Lactation Cookies: Easy Recipe and What the Evidence Says

Lactation cookies are a favorite gift for new parents, and it’s easy to see why. They’re warm, comforting and easy to eat with one hand while you feed a baby. Many recipes promise they’ll boost your milk supply, too.

This page gives you a simple, reliable recipe, then an honest look at what the research says. Spoiler: enjoy them as a snack, but don’t count on them to fix a supply problem.

Easy lactation cookie recipe

Makes about 24 cookies. Prep time 15 minutes, baking time 10–12 minutes per tray.

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

• 2 cups (180 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons (20 g) ground flaxseed
• 2 tablespoons (15 g) brewer’s yeast (look for “debittered”)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients

• ½ cup (1 stick, 115 g) unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup (100 g) packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water or milk

Mix-ins (optional)

• ½ cup (85 g) chocolate chips, raisins or chopped dried fruit

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, flour, flaxseed, brewer’s yeast, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
3. Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the wet ingredients. Beat in the egg, vanilla and water or milk until smooth.
5. Combine. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips or fruit.
6. Scoop. Roll tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place them about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the baking sheets. Flatten slightly with your palm.
7. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers look just set.
8. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack.

Storage: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Tip: The dough contains raw egg and raw flour, so bake it before eating rather than snacking on it raw.

Easy swaps

• Dairy-free: use a plant-based butter alternative and dairy-free chocolate chips.
• Egg-free: replace the egg with 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water, left to thicken for 5 minutes.
• Gluten-free: use certified gluten-free oats and a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend.
• Less sugar: cut the granulated sugar, and use raisins instead of chocolate chips.

Do lactation cookies increase milk supply?

There’s no good evidence that they do.

The best study so far is a 2023 randomized controlled trial published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It included 176 exclusively breastfeeding parents of healthy 2-month-old babies in the US. For a month, half ate lactation cookies containing oatmeal, brewer’s yeast, flaxseed and fenugreek every day, and half ate regular cookies with similar calories. Milk production changed about the same in both groups. The cookies also made no difference to how confident parents felt about their supply.

The study had limits. Only about half the participants completed the final milk measurement, and they all felt their supply was already adequate, so it doesn’t directly answer whether cookies help someone with truly low supply. But there’s no stronger evidence showing that they do.

What about the individual ingredients?

• Oats, flaxseed and brewer’s yeast are traditional “milk-boosting” foods, but there are no good-quality studies showing they increase supply on their own. The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) lists oats among herbs and foods commonly used as galactagogues, without evidence that they work.
• Fenugreek, added to some recipes and store-bought cookies, has mixed evidence. The ABM lists possible side effects including diarrhea, a maple-syrup body odor and allergic reactions, particularly in people allergic to ragweed-family plants or some legumes.

The ABM’s 2018 protocol on galactagogues concludes that it can’t recommend any specific galactagogue, food or medicine, and stresses that none will raise supply if milk isn’t being removed often and well.

What actually helps supply

Milk supply works on supply and demand. The more often and effectively milk leaves your breasts, the more your body makes. The steps with real evidence behind them are:

• Feeding often, about 8–12 times in 24 hours in the early weeks, including at night
• A deep, comfortable latch
• Breast compression and offering both sides
• Pumping or hand expressing after some feeds
• Skin-to-skin contact

Our full guide on how to increase milk supply explains each one, and our power pumping guide covers a pumping routine some parents use. Many supply worries also turn out to be normal baby behavior; our milk supply hub explains the signs your baby is getting enough.

So bake the cookies because they’re tasty and you’re hungry. Breastfeeding does use extra energy, and our breastfeeding calorie calculator can estimate how much you need each day.

Allergies and other cautions

• Common allergens: this recipe contains wheat (gluten), egg and dairy, and many variations add nuts or nut butters. Use the swaps above if you need to.
• Flaxseed and brewer’s yeast: allergies are uncommon but possible. Stop eating them if you notice a rash, itching or stomach upset.
• Your baby: if your baby has a diagnosed food allergy and your doctor has asked you to avoid certain foods, check every ingredient first.
• Blood sugar: cookies are a sweet treat. If you have diabetes, count them like any other baked snack.
• Herbal versions: if you buy cookies or mixes containing fenugreek or other herbs, talk to your doctor or pharmacist first, especially if you take blood thinners or diabetes medicine.

When to get help

If you’re reaching for lactation cookies because you’re worried about supply, talk to a lactation consultant (IBCLC) or your baby’s doctor, especially if your baby has fewer wet or dirty diapers than expected, isn’t gaining weight well or seems hungry after most feeds. Our breastfeeding support page lists where to find help.