Cranberry Pecan Lactation Cookies
Milk boosting foods are no myth, and this recipe is proof! A delicious Cranberry Pecan Oatmeal cookie packed with nutritious ingredients that will benefit any new mother and her baby.
Postpartum Introductions
I first learned about Lactation Cookies from my sister, Layan, who baked me a batch a few weeks after I had given birth. When she first brought them over I did not believe her lactation cookie claims, but here I am 11 months later writing this. At the time, I was eating so many foods with the particular purpose of boosting my milk supply (see my previous entry), but these cookies were my absolute favorite! These are oatmeal cookies, with a nutritious, milk-boosting twist. My sister made them with Dried Cranberries and Pecans, a winning combination for my pallet, so I ate them constantly. I am sharing her recipe here today, but make sure to head over to her Instagram page where she shares plenty of delicious vegetarian recipes! These cookies are wonderful to have around, especially since nursing mother need to constantly replenish all those calories being shared with the baby around the clock. They were my go-to breakfast since I am not a breakfast person, ensuring both I and my baby have our needed nutrition for the day. Lactation cookies are basically regular oatmeal cookies that have certain ingredients that boost a nursing mother’s milk supply: Flaxseed, Whole Oats and Nuts.
Why This Works
Flaxseed. Ground Flaxseed, used in this recipe, provides your breast milk with healthy oils, increasing alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) content which is semi-converted into fatty acids, along with phytoestrogens. Both been indicated to have an impact on the milk supply of nursing mothers, with research also demonstrating that Flaxseed helps with a baby’s brain development, improving infant’s DHA status.
There are many ways to eat flaxseed, with ground flaxseed being a favorite of many, as it can be quickly sprinkled onto any meal without impacting the flavor. I started adding ground Flaxseed to my baby’s diet at around 9 months, sprinkling it on his lunches occasionally. It adds texture to any meal, especially purée, but no flavor for my son never minded it.
Whole Oats. Whole oats are a superfood that is probably familiar to many for its nutritional value. It is also one of the most popular foods recommended for nursing mothers, and you will find recipes for breastfeeding mothers using oats everywhere. And from my experience, it totally works! The odd thing, though, is that there is zero trial based research that has investigated this. Somehow no one has put this big claim to test, but it is a well cited hack amongst many mothers. What I can tell you with certainty however, is that whole oats are high in iron, and a cup of dried oats is about 4 mg of iron, almost 40% of the amount needed by a nursing mother. Low milk supply is also linked with low levels of minerals , so perhaps this plays a role. If you are particularly interested in learning more, the thelactationnutritionist has great blog post discussing the relationship between Oats and increased milk supply. Whatever the cause may be, this worked great for me, and for many other nursing mothers.
Nuts. Generally, Nuts are high in protein and fatty acids, a great addition to any diet. While this recipe uses Pecans because they are my personal favorite, Almonds are recommended for nursing mothers as they are a good non-dairy source of calcium, and contain Monounsaturated Fats which increase the richness of your breast milk.
Essentially, this is a very versatile recipe, you can play around with it, especially in choosing your nuts and dried fruits. I think an Almond & Dried Apricot mixture would be absolutely delicious with this recipe. As long as you are using whole oats, flaxseed, and any kind of nut, you will still notice an impact on your milk supply.
By no means is this recipe only intended for breastfeeding mothers, it’s delicious for all- so try it out, make it for a Mama around you & let me know what you think!
| Yields about 25 cookies |
Ingredients
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 Cup fine oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbs ground flaxseed
1 tbs chia seeds, optional
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
55 g softened, unsalted butter
4 tbs coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
1/3 cups brown sugar
2/3 cups white sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cups cranberries (or any other dried fruit, or even chocolate chips)
1/2 cups chopped nuts (I used Pecans, but almonds are recommended)
1/2 cups of unsweetened shredded coconuts
Method
Start by pre-heating your oven to 175°Celsius, and lining a baking tray with parchment paper.
Prepare you dry ingredients. Combine your flour, oats (whole & fine), ground flaxseed, chia seeds, baking soda, baking powder cinnamon & salt- and whisk!
Prepare your wet ingredients. In a stand mixer, cream the butter and coconut oil (or vegetable oil) until the mixture is fluffy, then add your sugar and beat for another 5 minutes. You can do this using a whisk- it will take a little longer to get the mixture fully but it works great.
Once the mixture is fluffy, add your eggs & vanilla extract and mix.
Slowly combine your dry ingredient bowl into your wet bowl, folding your mixture as you go.
Finally, add your nuts, dried fruits, shredded coconuts and combine!
Scoop out equal sizes of your cookie dough using a spoon or an ice cream scoop, and place on baking sheet.
Bake your cookies for 12-15 minutes depending on the size. You will know your cookies are ready when they get golden on the bottom.
