Boobie Biscuits Recipe:  lactation cookies I bake for every new mum

Hi, I’m Ella, your Aussie home cook and snack–obsessed new mum friend. If you have a hungry bub, a busy household and a craving for something sweet that also feels purposeful, you’re in the right place. Today I’m sharing my boobie biscuits recipe, the one I perfected during endless nap windows and 2 am feeds.

These are soft in the middle, a little crisp on the edges and packed with oats, flax and brewer’s yeast. They taste like a proper treat, store beautifully in the freezer and are easy enough to mix while the kettle boils.

Before we start, a gentle note from one mum to another. Cookies alone cannot fix supply. Every body is different and breastfeeding questions deserve personalised support. Feed or pump often, rest where you can, drink water and talk to your health professional or a lactation consultant if you have concerns. This boobie biscuits recipe sits alongside those foundations. It offers a nourishing, morale–lifting snack for long days and longer nights, with ingredients many parents find helpful.

I first baked these for my sister after her little boy arrived during a heatwave in Brisbane. Our kitchen looked like a cereal aisle had exploded, I was in thongs and a messy bun, and the timer kept competing with newborn squeaks. When she sent a photo of herself, baby snoozing and crumbs on her shirt, she wrote, “These taste like a hug.” That is exactly the energy I want for you from this boobie biscuits recipe.

What are boobie biscuits

Boobie biscuits, also known as lactation cookies, are classic Aussie biscuits or Australian cookies baked with a few ingredients that are traditionally linked to supporting milk supply. The big three you’ll see again and again are rolled oats, flaxseed meal and brewer’s yeast. They sit in a buttery, lightly spiced biscuit dough with chocolate chips or dried fruit for joy. My boobie biscuits recipe keeps sugar modest, relies on pantry staples and bakes up into sturdy little cookies that travel well in nappy bags.

Some families call them lactation biscuits recipe or lactation cookies recipe. Call them what you like. I call them permission to pause for five minutes, put the kettle on and eat something delicious with one hand.

Why these ingredients are used

Let’s talk through the most common mix–ins you’ll find in any recipe for boobie biscuit and how I use them.

Rolled oats

Oats bring fibre, slow–release carbs and a cosy flavour that makes biscuits taste homey. They are the backbone of this boobie biscuits recipe and give each cookie a tender, chewy bite.

Flaxseed meal

Ground flaxseed adds plant omega–3s and soluble fibre. It soaks up moisture and gives the dough a slightly nubbly texture that I love. It also helps the cookies hold together well if you make the dairy free or egg free variations.

Brewer’s yeast

This is the slightly malty secret behind the classic lactation cookies taste. Use brewer’s yeast made for cooking, not active baking yeast. A little goes a long way. I balance it with vanilla and brown sugar so the flavour is round and pleasant, never bitter.

Almonds and seeds

I often fold in finely chopped almonds or pepitas for healthy fats and crunch. If you need a nut free lunchbox version, skip the nuts and use sunflower seeds and extra pepitas. This boobie biscuits recipe works either way.

Chocolate or fruit

I am firmly pro chocolate chip in a lactation cookies recipe, because happiness matters. But I’ve included fruit options too, like chopped dates or apricots, that taste very Australian and feel a touch more wholesome.

Evidence on galactagogues is mixed, and that’s okay. I like to be honest about that. Think of this boobie biscuits recipe as a nourishing snack with ingredients many mums enjoy during breastfeeding, not a magic pill.

Pantry and equipment

You will need a large mixing bowl, a whisk or wooden spoon, a baking tray and baking paper. A hand mixer makes fast work of creaming butter and sugar but isn’t essential. For measuring, I provide cups and grams. If you bake often, a small digital scale is brilliant. Scooping the dough with a tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop keeps your cookies the same size so they bake evenly. This boobie biscuits recipe yields about 28 standard cookies or 20 larger bakery–style ones.

