Peanut Butter Lactation Cookies
Peanut Butter Lactation Cookies made with breastfeeding-friendly ingredients including oats, flax, brewer’s yeast, wheat germ and coconut oil.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, if you have concerns about your milk supply, please speak to your doctor or a lactation consultant. Please also note that these lactation cookies have not been scientifically proven to increase milk supply.
__
Since having Wyatt and starting to breastfeed I have been experimenting with lactation cookie recipes. I have never felt hunger the way I did when I first started nursing, I was ravenous, especially during the first few weeks! Breastfeeding can be really hard for some, so I know I am lucky and feel very grateful that it has come relatively easy to me. Even if you are not breastfeeding, these lactation cookies contain ingredients that are good for any mom in the postpartum period recovering from the birth of their baby!
What are the breastfeeding-friendly ingredients?
Brewer’s Yeast – probably the most essential ingredient as it has iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium, and vitamin B which all can help improve milk supply.
Flaxseed Meal – packed with phytoestrogens and omega-3 fatty acids which are good for both mom and baby.
Wheat Germ – contains zinc, which is essential for breastfeeding, it aids the immune system and promotes milk supply. It is also rumored to help combat fatigue and the “baby blues”.
Old Fashioned Rolled Oats – incorporating oats into your diet when breastfeeding has many benefits, check out this post by Verywell family to read more about the specifics.
Peanut Butter – really the peanut butter is just because I love it in cookies because it tastes delicious. It’s not known to do anything for your milk supply, but there is some thinking that exposing your baby to peanut butter through breastmilk may help reduce the risk of your baby developing an allergy to peanuts. (again, I am not a doctor, do not take this as fact, it’s just something I have read)
Do they really work to increase milk production?
If only breastfeeding and milk production was as easy as eating a cookie! Unfortunately, these cookies (and, for that matter, any lactation treat) are not magic. I have no hard evidence to back up the effectiveness of these Peanut Butter Lactation Cookies on milk production, but they can’t hurt. In a worst case scenario they don’t have any impact good or bad on your milk supply and you get some extra nutrients and a cookie out of it! Cookies make everything better and if you ask me, new moms deserve all the cookies in the world 🙂
On a funnier note, if you are looking for a good way to make cookies and not have to share, go ahead and call them “lactation cookies”. Your husband won’t go near them no matter how many times you assure him they won’t make him start lactating, ha!
Other things I eat/drink to help boost milk production:
Oatmeal – For breakfast or a snack I’ll have a bowl of oatmeal made with oat milk. Usually nothing fancy, just a bowl of instant oatmeal, quick and easy!
Oat Milk – I drink oat milk lattes or put it in my coffee instead of cow’s milk or creamer. I add it to oatmeal (as I stated above), to my Daily Harvest smoothies and sometimes I will have a glass with one of these lactation cookies – double whammy!
Traditional Medicinals Mother’s Milk Tea – If you are a fan of licorice you will love this tea! The herbal tea includes fennel and anise, (which give it that sweet licorice taste) coriander and fenugreek. All of which support healthy lactation and milk production. In the beginning I was drinking 2-3 cups a day and now try to drink at least 1.
Peanut Butter Lactation Cookies
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups white all-purpose flour
4 tbsp wheat germ
3 tbsp brewer’s yeast
3 tbsp milled flaxseed
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside
Add the butter, peanut butter and coconut oil to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with blade attachment
Mix on medium-high until the butter is smooth
Add the brown sugar, beat
Add the eggs and vanilla extract
Continue to mix until mixture is light and fluffy
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients
Mix until smooth
Add the oats, mix
Fold in the chocolate chips
Using clean hands, form the dough into cookie dough balls*
Place cookie dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet
Bake for 10-12 minutes
Notes
*the dough may be a little flakey so it is important to use your hands to form the balls instead of just scooping them out with a cookie scoop.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: cookies
- Method: oven
Keywords: #lactationcookies, #peanutbutterlactationcookies
pin it for later:
If you make these Peanut Butter Lactation Cookies let me know how you like them! Leave a star rating and comment here! If you snap a photo, I’d love to see it – share it over on Instagram and tag me @sprinklesandseasalt!
__
This post contains affiliate links. This means that your price remains the same, but I may receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting Sprinkles & Sea Salt!