Healthy Gluten Free Lactation Cookies
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.These healthy gluten free lactation cookies are perfect for nursing moms! These vegan cookies are low in sugar, easy to make, store well, and contain wholesome ingredients to help boost milk supply & production for breastfeeding. They also happen to be delicious!
This one is for all the new moms out there! Whether this is your first baby or not, milk supply issues can arise such as hormonal imbalances. When I was nursing both of my kids, I remember looking for anything that would naturally boost my milk supply without having any unwanted side effects for me or my kids!
Lactation cookies were recommended to me by so many other moms and by my lactation consultant. However, all the store-bought lactation cookies I came across were loaded with sugar, empty calories, and refined grains.
I didn’t want to have to eat the equivalent of a candy bar multiple times a day in order to boost my milk supply. I decided to come up with a much healthier version of a lactation cookie that still tasted as good as a regular cookie! These really are the best lactation cookies – they not only taste delicious but they are healthy too. They are vegan, low in sugar, and gluten free – so you can feel good about eating a couple of these a day while you’re breastfeeding your little one. Oh and the most important thing — these gluten free lactation cookies WORK!
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You can have peace of mind knowing you are supplying plenty of milk to your sweet baby.
Even if you are not a nursing mom, the ingredients in these healthy breastfeeding cookies are safe for anyone. Plus, they are the perfect gift to bring over to a friend or family member when visiting and meeting the new baby! If you’re more of a brownie fan, try these lactation brownies instead!
- Boost Milk Supply: Of course, the main reason to love these delicious lactation cookies is that they are perfect for a new mama in need of some supply help!
- Gluten-Free & Vegan: These cookies are naturally gluten-free and vegan so the recipe works for so many moms out there regardless of your dietary preference.
- Healthy & Delicious: This really is the best lactation cookie recipe packed with whole grains, vitamin B, and nourishing milk-boosting ingredients. It’s much healthier than most lactation cookie recipes out there, and it also happens to taste amazing too!
- Easy To Customize: These vegan gluten free lactation cookies are versatile and can be adjusted to fit your dietary needs and flavor preferences. See our variations below for ideas!
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🥘 Ingredients
These gluten free lactation cookies are made with nutritious ingredients that you can easily find at the grocery store. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact measurements.
- Rolled Oats: You’ll grind some of these into your own oat flour, and keep some whole. To ensure these healthy lactation cookies remain gluten free, use certified gluten free oats. I don’t recommend other gluten-free flour because oats are one of the main ingredients in these cookies that increase breast milk production!
- Ground Flaxseed Meal: Ground flaxseeds are much more effective than whole flax seeds at helping to increase milk supply. We turn the flax meal into flax eggs to use in place of eggs to make this recipe vegan.
- Coconut Oil: Coconut oil serves as a vegan substitute for butter and works great in this breast milk cookie recipe.
- Coconut Sugar: Add a touch of sweetness with coconut sugar for an unrefined sugar option.
- Debittered Gluten Free Brewer’s Yeast: This is one of the key ingredients to helping boost breast milk supply! It is a great source of B vitamins and protein. Do not confuse brewers yeast for nutritional yeast, which would give off a cheesy flavor. Make sure to get a gluten-free certified brewer’s yeast! My favorite brand is Anthony’s Brewer’s Yeast.
- Vanilla Extract And Sea Salt: To enhance the natural sweetness of these gf lactation cookies without adding too much sugar, use vanilla extract and sea salt.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda serves as a leavening agent to help these eggless lactation cookies rise!
- Dark Chocolate Chips: Optional, but delicious! Use dairy free dark chocolate chips instead of regular to keep this gluten free lactation cookie recipe vegan!
🍲 Ingredient Substitutions
- Oat Flour: If you do not want to blend your own oat flour, you could just use store bought.
- Whole Wheat Flour: If you are not gluten free, you could use whole wheat flour which would add healthy whole grains to these gluten free lactation snacks and you’d still get the added benefits of oats with the whole oats.
- Oats: If you prefer a chewy texture you can try this healthy lactation cookies recipe with quick oats, instead of the old-fashioned oats.
