The Humbled Homemaker: The First Year Breastfeeding Mini-Series: Lactation Cookies

For the first post in the new "The First Year" breastfeeding mini-series, I thought it would be fun to write about my experience making lactation cookies this past weekend.

But what are lactation cookies? I didn't realize until after I posted on my Facebook page that I was baking them that some people actually thought these somehow involved a recipe using breastmilk!

NO WORRIES! These cookies are meant to foster healthy milk production...and it takes NO actual milk to make them!

Even though I breastfed my first daughter for almost 2 years and have breastfed my second for nearly 8 months, I had never even heard of lactation cookies until about a month ago.

I received a Milkin' Cookies sample cookie in a swag bag at the All About Baby Charlotte expo. I honestly ate the cookie without even realizing it was supposed to help increase milk production!

Later, when I found out the premise behind the cookies is to provide a nutrient-dense snack full of galactogogues (ingredients like oats, flax seed and nutritional yeast that can help increase breast milk production), I wondered if I couldn't just make them myself. Sure, the pre-packaged cookies tasted great and are super convenient for busy moms, but they are outside of my family's budget.

I scoured the internet and found tons of recipes for so-called lactation cookies. However, many of these recipes are chock-full of sugar and had just a little bit of galactogogues.

I was disappointed, but I kept searching. I finally stumbled upon a recipe at Peaceful Parenting*. Although there are still things about this recipe I want to tweak (specifically, I'd like to convert the sugar to either honey or agave nectar), overall, I am extremely satisfied.

These cookies tasted great (although not sweet enough for my husband!), and for those wondering, YES, I did see a very noticeable increase in my milk production within 24 hours! (It is recommended to eat 1-2 cookies per day. I liked these so much that I, um...ate quite a bit more over the weekend!)

I hope you all like this recipe as much as I did! (These are perfectly fine to give your children and hubbies! Don't worry--it won't make them produce milk! :) I actually fed these to my 3-year-old for breakfast. She LOVES them!

Major Milk Makin' galactagogue cookies
Recipe by Kathleen Major

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 3/4 c. rolled oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 c. almond butter or peanut butter (I used peanut because it's cheaper.)
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. whole ground flax seed
3 T brewer's yeast (found here, here, here or your local healthfood store)
1/3 c. water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
2 c. (12oz) chocolate chips (I recommend organic or chips made with non-GMO soy lethicin.)
1 c. chopped nuts of your choice (I left mine out since my husband is allergic to tree nuts.)

Directions:
Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.

In a large bowl, beat almond butter, butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, brewer's yeast, flax and water until creamy.

Mix in eggs.

Gradually beat in flour mixture. Mix in nuts and chocolate chips. Add oats slowly, mixing along the way. Place balls of dough onto greased baking sheets or baking stones.

Press down each ball lightly with a fork.

Bake 12 minutes.

Allow to cool.

Enjoy!

Have you ever made lactation cookies? Would you like to share your recipe?

*I have not read any more of the Peaceful Parenting's posts. Therefore, I can endorse this recipe, but I cannot endorse her blog.

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