Flourless Lactation Cookies: Monster Cookie Style

Do giant chocolate chip oatmeal cookies studded with almond slivers sound like Β the perfect snack today? You’re in luck.

If it seems like a lot of my posts are recipes lately, it’s probably because they are. I’m settling into life since adding Giant Baby to our family and I’m working hard to keep up with his milk needs.

Unfortunately, like my other two kids, he’s had pretty significant latch issues, including a high narrow palate and a severe upper frenulum tie. So, I’m pumping again this time to keep my supply up. Still, I’m pretty happy about the fact that he nurses at all since I didn’t get to nurse my other two babies.

Whether you’re nursing “Giant Baby” like I am (he’s 19 pounds and just turned 3 months today!) or nursing a normal sized kid, there are days when you might need a little boost in supply. As a mom who’s struggled to keep up my supply with latch-challenged kids, I have a laundry list of lactogenic foods, drinks and herbal galactagogues that can help.

Here’s one of the more fun ones!

I’d run across several lactation cookie recipes, including one that contained kale and carrots. The ingredients that are standard in all of them are nut butter (protein), oats (milk booster!) flax seed and brewer’s yeast. I added slivered almonds because these also contain lactogenic properties. Plus, they’re delicious and healthy.

Just a note about brewer’s yeast. I’ve heard it lauded from time to time as a milk-booster but in three babies, I’ve never tried it till now. Boy, I wish I’d found it sooner! It definitely boosted my supply. I don’t know if it’s the B-complex vitamins or what but it works.

Some people suggest drinking Brewer’s Yeast in water but I found that caused some stomach issues for me. Eating it in a baked good with flax seed meal seems to be even more effective and there are no unpleasant side effects.

The great thing about this recipe is that it contains no flour and includes more oatmeal than most recipes. It’s modeled after the Monster Cookie recipe my mom used to make for us as kids, though it only has 3 1/2 c. of oats instead of the 6 that her recipe used. I only had dark chocolate chips on hand but if you have butterscotch chips or some other favorite candy, you can use it too.

Even if you’re not nursing a new little one, these cookies are absolutely delicious.

Chocolate studded, oatmeal lactation cookies


Flourless Lactation Cookies

Wet ingredients

  • 1/2 c. butter (softened)
  • **16 oz REAL peanut butter – as in smooshed peanuts, not Jiffy or Skippy or any of that high fructose corn syrup enhanced stuff. (that’s how big my jar was but 14 oz would be ok too)
  • 1 1/2 c. brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 T. real Maple syrup (optional)
  • 2 t. vanilla

Dry ingredients

  • 1/2 t. salt maybe 1/4 if you’re using really salty butter
  • 3 T. Brewer’s yeast
  • 1 c. flax seed meal (Grind the flax seeds in a coffee grinder for freshest taste.)
  • 3 1/2 c. oats
  • 2 t. baking soda
  • 1 c. dark chocolate chips (or toffee, butterscotch etc.)
  • 1 c. almond slivers

Preheat oven to 350ΒΊ F

1. Stir together butter, peanut butter and brown sugar till thoroughly mixed.

2. Add eggs and beat till mixed.

3. Stir in vanilla and maple syrup.

4. Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Nothing like biting into a pocket of baking soda. Yuck!

5. Use an ice cream scoop to shape cookies. Press flat on cookie sheet before baking. They are kind of sticky and a little hard to shape but press on. It is worth it.

6. Bake 17 minutes. The cookies should be chewy and soft, not crunchy. Your oven might be a little more or less so keep an eye on them.

7. Pour yourself a glass of milk and nosh.

Yum.

**You can substitute almond butter for the peanut butter.

Like this? Try my Zucchini Coconut Bread.

As with all my posts…If you like it, spread the sweetness! Tweet, Facebook or email to anyone who might benefit from it. πŸ™‚

Remember to take care of yourself mama!

