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Home » Increasing Milk Supply » Double Chocolate Lactation Brownies

Double Chocolate Lactation Brownies

By Amanda Glenn, CLC. Last Updated November 11, 2021. Originally Posted December 10, 2020.

The Best Lactation Brownies

One of my friends recently had a baby, and when I brought her dinner last week, I thought it would be fun to make her some lactation brownies for dessert! Lactation brownies are mostly normal brownies with a few ingredients that are thought to increase milk supply for some women.

The idea is to maximize the ingredients that boost milk supply while still making brownies that taste delicious.

How to Make Delicious Lactation Brownies

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click through and make a purchase, I’ll be compensated at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I love! More info here.

This recipe is based off of one Sarah Biggins wrote as part of a cookbook named More Milk Please. The website that she sold the e-cookbook from is no longer active, so I can’t link to it, unfortunately. But I had made her version of the brownies four years ago, when I was breastfeeding baby #2, and they were freaking delicious, so I was excited to try them again.

How do these brownies increase milk supply?

These brownies have three ingredients that may increase milk supply – oats, flax seed, and brewer’s yeast.

I made the brewer’s yeast optional because it’s not super easy to find in a grocery store, and lots of people are looking for lactation recipes without brewer’s yeast.

(However, if you do want to include it, your best bet is to get it from Amazon, but that requires more organization and planning ahead than I have in me some days.)

Can you substitute rolled oats, old fashioned oats, or steel cut oats?

Rolled oats, old fashioned oats, and quick cooking oats will work fine.

Steel cut oats have a different texture and nutritional profile. If you try it, let me know how it goes!

Do lactation brownies really work?

Everyone is different, but my experience has been that I would get a small boost from them, similar to what you might get from drinking Mother’s Milk Tea or eating oatmeal for breakfast.

It’s not an earth-shattering change, but it’s a nice boost, and eating lactation brownies is way more fun that drinking tea or eating oatmeal!

Lactation Brownies Oatmeal Flax Seed

These were really good – my son loved them, so much so that I worried he might start lactating. Enjoy!

Lactation Brownies
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4.8 from 20 votes

Double Chocolate Lactation Brownies

Do you need to increase your milk supply? These lactation brownies have two galactagogues - oatmeal and flax seed - that can help boost your milk supply. Plus, chocolate!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword brownies, lactation
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Cooling 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 15 brownies
Calories 367kcal
Author Amanda Glenn, CLC

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter melted
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup ground flax seed soaked in 1/4 cup water for 10 minutes
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 tbsp brewer's yeast optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a large bowl, mix together butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and flax seed until combined.
  • Stir in flour, cocoa powder, salt, and brewer's yeast (if using).
  • Fold in chocolate chips and oatmeal.
  • Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan.
  • Bake for 20-23 minutes.
  • Share

Filed Under: Increasing Milk Supply

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Comments

  1. Vy says

    November 12, 2021 at 12:28 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for the recipe. My production is very low, that’s why I have made them. How much do I need to eat to see the results?

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn, CLC says

      November 13, 2021 at 5:22 pm

      Hi Vy! I would try for 1-2 brownies a day. good luck!

    • Vy says

      November 16, 2021 at 4:08 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you very much! It really works. I am not there yet, but I have more milk then before.

  2. Norine says

    October 14, 2021 at 8:43 pm

    5 stars
    If someone is allergic to flaxseeds can you skip those ? And what can you put in place for those like pumpkin seeds?or something ?

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn, CLC says

      October 17, 2021 at 7:55 pm

      Yes that’s fine!

  3. C Klym says

    October 2, 2021 at 6:14 pm

    Do I also add the water that the flax meal soaks in?

