4 Tbs lol just to make clear…. there isn’t any water or dairy added to the mix correct? Thank you.

  36. I know a simple but very effective and safe way to increase breast milk supply. I was coping with low supply and got it back with sufficient supply by using healthy nursing tea by secrets of tea.

    • also mothers milk tea it’s like 5 dollars at bilo and I think six at walmart

  37. Your ingredients say nutritional yeast but the picture is Brewers yeast. Please clarify

    • Thanks Gina. Either work but I prefer Brewer’s yeast flakes. I updated!

  38. I was going to make these for my sister, who just had a baby and I have nutritional yeast flakes, but not the brewers yeast. Can one be substituted for the other? Thank you!

  39. Hey I see your recipe calls for nutritional yeast instead of Brewers yeast. I think it’s just an oversight, maybe update the ingredients list?
    Love your website!

  40. Do you know any nutritional info I could have about the cookies? Calories, etc.

  41. Hi question about chia seeds, how much if used as egg substitute? I have never used chia seeds but I am curious about how. 🙂

    • when using chia seeds you need to remember to drink extra water

  42. Is there any way to substitute the oats? I’m allergic to gluten and I’m also even really allergic to gluten free oats (my face ends up looking like plucked chicken skin for months after a little consumption). I have intestinal candida as my doc told me, so is it safe to use brewers yeast if it’s different from other types of yeast?

    • I would just eat quinoa with the spice fennel. Would taste good with olive oil or butter and sea salt.

  43. I just wanted to say thank you- I just started building a BM stash so we can introduce a bottle to my 3 month old soon (we’ve got our eye on a Christmas party in a few weeks that would have us out of the house for about 5 hours, the longest I’ve ever been away from my little guy) and while he seems to be getting enough to eat, I’m not able to pump much. I wasn’t sure where to look for a good healthy lactation cookie recipe, and then I thought “I bet Mama Natural has one.” You did not disappoint! Thank you for being awesome. 🙂 I’m excited to try these today!

  44. Just made these cookies and OMG I love them! I actually completely forgot about the sugar, which is okay since I couldn’t bring myself to spend the money on coconut sugar and was just going to use brown sugar anyway. I also added some pumpkin pie spice and about a cup of pureed pumpkin because I had it in the fridge and because Fall. The result is still sweet but not “cookie” sweet. It’s more like a soft, fluffy scone and it’s incredible. If you told someone that they were lactation biscuits, no one would bat an eye. Thanks for this!

  45. Is brewers yeast powder the same as flakes?

    • No, it’s different but still works to boost supply and still has health benefits. 🙂

  46. I work as a maternal child health RN, so I end up doing a lot of breastfeeding education. At my clinic we are hosting a gathering to honor fully breastfeeding families, I will be making these for the potluck! I printed the photo with the mama natural logo, your blog is a wonderful resource! Thank you for being helpful, caring, real, and for walking with Jesus!

  47. oh my Goddess! These were so so so very yum.. I didn’t have any flour so i used corn starch and no almond butter so i used tahini, and I added cinnamon.. my mom and I cannot stop eating these cookies, they are too good! I do hope they help me produce more milk too.. added bonus. Has anyone else made these and what was your experience???? DELISH

    • How much corn starch to use in place of flour?

  48. Hi! Just wanted to mention that nutritional yeast and brewers yeast are NOT the same thing. You met want to update your recipe so people don’t buy the wrong ingredient 🙂

  49. I see that it calls for brewers yeast flakes. I have brewers yeast in the powder form. Will this work? Should I substitute 1 for 1?

    • Yes, I have the same question!

  50. Are you supposed to use brewer’s yeast in addition to the nutritional yeast in this recipe? I didn’t see brewer’s yeast listed in the ingredients in the recipe so I wasn’t sure!

  51. Do you use regular or blonde coconut sugar? Do you know what the difference between them? New to coconut sugar 🙂

  52. Does anyone know how much the 2tb fennel seeds comes out to one ground? I’m able to buy pre-ground, and don’t have access to a coffee grinder or m&p.

    • Ashley, did you figure out how much ground fennel to use? I ground a bunch of fennel without measuring… then I realized I was supposed to measure before grinding! Oops!

  53. What about soaking the oats?

    • You could certainly soak your oats and drain well. Then you would have to dehydrate or dry to make into flour. I know that To Your Health Sprouted Flour sells sprouted oat flour already made. I didn’t worry about soaking mine since I look at these as a therapeutic, short-term food and not a staple of diet.

  54. I’ve been trying to avoid recipes that contain non soaked oats because of the phytic acid. Is there a reason why you don’t worry about it with this recipe?

    • A little phytic acid isn’t harmful. I look at this recipe as a short-term remedy and not a staple of diet. If you were to make regularly, you can certainly soak your oats and then dehydrated. This way you can grind into flour. To Your Health Sprouted Flour also sells ready made sprouted oat flour.

  55. Excited to find a recipe that I don’t have to convert to wheat-free! Thanks!

  56. Yum! This looks like a great recipe! I’m not lactating anymore but should be in a few months when my next one is born, so I will have to try these. Just wanted to point out that you might want to specify that brewer’s yeast is a galactagogue, which is different from nutritional yeast flakes that vegans often use to flavor things and to make vegan cheeses and such. I noticed you used the brewer’s yeast in your photo, though! Thanks again for sharing the recipe!

  57. These look delicious. And I love nutritional yeast! My lactation days are over but I can still make them and eat them. And I do know of a few mamas who are nursing. I will pass this recipe on-and make it. Thanks again!

    • You have to use Brewer’s Yeast, not nutritional yeast. They are different. =)


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