 

116 Comments

  • Kiersten says:

    I’m going to be making these for The Big Latch On event in Tucson this Friday and Saturday! Thanks for the great recipe!

  • Sonya says:

    Do you think these would freeze well? Want to make them ahead of time. πŸ™‚

    • Monna says:

      Hi Sonya. I haven’t tried it but because of their texture, I think they probably would freeze well, especially if you’re careful not to overbake them. Let me know how it works!

  • Mary says:

    I made these before my little one was born and froze them. In that crazy time right after she was born, my husband would pop a few in the oven every so often an I would have amazingly delicious, fresh cookies! They were the food highlight of my first couple of weeks postpartum! Thank you so muis fabulous recipe. I will continue making these and my husband lives them, too.Mary

  • Viviana Nodarse says:

    Love this cookies. They are delicious. Thanks for the recipe. Looking forward to more recipes.

  • Rachel says:

    I am trying to relactate so I can nurse my 7 month old again. We got a very bad case of thrush and I haven’t nursed him since he was 3 months old, but I’m hoping with the help of these cookies and power pumping I’ll be able to get my supply back! Thanks for the recipe! Can’t wait to try them! πŸ™‚

    • Monna says:

      I wish you the best of luck, Rachel. You might also try the Motherlove “More milk plus” tincture. It’s got a lot of great herbs that might do the trick. I’m rooting for you!

  • Jennifer Gresch says:

    Curious, is Brewers Yeast just like regular yeast? Like is Brewers special?

  • […] 4. Super Healthy Cookies (aka Lactation Cookies) I’m hesitant to call these “lactation cookies” for fear of scaring a lot of people away from trying them. Here are the cold, hard (or warm and gooey?) facts: they won’t make you lactate if you aren’t already, and they are 100% safe for dads and kids. That said, if you’re nursing and would like to boost your supply, eat a few of these cookies and see what happens. They are full of oatmeal, brewer’s yeast, and ground flax seed. Did I mention they are delicious?! My husband and son devour them. If you’d like to make them without refined sugar, you can substitute the brown sugar for 1/2 cup honey, 3 tbsp real maple syrup, and 20 drops liquid SweetLeaf Vanilla Stevia (optional). Note: if you substitute the sugar, try baking them for a few minutes less than the recipe says. It’s also worth noting that brewer’s yeast tastes nutty and is not the same thing as nutritional yeast which tastes cheesy. The first time I made these, I ended up with cheesy cookies. Whoops. (Credit: OrganicMamaCafe) […]

  • Lisa Cassell says:

    Is there a substitute for the peanut butter?

    • Monna says:

      Hi Lisa, I’ve also used almond butter and they were awesome. In fact, I preferred those. But they will be lower in protein.

  • Victoria says:

    OH MY GAWWWSH! My batch just came out of the oven… I can’t believe how many cookies this made. And I can’t stop eating them! I can’t wait to share these with other breastfeeding mommas. What a FANTASTIC recipe :)!

  • Becca Solomon says:

    do you also feed them to your kids? i’m very tempted to make them for my whole family especially because my girls are tiny and i’m always looking to pack on weight.

    • Monna says:

      Absolutely. They are perfectly safe. The ingredients are mainly to add nutrients that assists in lactation but they’re fine for kids. Haven’t had one turn them down yet!

    • Monna says:

      Becca, if you’re looking to offer the girls healthy pounds, you might also try – full fat organic yogurt, avocado (guacamole), organic beef, eggs, organic cream, cheese & butter – along with an assortment of colorful veggies! Our fairly tiny middle one loves meat. Good thing since she’s going thru the picky stage!

  • Emily says:

    I made these today. I followed the recipe exactly but my dough was crumbly and not sticky. The cookies are still good but I don’t know what went wrong.

