Before I had Sidney, I knew I wanted to breastfeed, so I set out to make the best lactation cookie recipe that I could to stash in the freezer. I heard tales of women having supply issues, so I thought, why not make a really freakin’ good, healthy cookie that helps with milk production!
It took me a couple of tries, but I can confidently say that these lactation cookies are truly the BEST! They taste like chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and are both vegan and gluten-free, so ALL mamas can have them. Bonus: I even include the option of making them thick or thin for a truly customizable cookie.
With baby #4 almost here(!!), I have a few batches already frozen and ready to go. Honestly, they’re an amazing treat whether you’re breastfeeding or not, so bake a batch or two and enjoy!
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What are lactation cookies?
Some of you might be wondering what makes these cookies “lactation” cookies. It’s all about the milk-boosting ingredients, which have been known to help increase breastmilk supply, including:
- Flaxseed meal: flaxseeds contain phytoestrogens that can help boost breast milk production.
- Whole oats: oats contain iron, which is known to have a positive effect on breast milk supply. This lactation cookie recipe uses both rolled oats and oat flour for double the oat love.
- Brewer’s yeast: this nutritional supplement is high in complex B vitamins, protein, and selenium, which are all nutrients new moms need. Please note that not all brewer’s yeast brands are gluten-free, so if you are GF, be sure to check the label. The one I have linked is gluten-free!
Ingredients in these homemade lactation cookies
Along with the nutritious ingredients above that make these perfect for nursing mamas, you’ll also need:
- Coconut sugar: we’re naturally sweetening these lactation cookies with coconut sugar — making them the perfect treat.
- Coconut oil: a little coconut oil gives the cookies the perfect amount of moisture.
- Flavor boosts: you’ll also be adding vanilla extract and cinnamon for a warm, cozy flavor.
- Dark chocolate chips: who doesn’t love a little chocolate in their cookies? Feel free to use dairy free chocolate chips if you need to.
- To top: I like to sprinkle a little fancy sea salt on top for that sweet & salty combo.
Customize them, mama
These vegan and gluten-free lactation cookies are one of the best snacks to grab and nourish you, especially while glued to the couch breastfeeding (my current reality!). One of the best parts about these lactation cookies is that they are easily customizable. Here are some suggestions to make them your own:
- Make them with almond flour: I’ve successfully made these with almond flour instead of oat flour! Here’s how to do it: use 1 2/3 cup fine blanched almond flour (instead of oat flour) and 1 cup of oats (instead of 3/4 cup oats). You’ll need to bake these just a few minutes longer, and they’ll be softer, but they will be delicious!
- Add in additional healthy fats: feel free to add in ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Add in coconut: adding ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut is delicious and adds a unique texture. If you do, I suggest reducing the oat flour to 1 ½ cups total.
- Mix up the add-ins: feel free to use chocolate chunks instead of chips, or use any type of chocolate chip you’d like. You can also add in dried cherries, dried cranberries, or dried blueberries!
Make your own oat flour for cookies
You can easily make your own gluten-free oat flour by simply placing gluten-free oats into a blender and blending/pulsing until they’re smooth and resemble a fine flour. This is probably the cheapest option.
For this recipe, you’ll most likely need 1 2/3 cups of gluten-free rolled oats to make the same amount of oat flour. Always measure the oat flour to ensure the proper amount called for in the recipe, and check out my tutorial with all of my best tips & tricks.
How to make lactation cookies without brewer’s yeast
I realize that not everyone is likely to have brewer’s yeast in their pantry, so I’m including a few options for making these cookies without brewer’s yeast. You only need to pick one of these options to replace the brewer’s yeast in this recipe:
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup oat flour
- Or 1/2 cup fine blanched almond flour
Storing & freezing tips
These easy lactation cookies are the perfect treat to freeze for later and enjoy whenever you need a snack or sweet treat.
- To store: feel free to keep these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: make sure the cookies are completely cooled, and then transfer them to an airtight container lined with wax or parchment paper or freezer-safe bag before storing them in the freezer for up to 2 months. I like to place them in a single layer to avoid any cookies breaking. Once ready to eat, simply thaw out at room temperature and enjoy! Alternatively, learn how to freeze the dough with these tips & tricks!
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If you make these lactation cookies, be sure to tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram. We’d also love if you would leave a comment below and rate the recipe. We appreciate you! xo.
