The Best Lactation Cookies: The New Mom’s Guide
Here’s our extensive guide on finding the best lactation cookies for you and increasing your milk supply!
When you’re dealing with a low milk supply, you start looking into any and everything that may help.
Undoubtedly you’ve heard about the “lactation cookie.”
Which, to me, sounds like the perfect answer. (Honestly, a cookie sounds like the right answer to everything!)
If you aren’t familiar with these milk boosting treats, you may have some questions.
- Do lactation cookies actually increase milk supply?
- How do they work?
- Is it better to make them or buy them?
Let’s get started!
This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase, we may receive a small commission. We only recommend brands we think you’ll love and use! See our full disclosure.
Contents
What are Lactation Cookies?
Lactation cookies are cookies made with specific ingredients (called galactagogues) that are supposed to help increase milk supply.
Some ingredients that you may find in these milk boosting treats are:
- Oatmeal
- Flaxseed
- Brewers Yeast
- Nuts & seeds (especially almonds)
- Select herbs and spices
There’s actually a ton of different foods believed to help increase milk supply.
You’ll find that lactation cookie ingredients vary widely from recipe to recipe.
Do Lactation Cookies Work?
Generally speaking, many moms have GREAT success with these little gems.
I feel confident saying lactation cookies do work.
But, the key is to find a lactation recipe that will work for you!
I hate to break the magical secrets of the lactation cookie, but the cookie itself does not have mysterious powers that increase your milk supply.
It’s all those milk boosting ingredients above, working hard together in a united cookie form that gives it its real power.
Since each mama’s body is different, you may respond better to some ingredients over others.
Honestly, getting enough calories, fat and protein can help increase your supply, but also make your milk rich in nutrients.
This is why you’ll often see coconut oil and peanut butter added in.
[wps_note size=”22″ background=”#f9f4d6″ color=”#333333″ radius=”3″]
Of course, if you are dealing with a low milk supply, I always recommend working with a lactation consultant.
If you don’t know why you are having a low milk supply, it will be very difficult to correct.
Laction cookies are great for temporary boost in milk supply, but if your struggling with a true supply issue, you’ll probably benefit from professional help.
[/wps_note]
Since ingredients and personal preferences can vary so widely, this all comes down to each individual.
When making your own cookies, sometimes using what’s on hand is your only real option.
In that case use what you got and hope for the best.
If your able to order the specialty ingredients and wanna give those a try, then you may see even more success.
Of course each mom and baby are different.
You may find that you have sensitivities to certain ingredients, and others may make your baby gassy.
Experimenting until you find what works best for you two is usually your best bet.
Some of the more common and useful milk boosting ingredients (also known as galactagogues) include:
Oats:
Oats are seen in almost EVERY lactation cookie. Although you could easily substitute it with whole wheat flour as well.
Both ingredients are thought to help increase milk supply and boost breastmilk production.
It’s very difficult to find any research-based information on this, but it’s a widely held belief in the breastfeeding community that it does, in fact, work for lots of nursing moms.
Brewers Yeast:
Brewers yeast is another common ingredient in lactation cookies, as it seems to help many moms improve their milk supply.
Again, there is very little research to say whether or not it works, but many moms swear by it.
If nothing else, it’s very nourishing and has numerous health benefits.
According to Verywell Family it can
- help lower blood sugars in diabetics
- help lower cholesterol
- nourish skin and hair
Flax Seed
Flaxseed is another common galactagogue used in lactation recipes.
Although the exact reason isn’t known, it suspected that the DHA in the flax helps increase mom’s ability to make milk.
The 3 ingredients listed above are the most common ones found in lactation cookie recipes, although you may see seeds and nuts also added into the mix.
I think it really all boils down to getting the right nutrients in your system, to help your body do its job and become a milk makin’ machine.
Other Herbs
You may also see some herbs thrown in the mix. Common herbs that are used to boost milk supply include
- Fenugreek: One of the most commonly known milk boosting herbs. Is known to get the job done, but can cause some stomach upset for both mom and baby.
- Blessed thistle: Another herb similar to fenugreek. It is a safe herb for breastfeeding, but not safe for pregnant moms. Again, may cause
How many lactation cookies you eat really depends on what’s in it and the size of the cookies.
Typically, 4 or 5 cookies a day are a good happy medium between boosting your milk and overdoing it on cookies.
If your cookies don’t have extra added sugar, you could probably get away with eating more.
Of course, a cookie is a cookie, and too many could mean packing on a little extra baby weight.
The Best Lactation Cookie Recipes You can Make Your Self
You probably have quite a few of the milk-boosting ingredients in your cabinet.
Of course, unless your brewing your own beer at home, you may be lacking brewers yeast, along with a few of the spices.
If you are looking for a good brand of brewers yeast, I recommend this one from mommy knows best.
It’s certified GMP to comply with organic agriculture regulations and not come in contact with allergen products or inorganic additives.
Lacatation Cookie Recipes
Oatmeal Raisin Lactation Cookie
This oatmeal raisin lactation cookie by The Best Ideas for Kids combines oats and brewers yeast, along with a few other milk boosting ingredients to make tasty cookies.
Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookie Recipe
If you’re looking for a delicious chocolate chip lactation cookie recipe, this one looks amazing. It’s loaded with galactagogues and even looks like a real cookie!
Gluten-Free Lactation Cookies
These gluten-free beauties from A Clean Bake are the ideal lactation cookie recipe if you’re looking for a recipe that doesn’t contain brewers yeast.
Gluten-Free Dairy-Free No Bake Lactation Cookies
If you’re looking for an easy, allergy-friendly lactation cookie, this is your winner! These are no bake! Making these perfect for when you don’t want to turn on your oven. Especially handy in those hot summer months.