Ella’s Boobie Biscuits Recipe

Ella’s Boobie Biscuits Recipe

Recipe by Ella McKenzieCourse: SnacksCuisine: AustralianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

28

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time per tray

12

minutes

Calories

140

kcal

Total time

35

minutes

A chewy, oaty lactation biscuits recipe that uses rolled oats, flaxseed meal and brewer’s yeast, finished with dark chocolate chips or dried fruit. Gentle sweetness, freezer friendly and perfect with a cuppa.

This boobie biscuits recipe was developed in my Aussie kitchen and is forgiving and flexible for tired parents.

Ingredients

• Dry ingredients

• 160 g plain flour or all–purpose flour 1 cup plus 2 tbsp

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp fine salt

• 30 g brewer’s yeast 3 tbsp

• 40 g flaxseed meal 1/3 cup

• 240 g rolled oats 2 2/3 cups

• Wet ingredients

• 150 g unsalted butter, softened 2/3 cup

• 100 g light brown sugar 1/2 cup packed

• 80 g caster sugar 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp

• 1 large egg at room temp

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 60 ml milk of choice 1/4 cup

• Add–ins, choose one or mix

• 150 g dark chocolate chips 1 cup

• or 150 g chopped dried apricots, dates or sultanas

• optional 70 g chopped almonds or pepitas 1/2 cup

• optional 2 tbsp desiccated coconut for a classic Aussie biscuits twist

• For dairy free

• Use 150 g coconut oil or plant butter and swap milk for oat or almond milk.

• For gluten free

• Use a good 1 to 1 gluten free baking flour and certified gluten free oats or quinoa flakes.

Directions

• Preheat and line. Heat oven to 170 C fan or 180 C conventional. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
• Whisk dry ingredients. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, brewer’s yeast, flaxseed meal and rolled oats. Set aside.
• Cream butter and sugars. In a large bowl beat the softened butter with the brown and caster sugars until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes by hand or 1 minute with a mixer.
• Add egg and vanilla. Beat in the egg until smooth. Mix in the vanilla.
• Bring dough together. Tip in the dry ingredients. Add the milk. Stir with a wooden spoon until no dry pockets remain. Fold in chocolate chips or your chosen fruit and any nuts or seeds. The dough should be thick and slightly sticky.
• Scoop and shape. Scoop heaped tablespoons of dough onto prepared trays, spacing 5 cm apart. Roll quickly into balls, then flatten gently with your fingertips to about 1.5 cm thick.
• Bake. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are set and just golden but the centres still look a touch soft. Do not overbake.
• Set and cool. Leave the biscuits on the tray for 5 minutes to firm up, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Warm cookies will be fragile but they will set as they cool.
• Enjoy and stash. Enjoy one fresh with a glass of milk or a hot tea. Freeze the rest for later. I often tuck three into a small freezer container for grab–and–go snack packs.

Notes

• Sweetness level. These are lightly sweet. If you prefer a sweeter biscuit, increase caster sugar by 2 tbsp.
  Texture. Flax and oats keep the cookies soft for days. If you love crunch, bake an extra minute or two until the edges deepen in colour.
  Brewer’s yeast. Use a brand made for cooking. If you are sensitive to the taste, reduce to 2 tbsp and add 1 extra tsp vanilla.
  Make it vegan. Use dairy free butter, plant milk and a flax egg 1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 2.5 tbsp water, rest 5 minutes.
  Pump and snack plan. I keep a small freezer bag of these next to my pump parts so I never forget to eat. Carbs plus fat equals steady energy on long days.
  Batch size. This boobie biscuits recipe doubles well. Bake in batches and rotate trays halfway for even colour.

Variations and playful twists

One of my favourite things about this boobie biscuits recipe is how easily it bends to your pantry and your cravings.

Breakfast boobie biscuits

Swap half the butter for peanut butter or almond butter and add 1 tbsp chia seeds. Throw in chopped dates. The result tastes like a breakfast cookie and keeps you full through a morning cluster feed.

