Chewy Fruit and Nut Lactation Cookies
August is National Breastfeeding Month and we are celebrating the only way we know how: with delicious food! We’re talking Chewy Fruit and Nut Lactation Cookies!
You don’t have to be breastfeeding a baby to enjoy these sweet treats. These are designed to combat some of the nutritional deficiencies that are common in women who are breastfeeding. Get your mixers ready! Today we are blending this super simple cookie recipe that will have everyone in your house asking for more.
Why Lactation Cookies?
It’s no surprise that feeding another human from your own body’s supply could lead to some nutrient deficits. Those who are breastfeeding are often advised to continue following a “healthy” diet, full of variety, to fuel both parent and child. Caring for a new child can present its own challenges, so it can be difficult to ensure you are taking good care of yourself too!
Given the specific make-up of breast milk and the body process it requires, breastfeeding parents are commonly deficient in Vitamins A, B1, B2, C, E, calcium, zinc, and riboflavin. Parents have resorted to seeking “galactagogues” to bolster milk supply. Galactagogues are supplements and foods believed to promote milk production. 
Although additional research is needed to determine if these elements actually increase milk production, several of the common galactogenic foods provide rich supplies of nutrients that can be commonly low in those who are breastfeeding.
So although we can’t promise a magic cookie, we still created a recipe packed with several of these galactagogues. These lactation cookies harness the nutrient power of flaxseed (from flax eggs), oats, cherries, and coconut!
Top tip: If you are looking to enjoy a delicious oatmeal cookie any time of the year, swap out the mix-ins for ones of your choosing: chocolate chips, cranberries, white chocolate chips, butterscotch, raisins, cinnamon. Make them your own and enjoy with a tall glass of flax beverage!
For even more delicious snacks and desserts, check out our recipes here!
Chewy Fruit and Nut Lactation Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter 1 stick
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 flax eggs prepared (1 flax egg = 1 Tablespoon Manitoba Milling Co. Whole-Milled Flaxseed + 3 Tablespoons water)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cup mix ins sliced almonds, dried cherries, shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper, if desired.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars on medium high for about one minute.
- Once the butter and sugar are fluffy, add the prepared flax egg and vanilla. Mix on medium to combine.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low until just combined. Add the oats and mix on low until combined.
- Remove bowl from mixer, add mix-ins, and fold to combine.
- Scoop heaping tablespoons from the mixture, roll gently, and add to the baking sheet about two inches apart.
- Press down slightly on the dough balls to form a thick cookie shape (the cookies will rise, but won’t spread much in the oven). Top cookies with additional mix-ins, if desired
- Bake the cookies at 350℉ for 10-12 minutes or until edges start to turn slightly golden.
- Once cookies are finished baking, remove from the oven and let sit for at least five minutes before enjoying!