    • Monna says:

      Hmmm… It’s hard to say not being there. This isn’t a creamy recipe but it definitely sticks together.
      Here are a few questions that might help.
      1. Are your ingredients room temp? Using cold butter or eggs will change the texture of your finished product.
      2. Are you using natural peanut butter or almond butter? Did you pour off the oil before using? That will change the texture.
      Often “crumbly” dough indicates a lack of oil or eggs.
      If you’re using room temp ingredients and haven’t skimped on fat, try adding an extra 2-3 T of butter to see if that helps. Let me know how it goes.

      Monna

  • Rachel says:

    Any substitute for the brown sugar? Cinnamon applesauce maybe?

    • Monna says:

      Good question Rachel. We don’t mind a little sugar now and again so I’ve never tried apple sauce. Are you looking for a non-sugar substitute or an alternative sweetener. I suspect they’d fall apart though without any sugar. If you just want a non-refined option, try honey or maple syrup though I think you may need to adjust the dry ingredients slightly. (google it!). Let me know what you discover.

      • Rachel says:

        Thank you! Yes, I”m interested in eating these quite often so I’d like to keep the sugar content to a minimum. I think honey will be a great option so I’ll try that first and let you all know! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!

  • Rachel says:

    …or even honey instead of brown sugar? I’m trying to find something that won’t make it fall apart. =)

  • Kari Grover says:

    Thanks so much! I am totally checking everything out my "little guy"(about 15lbs and 8 wks!) Eats a ton!

  • Amanda says:

    Is there a good way to store these once they have baked? Thanks!

    • Monna says:

      Cookie jar or a glass storage container with a sealed lid work for us. I don’t recommend the fridge. Room temp is best. They won’t last long if what happens at my place is any indication. πŸ˜‰

  • Bonnie Fletcher says:

    These are so great! I baked the dough into bars and it lasted forever! Thank you for posting this. Going to make another batch tonight.

  • Amanda Lynn Hoeve says:

    I made them tonight they were a lil runny but I had to use apple sauce in place of the eggs bc my son can't have eggs. can't wait to try them πŸ™‚

    • Monna says:

      Hmmm… interesting! I’ve not tried them with applesauce. You’ll have to report back on how that works for you. If applesauce doesn’t work, another thing you might try is flaxseed. I can’t remember the exact measurements but I bet you can google ground flaxseed for egg replacement or something. I’ve tried it in other things. Hope you like them!

  • Lea says:

    Can you make these without the yeast??

    • Monna says:

      Hi Lea,
      I suppose you could try replacing the yeast with something similar in texture like ground flaxseed? Brewer’s yeast has a grainy, water absorbing texture to it.
      However, if you’re using it for milk production, brewer’s yeast is known for boosting it. I think the reason these cookies work so well is the combination of milk boosting foods in them.
      You definitely need to replace the yeast with something though and not just leave it out or it will change the end result.
      Let me know if you try it and how they turn out!

  • Nicole from Australia says:

    Oh my goodness these are delicious!! Only just tried them so no idea yet if my supply will increase but regardless these are totally moreish!

    • Monna says:

      Thanks, Nicole. So glad you liked them. Hope they increase your supply. If not, the best thing I did (other than cookies) was a fresh, local artisan IPA. Extra Hoppy. Store bought didn’t have the same effect.

  • Christa says:

    We are a peanut/tree nut free home due to allergies, what do you think I could substitute with and still get the results for increasing my milk ( lo is 19.5 wks and feeds every 1.5 hrs )?

    • Monna says:

      Hi Christa, since the structure of the cookie depends on the nut butter – and indeed gets part of it’s lacto power from the almonds, I’m not sure how to modify it for your needs. It would pretty much be remaking the cookie. If any other mom out there has some tree nut free advice to offer, we’d love to see it.

  • Angela says:

    Was wondering if I could replace the peanut butter with pumpkin puree?

    • Monna says:

      Hi Angela, since the structure of the cookie depends on the nut butter, as well as protein, I’m not sure if it will still have the same effect with that particular substitution. But I’d love for you to post your results if you try it. Good luck!

