Lactation Recipes Archives - We're Parents (2024)

This Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Lactation Boosting Milkshake is the most delicious, easy lactation recipe that you need! Drink one everyday!

I set a goal for 6 weeks.

Watch how to make this chocolate lactation smoothie:

Do Lactation Recipes Work?

One of the things I hear most from friends who reach out to me about breastfeeding is that they are scared they won’t produce enough milk. And my answer is always, “it’s very rare that a mom actually have production issues, however, you can take precautions and be proactive in helping your supply.” I’ve been working to create some great, easy recipes to share so moms have great options when they need them.

So how can this recipe help with lactation?

Oats and Flax are known help boost milk production, while the peanut butter is a great protein to make sure you are getting the calories you need while satisfying your hunger since you are probably stuck on a couch nursing a baby.

**Note: If you are truly concerned about your milk production, please reach out to an IBCLC and/or your local La Leche League. You can also read our post about Lactation Boosting Foods to increase your milk supply.

What ingredients are in a chocolate peanut butter banana lactation milkshake?

The ingredients sound pretty straights forward. Of course you need:

• cocoa powder
• peanut butter
• and frozen banana

But you will also need:

• rolled oats (old fashioned)
• ground flaxseed
• milk (dairy free if needed)
• ice to make it thicker

That’s it, just 7 ingredients for this easy and delicious recipe

Do I have to be lactating to enjoy this milkshake?

I get this question a lot when some moms see this post shared in a Facebook group or on Instagram. They love the combo, but they either didn’t or are no longer nursing. The good news ….No! You don’t.

If you look at the ingredient list, there is nothing in there that the average person couldn’t enjoy. It just so happens that the combination of ingredients seem to help lactating mothers.

In fact, Andrew has drank this milkshake on more than a few occasions. I’ve had it not breastfeeding. And it’s a great one to give to your little ones, since it’s all natural ingredients. Even though there’s a little bit of chocolate, it’s natural cocoa powder and we don’t use any added sweeteners.

What oats are best for lactation?

We prefer old fashioned rolled oats over quick oats. While both are whole grains and the same product, old fashioned oats have not been processed, thus are more in their true form.

You can definitely use quick oats if you have them on hand and do not have old fashioned oats, but we do prefer the later.

Also, it’s important to note that you should not use instant oats in this recipe. They will soak up the milk too quickly and you will end up with something more like overnight oats (delicious, but not what you want for this recipe).

The tips above will help ensure that you are able to create a Top 8 Allergen Free lactation smoothie if that is something that you need.

What are other lactation recipes that I should try?

Once you try this delicious lactation smoothie, we are sure that you are going to be looking for other delicious recipes to try! Good news, is that we have a few that are too die for. Some, maybe even better than this recipe (is that even possible!?) Here’s some ideas:

• Lactation Energy Bites
• Peanut Butter Apple Pie Lactation Smoothie
• No Bake Lactation Bars
• Strawberry Coconut Cashew Lactation Smoothie
• Delicious Lactation Cookies

We hope that you love these recipes!

**The pictures below were the original pictures for thisChocolate Peanut Butter Banana Lactation Boosting Milkshake which you may have seen floating around Pinterest. It’s the same recipe, we’ve just gotten a lot better at photography!

Originallypublish May 2014. Updated 3/31/2017 and again on 5/6/2019.

Lactation Energy Bites are the go to recipe for breastfeeding moms. They are no bake cookie balls that are easy to make, just 6 ingredients, super flavorful and beneficial. These no bake lactation bites can be made Top 8 Allergy Friendly and vegan if needed.

My own breastfeeding journey, had plenty of ups and downs. There’s lots of things that may have you questioning your supply. Before you continue reading, if you are a new mom or here because you think you have low supply, I encourage you to read 50+ Breastfeeding Myths Busted.

Watch how to make lactation energy bites:

Almost a year and a half into my first breastfeeding dyad, I heard about lactation cookies. It seemed like ever since I first heard about them, I learned about so many other different types of lactation products– like bread, smoothies, and even energy bites. I wish I would have known about these when we were early on in our nursing relationship and I was constantly looking for something to pop in my mouth. I first learned about these from theBreast is Best Facebook page.They are my go to recipe for myself and other new moms!

Funny story about the first time I made lactation energy bites

The funniest story happened the first time I ever made these no bake lactation bites . Andrew came home and I was still working on dinner. He was hungry and opened the fridge and saw the bites and popped one in his mouth. He then asked what they were and I simply said “Lactation Energy Bites”. His face was priceless and he ran to the trash can. “Why didn’t you tell me your milk was in them?”, he shouted! I couldn’t stop laughing as I tried to tell him there wasn’t breast milk in them. Lactation energy bites are supposed to HELP with milk production. It was hysterical.

What ingredients do you need for a lactation energy bites recipe?