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn, CLC says

      October 3, 2021 at 3:51 pm

      Yes! 🙂

  4. Shey says

    September 25, 2021 at 11:01 pm

    5 stars
    Made it with 1cup brown sugar, half cup coconut sugar. 1/2 butter 1/2 olive oil, 2.5tbsp brewers yeast and unsweetened coco flakes.. 1/2cup semi sweet and 1/2 dark choco chips. I love how you can modify this recipe and still end up with perfect brownies!! My husband who doesn’t like brownies loved these! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  5. Snow says

    July 26, 2021 at 3:31 am

    5 stars
    Thanks for the recipe!
    I just made a batch & it’s great! It’s so easy – a newbie like me could follow.
    Reduced the sugar by a bit – 2/3 cup sugar
    1/2 cup granulated stevia.
    Used half semi sweet choc chips & half bittersweet couverture droplets.
    Used a non-stick baking tray & baked for 20+2mins @ 180°C.

    Reply
  6. Reese says

    March 24, 2021 at 12:03 am

    5 stars
    These are awesome. I did make a few changes to my own taste. I added a bit of coffee to soak the flax and added a banana. I used vegan butter and omited the eggs. I also upped the brewer’s yeast to 2 tbsp.

    They need to bake an extra 20 minutes in my oven but turned out wonderful. I think the glass pan makes this recipe need extra time.

    Reply
  7. Sheri says

    February 13, 2021 at 10:49 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve made these a couple of times now and used whole wheat flour, 1/2 coconut or olive oil, and date paste instead of sugar. I also added in squash or zucchini. They’re delicious. I’m not sure if they help with my supply or not, but I’m sure they boost the nutritional content!

    Reply
  8. Genevieve says

    January 28, 2021 at 11:54 am

    Do anybody know how many calories a piece?

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn, CLC says

      January 28, 2021 at 7:37 pm

      It’s in the recipe card! 🙂 367

  9. Laura says

    January 6, 2021 at 11:02 pm

    5 stars
    Good base recipe, though I made a few changes to the – coconut sugar instead of regular, used ‘flax eggs’ in place of eggs and upped the Brewers yeast to 1/4 cup to increase galactogogues. And I baked them as cookies instead since people seemed to have trouble baking them all the way through. Super tasty!

    Reply
    • Robyn Douglas says

      April 22, 2021 at 2:02 pm

      5 stars
      How long did you bake them as cookies? My batter is quite thick, so I was contemplating cookies instead.

  10. Caitlin says

    November 29, 2020 at 6:12 pm

    5 stars
    I used a glass pan 3 times now and they turned out GREAT!!!! The key is to bake for 40 minutes instead of 20 but with the extra time they were still fudgy and delicious!!! Even my husband and son like them!

    Reply
  11. Cari says

    September 14, 2020 at 5:46 pm

    4 stars
    I just made these and they turned out pretty good. I didn’t use any brewers yeast because I didn’t have any. I also swirled in some peanut butter. I used a glass pan and after 25 minutes they were still not copked through. I did 10 more then 5 more and they wound up overcooked and a little dry. So next time I will just do the additional 10 minutes. Also thinking sbout grinding up the oats a bit. Good taste though. Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
  12. Kaitlyn Stokes says

    August 24, 2020 at 8:39 am

    is it better to make the dough & freeze it? or bake the brownies first, then freeze them?

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn, CLC says

      August 24, 2020 at 5:59 pm

      I would freeze the dough, then make them!

  13. Hana says

    May 25, 2020 at 6:50 pm

    Can I use self-raising flour for this recipe? And omit the chocolate chips out for chopped almonds?

    Reply
  14. Shobanu Scarlott says

    May 17, 2020 at 4:23 am

    5 stars
    Thank you for this recipe! I made this for my sister who recently gave birth. There was a boost in her milk flow.

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      May 17, 2020 at 9:53 am

      Yay! So glad to hear it! Thank you so much!

  15. Nat says

    May 15, 2020 at 2:01 am

    5 stars
    Thank you for the recipe. I made these once and they turned out great! Was wondering what I can substitute to make it completely vegan for a friend. Any thoughts?

