These vegan lactation cookies are loaded with oats and other ingredients that will boost your milk supply, but the addition of chocolate chips makes them taste like an indulgent treat! Bake them up crispy or soft—and don’t forget to pop some in the freezer for later.

Stack of vegan lactation cookies

This post is for the new mamas out there. (Although really, these cookies are so delicious and healthy, everyone will want to eat them.) Lactation cookies have definitely become a thing in recent years, and now you can even get store-bought versions; unfortunately, vegan lactation cookies are a little more difficult to find. I wanted to come up with my own version, made with all those healthy galactagogues, but without the dairy and eggs.

My vegan lactation cookies taste like a real treat, with dark chocolate and crunchy pecans in every bite. You won’t believe they’re healthy, but they are! Best of all, whether you like a chewy cookie or a crunchy cookie (my personal fave), you can have it your way—bake them longer and they’ll be perfectly crisp, or take them out of the oven sooner for a soft, chewy texture.

Vegan lactation cookies on parchment paper, with one cookie broken in half to show texture

How Do Lactation Cookies Work?

It’s all about those galactagogues, which is shorter way of saying: foods that promote milk production. For centuries, mothers have been using herbs and foods like oats, fenugreek, milk thistle, anise, and fennel to naturally increase their milk supply when breastfeeding. Lactation cookies may be trendy now, but they’re built on a long-standing tradition.

These vegan lactation cookies are made with a number of galactagogues, including oats, flax, almonds, chia, and pecans. Flaxseed also contains phytoestrogens, which can help stimulate the production of prolactin, the hormone responsible for producing breastmilk.

Stack of 6 vegan lactation cookies

How Often Should You Eat Lactation Cookies?

You should eat one or two cookies a day for best results, but there’s no upper limit since these vegan lactation cookies are made with healthy, whole food ingredients—you can never eat too many oats, nuts, and seeds!

(Looking for more recipes that are good sources of galactagogues to boost your milk supply? Try my pumpkin pie overnight oats, coconut chickpea curry, and kale, apple, and chickpea salad with vegan feta.)

Overhead view of ingredients for vegan lactation cookies with labels

Notes on Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

  • Ground flaxseed – This does double-duty here—it’s an ingredient that boosts milk supply and it makes a flax egg to bind these vegan lactation cookies together.
  • Water
  • Oat flour
  • Almond flourNot almond meal! Almond flour is more finely ground.
  • All-purpose flour – You can use a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour substitute to make these gluten-free lactation cookies.
  • Baking soda
  • Baking powder
  • Coconut sugar – Or use brown sugar.
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Salt
  • Coconut oil – Melt this before adding it to the recipe.
  • Agave syrup
  • Vanilla extract
  • Shredded coconut – Don’t used the sweetened kind; the cookies are sweet enough without it!
  • Dark chocolate chips – Make sure you purchase a brand that’s vegan.
  • Pecans – Since these will be chopped anyway, you can save some money by buying pecan pieces instead of whole nuts.
  • Chia seeds

How Do You Make Oat Flour?

You can make your own oat flour by putting old-fashioned oats (also known as rolled oats) in your blender or food processor and blending until a fine powder forms.

How to Make Vegan Lactation Cookies

Here’s how to make these healthy vegan lactation cookies at home:

Overhead view of whisk in bowl with flax egg

Make the flax egg. Whisk the ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl. Let the mixture sit for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it thickens and gels.

Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. 

Overhead view of oat flour toasting in skillet

Toast the oat flour. Place the oat flour in a small pan set over low heat. Toast the flour for 7 to 10 minutes or until it’s golden and smells toasty, shaking the pan every few minutes to keep it from burning. Transfer the flour to a large mixing bowl.

Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the all-purpose flour and almond flour into the oat flour, then whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, coconut sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt.

Overhead view of lactation cookie dough before adding mix-ins

Add the wet ingredients. Stir the melted coconut oil, agave syrup, vanilla extract, and flax egg into the dry ingredients until a thick dough forms.

Overhead view of coconut toasting in skillet

Toast the coconut. Add the shredded coconut to a small pan set over low heat. Toast the coconut for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden, shaking the pan constantly. Remove from heat.

Overhead view of lactation cookie dough in glass mixing bowl

Fold in the add-ins. Add the toasted shredded coconut, chocolate chips, pecans, and chia to the cookie dough and fold them in until they’re evenly distributed.

