The Best Dairy Free Lactation Cookies

If you’re a nursing mom who needs a boost in your milk supply, try this dairy free lactation cookies recipe. They are so tasty, even your husband will steal a few.

A few weeks ago, I went dairy-free in an attempt to clear up a persistent rash on my newborn’s face, neck and upper chest area. The rash appeared just after he turned a month old, right after his baby acne had cleared. At first, I mistook it as a heat rash, but realized that didn’t make sense since he wasn’t out in the heat. Since dairy is the most common allergy or intolerance for breastfed babies, I crossed my fingers that this was the answer and cut dairy out of my diet.

Some breastfeeding moms go dairy free to resolve a myriad of issues. In an article about food sensitivities in babies, Kelly Mom states:

“If a breastfed baby is sensitive to a particular food, then he may be fussy after feedings, cry inconsolably for long periods, or sleep little and wake suddenly with obvious discomfort. There may be a family history of allergies. Other signs of a food allergy may include: rash, hives, eczema, sore bottom, dry skin; wheezing or asthma; congestion or cold-like symptoms; red, itchy eyes; ear infections; irritability, fussiness, colic; intestinal upsets, vomiting, constipation and/or diarrhea, or green stools with mucus or blood.”

Kelly Mom’s advice is to cut out the suspected problematic food for 2 to 3 weeks to see if you can tell a difference in your baby. Since the cow’s milk protein in dairy takes nearly two weeks to get out of a mom’s system and then up to another two weeks to make its way out of a baby’s system, it’s ideal to wait at least a month before reassessing if dairy is the culprit.

For me, I noticed a marked improvement after about 10 days of going dairy-free, and my baby’s rash has continued to lessen now that it’s been nearly 3 weeks.

Dairy free has taken some adjustments on my part. I replaced heavy cream in my coffee with Nutpods creamer or coconut cream. But I do miss my cheeses (feta, gorgonzola, cheddar, pepperjack).

Related: The Best Dairy Free Coffee Creamer

So as not to feel too depraved, as well as to satisfy my sweet tooth while boosting my milk supply, I have made a couple batches of these Dairy Free Lactation Cookies. I freeze them and pull out a couple cookies a day. I also shared a batch with a fellow breastfeeding friend and she loved them, so I thought the recipe was worth sharing.

Note: If you are not dairy free, you can substitute the shortening for softened butter and dairy free chocolate chips for regular chips.

Related: The Best Dairy Free Chocolate Frosting

Also, if you are not breastfeeding and consume these dairy free lactation cookies, you WILL NOT LACTATE 🙂 My husband and kids are proof of this!

The Best Dairy Free Lactation Cookies

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup shortening (I use Nutiva)
• 1 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 ¼ tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp flaxseed meal
• 4 tbsp brewers yeast (I use Solgar)
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine shortening and sugar, then beat until creamy.
3. Beat in eggs, vanilla, baking soda, salt, brewers yeast and flaxseed meal.
4. Beat in peanut better until creamy.
5. Stir or beat in oats and chocolate chips.
6. Scoop out heaping tablespoon of dough and place about 2 inches apart on lined cookie sheet (parchment paper or silicone liner).
7. Bake 10 to 11 minutes (depending on cookie size).
8. Let cool on pan 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack or counter to cool.
   Makes approximately three dozen cookies.