Sugar-Free Lactation Cookie
This sugar-free lactation cookie recipe is perfect for those wanting a healthy cookie without the sugar! It’s got lots of the milk increasing ingredients, without the guilt.
Premade Lactation Cookie Options
Now, for those non-bakers out there, sometimes you just want the easy button!
And who can blame you, with a new baby to take care of and a milk supply to fret over. But where can you get lactation cookies?
The internet of course. Here are a few of the top-rated already made lactation cookie and mixes.
Mommy Knows Best Lactation Cookie Mix
(*Best Well Rounded)
Mommy knows best lactation cookie mix is a favorite amongst moms on Amazon.
They contain many of the typical lactation cookie ingredients like brewers yeast and oats.
But they also contain blessed thistle. An herb known to support milk supply!
This bag is probably big enough for a weeks worth of cookies or so. Although, keep in mind that you usually don’t need to keep up eating them once your supply bounces back up.
[one_half]
- Easy to make
- Moms rave about the taste
- Use blessed thistle for extra milk boosting power[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
- A little pricey
- Some moms felt it made their baby gassy[/one_half_last]
[wps_button style=”default” url=”https://amzn.to/2snhGdu” target=”self” background=”#6cb24c” color=”#FFFFFF” size=”18″ icon=”check” wide=”no” position=”center” radius=”auto” text_shadow=”0px 0px 0px #000″ rel=”nofollow” title=”Check current price” id=”Check Price”]Check Price[/wps_button]
The Fertile Goddess Company’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies
(*Best Quality)
I really like these as they contain wholesome, nourishing ingredients that also support milk supply. That means you’ll feel good noshing on these, knowing your baby will be getting the nutrients too.
This is an herb-free blend and sugar-free. So if that’s a concern these are perfect for you too.
The package makes 12 large cookies, with directions to eat 1-4 a day. So these should last you a week or two stored in the fridge.
[one_half]
- Easy to make
- Moms love the taste
- All organic ingredients[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
- A little pricey
- Some moms didn’t notice a large supply increase[/one_half_last]
[wps_button style=”default” url=”https://amzn.to/2VIGJoZ” target=”self” background=”#6cb24c” color=”#FFFFFF” size=”18″ icon=”check” wide=”no” position=”center” radius=”auto” text_shadow=”0px 0px 0px #000″ rel=”nofollow” title=”Check current price” id=”Check Price”]Check Price[/wps_button]
Milkful Lactation Bars
(*Best Non-Cookie Cookie)
These are already premade, so no work here! Perfect for a grab and go snack.
This particular pack comes with 6 bars, in 3 different flavors. If you end up with a favorite, you can by a box of just that flavor as well.
These bars are:
- Wheat-free
- Soy-free
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
[one_half]
- Ready Made
- Many moms noticed a big increase in milk supply a couple days after eating these [/one_half]
[one_half_last]
- Some moms did NOT like the taste
- A little expensive for 6 bars[/one_half_last]
[wps_button style=”default” url=”https://amzn.to/2M6JZ9d” target=”self” background=”#6cb24c” color=”#FFFFFF” size=”18″ icon=”check” wide=”no” position=”center” radius=”auto” text_shadow=”0px 0px 0px #000″ rel=”nofollow” title=”Check current price” id=”Check Price”]Check Price[/wps_button]
Upspring Milkflow Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies (*Best Value)
These cookies do have herbs in them, blessed thistle and fenugreek.
While these herbs are well known to help increase mom’s milk supply greatly, they can make some babies gassy.
If you try these, just keep an eye out for tummy troubles with your little one, so you know if you should stop eating them.
[one_half]
- Great price for how many servings you get
- Great for moms who are over the oatmeal flavored cookies
- The herb blend is A++ For boosting milk supply[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
- Some moms noticed these made their babies gassy and fussy[/one_half_last]
[wps_button style=”default” url=”https://amzn.to/2Ft4sUn” target=”self” background=”#6cb24c” color=”#FFFFFF” size=”18″ icon=”check” wide=”no” position=”center” radius=”auto” text_shadow=”0px 0px 0px #000″ rel=”nofollow” title=”Check current price” id=”Check Price”]Check Price[/wps_button]
Milkmakers Lactation Cookie Bites
It comes with 10 servings worth, so it’s a good price per serving.
Many moms love the taste of these, but ingredient wise they do contain a lot of sugar. So keep in mind, these really are a snacky treat. And don’t have any of the herbs typically used for milk supply.
That being said, they are also a great herb-free way of getting the job done.
They also come in other flavors:
[one_half]
- Great price for how many servings you get
- Easy to grab and go[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
- Worked for some moms, not for others[/one_half_last]
[wps_button style=”default” url=”https://amzn.to/2Ft4sUn” target=”self” background=”#6cb24c” color=”#FFFFFF” size=”18″ icon=”check” wide=”no” position=”center” radius=”auto” text_shadow=”0px 0px 0px #000″ rel=”nofollow” title=”Check current price” id=”Check Price”]Check Price[/wps_button]
Wether you buy premade lactation cookies or use one of the excellent recipes above, you should, hopefull, see an increase in your milk supply.
And, to answer a question we get a lot,
Yes, the rest of your family can eat the lactation cookies too! Although, some of those premade options are a bit pricey for regular old snacks. So it may be best to hide those ones on the top shelf.
And, I wouldn’t give the herb-filled ones to my family members without some extensive research beforehand.
Other Ways to Increase Milk Supply
If you are not into the idea of cookies to increase your milk supply, you can always try other methods to get the milk flowing.
Teas are always a good choice too! You can go here and see if Mother’s Milk Tea really works to increase milk supply.