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
The Best Lactation Cookies (for nursing mamas!)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (30g) flaxseed meal
- ½ cup (120g) water
- 1 cup (154g) coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup (75g) virgin coconut oil, melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ cups (158g) oat flour, gluten-free if desired*
- ¾ cup (71g) old fashioned rolled oats, gluten-free if desired
- ¼ cup (33g) brewer’s yeast** (get the debittered kind if possible)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅔ cup (120g) dark chocolate chips, dairy free if desired
- Maldon sea salt, for sprinkling the tops of the cookies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make a flax egg: In a medium bowl, mix together flaxseed meal and water; let it sit for 5 minutes while you get all your other ingredients ready.
- Mix the wet ingredients: After 5 minutes the ‘flaxegg’ will be ready and you can add in the coconut sugar, melted and cooled coconut oil, and vanilla extract to the bowl; whisk together until smooth and well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients: Next add in the oat flour, rolled oats, brewer’s yeast, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Scoop the dough: Use a medium cookie scoop and place dough on a prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. You should get about 20 cookies. If you want thicker cookies, leave as is. If you want slightly thinner cookies, very gently push ONLY the top of the cookie down a bit. Don’t over flatten.
- Bake: Bake cookies for 10-13 minutes until edges are just slightly golden brown around the edges. Once cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle the tops with fancy sea salt.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Leaving them on the baking sheet will help them settle up, harden and hold together. Makes 20 cookies.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on February 11, 2020, republished on May 3, 2021, and republished on January 22nd, 2026.
I made these for a friend and she loved it! Ate a few right away and said it helped with her supply. Delicious and effective – what more could you ask for? Thanks for the great recipe.
So happy to hear that!!
Can I freeze the dough to cook later? Trying to make a big batch for postpartum! (Not using brewers yeast)
Yes, absolutely! Check out my best tips for freezing cookie dough here 🙂
I’m a beginner at baking cookies and this recipe is easy to follow! Taste great but my cookies turns out chewy rather than crunchy though. How can I make them more crunchy?
I’m glad this recipe was easy for you! These are meant to be chewier because of the oatmeal, but feel free to bake them a bit longer to give them more crunch (as long as they don’t burn).
This works magic! Taste so good too!
Aw this makes me so happy to hear, glad you’re loving these cookies, Jeannie ❤️
Do you think they would cook the same if I cut the coconut sugar in half for a less sweet cookie? (Thank you in advance!)
Sure! That should be fine. Enjoy!
Wondering what is the point of adding the sugar to the wet ingredients and then adding the rest of the dry ingredients… would it be possible to just do all of the dry ingredients at once?
I’m wondering if I can make shelf stable jar mixes where you only need to add the water, oil, and vanilla.
I made these cookies for my sister after she had my niece and she loved them! I, too, love them despite the fact that I’m NOT breastfeeding and I have no kids 😂. They’re just delicious!
Hi, not sure what i did wrong but mine came out really soft and not crunchy at all. Although I followed the recipe exactly. Any tips?
Best recipe I’ve found for lactation cookies!!
So easy to make dairy free/vegan and taste so good. I make them and freeze them so I can just pull out 2 every day as a healthy snack. Have probably made these a dozen times this year 🤍
Love that! So glad you found this recipe!
I’m not sure where to find the instructions on how to freeze these cookies. I have made them several times over the last two years. My daughter is pregnant again and having another baby I would like to make the dough ahead of time and just freeze them in balls but not sure if I can do this. Can you advise?
Absolutely! Just make the cookies as is, form into balls and put in to airtight container. Enjoy!
Hello! I was wondering if I could substitute the coconut oil for avocado oil. I have high cholesterol and love making these cookies; they always turn out great! Thanks for the help!
I found it hard to stir and the batter felt gummy. I would probably not repeat this recipe.
Hi! Thanks for your feedback. Did your dough look similar to mine in the photo above?
LOVE THESE!!!!! Thank you!!! Perfect snack for when I need a little something which now that I’m breastfeeding is always!
One note – the batter is sticky, if you let it sit a few mins before scooping it’s much easier to work with 🙂
I have made this several times. The recipient is very consistent. I was wondering though, my dough always turns out super sticky. Is it supposed to? I am using homemade oat flour. Thanks!
That’s just the nature of the dough with all of the wholesome ingredients 🙂 Glad they turn out well!
I just finished making these for my sister who had a baby a week ago. I’m planning on giving them to her the day after I bake them. Should they be kept at room temperature or in the fridge? I saw a lot of posts about freezing them, but so I need to do that immediately? Can’t wait to try them! Thank you!
Hi! You definitely don’t need to freeze them right away (that’s just an option!) I’d recommend keeping them in an airtight container at room temp for up to 5 days.