  • sarah says:

    are Ts tablespoons or teaspoons (british mama feeling silly here but i just want to make sure).

  • Omg forgot to add the coconut oil until I had mixed everything I hope they come out I made a double batch!!!

  • Annabell says:

    So how many would i need to eat a day to see an increase? they sound yummy. I’m back at work so need to leave enough milk at home. My little girl is 13lb at 10 weeks so she needs quite a lot for the day….

    • Monna says:

      Hi Annabell. It’s impossible to say how many you’d need to increase your milk supply. Every person is different. And – while one person might see a huge jump, another might not see anything. For me, it was just as important (or more so) to eat adequate protein, fruits and veggies (but for me it was a lot of protein!) when nursing. The cookies just added a little boost and variety to my diet.
      The other thing that really helped my supply was fresh beer (a friend makes it). Within an hour, I probably had an oz or two increase. I was pumping so I could tell. This never happened with any other beer I tried.

  • Miranda says:

    I turned out some delicious, but crumbly cookies as well. I substituted equal parts coconut oil for butter. You think that was the problem? Also just noticed that my natural peanut butter had some ground flax meal in it. Thoughts? DEE-LICIOUS though!

    • Monna says:

      I would think it was the flax more than anything that might make them crumbly. Or overbaking. These usually hold together pretty well. You could try doing 1/2 & 1/2 on the butter/coconut oil and see what that does. Let me know!

      • Miranda says:

        I think you’re probably right about the flax, and i’ll half butter/coconut oil next time. but so delicious! I just shouldn’t have strayed from the recipe. also- do you use peanut butter with no added sugar?

        • Monna says:

          Miranda, I use straight up peanut butter – all natural, organic (Costco carries it in my area), no sugar. It’s so delicious, I’ll never go back to anything else!

  • Jennifer Fera says:

    you'll have to experiment with flax eggs, that's what vegans use πŸ™‚

    • Monna says:

      Hi Jennifer, I have used flax instead of eggs before in a pinch. But I haven’t in this recipe. IF you do, let me know how it turns out and post your results for the other vegans out there. πŸ™‚

  • […] The house smells amazing right now, I’ve got some delicious chocolate chip lactation cookies baking in the oven! Β A yummy combo of peanut butter, butter, oats, brewers yeast, flax seed, dark chocolate and almonds. Β Click Here for the Recipe. […]

  • […] Flourless Lactation Cookies- Monna Payne […]

  • Wendy says:

    Is nutritional yeast the same as brewers yeast? I asked for brewers yeast at our local health food store and she handed me a big jar of nutritional yeast.

  • […] bake up a batch of lactation cookies for a nursing Mama. There are many recipes out there, here is one you could try. And don’t worry, partners and other kids can eat them too, despite the […]

  • […] bake up a batch of lactation cookies for a nursing Mama. There are many recipes out there, here is one you could try. And don’t worry, partners and other kids can eat them too, despite the […]

  • Elizabeth Williams says:

    I made these tonight and they’re great. It would be easy to mix up the flavor by changing up the type of nut or adding dried fruit. I am freezing most of them so I don’t eat them all before the baby arrives.

  • Stephanie O. says:

    These are awesome!! Subbed 3/4 cup honey for the brown sugar. Turned out great!

    • Monna says:

      Yum! Good to know. Did you add any extra oats to balance it out?

      • Stephanie O. says:

        Nope. I Just subbed out the sugars. I had read online somewhere that you sub by weight not volume, so then it’s an even exchange and you don’t have to alter the recipe in any other way. I keep these cookies in the freezer and then pop one in the oven when I want one (which is almost every day

        • laura says:

          Did you bake first and then freeze or freeze the dough? Wanting to load my freezer with these before baby comes- also planning to sub honey for sugar like you did.. Thanks!

