These chewy, chocolaty marvels are delicious, whether you’re a first-time nursing mother or simply someone who never met an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie they didn’t like. Loosely inspired by the lactation cookie recipe that got author Jessamine Chan through her first month as a new mom, this version features three key ingredients (a.k.a. galactagogues) reputed to increase milk supply: flaxseed meal, rolled oats, and brewer’s yeast. While brewer’s yeast has a bitter edge on its own, it melds seamlessly into each bite thanks to cinnamon, dark chocolate chips or chunks, shredded coconut, and dried figs.
While few medical studies exist to support the claim that eating lactation cookies can increase breast milk supply, there is anecdotal evidence. The protein, B vitamins, iron, and other nutrients in these delicious cookies may improve a nursing mom’s overall well-being, while knowing that she has something satiating to eat whenever hunger strikes can ease her mind. For optimal breast milk production, anecdotal evidence suggests eating one cookie about an hour before breastfeeding or pumping is most effective, 2 to 3 cookies per day.
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Ingredients
Makes 12
⅔
cup (83 g) all-purpose flour
¼
cup (35 g) brewer’s yeast
¼
cup (26 g) flaxseed meal
½
tsp. ground cinnamon
½
tsp. baking soda
½
tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
½
cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
½
cup (100 g) granulated sugar
½
cup (packed; 100 g) light brown sugar
1
large egg
1
tsp. vanilla extract
1½
cups (120 g) old-fashioned oats
½
cup dried figs, chopped, or raisins
⅓
cup sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut
6
oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped, divided
2
Tbsp. sliced almonds
Flaky sea salt
Preparation
Step 1
Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 325°. Whisk flour, brewer’s yeast, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, baking soda, and kosher salt in a medium bowl to combine.
Step 2
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in another medium bowl until combined and creamy, about 1 minute. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated and smooth, about 30 seconds. Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined, about 15 seconds. Add oats, figs, coconut, and 5 oz. chocolate and mix just until evenly distributed. Cover bowl and chill dough 30 minutes.
Step 3
Using a #16 cookie scoop (about ¼ cup), portion out cookies and divide between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 3″ apart. (Do not flatten; cookies will spread as they bake.) Press almonds and remaining 1 oz. chocolate into cookies, dividing evenly; sprinkle with sea salt.
Step 4
Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until edges are firm and golden brown but centers are still soft, 18–22 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheets at least 15 minutes before eating.
Do ahead: Cookie dough can be made and portioned 3 months ahead; freeze on baking sheets until solid, then tightly wrap. Bake frozen cookies about 2 minutes longer than in recipe. Cookies can be baked 1 week ahead; store in an airtight container at room temperature.
