The Miracle Milk Cookie

First off- let me say that lactation is a topic I NEVER thought I'd write about on my blog, but then I started thinking about many people I know that have a woman in their lives who is either new to being a mom, will soon be a mom or is friends with a new mom. Because of this, I thought I'd share a cookie recipe that really helped me. Whether you decide to try to bake these cookies, share them, or order them, my goal of posting this recipe is to help make life for other new mom's a little easier. 

My experience: The first week after delivering baby Stella, I was having a really hard time keeping up milk supply. Apparently my tiny 5 lb 15 oz baby needed a lot more food than my body could initially produce. I was frustrated, but didn't want to switch to formula. We pressed on and incorporated pumping into the routine every hour between feedings. Slowly but surely my milk supply increased. Unfortunately, my tiny baby was still hungry ALL THE TIME and I could only pump up to 2 ounces per 45 minute sitting. Several very frustrating and tearful days later, a girlfriend texted me and said she left some lactation cookies on my doorstep. Lactation cookies? I had no clue what they were. I googled and found out that a lot of women use them to help increase milk supply. I thought, why not? So I tried one. The following morning, I began my normal pumping/feeding routine and was astonished when I produced 8 oz of milk in just 30 minutes. I was so proud of myself I thought about freezing the 8 ounces of milk and keeping it as a trophy of my accomplishment. Instead, I used the milk to feed baby Stella as I scoured the internet for ways to make these miracle cookies at home.  

What I discovered is that Lactation Cookies help with milk supply because they have the following three ingredients:

Oats: This nutritional powerhouse provides plenty of whole grains, fiber, iron and an abundance of healthy vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. 

Brewers Yeast: A rich source of B-vitamins and amino acids, this is a natural remedy used to help stimulate and increase the production of breast milk. 

Flax Seed: Provides an abundance of Omega-3 fatty acids that are necessary for brain development. 

The Lactation Cookie recipe I created is similar to my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, the only difference is the addition of the brewers yeast and flax seed, both of which I found at Whole Foods. 

We now bake and ship fresh Miracle Milkookies every Tuesday! We also have a ‘Klean’ version that is dairy free, soy free, gluten free and vegan. You can try them for 15% off your first order with code ‘Moremilk’ at www.miraclemilkookies.com.

Recipe and Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. flaxseed meal {or linseed can be used} 

• 4 Tbsp. water

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 2 cups all purpose flour (Note: I've also used self-rising flour for this recipe, if you use self-rising flour do not add baking soda or salt to the recipe)

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1 tsp. salt

• 2-6 Tbsp. Brewer’s Yeast {This is the active ingredient, so the more the better. I used about 3 Tbsp. and it worked great!}

• 3 cups quick oats

• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. 

2. Mix together the flaxseed and water and let sit for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cream together the butter and sugars.

4. Add eggs one at a time and mix well.

5. Add flaxseed mix and vanilla.

6. In a medium bowl, combine together flour, baking soda, salt, Brewer’s Yeast, and oats.

7. Add to the butter mixture 1/2 cup at a time.

8. Once the dough is mixed together well, add chocolate chips.

9. Bake for 9-11 minutes.