    Reply
    • Katie says

      August 24, 2020 at 1:51 pm

      You could try using vegan butter (earth balance makes great butter) — I’m a dairy free mama and I substitute vegan butter a lot

  16. Meredith says

    April 4, 2020 at 5:16 pm

    5 stars
    These brownies are SO good!!! I added brewer’s yeast and shredded coconut to the brownies. Thank you for a great recipe! Hoping to see a boost in my supply soon 🙂

    Also, these are fudgy brownies. So, be sure to let the brownies set and chill in the fridge 🙂

    Reply
    • Amy says

      April 25, 2020 at 6:50 pm

      Did you change anything when adding those ingredients?

  17. Lori says

    March 31, 2020 at 6:06 pm

    3 stars
    I used a glass pan and these brownies WILL NOT SOLIDIFY!!! They are in the oven for the 4th time . Baked according to recipe, then another 5 minutes, another 10 minutes , and were still raw 1” from the edge. Flavor is great but need to use a smaller pan for sure. Thought I could salvage them by using a spatula and transferring to another pan and it’s a huge mess. Bad thing is I made them for a new Mom and she is expecting them tonight. Plus we are sheltering in place because of Covid-19 and I can’t go buy more ingredients.

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      March 31, 2020 at 7:17 pm

      Sorry they didn’t work out Lori!

  18. Sarah says

    March 28, 2020 at 4:36 pm

    Dairy and chocolate free version. I subbed the butter for coconut oil, the cocopowder for 1 extra cup flour, and instead of chocolate chips I did blue berries and cinnamon. Can’t wait for them to be done baking!

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      March 29, 2020 at 4:56 pm

      Thanks so much for this Sarah!

    • Nat says

      May 15, 2020 at 1:51 am

      This sounds delicious ! Did it work out ok?

  19. Alexus says

    January 14, 2020 at 1:49 pm

    4 stars
    What type of pan would you recommend? I used a glass pan, but it seems like it’s taking so much longer to cook the middle all of the way. Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      January 14, 2020 at 2:39 pm

      I used a non stick pan! Thank you for the rating!

  20. Meghan says

    January 5, 2020 at 4:34 pm

    What if I can’t find ground flaxseed at my grocery store? Can I grind it myself ??

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      January 5, 2020 at 8:12 pm

      Yes that will work!

  21. Mika says

    December 22, 2019 at 5:28 pm

    Reduced the sugar by 1/4 cup and added a tablespoon of brewers yeast. Best lactation brownies ever!

    Reply
    • Shumaila says

      December 29, 2019 at 7:24 am

      So you did 1 and 3/4 cups? Trying to make it with pure cane sugar

  22. Val says

    September 5, 2019 at 10:11 am

    Hi, I was wondering if you have ever experimented with using coconut milk to soak the flax in?

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      September 5, 2019 at 7:12 pm

      I haven’t! But I would love to hear how it works if you try it!

  23. JG says

    July 29, 2019 at 9:44 pm

    5 stars
    These are so good!!! I added some shredded coconut since I had a bag that I wanted to use up. I made them for my sister too who just had a baby. We told our husbands they would make them lactate since we want to eat them all 😂

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      July 30, 2019 at 8:55 am

      HAHAHA! Thank you so much!!!

  24. Amanda G says

    July 18, 2019 at 7:25 pm

    I am dairy free, so I used vegan buttery sticks (1 cup). I also substituted 1/2 cup stevia for sugar and reduced the cook time to 19 minutes. (Could just be my oven). I’ve made them 3 times now, they turn out great!

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      July 18, 2019 at 8:44 pm

      So glad you liked them!

  25. Nimrah Khan says

    July 14, 2019 at 2:32 pm

    How long is this good for befor it starts to go bad? Really excited to try these!!!! Thank you

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      July 14, 2019 at 9:12 pm

      I hope you like them! My family probably ate out of the pan for at least 3 days? At least that many should be fine!

  26. wonderwomuuum says

    July 5, 2019 at 4:08 am

    Hi. Is this recipe rising on its own cos you haven’t used baking powder/soda? Thanks a lot!