  • Ashley Thompson says:

    These were so good! I had to substitute almond extract for vanilla and I added a little applesauce to make them softer and less thick, didn’t use molasses.. Yum!

  • Natalie says:

    Hi, do you think macadamia nut butter would work as well? I have a jar in the fridge that I have no idea what to do with

    • Monna says:

      Natalie, great question! I would just give it a try. However, if you’re using it for lactation, part of the reason I use peanut butter is its higher protein content.
      Macadamia sounds delicious!

  • Jamie says:

    I would like to add some pumpkin puree to this recipe and make bars. How much pumpkin would you suggest to add?

    • Monna says:

      Good question. I haven’t tried doing a pumpkin version. I would look up substitutions and see what you can figure out. They are modeled after monster cookies so they are kind of forgiving.
      Please let us know how they turn out!

  • Jennifer says:

    Steel cut oats or rolled oats?

  • Ali says:

    I really like this recipe! Trying to keep sugar down, I cut back to one cup of brown sugar…in hindsight, I’d probably do 1-1/4 cups instead. I was out of eggs so had to do a gelatin egg substitute (doing more flax as a sub seemed like a bad idea, but who knows?!) It worked pretty well but the batter dried out a little between batches. I just added some more hot water and it stuck together well enough to bake. They turned out lovely and had good flavor. Now let’s hope they work!

  • mrsmommymack says:

    These are wonderful!!! I can’t attest to their effectiveness on milk supply yet (I’m due any day now), but they are delicious and freeze well. I had forgotten to buy more butter before I made them, so I used an equal amount of coconut oil. Thank you!

    • Ashley says:

      I add a couple table spoons of applesauce.. Helped make it less crumbly… But my issue is I love these cookies but they are high caloric.. When is the best time to eat them to boost supply? Right before you pump?

      • Monna says:

        Ashley – what a great idea to add applesauce! Everyone is different with regard to caloric needs while breastfeeding. Just listen to your body and what you need. Hunger is a great guide to when you need a higher calorie boost.
        I ate these in addition to a diet high in greens, veggies and healthy proteins and fats as well as some fruit. We don’t do packaged stuff or a ton of starchy foods so I wasn’t really worried about too many calories on these.
        Your family will love them too. πŸ™‚

    • Monna says:

      Tamee – Glad to hear coconut oil worked. I bet it was delicious!

  • Kate says:

    I had the same problem with the batter being crumbly rather than sticky. I tried adding butter then peanut butter then an egg. They seem to have come out okay ( each try had a new addition but I can’t tell them apart). They taste good. Maybe a bit crumbly but I’m used to that being gf

  • Alley says:

    How many cookies do I need to eat in order to boost supply but not overeat? If that’s makes sense. ..

    • Monna says:

      Hi Alley, how many you need is entirely subjective. The cookies are part of a larger need for good nutrition when you’re nursing. My diet was dark leafy greens, healthy proteins, fats like olive oil, butter and coconut oil, raw milk and veggies.
      But the biggest thing that helped my supply was good SLEEP. If my babies woke at night, I’d go to bed earlier so I could get a few hours uninterrupted. It would literally increase my supply by ounces!

  • […] I’m an incredibly picky vegetarian. I’ll be taking these no bake energy bites, as well as these oatmeal cookies, which are touted as some kind of milk-increasing snack. I’m not sure if that’s […]

  • Hi!
    I write for mom.me and I was hoping to include you in an upcoming round-up of lactation boosting recipes. May I please include one photo of your Lactation Cookies with a link back to your site for the recipe?
    Thanks,
    Carla

  • Sarah says:

    I was very excited to try this recipe with the hopes it would increase my supply. I unfortunately forgot about how much I dislike flax meal. Is it just me, or does flax seed taste like seaweed?? So my whole batch reminds me of sushi. :/ But if they work, I’m all for it. Fingers crossed!

  • Jennifer says:

    I see everyone is talking about how delicious they are but just wondering do do they v actually help your supply?

