I’m about three weeks postpartum with Baby #3 and, as I’ve discussed before, I am once again exclusively pumping. If you’ve ever attempted to breastfeed, you’ve probably heard of (or perhaps even tried) lactation cookies to boost your milk supply. These magical concoctions combine one or more “galactagogues” — foods that can potentially increase breast milk production. Some of the most popular galactagogue ingredients in lactation recipes are oats, flax seeds, and brewer’s yeast.
While many people swear by lactation recipes, there’s only limited scientific evidence that actually supports a notable boost in breast milk production. That said, I personally don’t think it hurts my supply at all — plus, it’s an excuse to indulge a little! So I am pro-lactation treats (if they taste good!).
I’ve tried several lactation treat recipes over the years and they’ve pretty much all left me wanting. Either the texture is off or the flavor just isn’t quite right… sometimes both. So I set out to tweak some of my favorite recipes into lactation versions that met my palate’s expectations. These brownies were my first “win” — they’re so good, no one would even suspect that they’re lactation brownies! (And since it’s come up before: anyone, including men and kiddos, can enjoy them without worrying they’ll start lactating, too!)
Seriously, y’all. These brownies are based on a Baker’s Chocolate recipe and are absolutely delish. If you’ve got a breastfeeding mama in your life, make her a batch of these and make her day!
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Lactation Brownies
For the Brownie Layer:
1/4 cup ground flax seeds (NOT whole flax seeds, also called flax seed meal)
1/4 water
1 4-ounce bar unsweetened baking chocolate, broken into pieces
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups quick-cooking oats (dry, uncooked oats)
1 tablespoon brewer’s yeast, optional
For the Peanut Butter Cheesecake Layer:
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a 13×9 pan with foil and spray generously with cooking spray. This step is VERY important in order to get the brownies out of the pan intact, so don’t skip it!
In a small bowl, combine the flax seeds and the water and mix well. Set aside.
In a high-powered blender or food processor, blend your oats until they are the consistency of flour.
In a large microwaveable bowl, melt the butter and chocolate on HIGH in 1-minute intervals and stir until the chocolate is completely melted.
Add in the 2 cups of sugar and mix well. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the flax seed/water mixture. Add the oats and brewer’s yeast and mix well.
Pour into prepared pan.
In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese, peanut butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 egg until uniform. Drop spoonfuls over brownie batter and swirl gently with a butter knife.
Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the knife inserted in the center comes out with fudgy crumbs but not batter.
Cool completely in the pan. Once brownies are completely cooled, lift the foil and brownies out of the pan and slice them into squares. Brownies may fall apart if they’re not completely cool prior to cutting.
Enjoy!
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