- Oil: Instead of coconut oil, use avocado or olive oil for different flavor profiles. You can also swap the coconut oil for vegan butter if you want, or regular butter if you are not vegan.
- Sugar: Other sweetener options for these gluten free lactation cookies include maple syrup or brown sugar, if you prefer those over coconut sugar.
- Almond Extract: For a different flavor, you could substitute almond extract for the vanilla. Both are great options that compliment the cookies well.
When you see how easy they are to make, they will quickly become your favorite lactation cookies! Here is how to make this gluten free lactation cookies recipe:
Preheat Oven and Make Oat Flour: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Pour 1.5 cups of oats into a blender or food processor, and process them into a fine flour. (Don’t take the blender lid off right away– set the blender aside while the flour settles.)
Make Flax Egg: In a large mixing bowl combine the ground flax seeds with the water, and stir well to mix. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
Mix Wet Ingredients: Add in the coconut oil, coconut sugar, and vanilla to the flax egg mixture. You can also add in the gluten free brewer’s yeast, baking soda, and salt at this time, and stir again until well combined.
Add Dry Ingredients: Gradually stir the oat flour into the large bowl until a dough is formed, then fold in the 1 cup of oats and dark chocolate chips.
Add Lactation Cookie Dough To Baking Sheet: Drop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the lined baking sheet, then use your fingers or the back of the spoon to flatten the cookies. Leave a little bit of room between these gluten free breastfeeding cookies to allow for spread.
Bake And Serve! Bake lactation cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown around the edges. At 10 minutes your cookies will be crisp around the edges but nice and soft in the center (they’ll become more crispy the longer you bake them). Let these gluten free breast milk cookies cool before serving.
💭 Expert Tips
- Space Out Cookies: When you place the cookies on the baking sheet, leave a little room between them to allow for spread.
- Where To Find Brewers Yeast: You can get brewers yeast from health food stores, or in the health food isles of most grocery stores, or you can even find it online!
- Do Not Omit The Brewers Yeast: When making these breast milk cookies recipe with the goal of boosting milk supply you do not want to skip the brewers yeast – that’s the main ingredient that makes these delicious cookies work.
- Double The Recipe: Feel free to make a double batch of these cookies and store half in the freezer for later! That way you are stocked up and have them handy throughout your breastfeeding journey.
- Use A Spoon: The dough can be a little crumbly, so it might be easier if you use a spoon or cookie scoop to place the dough balls on the baking pan. Alternatively, you can rest the dough in the fridge for about an hour to make it easier to scoop, but then your cookies will turn out slightly flat (they will still taste great though!)
📖 Variations
- Coconut Lactation Cookies: Next time, try these gluten free lactation cookies out with some added coconut flakes! Coconut is a galactagogue, so it will only help these cookies work more!
- Protein Lactation Cookies: You can boost the amount of protein in these gluten free lactation cookies by adding your favorite nut butter like peanut butter or almond butter. You could also use add a scoop of vegan protein powder to the batter as a 1:1 replacement of the equivalent amount of the oat flour – aim for a vanilla or unflavored option.
- Different Nuts & Seeds: Try adding in extra nuts and seeds for more health benefits! Almonds, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds are also go-to ingredients in lactation recipes thanks to their galactagogue properties, protein, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
- Dairy Free Lactation Cookies Without Brewer’s Yeast: You can make these vegan lactation snacks without brewer’s yeast if you can’t find it or don’t like the taste. If you do omit it, I recommend replacing it with 1/8 cup ground flaxseed and 1/8 cup almond flour or oat flour (both of which have breastmilk producing properties!) But I would highly recommend trying this recipe with brewer’s yeast first, as it really does make a major difference in breastmilk supply.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
These gluten-free lactation cookies are perfect by themselves, as a snack any time of day or for a light breakfast.
For a more filling meal, try pairing this vegan lactation cookie recipe with a mango protein smoothie or sweet potato breakfast hash for something sweet and salty.
