Lactation Cookies Are the New Labor Cake

There's no denying it, I've crossed over to the dark side. I'm a mom now, and it appears that I'm now willing to post personal details about my body on the internet.  Something no one prepared me for when I was pregnant was how hard breastfeeding would be. 6 weeks in, I'm still fighting like mad to make it work and I'm still not sure it will. In the meantime, I'm holding onto hope and coping the only way I know how: with cookies.




I know what you're probably thinking: lactation cookies?! Really, Amy?

Hey, I'm willing to give anything a try at this point if it might help us, even if it's an old wives' tale I read about on the internet. I've done it before and I'll do it again (the labor cake didn't work, by the way. Shocker!). It's not like this is going to turn you into a milk cow if you're not in a position in life where you'd like to increase your milk supply. But for those of us looking to promote healthy lactation, why not, right? Even though the recipe calls for some slightly unusual ingredients, these actually taste really good. Like an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie with a slightly nutty extra kick. You can find more info about the recipe and rationale behind the ingredients here.


Lactation Cookies
Adapted from Peaceful Parenting
Makes ~3 dozen
Printable Recipe

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup milled flaxseed
3 tbsp brewer's yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 c.  (1 12 oz bag) semisweet chocolate chips
1 c. chopped toasted walnuts
1 3/4 cups rolled oats

1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

2. With an electric mixer in a large bowl, beat peanut butter, butter, flaxseed, brewer's yeast, sugars, and water until creamy. Beat in eggs until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts until well distributed, and then stir in oats in several additions.

3. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets and flatten each one slightly. Bake on the middle oven rack for 12 minutes and allow to cool completely before serving.