Recipe: Gluten-Free Lactaction Cookies – A Baby’s Best Friend

 

Back in December, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl I’ve nicknamed “Firefly.”

She’s my third daughter, and there was something I was excited about from the get-go.

You see, my other two weaned themselves early because of the low supply.

I was working full-time, and pumping just never worked well for me.

I nursed as long and as much as I possibly could, but they eventually just gave up and didn’t want it anymore. 

I loved nursing and I wasn’t ready to give it up when they were, so it was disappointing to me.

But now, I’m not working anymore outside the home… so I am happy to report very few supply problems and no formula use.

Some days, though, it’s obvious I’m a little low.  When it first happened with Firefly, I had a silent “nooooooo!” moment, but then I headed online and I found out about lactation cookies.

Lactation cookies are basically just chocolate chip cookies with some extra ingredients that are known as galactagogues.  A galactagogue is any food that helps enhance or increase milk production.

So, I figured I’d give them a try – couldn’t hurt, right?

I’m so glad I did!

I looked in my cupboard to see what things I had, and made up a quick 1-dozen size recipe for my Ninja 1100.  TheFoforr the first batch I made, I ate three cookies and about four hours later I could definitely tell the difference.  Firefly wasn’t fighting and cranky during nursing, she was just drinking it up and seemed full and happy afterward.

And I didn’t even have fenugreek to put in them!  I hear that stuff will really power charge it.

The real secret to the texture of these cookies is the Honeyville blanched almond flour – that stuff makes things bake up almost just like regular white flour.

In fact, if I hadn’t known these were gluten-free, I would never have guessed they were made without wheat flour.  Awesome!

A quick note though – if you use a different brand or home-ground almond flour, you’ll probably end up with a different, more rustic result.  I’m sure it will help you lactate though!

P.S. don’t let the long list of ingredients stop you from making these.  If you have supply problems, these cookies are a MUST.  I am now keeping frozen dough on hand at all times so I can have cookies quickly when I need a boost on low production days.

It’s totally worth it.

Gluten-Free Lactaction Cookies

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Recipe type: Cookie, Gluten-free

Author: The Homesteader Kitchen

These delicious chocolate chip cookies with a twist – anise and fennel seed will help increase milk production. This recipe is written for the Ninja 1100 blender.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 beaten eggs (large)
• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup Honeyville blanched almond flour
• 2/3 cup white rice flour
• 1/3 cup tapioca starch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 Tbs anise seeds
• 1 Tbs fennel seeds
• 2 Tbs brewer’s Yeast
• 1/2 cup flax seed meal (freshly ground)
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine the coconut and eggs in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
3. Using the blade in the processing bowl, cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy, scraping sides down as necessary.
4. Remove the blade and install the paddle.
5. Add the egg/coconut mix and the vanilla and mix well, scraping sides down as necessary.
6. In a separate bowl, combine the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, anise seeds, brewer’s yeast, fennel seeds, and flaxseed meal.
7. Add the flours to the blender bowl and pulse a few times until it just begins to mix in.
8. Add the walnuts and chocolate chips and pulse the blender until combined, but don’t overmix.
9. Let the dough chill for about 45 minutes.
10. Form the cookies by scooping out the dough with an ice cream scoop and dropping it onto a prepared cookie sheet.
11. Bake for 8-12 minutes at 325 until brown on the edges and set in the middle.
12. Allow cooling on the cookie sheet before removing.

Notes

Honey may be substituted for the palm sugar, but you’ll want to either use small/medium eggs or increase the almond flour by 1/4 cup.

To get an extra lactation bonus, add a half tablespoon or so of ground fenugreek seeds. I can’t vouch for the flavor, but I think it would go well.

The anise and fennel are a unique flavor to be combined with a chocolate chip cookie but it actually goes quite well.

Makes 1 dozen cookies