No bake Lactation Bites (one bowl!)

If you’ve really been wanting to make lactation cookies but know you’re going to forget about them in the oven, these No bake Lactation Bites are for you! They’re dairy free, vegan friendly and wheat free.

Is it too “mumsy” that my first recipe back after having my babies is for No bake Lactation Bites? Readers without a need to breastfeed, please know that normal content is resuming soon. I’ve got a list of regular recipes to put on the blog as long as my arm; it’s just about getting the time to set up my photography equipment to document everything when the light is good.

My No bake Lactation Bites try to incorporate as many traditional galactogues as possible – along with a delicious dose of creamy peanut butter and a little honey for energy and sweetness. (You can also use brown rice syrup / rice malt syrup instead of honey to make these completely strictly vegan if you do not want to use any animal products).

What is a galactogogue?

A galactogogue is a substance that enhances/stimulates breast milk production. Now, in the spirit of evidence-based medicine, of which I am a huge advocate, I need to state upfront that most substances traditionally thought of as a galactogogue don’t seem to really have any scientific evidence backing them up. From what I have found, it’s mainly through anecdotal evidence that galactagogues have earned their reputation.

That said, there seem to be a tremendous amount of women who swear by various galactogogues, and since breastfeeding is definitely a time to embrace the #snacklife, why shouldn’t I roll them into something delicious and enjoy them?

In these No bake Lactation Bites, you are going to find the following traditional galactogogues:

• Oats (actually one of the only milk-stimulating foods I found a minor amount of research on; there appear to have been animal and in vitro studies that showed the beta-glucan found in oats may increase prolactin levels, which is the hormone that stimulates breast milk);
• Flaxseed (also known as linseed); and
• Brewers Yeast (a yeast collected traditionally from the process of brewing beer though it can also be grown on its own; it’s got a weird kind of salty, bitter flavour so it’s best used mixed with other things).

You’ll also find some peanut butter, shredded coconut, honey (or rice malt syrup) and a bit of protein powder (or almond meal or oat flour, it’s flexible!) in there to create a delicious snack that’s ready to love you at 10am, 10pm or 2am – whenever those hunger pangs hit. I think the consistency is kind of like cookie dough, and they’re nice and sweet tasting, too.

As the recipe name promises, these are NO BAKE lactation bites, meaning you just mix the ingredients all together and then roll into balls and pop in the fridge. No food processor required either (I modelled this recipe off my original No Food Processor Protein Balls Recipe). It’s really easy, I promise. Please let me know if you try them – whether you’re breastfeeding or not, I think these are pretty delicious (you can tag me on Instagram @nourish_everyday ). I’d also love to hear about any of your experiences with galactagogues, so let me know!