These cookies also go great with a refreshing drink! Need some ideas? Try them with this strawberry milk tea or golden turmeric latte. Papaya is another great ingredient for milk supply, so I’d suggest also trying out this Mexican Fruit Salad made with papaya!
🙌 Dietary Adaptations
These gluten free lactation cookies will already meet the needs for anyone who is gluten intolerant or needs to avoid gluten for various reasons. They are also dairy free and vegan! However, here are a couple dietary adaptations that may be helpful for you:
Low Sugar Option: These are already low sugar lactation cookies, but you can cut the sugar in half or skip entirely for an even lower sugar variation. You can also reduce the sugar by using sugar free chocolate chips.
Low Carb Option: To reduce the amount of carbs in these vegan lactation cookies you can use coconut flour or almond flour. There are even some keto all purpose flour options available. You may need to adjust the moisture accordingly, and the texture of the cookies might change.
🫙 Storage Directions
Here’s how to store and keep these gluten free lactation cookies:
Store In The Fridge: Let these dairy free breastfeeding cookies cool and transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or store on the counter at room temperature for up to 1-2 days. Note: these cookies will get a little soft the day after being baked if you store them at room temperature. So storing in the fridge is the best option to help them last longer and keep them a little firmer.
To Freeze: Let the cookies cool and transfer to an airtight freezer safe container or freezer bag, with parchment paper separating the cookies. Freeze for up to 4 months.
To Reheat: To defrost, thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the microwave!
❓Recipe FAQs
WHAT ARE LACTATION COOKIES?
Lactation cookies are cookies that help with breastfeeding. They contain ingredients called galactagogues, which help promote more milk supply for breastfeeding moms. Galactagogues is just a fancy word for a food that helps promote lactation in humans and animals. Brewer’s yeast, flaxseed meal and whole oats are all galactagogues and are all ingredients in this lactation cookie recipe! One note about brewer’s yeast – you should check with your doctor before adding it to your diet since it can interact with a variety of medications and cause some unwanted side effects.
ARE LACTATION COOKIES HEALTHY?
Lactation cookies can be really healthy for you if they’re made with less sugar and whole food ingredients! Watch out for recipes that add a ton of sugar or chocolate chips, as those would be more like dessert than a healthy option.
Our recipe for gluten free lactation cookies is super healthy for you, as it’s loaded with nutritious ingredients to help with breastmilk production, and is low in sugar too! You won’t find any refined white sugar or white flour in this recipe. Instead you’ll enjoy healthy whole grains from the rolled oats and oat flour! These healthy carbs will keep you full longer!
These delicious cookies are also low in calories, with only about 100 calories per cookie, which means you can enjoy two per day as a mini meal or even for breakfast! Each cookie has only about 4 grams of sugar, which is much less than the typical 20+ grams of sugar you’ll find in most lactation cookie recipes. You will also benefit from a dose of healthy fats thanks to the flaxseeds and coconut oil which supply omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids.
Do lactation cookies really work?
Anecdotally, yes! If they are made with breast milk supporting ingredients like oats, brewer’s yeast, flaxseed, coconut, almonds, etc. then they do work. Most nursing parents I know (including myself) who have tried lactation or nursing cookies have found that they are a great way to boost breast milk supply. This could be because not only do they contain galactagogues, but they can also provide the body with healthy, nutrient-dense calories and healthy fats it needs to produce milk and boost energy levels (which is so important when you’re nursing)!
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO PRODUCE MILK AFTER EATING LACTATION COOKIES?
Many women will notice results within a day or two after eating these gluten free lactation cookies. It is also perfectly normal if it takes up to a week for your body to adjust. If you find that your milk supply is not increasing you can try adding more brewers yeast to your next batch, or mix in nuts, seeds, fruits, or nut butters. You can also try out special herbal tea for lactation in addition to the cookies.
HOW MANY LACTATION COOKIES SHOULD I EAT A DAY?
I’d recommend sticking to 2-3 cookies per day – that should be enough to boost your breast milk supply without adding too much sugar to your diet. If you do plan to eat more than 3 of these per day, I’d recommend cutting the amount of sugar in this recipe by 1/3, so your cookies have only about 3 grams of sugar each (so if you ate 4 cookies, that would be 12 grams of sugar total).
