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Three gluten-free oatmeal-raisin lactation cookies stacked on parchment paper.

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Lactation Cookies

Crispy, chewy, moist, sweet, naturally gluten-free, and no refined sugar! These oatmeal lactation cookies are lightly sweet and made with nothing but nutrient-dense ingredients. And don't worry, anyone can enjoy these delicious cookies, and feel less guilt in the process.

  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 1 to 2 Dozen Cookies 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

  • 1½ cups of old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
  • ⅔ cup of oat flour
  • 1 teaspoon of kosher or sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed, optional
  • 2 tablespoons of psyllium husk powder or oat bran, optional
  • 3 tablespoons brewer's yeast, optional

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 cup or 8 ounces (2 sticks) of softened unsalted butter, ghee, avocado oil, or coconut oil*
  •  ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons of honey, 3 tablespoons of maple syrup, or ⅓ cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
  • 1 tablespoon of blackstrap or unsulphered molasses
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Mix-Ins

  • 1- cups of dried fruit and/or dark chocolate chips

Instructions

Before you begin mixing the dough, preheat your oven to 350° F, line your baking pans or cookie sheets with parchment paper (if using), gather all of your equipment, and measure out all of your ingredients. 

Soak the Dried Fruit

  1. Chop larger pieces of dried fruit into quarter-inch pieces.
  2. In a small bowl, combine all of the dried fruit and cover it with the hottest water your tap will give. 
  3. Let the fruit soak while you mix the dough.

Mix the Dough

  1. Whisk together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. Combine the butter and honey (or your sweetener) in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer or in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment beat at medium-high speed until the ingredients are nicely combined and lightened in color. 
  3. Add the eggs, vanilla, and molasses and beat at medium-high speed to mix well, stopping to scrape the bowl and beater a couple of times. This will bring all of the ingredients together to create the smoothest dough possible. 
  4. On low speed, beat in dry ingredients in several additions. Stop the mixer and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and the beater with a spatula.
  5. Drain and squeeze excess water from dried fruit with your hands, if using. 
  6. With a spatula, fold in the soaked fruit and/or chocolate chips until evenly dispersed in the dough.
  7. The cookie dough can be prepared to this step several days ahead and stored chilled for up to a week. Or shaped into a log and wrapped very tightly in plastic wrap, sealed in a zipper storage bag, and frozen for three to six months. 

Scoop + Bake

  1. Scoop even-sized balls of cookie dough onto a non-stick or parchment-lined cookie sheet, spacing them a couple of inches apart. 
  2. With a chewy, dense cookie like these, I find flattening the scooped dough allows for the best bake. I use a quick and easy method to press all my cookies at once, and prevent sticky, gooey hands. Simply cover your pan with a sheet of parchment or wax paper, then use another pan to press down with even pressure on all of the dough balls at once.
  3. Bake the cookies just until they are set, and begin to brown around the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes. The longer you bake, the crispier the cookies will be.
  4. Cool the cookies on pan for five minutes, then carefully move them from the pan to a cooling rack or a plate. 
  5. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature, or freeze. 

Notes

On Oats

You can certainly use any oats you have on hand. Old-fashioned oats will produce a slightly looser cookie, as they absorb less moisture than quick-cooking. Quick-cooking oats will give you more cohesive cookie dough. Both offer helpful fiber and bake up delicious. 

On the Optional Supplements

All of the dry ingredients labeled "optional" will lend their own nutritional profiles to the cookies. Brewer's yeast contains ample B vitamins, but is also very bitter and not a taste everyone enjoys. Flaxseed is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids and is generally a flavor that plays nice with others. Oat bran and psyllium husk powder are mild and both contain lots of fiber and can be just the ticket to get digestion back up to speed after childbirth.

On Sugar

If you like a sweeter cookie, you can add up to half of a cup of honey, or perhaps three-quarters of a cup of brown sugar or coconut sugar.

Storage

Oatmeal cookies - designed for lactation or not - keep and freeze very well. Especially if you use oil as the fat, the cookies will stay moist for several days. To bake ahead and freeze several batches for after the baby arrives, be sure to seal the cookies in an air-tight bag or container.

Nutrition Information

The Nutrition Information below is based on the recipe as written using oat bran. Depending on the optional ingredients you choose, the nutritional profile will be slightly different. 

  • Author: Christina
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 8 minutes
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Cookie
  • Calories: 211
  • Sugar: 10.5 g
  • Sodium: 127.4 mg
  • Fat: 13.4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 19.9 g
  • Fiber: 2.4 g
  • Protein: 2.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 18.8 mg

Keywords: gluten free lactation cookies, oatmeal lactation cookies, healthy lactation cookies, easy lactation cookies