These no bake lactation bites are seriously one of the easiest recipes you will ever make in your entire life. You just need six total ingredients for this super easy lactation bites recipe. The ingredients that you need to make this recipe are:

• old fashioned oats
• chocolate chips
• creamy peanut butter
• ground flaxseed
• raw honey
• vanilla

Those are the only ingredients you need to make this delicious lactation energy bites recipe!

How can I make these lactation energy bites recipe Top 8 Allergy friendly?

Sometimes moms have their own food allergies, and other times, breastfeeding causes moms to have to do some sort of elimination diet. Luckily, we can help with those allergies too! In order to make these lactation energy bites Top 8 Allergy free, you are going to want to make a few changes.

First, ensure that the old fashioned oats that you are using are gluten free. While oats themselves are gluten free, sometimes companies list cross contamination with gluten on their labels. Make sure that you have a safe oat brand.

Next, pick a chocolate chip like Enjoy life in your recipe. Enjoy life chips are soy and dairy free (and all other Top 8+ allergens).

Lastly, swap the creamy peanut butter for sunbutter. It acts the same and it will taste different than our original recipe was written, but it will ensure that these lactation energy bites recipe is Top 8 Allergen friendly.

Of course, if you only have one of these allergies, you can always make the swap that you need.

Can I make these lactation energy bites recipe vegan?

Of course, you can make these vegan no bake lactation bites! In order to do that you’ll again want to pick a chocolate chip like Enjoy Life in the recipe to ensure there’s no dairy in your chocolate. Next, you can switch out the honey for the same amount of agave. With those two simple swaps, you will make these vegan lactation bites!

How do you make these lactation energy bites?

Once you have the ingredients that you are going to use to make these lactation energy bites, you need to grab a large bowl. Simply add all the ingredients into the bowl and combine really well.

Next, form into balls and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Finally, put them into the fridge to set up (about 2-3 hours) and then grab and go! That’s it! Told you, easy peasy!

Can you freeze these lactation energy bites?

You absolutely can freeze these no bake lactation bites. In order to do so, make the recipe according to the instructions. Once you have the balls made, place them on a wax lined baking sheet instead of parchment paper. Place in the freezer for 2 hours. Once the time is up, you can place the balls into an air tighter container or ziploc bag. Leave in the fridge for as long as you need them (up to 3 months). Remove desired amount from freezer and allow to thaw before consuming.

Do you have to be lactating to eat these no bake lactation bites?

I get these question often and the answer is 100% no. In fact, my children and even Andrew (now that he knows my breastmilk isn’t in them) enjoys them every time that I make them. There’s no ingredients in these that isn’t safe for anyone. It’s just that the ingredients combined together, just happen to be great for lactating mothers.

One important note though, children under 1 shouldn’t consumer honey for risk of botulism. If you have a child under one that you would like to give these to, please follow the directions above for making these vegan.

What are other lactation recipes that are good for milk production?

You may be looking for other lactation boosting recipes in addition to these lactation energy bites. Our favorite recipes are:

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Lactation Milkshake
• Strawberry Coconut Cashew Lactation Smoothie
• No Bake Lactation Protein Bars
• Peanut Butter Apple Pie Lactation Smoothie

You may also be interested in these other lactation boosting recipes!

Pin these Lactation Energy Bites for later:

You might also like our Chocolate PB Banana Lactation Smoothie

or our Peanut ButterApple Pie Lactation Smoothie.

This lactation energy bites recipe was only published on 3/18/2014. Then updated on 2/23/2018 and again on 2/20/2019.

We’ve updated the pictures in this post. Original pictures below.

Breastfeeding is hard work! Check out these 15 Lactation Recipes to ensure you are getting enough healthy calories to help with breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding, especially your first time, can be a very intimidating. For starters, your body just went through a very traumatic experience. You are sore, tired, and very emotional. Add to that, you now have this very tiny human that didn’t come with an instruction manual and you aren’t quite sure what to do. Breastfeeding is a great place to start.

Breastfeeding a newborn is a very natural instinct that mothers have. You naturally want to place baby to your breast immediately after being born. Also, babies intuitively root around until they get to the breast after being born. It’s one of the most natural biological practices you can ever feel or witness.

For almost all mothers though, breastfeeding isn’t easy. We question our bodies. Are we producing enough? Is baby transferring enough? There are so many breastfeeding myths out there that set us up for failure. I’m here to tell you to stop doing that. Trust your body!

Do Lactation Recipes Work?

Now, for a variety of reasons you may be interested in trying out some lactation recipes. I would encourage you if you truly think you have a lactation issue to first seek out a lactation consultant (not a pediatrician or a general physician).

For many mothers, adding lactation recipes into their diets work to help with caloric intake and consuming lactation foods that are known to produce more milk. However, it’s important to know whether there’s a true medical reason or if you just need a diet change. Some women prefer to eat more lactation recipes on days that they know their kids are going through a leap or if the month is getting her menstrual cycle.