Loved these! I’m a mama to be in august 2022 with my first and I want to breast feed. I remember Monique talking about making these so I searched her site and here they were. I didn’t have the yeast, so I upped my oat flour and I also added in some coconut because I love it. These were super easy to make, I ended up making about 30-35 and they tasted amazing! The chewy texture is my fav. I actually stored them in the fridge because the warmth of my house and the coconut oil was making them too soft for my liking and they are perfect.
Aw thanks so much for the review, Bailey! I’m so happy you loved them. And huge congrats to you!! Sending lots of love ❤️
These are phenomenal. I made two batches one with dark chocolate chips and the other with white chocolate chips and I’m obsessed. Wondering if there’s any tips on doubling or tripling the recipe. I’m assuming it Would be fine but with the flax egg and the baking soda wanted to see if you had any thoughts.
Also wondering how many is recommended to eat per day etc
SO glad you’re loving these, Sarah!! Love the idea of white chocolate chips. And I think it should be fine to double or triple everything!
In terms of recommended number of cookies per day, I’d ask your doctor 🙂 Sorry I can’t be sure!
I did not like these at all. Felt like I was eating dog food if I’m completely honest. I followed the recipe exactly, but after tasting the first batch I tried adding even more chocolate chips to mask the terrible taste, which helped a little bit, but I still ended up tossing out most of them. I really don’t see how anyone could enjoy eating these…
So sorry you didn’t love these, Jen! Did you use debittered brewer’s yeast? And do you normally like the taste of flaxseed meal?
Delicious! I recently found out I need to be dairy free while nursing and these cookies were the perfect thing to help me have a tasty treat around. I used the almond flour instead of brewer’s yeast and dairy free chocolate with hazelnuts. So nice to have oats, chia and flaxseed in this recipe.
I made these according to the recipe, except I cut the sugar in half (diabetes runs in my family). They were good, not sure if they have helped with my milk production but they do make a good snack. They kind of reminded me of No Bake Chocolate cookies. So I omitted the cinnamon, added 2TB of cocoa powder and 1/4 cup of peanut butter (I used creamy honey roasted because thats all I had and still 1/2 the sugar of the original). Everything else the same.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing all those additions. Sounds delish 🙂
Wow. These are DELICIOUS. I’m writing this review as I eat my freshly baked cookies. Do they work? I’m not sure yet, but they taste so good. I didn’t have any coconut sugar so I used old fashioned brown sugar instead. 10/10 would recommend. I’ve tried a few milk boosting recipes and so far this one taste the best! Happy I found this recipe 🙂
Ahh I’m SO glad you’re loving them!! I’m so happy you found this one, too 🥰 Thanks, mama.
I love these and now make them for all my breastfeeding mommas ♥️
Aw I’m so happy to hear that, Ashley!! Thank you! ❤️
I love this recipe!! I make it all the time 🙂 I may have dedicated a shelf in my pantry for all the ingredients I need for this recipe. 😋🍪 If anyone is nervous to try brewers yeast, don’t worry if you get the debittered kind, it won’t affect (effect? I always forget the rule about that lol)the taste. 100⭐s
Healthy ingredients but it doesn’t taste good.
Sorry you didn’t love them! Can you explain what you didn’t enjoy about the flavor?
I haven’t made this yet, but am excited to! Question, do you think it’d be okay to use Bob Red Mill’s 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour? And if so, any adjustments to measurement? Thank you!!
I haven’t tested it so I can’t be sure, but it might work! Sorry I can’t be more helpful. Let me know if you try it 🙂
I found this recipe to be so delicious! I had tried another lactation cookie and had to throw the batch out, I’m so glad I found this. I’ve noticed an increase in my supply when eating them. I couldn’t have asked for a better recipe.
Oh YAY I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks so much, Kristen 🙂
Hi I just made these and oh my goodness they are sooo delicious!! I had a question, how many should you eat in a day? Thanks!
So happy you love them! That’s totally up to you — feel free to check out the nutrition facts at the bottom of the recipe 🙂
OMG, these cookies are soooo good. I made them for a friend who just became a mum and obviously had to try one (or a couple more), too.
I substituted the coconut sugar with brown sugar, but otherwise followed the recipe. Love it!
Piles of dirt. Waste of time and money!
It’s probably my own fault. I tried the recipe twice and they came out horrible both times.
Hmmm did you follow the ingredients/instructions precisely? Can you explain what wasn’t good about them?
I just makes these and they taste like beer! What did I do wrong??
Uh oh! Sounds like it was the type of brewer’s yeast you used. What brand was it?
Hi, can i substitute coconut oil (solid and then melted) with cooking coconut oil? Thanks for your help
Hi! Not exactly sure what you mean but if it’s regular coconut oil, sure!