These Cowgirl Cookies are the BEST. And, they’re gluten-free! 
With all kinds of optional add-ins, including a ‘lactation cookie options’ for how to optimize them to increase milk production, perfect for new moms. I’ve heard from countless dads and kids that they can’t keep their hands off these, too – so it’s just in general a FANTASTIC cookie recipe.
The base is our beloved family Cowboy Cookie recipe which we’ve adapted and have been tweaking and making for years… now lovingly referred to by us as CowGIRL Cookies from my own spins. If you’ve been a blog follower for a long time now, you know we love the addition of dates and coconut in cookies for added texture, nutrients, and reduce the sweetener needed.
In this recipe, we’ve included even more optional ingredients, some to increase nutrient-density for busy moms to get in calories from easy finger foods that offer nutrient-density. But, there are also some specific ingredients which support mother’s milk supply. These Cowgirl Cookies is what I gift to all new moms in my life when I visit their little babes! In fact, my youngest sister just had her first and is what drove me into the kitchen to tweak an updated, perfected Lactation Cookie recipe.
What are some of the ingredients that help milk supply?
- ✔️Anise
- ✔️Brewer’s Yeast
- ✔️Nuts, ideally those higher in Omega 3 (walnuts, macadamia nuts)
- ✔️Omega 3 rich pastured eggs
- ✔️Flax (seeds, meal and oil)
- ✔️Whole grains**
- Blessed Thistle
- Milk Thistle
- Salmon and other fatty fish
- Dark leafy greens (alfalfa, lettuce, kale, spinach, and broccoli)
- Borage
- Nettle
Things to avoid
- Sage
- Peppermint (Mentha piperita)
- Spearmint
- Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
- Chickweed
- stinging nettles (not nettle – that increases milk supply)
- Yarrow
- Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)
- Lemon Balm
- Oregano
- Periwinkle Herb (Vinca minor)
- Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
- Sudafed
- Birth Control
**About oats
For years I was afraid of all grains, in part because of the fear-mongering around phytic acid being anti-nutrients that deplete your body of other nutrients and cause gut irritation. The fact is, nearly all foods – including vegetables which science shows time and time again prevent against nearly all disease – have this property. But most of our bodies have adapted to optimize digestion from plant matter since the early Hunger Gatherer days.
Oats in particular are loved by the “friends” that live in our digestive tract, they’re a microbiome superfood. I find my body and digestion feel better when I incorporate high quality oats. I use and recommend gluten-free and glyphosate-free One Degree brand (can be found at Costco, Thrive Market, and Amazon).
Whole grains in particular are also thought to have properties that support the hormones responsible for making breast milk. So, eating oats in and of itself may increase your breast milk supply.
Want a grain-free option? Our original Grain-Free Lactation Cookie post with two instructional videos is one of our most popular on the blog!
It’s all optional
But all of these add-ins are completely optional. The base is just that – a perfect base for whatever cookies that are your favorite. We highly encourage playing with flavors and add-ins to figure out what you like best. We hope you love it as much as us! In the winter we made these with white chocolate chips, macadamia nuts, cranberries and orange zest for a holiday treat. I also would love to try these with dried blueberries, slivered almonds, and lemon zest. The options are endless!
Ingredients
- 1 cup ghee** or whipped coconut oil, softened (room temperature)
- 1 cup granulated maple or light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 2 cups cassava flour (we use Otto's brand)
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats (we use One Degree brand)
- 1/2 C flax meal (we used a coffee grinder on flax seeds)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips or chunks
- 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 cup chopped nuts, walnuts or macadamia recommended
- 1/2 C fresh medjool dates, chopped
- Flake sea salt, for topping
- Optional: 2 Tbsp anise seed, ground (we used a coffee grinder on whole seeds, NOT star anise)
- Optional: 2 tsp Fenugreek ground or powder from capsules*
- Optional: 5 tablespoons brewers yeast*
Instructions
- Whisk together syrup, sugar, and ghee/oil.
- Add eggs and whisk in one at a time.
- Add vanilla (as well as anise, fenugreek, and brewer's yeast if using).
- In separate bowl, combine flour, oats, flax, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon.
- Slowly add dry ingredients to wet as you beat or mix to combine.
- Fold in nuts, coconut, chocolate and dates (or your add-ins of choice).
- Spoon one heaping tablespoon of batter onto lined cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes until top just starts to brown, will take longer if cookies are larger.
Notes
We do not recommend greasing the pan, it will have them spread out too much. If you want a thicker cookie, use more dough per cookie (about 2 tablespoon works), and chill for 15 minutes before baking.
*Please note, these are all known to increase milk supply - but if you don't like the taste leave out which ones bother you. The goal is simply to eat! New moms need more calories to build a strong milk supply. If trying to increase supply, my recommendation would be to try these cookies while drinking Mother’s Milk and Red Raspberry tea as often as you possibly can (3-4 cups of each per day is what I would drink).
**We recommend ghee because it is dairy-free. Some babies are sensitive to dairy in mom's milk, so this will reduce the likelihood for upset tummy in babe. Same with the chocolate, there are many brands available that are dairy-free (Equal Exchange are our favorites, we also use Hu Gems, Enjoylife, and store brands like Trader Joe's)
Makes a whopping 36-48 cookies. They freeze well if you don’t need that many, but it’s the perfect gift for a new mom who will want something she can easily grab and eat for caloric density with healthy Omega 3s and plant-based nutrient superfoods.
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