Lactation cookies like Milkmakers are designed to help boost milk supply for breastfeeding mothers. With ingredients like brewer’s yeast, flaxseed, and oats that are thought to be galactogens, lactation cookies can be a useful addition to a breastfeeding mother’s diet.
But an important consideration for many moms is whether these cookies contain milk or other dairy ingredients. For those with dairy allergies or sensitivities, it’s critical to know if lactation cookies are dairy-free.
The Answer
The answer is that some Milkmakers lactation cookie flavors do contain dairy, while others are dairy-free. Here’s a breakdown of the dairy status for each Milkmakers cookie variety:
- Original Oatmeal Raisin – contains dairy
- Dark Chocolate Brownie – contains dairy
- Coconut Chocolate Chip – dairy-free
- Double Chocolate Chip – contains dairy
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip – contains dairy
So out of Milkmakers’ 5 lactation cookie flavors, 2 of them (Coconut Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip) are dairy-free.
Ingredients Analysis
To understand why some Milkmakers cookies contain dairy while others don’t, let’s take a closer look at the ingredients labels:
Original Oatmeal Raisin
Ingredients: Whole grain rolled oats, brown rice flour, raisins, brewer’s yeast, flaxseed meal, chopped walnuts, cinnamon, ground ginger, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, molasses, canola oil, egg whites, vanilla extract.
Contains egg and dairy (egg whites). Not vegan or dairy-free.
Dark Chocolate Brownie
Ingredients: Whole grain rolled oats, brown rice flour, cacao powder, brewer’s yeast, flaxseed meal, chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, milk fat, soy lecithin, natural flavors), walnuts, baking soda, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, molasses, canola oil, egg whites, vanilla extract.
Contains egg, dairy (milk fat in chocolate chips), and soy. Not vegan or dairy-free.
Coconut Chocolate Chip
Ingredients: Whole grain rolled oats, brown rice flour, brewer’s yeast, flaxseed meal, fair trade chocolate chips (cane sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, natural vanilla), unsweetened coconut flakes, walnuts, baking soda, baking powder, salt, coconut sugar, coconut oil, vanilla extract.
Dairy-free and vegan (no animal products).
Double Chocolate Chip
Ingredients: Whole grain rolled oats, brown rice flour, brewer’s yeast, flaxseed meal, chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, milk fat, soy lecithin, natural flavors), cacao nibs, walnuts, baking soda, baking powder, salt, coconut sugar, coconut oil, vanilla extract.
Contains dairy (milk fat in chocolate chips). Not dairy-free.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
Ingredients: Whole grain rolled oats, brown rice flour, brewer’s yeast, flaxseed meal, chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, milk fat, soy lecithin, natural flavors), peanut butter (peanuts, sugar, palm oil, salt), walnuts, baking soda, baking powder, salt, coconut sugar, coconut oil, vanilla extract.
Contains dairy (milk fat in chocolate chips). Not dairy-free.
Why Milkmakers Uses Dairy
For the Milkmakers cookies that contain dairy, it comes from the chocolate chips. The chocolate chips have milk fat listed as an ingredient.
Milk fat gives chocolate a richer, creamier texture and amplifies the chocolate flavor. So Milkmakers likely uses chocolate chips with milk fat for a more indulgent chocolate experience.
For moms avoiding dairy, the Coconut Chocolate Chip flavor uses dairy-free chocolate chips so no milk ingredients are present.
How to Spot Dairy on Ingredients Labels
Reading ingredients labels is the best way to identify if a food product contains dairy or not. Here are some common dairy-derived ingredients to look for:
- Milk
- Cheese
- Cream
- Butter
- Buttermilk
- Whey
- Casein
- Lactose
- Milk protein
- Milk solids
- Milk powder
- Yogurt
- Ghee
- Curds
- Milk fat
- Custard
If you see any of those ingredients listed, the product contains dairy. Some dairy ingredients can be trickier to identify, like casein or whey. But scanning the ingredients list thoroughly can help you determine if milk is present or not.
Benefits of Dairy-Free Lactation Cookies
Choosing dairy-free lactation cookies has several benefits:
- Accommodates dairy allergies/intolerances – For moms with an allergy or sensitivity to dairy, dairy-free cookies prevent adverse reactions.
- Supports vegan diets – Dairy-free, plant-based cookies align with ethical and health-related vegan lifestyles.
- Avoids digestive issues – Some babies are sensitive to mom’s dairy intake, so avoiding dairy may improve baby’s digestion.
- Provides nutrition – Dairy-free cookies like Milkmakers’ coconut flavor still supply nutrients to support milk production.
With dairy-free options like Coconut Chocolate Chip available, moms who avoid dairy don’t have to miss out on the perks of lactation cookies.
Dairy-Free Lactation Cookie Recipes to Try
In addition to buying dairy-free lactation cookies, moms can also make them from scratch. Here are some tasty dairy-free cookie recipes to try:
Coconut Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Dairy-free ingredients: coconut oil, coconut sugar, coconut flakes, oats, raisins, flaxseed meal
Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies
Dairy-free ingredients: olive oil, brown sugar, oats, dairy-free chocolate chips, flaxseed
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Dairy-free ingredients: pumpkin puree, coconut oil, oats, dairy-free chocolate chips, pecans
Peanut Butter Banana Oat Cookies
Dairy-free ingredients: mashed banana, peanut butter, oats, cinnamon, raisins
Get creative mixing and matching your favorite cookies flavors and lactation boosting ingredients for homemade dairy-free cookies.
The Bottom Line
When it comes to Milkmakers brand lactation cookies, some varieties like Coconut Chocolate Chip are dairy-free while others like Original Oatmeal Raisin contain dairy. Always check the ingredients list and look for milk-derived ingredients to determine if a lactation cookie is safe for you if avoiding dairy.
Thankfully, moms who can’t or prefer not to eat dairy have delicious store-bought and homemade dairy-free lactation cookie options to help support their breast milk production.
