Lactation Cookies
I never had a lactation cookie with my first baby, and I did perfectly fine producing milk. That being said, I got so sick of eating oats everyday for breakfast! Some days I would’ve preferred to eat a nourishing oatmeal cookie, fed the baby, then gone back to bed. You don’t need to stress about making these or add lactation cookies to your amazon cart in a panic, you’ll be just fine without them. However, if you’re in a nesting mood, you will be so happy to have these cookies around! They actually might be my favorite oatmeal cookie recipe so far.
Brewer’s yeast and lots oatmeal, which I turn into oat flour, is what makes them “lactation” cookies. Brewer’s yeast is packed with selenium, chromium, protein, and B-complex vitamins, all which are great for helping produce milk. I also use homemade brown sugar using blackstrap molasses which contains high levels of iron which preggy and lactating ladies need! For a little extra fun I added in coconut flakes and chocolate chips.
I baked twelve of these right away to try, which were obviously a success because there’s only 2 left for my hospital bag. The remaining dough I shaped into cookie dough balls on a parchment paper lined baking tray, froze for 20 minutes, then transferred the cookie dough balls to an airtight container to keep in the freezer. My plan is to have my husband bake them to my heart’s content once the baby is here.
Let’s get started since time is running out!
Ingredients:
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons brewers yeast
5 tablespoons ground flaxseed + 1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons vegan butter
4 tablespoons unrefined organic virgin coconut oil
1 1/4 cups cane sugar
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Steps:
If you plan on baking some of these cookies right away, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flaxseed meal and 1/2 cup water together and set aside.
Using a food processor, pulse the oatmeal until you get a course oatmeal flour. Transfer to large bowl.
Once again using a food processor (or a fork and bowl), pulse together the cane sugar and molasses until a dark brown sugar forms.
Whisk together flour, oatmeal flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together.
In a large glass measuring cup, place the butter and coconut oil inside. Microwave until melted.
Add the brown sugar to the melted coconut and butter. Whisk until a caramel-like consistency forms. Stir in vanilla extract, followed by the flaxmeal and water mixture until incorporated.
Pour sugar-butter mixture into dry ingredients, gently stirring until combined using a rubber spatula.
Fold in coconut flakes and chocolate chips.
If baking some right away, scoop onto parchment paper and bake for 10-12 minutes. If freezing, shape dough into cookie dough balls on a parchment paper lined baking tray, freeze for 20 minutes, then transfer the cookie dough balls to an airtight container to keep in the freezer.