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      July 6, 2019 at 5:21 pm

      Yes! 🙂

  27. Arnulfo Lopez says

    May 25, 2019 at 7:46 pm

    Made these for my wife and she and I love them lol her milk supply had lowered but seems like it is getting better. Just one question how many brownies should she eat a day?

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      May 25, 2019 at 9:23 pm

      Yay! I would do 2-3 a day if you can! 🙂

  28. Icela says

    May 6, 2019 at 7:02 am

    Can u freeze these?

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      May 6, 2019 at 8:48 am

      I would follow these steps!
      https://www.chsugar.com/baking-tips-how-tos/how-to-make-perfect-brownies/cutting-and-storing-brownies

  29. Angelee says

    April 25, 2019 at 9:25 am

    Can i use quick cooking oats instead of old fashioned? And will it be the same measurement?

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      April 25, 2019 at 3:34 pm

      I haven’t tried quick cooking in this recipe but I think it will be fine, and yes, use the same measurement. Let me know how it goes!

  30. Nurul says

    January 31, 2019 at 7:57 pm

    How much flaxseed should i put if i would like to add brewer’s yeast?

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      February 1, 2019 at 8:03 am

      Hi! The original recipe called for 2 tbsp flax seed and 2 tbsp brewer’s yeast, so I would do that! 🙂

    • Angelee says

      April 26, 2019 at 2:51 pm

      hey amanda,i so love your recipe.i used the quick cooking btw since that’s what i have here 🙂 my partner and kids loves it to. . thank you for sharing this 🤗🤗

    • Amanda Glenn says

      April 26, 2019 at 6:30 pm

      Thank you so much Angelee!

  31. Shana says

    January 29, 2019 at 5:40 pm

    Can I use cacao powder instead of cocoa powder?

    Reply
  32. Nakisha says

    January 24, 2019 at 4:41 pm

    All purpose or self rising flour?

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      January 25, 2019 at 8:46 am

      All purpose! 🙂

  33. Michelle says

    January 23, 2019 at 7:10 pm

    Can you use steel cut oats vs old fashioned?

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      January 23, 2019 at 7:51 pm

      Hi Michelle! I have not tried this. I have both steel cut and old-fashioned oats at home, and I just checked the nutritional info to see how they compare. The steel cut seem to be more dense – 1/4 cup is 150 calories versus 1/2 cup of old fashioned. So I’m guessing the proportions would be wrong – sorry!

  34. Mary says

    December 29, 2018 at 11:19 am

    Do you strain the flax seed out? Or add the water and flax seed into the mixture. Asking because I’d love to make these 🙂

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      December 29, 2018 at 3:47 pm

      It absorbs it, so no need to strain! 🙂

  35. Joanna says

    December 28, 2018 at 12:27 pm

    5 stars
    I just made some and they’re oh sooo good! Thanks for sharing this recipe. 😍

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      December 29, 2018 at 3:49 pm

      Yay, thanks!

  36. izzy says

    October 23, 2018 at 8:31 am

    350 deg celcius?

    Reply
    • Amanda Glenn says

      October 23, 2018 at 6:25 pm

      Fahrenheit! 🙂

  37. Beth R. says

    September 24, 2018 at 5:48 pm

    5 stars
    I swapped whole wheat flour and used 1/2 coconut oil and 1/2 butter and these are the BEST brownies I’ve ever had!! So fudgey and amazing plus give me a milk boost. Score!! I did add the brewers yeast too. I’ve made these 3x already!

    Reply
    • Tiffany says

      May 20, 2019 at 1:03 pm

      Me too I did the same thing you did the brownies are amazing

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Amanda

Hi! I’m Amanda. I'm a Certified Lactation Counselor® and an experienced exclusive pumper. My goal is to help make exclusively pumping as easy as possible for you, so that you can enjoy your baby! This website is for educational purposes and should not be considered medical advice. Read More

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