lactation cookies about to go in the oven!
Dairy-free. Egg-free. Gluten-free goodness for little ones with a milk protein sensitivity…
Yeah. I hadn’t heard of that either until it happened to my little one. Boo.
So, my husband, Borys, has been such crucial support during my postpartum period after our little one’s birth. We couldn’t just order take-out. We couldn’t just cook as we normally did.
Our little one had a milk protein sensitivity (that she will outgrow by 6-12 mo’s). We realized this around week 2 of her wee life. She had small, red bumps around her temples, eczema on her feet and hands, and a couple small streaks of blood in her stools. She was also really, really fussy (for obvious reasons — GI distress and irritation).
My midwife knew all of those signs and told us to take dairy out of our diet. And, we did. It took about 2 months for things to really turn around and for the dairy proteins to get out of both of our systems… After that, our little one was way less fussy, her skin cleared up (actually around day 3 off of dairy this happened), and she slept and fed better.
I also took out gluten, soy and eggs for good measure (as these contain proteins that are typically difficult to digest as well). Around 3 months I added egg yolks (not whites) back into my diet and everything was fine. However, I continue to avoid gluten and soy.
I was pretty much off of gluten anyway…besides einkorn and wheat grown on foreign soils (which are typically not doused with glyphosate like it is here in the US). …and, I barely eat any soy. So, those two were pretty easy.
As a traditional food ways educator and foodie, I definitely missed pastured butter (I plan to reintroduce dairy in the form of ghee or clarified butter when she is about 8-9 months old). And, for the time I wasn’t eating them…I really, really missed eggs.
Anyway, I wanted some lactation cookies to help with my breast-milk supply and Borys created a cookie that I loved! It is not that sweet at all…kind of dry like a British tea biscuit (but the dates give them bursts of moisture and chewiness)…and rather hearty, I think. Oats are known to increase breast-milk, as are dates and brewer’s yeast (also packed with certain B vitamins).
I’ve really enjoyed them and am going to share his recipe here. I’m not a big fan of super sweet desserts, preferring subtle sweetness (smile). These cookies hit the spot in that way. I always eat them with a mug of what we call “faux coffee” — Dandy Blend.
Borys approaches thing in a European way, so all ingredients are weighed on a scale.
Borys lining the cookie sheet with lactation cookies
Borys’s YUM Lactation Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
- 30g coconut oil, melted (extra virgin, if possible)
- 20g carob powder
- 0.7g stevia powder (we used the whole form that is green in color, optional)
- 26g flax seeds (whole)
- 120g water
- 50g honey
- 75g coconut oil, melted
- 6.6g vanilla extract
- 10.5g brewer’s yeast (or just brewer’s yeast and delete nutritional yeast)
- 10.5g nutritional yeast
- 3g baking powder
- 1.8g sea salt
- 215g oat flour
- 54g rolled oats
- 137g dates
- carob chips:
- mix first three ingredient
- pour into mold or onto flat surface and transfer into refrigerator to set. you will cut these into chunks later (right before tossing them into the cookie dough).
- dough:
- preheat oven to 350°F
- mix flax seeds and water. leave to sit for 1 hour. purée with hand blender if using whole flax seeds (see pic below). add honey, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract, and combine. set aside.
- mix yeasts, baking powder, sea salt, and all oats. chop dates and carob chips to ¼”–½” sized chunks, and add to dry mixture.
- using a spoon, stir in the flax seed goo. it will barely hold together, but it will be enough to form and shape cookies.
- line cookie sheet and form small cookies.
- bake on cookie sheet at 350°F for 26 min.
Lindsay Kolasa 
These look like something I would love with my tea. So nice to hear of your continued journey of motherhood. Sending you thoughts of peace and joy.
Thank you Elizabeth m’dear! Oh, they are so tasty — you’ll love them!