The short answer is yes, lactation recipes will work to increase supply. The longer answer has to deal with it’s more of a healthy, fattier caloric intake that is causing the boost rather than specific ingredients.

What Ingredients Should I Have for Lactation Recipes?

There are so many lactation increasing ingredientsaround that you may not even realize it. However, I would definitely recommend that you keepground flax seed, brewer’s yeast, and old fashioned oatson handahead of time. Most of the lactation boosting foods recipes that we share here contain those three things the most. Because of this you don’t want to get caught off guard, ready to make the recipe and then not be able to because you’re missing simple ingredient.

I Don’t Have Time to Make Lactation Recipes? Now what?

Good new! You don’t technically have too make your own lactation foods. I would highly recommend that you at least try one (or all of them) at some point in your nursing journey. There’s just something about being able to make your own recipes with your own ingredients and the ability to control the contents of the lactation recipes.

The good news is that you don’t technically have to make them yourself. If you are short on time or battling postpartum depression, you may just literally not be up to it.

You can check out the following brands and see if they would for you:

• Milkmakers Lactation Cookies
• Mother’s Milk Tea
• Happy Mama Lactation Oat Bars

Delicious Lactation Foods Recipes

Whether you are looking for a lactation cookies recipe or a lactation smoothie recipe, or even milkshake, we have you covered. Our list includes some of the best lactation recipes on the internet. We are sure that you will find one (or 15) that you absolutely love!

Pin these 15 Lactation Boosting Foods Recipes for later!

*This post was originally published on 3/20/2015

This Peanut Butter Apple Pie Lactation Smoothie Recipe not only tastes good, but works to help get the calories needed in a simple lactation boosting recipe.

Watch us make this Peanut Butter Apple Pie Smoothie Recipe

Pin this Peanut Butter Apple Pie Lactation Recipe for later!

*The pictures below were the original pictures for thisPeanut Butter Apple Pie Lactation Recipe which you may have seen floating around Pinterest. It’s the same recipe, we’ve just gotten a lot better at photography!

You’ve asked and begged. You’ve even pleaded. It’s finally here.

A BRAND NEW LACTATION SMOOTHIE RECIPE.

Breastfeeding.

It’s one of the hardest things I’ve done. Yet, it’s also one of, if not the, most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. You’re nourishing an actual human being and that’s no small feat. Whether you breastfeed for 5 days or 5 years, you helped to give that little one the best gift ever. Part of making sure you are nourishing another human being is making sure that you are nourishing yourself as well.

I know we’re all busy, especially once another little person enters into the world. Furthermore, if this isn’t your first littler person, you’re even busier. Sometimes we literally just forget to eat. But I’m going to have you make me a promise today. You will eat breakfast every morning. Deal? Deal! Good. HA!

Now that we’ve made that commitment, let’s get to out strawberry coconut cashew lactation smoothie.

As with any of our lactation recipes, I’m going to put that disclaimer that you really need to get to the underlying issue if you think you have low supply. It’s very unlikely that you have a low supply or you aren’t producing enough to nourish your child adequately. However, there are a small percent of people who do. What we like to promote with our lactation recipes is that these recipes are providing you with the calories, protein, and healthy fats that you need to maintain a healthy supply.

This lactation smoothie is delish. If you’ve never had the strawberry, coconut, and cashew flavor combination, you are totally missing out!

Without further ado, here’s the recipe you’ve been waiting for since forever!

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Here’s some products you might be interested in!

This easy no bake lactation protein bar recipe is jammed packed with all the healthy ingredients you need postpartum. Grab and go with this easy lactation boosting recipe!

Going from one to two kids was the hardest thing I’ve had to do as a parent up to this point. A very demanding toddler who begged for the attention she deserved because she never had to share mommy before paired with a tiny newborn who needed me for literally everything naturally, lead to an exhausted mama trying to figure it all out.

Self-care typically goes completely out the window in cases like these. And I’ll admit that my hair didn’t get brushed every day, I didn’t take a shower every day, the toddler may have watched more TV than I care to admit, but life had to continue. SinceI was tandem breastfeeding, I had to make sure I was consuming enough calories, nutrients, andhealthy fats so that I had enough energy and milk to feed our girls.

Why do you need lactation recipes?

I needed healthy snacks that were easy to make, easy to grab, and I would be able to eat with one hand. KIND bars were perfect, but they are expensive and since we are on a budget, I needed something cheaper. I looked at the ingredients and decided I could make them myself. We’ve been making these for over a year now and they are so amazing. Not only do I still eat them myself, but Andrew loves them for right before the gym because they are packed with protein and I love giving them to our toddler, Skibbles, especially after she’s been sick and I want to get some extra nutrition into her.

Since there are no fillers or preservatives in this they are a bit more crumbly, but it’s all delicious which is really the only thing that matters! We hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

Other Lactation Recipes You Might Be Interested In