Ginger apricot boost

Use chopped dried apricots, a handful of crystallised ginger and a pinch of ground ginger with the cinnamon. Very Australian, very nostalgic.

Coconut rough style

Stir in desiccated coconut and chopped dark chocolate. Sprinkle a little coconut on top before baking for texture.

Double chocolate

Replace 2 tbsp flour with cocoa powder and fold through white chocolate chips. My friend Mia swears the double chocolate version got her through a week of sleep regressions.

No egg

Use the flax egg method and increase milk by 1 tbsp. Bake 1 minute longer. The cookies stay tender and hold together well thanks to the oats.

Make ahead, store and freeze

Fresh dough can rest in the fridge for up to 48 hours. Scoop and bake straight from cold, adding 1 extra minute to the time. Baked biscuits keep in an airtight tin at room temperature for 4 days. For the freezer, cool completely, then pack into snap–lock bags or containers with baking paper between layers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the bench for 15 minutes or pop a frozen cookie in the microwave for 10 to 12 seconds. A warm cookie during a late feed is honestly heaven.

Troubleshooting and pro tips

• Cookies spread too much. The butter was too soft or you used quick oats. Chill the dough for 20 minutes or add 2 tbsp flour.
• Dry and crumbly. Overfloured or overbaked. Spoon and level your flour, and pull cookies when the centres still look soft.
• Yeasty flavour. Reduce brewer’s yeast to 2 tbsp and add a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup to round out the flavour.
• Not sweet enough. These aim for balance. Increase sugar slightly or use chocolate chips rather than fruit.
• Make it while the baby naps. Pre–weigh the dry mix into a jar during the day. At night you only need to cream butter and sugar, add an egg, tip in the jar and bake.
• Snack for partners. My partner eats these as energy biscuits during pram walks. If support people are well fed, you are more likely to get a nap.

How I use this boobie biscuits recipe in real life

A little story. When my daughter arrived, I felt like I was learning a new language that only she spoke. On day four, when emotions were big and sleep was not, a midwife knocked and said, “Love, grab something to eat.” I opened the fridge and found a tin of these, a gift from my neighbour, Rosa. I ate one cold, standing in front of the open door, and cried happy tears. It was not the oats or the brewer’s yeast. It was the feeling of being cared for.

That is why I keep a tin of this boobie biscuits recipe near the kettle whenever a friend has a baby. I label the container with a heart and the phrase “for long nights and lovely mornings.” These cookies have now seen hospital wards, mother’s group picnics, late Zooms with far–away grandparents and more pram walks than I can count. The recipe has become part of our family folklore. I hope it becomes part of yours too.

Serving ideas

• Crumble a warm biscuit over Greek yoghurt with berries for a quick breakfast.
• Sandwich two cookies with a swipe of peanut butter for an afternoon power snack.
• Turn them into lactation cookie ice cream sandwiches by freezing a scoop of vanilla between two cookies. Perfect for hot Aussie summers.
• Pack a couple in your nappy bag with a banana and a small keep–cup for tea. That trio saved me more times than I can say.

Frequently asked questions

The heartbeat of this recipe

I love a good lamington or ANZAC as much as anyone, but there is something special about a biscuit that feels designed for a stage of life. My boobie biscuits recipe is sweet without being cloying, sturdy without being dry and easy without any faff. It is also flexible. If all you have is quick oats, use them and reduce milk a little. If you are out of chocolate chips, chop a block.

If your baby is allergic to dairy, use plant butter. The recipe can handle your real life.

Conclusion

If you bake one thing in the haze of early parenthood, let it be this boobie biscuits recipe. It delivers comfort, slow carbs and a moment of calm with your cup of tea. It welcomes friends and visitors who say, “Can I bring anything” with a simple answer.

It freezes like a dream and turns into the kind of biscuit you will still bake after the baby days are past, simply because it tastes like home.

You have got this. Put the oven on, line a tray and let me keep you company while you stir. When the timer goes off, take a deep breath and steal a cookie for the cook. You deserve it.