Overhead view of lactation cookie dough balls

Form the cookies. Using 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the cookie dough into balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten each ball of dough with your fingers until they’re 1/4-inch thick, leaving 4 inches between each cookie.

Bake. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly set in the centre and golden around the edges and bottom. 

Overhead view of vegan lactation cookies on parchment lined baking sheet

Serve. Let the cookies cool for at least 10 minutes before removing them from the baking sheet.

Tips for Success

These simple tips will help you make sure your vegan lactation cookies turn out perfect!

  • Chill the dough. If your dough feels too soft, or your kitchen is hot, you may want to chill the dough in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. This will help it firm up, making rolling the dough easier. 
  • Skip the toasting. You can skip toasting the oat flour if you’re in a rush. The texture will be softer, but the cookies will still be delicious!
  • Make them crunchy or soft. Bake the cookies for 30 minutes if you want a crispy-crunchy texture, or 20 minutes for soft-baked lactation cookies. Or split the difference and bake them for 25 minutes for cookies that are crispy on the edges and soft in the middle.
Overhead view of vegan lactation cookies on parchment lined baking sheet

Variations

You can swap the dark chocolate chips for cacao nibs, use macadamias or almonds instead of pecans, or add dried cranberries, raisins, or dried cherries to the cookie dough. Feel free to get creative!

How to Store

Vegan lactation cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. 

Overhead view of vegan lactation cookies on parchment

Can I Freeze This Recipe?

Yes, you can freeze these vegan location cookies. After baking and cooling the cookies, place them in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag with parchment paper between layers of cookies to prevent sticking. Freeze for up to 2 months; when you’re ready to enjoy them, you can thaw them at room temperature for about an hour or pop them in the microwave for a warm treat.

More Healthy Cookie Recipes

Stack of 6 vegan lactation cookies with additional cookies in background

Enjoy friends! If you make this vegan lactation cookie recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!

Stack of vegan lactation cookies

Vegan Lactation Cookies

These vegan lactation cookies are loaded with oats and other ingredients that will boost your milk supply, but the addition of chocolate chips makes them taste like an indulgent treat! 
5 (from 4 ratings)

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ tablespoon ground flaxseed
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 cup oat flour
  • ½ cup almond flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup coconut sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • cup coconut oil, melted
  • 3 tablespoons agave syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup toasted shredded coconut
  • ¼ cup dark chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup roughly chopped pecans
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds

Instructions 

  • Make the flax egg. Whisk the ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl until well combined. Set it aside for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture thickens.
  • Prepare the baking tray. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set it aside.
  • Toast the oats. Add the oat flour to a small pan over low heat. Shake the pan occasionally. Let them toast for 7-10 minutes or until lightly golden. They should smell toasty. Remove it from the heat and set them aside. Don't skip this step, it makes all the difference in texture.
  • Whisk the dry ingredients. Mix the oat flour, all-purpose flour, and almond flour in a large mixing bowl. Add the baking soda, baking powder, coconut sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until well combined.
  • Add the wet ingredients. Gently stir the melted coconut oil, agave syrup, vanilla extract, and flax egg into the dry ingredients until well combined. The mixture should have turned into a thick dough.
  • Toast the coconut. Add the shredded coconut to a small pan over low heat. Shake the pan constantly because it burns easily. Let the coconut toast for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Remove it from the heat and set it aside.
  • Fold in the add-ins. Gently stir in the toasted shredded coconut, chocolate chips, pecans, and chia.
  • Bake. Grab 2 tablespoons of dough and roll it into a ball. Place it on the baking sheet. Use your fingers to flatten it until it's 1/4" thick. Repeat for all the dough, leaving about 4" of space between each cookie. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden around the edges. The bottom should be golden brown and the center slightly set.
  • Serve. Remove them from the heat. Let them cool for at least 10 minutes before removing the cookies from the baking tray. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

To store: Vegan lactation cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
To freeze: After baking and cooling the cookies, place them in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag with parchment paper between layers of cookies to prevent sticking. Freeze for up to 2 months; when you’re ready to enjoy them, you can thaw them at room temperature for about an hour or pop them in the microwave for a warm treat.
Calories: 199kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.001g, Cholesterol: 0.03mg, Sodium: 76mg, Potassium: 86mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 2IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 34mg, Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.