  • courtney says:

    Thanks for the recipe, I found it on Pinterest : ) I used almond butter, because that’s what k had on hand. The flavor was delish but the dough came out super duper oily and kind of crumbly. I was hoping that would mean they were impossible to dry out, but somehow I made them really dry and crumbly. By my last sheet in the oven, I had cut the time down to 10 minutes and they came out much softer. I’m not sure if it was my almond butter, my weird oven, or my terrible baking skills! I don’t think I’ll have any trouble getting through them, but I think I’ll try peanut butter next round. : ) Thanks again, and fingers crossed to a boost in milk supply! I’m going to start drinking more local beer, too! We’ve got a small brewery just up the street : ) Great tip!

  • Larayna says:

    Do you think replacing the butter with coconut oil would be okay?

  • Theresa says:

    Do you or have you used steel cut oats in this recipe ?

  • […] production or at least prevent it from decreasing (due to the meds I’m taking). This recipe made A LOT of big cookies, I was eating them around the […]

  • Suzane says:

    Usually flax seed soaks in water for 5min. before mixing in ..any reason why this recipe doesn’t call for that step?

    • Monna says:

      Flax seeds are usually soaked because they’re being used as an egg replacement. In this case, it’s for nutritional density so it was unnecessary.

  • Jen taylor says:

    Did you use an electric mixer or mix by hand? Looks delicious!

  • Sarah says:

    Is T short for tablespoon or teaspoon? I know silly question but I want to be sure

  • Krystalmp says:

    So I love this recipie. Now I make it as one big cookie in a half sheet pan to save on time. So great!

  • cristin says:

    I’m due this Sunday and decided to stock up and make these cookies today and freeze them. They are SOO good! Thanks so much for sharing!!

  • Auriana says:

    I made these for the second time tonight and substituted brown sugar with organic coconut sugar and it was a little different, but still delicious! Thank you so much for this recipe!

  • Momma Duck says:

    Is nutritional yeast the same as brewers yeast? And if not, could it at least be used as a substitute?

  • Michelle says:

    I know this is an older post, but I wanted to report my results for those who stumble upon this recipe and need to use some alternate ingredients, like myself.

    I am completely allergen free while I EBF my 5 month old–as he has a severe dairy and soy allergy, and suspected other allergies that we haven’t tested him for quite yet. So I needed to make these without peanuts or tree nuts, eggs, dairy (chic chips), etc.

    I used a 16oz jar of sunbutter (sunflower seed butter) instead of peanut butter.

    I used flaxseed egg replacer for each egg (1 egg = 1T flaxseed meal mixed in 3T water. Mix well, chill for 15-30 mins)

    I used earth balance soy free and dairy free “butter” alternative.

    I cannot use almonds, so I added dried cranberries to half of the batch and decided I loved that so much that I will make it a regular ingredient next time I make these.

    I used enjoy life brand chocolate chips, which were great. Though I will probably use less of them next time. Personal preference.

    Subbing all of these things worked wonderfully, even having subbed them all at the same time. These were delicious….and I’m somewhat embarrassed to say I ate 2 dozen of these in record time.

    I highly recommend the sunbutter in place of peanut butter if you can’t have peanuts for any reason. It’s a very similar consistency and the taste was amazing.

    Hope this helps anyone who was wondering. Enjoy!

  • Melissa says:

    Didn’t see a serving size. What is your opinion on how may cookies per day should be consumed?

  • Kate says:

    Just had baby #2 and this was my favorite recipe to help boost my supply and to just have on hand to munch on! This time I accidentally used 2 sticks of butter instead of the one and they turned out even better! Granted they’re higher in fat but I’m ok with that! πŸ˜‰ they were much softer and the chips and almonds had more substance to hang on to! Either way way thanks for posting this recipe our family loves these cookies especially crumbled on top of ice cream for a treat! πŸ™‚

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