DO LACTATION COOKIES MAKE YOU GAIN WEIGHT? IS IT BAD TO EAT TOO MANY LACTATION COOKIES?
Most lactation cookies are basically as unhealthy as a candy bar, so if you eat too many of the “traditional” version you will likely put on some extra weight over time. However, keep in mind that you are also breastfeeding which burns extra calories each day. These cookies are about 100 calories each, so I’d say if you ate 1-2 per day while you were nursing you wouldn’t put on extra weight. As with all foods, these milk producing cookies should be eaten in moderation as part of a well balanced diet.
CAN KIDS EAT LACTATION COOKIES?
Yes! All of the ingredients in these easy lactation cookies are kid-friendly. If your pediatrician is ok with your child eating brewer’s yeast, you can give them these cookies as-is. You can also just omit the brewer’s yeast altogether to make these healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for your kids!
Can I make this lactation cookies recipe without brewer’s yeast?
Yes, you can make this recipe without brewer’s yeast if you can’t find it or don’t like the taste. The best substitute for brewer’s yeast in lactation cookies is ground flaxseed, oat flour, or almond flour!
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📋 Recipe Card
🎥 Watch How to Make It
Gluten Free Lactation Cookies
These healthy gluten free lactation cookies are perfect for nursing moms! These vegan cookies are low in sugar, easy to make, store well, and contain wholesome ingredients to help boost milk supply & production for breastfeeding. They also happen to be delicious!
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories: 104kcal
Ingredients
- 1½ cups gluten free rolled oats, ground into a flour or gluten free oat flour
- 1 cup gluten free rolled oats remain whole
- 4 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 10 tbsp water or ⅝ cup of water
- 6 tbsp coconut oil melted and cooled
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup debittered brewer’s yeast gluten free certified
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
- Pour 1.5 cups of oats into a blender, and process them into a fine flour. (Don’t take the blender lid off right away– set the blender aside while the flour settles.)
- In a large bowl combine the ground flax seeds with the water, and stir well to mix. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Add in the coconut oil, coconut sugar, debittered brewer’s yeast, vanilla, baking soda, and salt, and stir again until well combined.
- Gradually stir in the oat flour until a dough is formed, then fold in the 1 cup of oats and dark chocolate chips.
- Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the lined baking sheet, then use your fingers or a back of the spoon to flatten the cookies.
- Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges.
- At 10 minutes your cookies will be crisp around the edges but nice and soft in the center (they’ll become more crispy the longer you bake them). Let the cookies cool before serving.
Notes
- Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, store on the counter at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1-2 days. Note: these cookies will get a little soft the day after being baked if you store them at room temperature. So storing in the fridge is the best option to help them last longer and keep them a little firmer.
- These cookies can be frozen too! Simply let them cool and put them in an airtight container or freezer bag with parchment separating them.
- When you place the cookies on the baking sheet, leave a little room between them to allow for spread.
- The dough can be a little crumbly, so it might be easier if you use a spoon or cookie scoop to place the dough balls on the baking pan. Alternatively, you can rest the dough in the fridge for about an hour to make it easier to scoop, but then your cookies will turn out slightly flat (they will still taste great though!)
- Add some chocolate chips for those with a sweet tooth!
- You can get brewers yeast from health food stores, or in the health food isles of supermarkets. It’s a bit cheaper to buy brewers yeast from supermarkets than from health food stores. My favorite gluten free brewer’s yeast brand is Anthony’s Brewer’s Yeast.
- Do not substitute the brewers yeast. That’s one of the main ingredients that helps these cookies to boost milk supply!
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 0.02mg | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 118mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g
Wish I had this recipe when I had little babies but glad I can still enjoy them with my new gluten-free diet! Delish!
Thanks Beth! And yes these totally are great as just a regular healthy dessert too! 🙂
This recipe is awesome! We made them for some of our family members that were expecting and they thought they were awesome and were so grateful.
Aw I’m so glad to hear that Ned!
They look so good and perfect for new Moms!
Thanks so much Mindy!