Lactation Baked Oatmeal
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Last updated on Jun 04, 2024
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This lactation baked oatmeal is made with ingredients to help boost milk production and supply for breastfeeding including oats, brewer’s yeast and flaxseed. It’s easy to make, gluten-free, vegan + perfect for meal prep.
As a breastfeeding mama I’m always looking for ways to increase or maintain my milk supply. I’ve developed recipes for lactation cookies, lactation bites, lactation brownies and a lactation smoothie – given my love for baked oatmeal I just had to develop a recipe for a lactation baked oatmeal!
I created this recipe for mamas with dietary restrictions in mind, so this recipe is dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free and jam-packed with ingredients known to help boost milk supply like oats, flaxseed, brewer’s yeast, molasses and sesame.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s packed with ingredients to help boost milk production and supply for breastfeeding moms!
- The combo of chocolate, cinnamon, coconut and molasses is so good!
- Easy to make and only requires one bowl and one pan!
- Great for meal prep! Make a batch on Sunday and you’ll have breakfast ready to go for the week.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- rolled old-fashioned oats – my fave brand is Bob’s Red Mill gluten free old fashioned rolled oats.
- brewers yeast – brewer’s yeast is one of the best foods to help with breast milk supply (see below for more info). It is packed with vitamin B, iron, zinc, magnesium and potassium.
- ground flaxseed – high in omega-3 fatty acids (which are great for baby) and it also contains phytoestrogens that can influence breast milk production.
- milk – I like using unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but feel free to use your favorite type of milk.
- maple syrup – one of my favorite natural sweeteners. Just be sure to use pure maple syrup, not the artificial kind labeled “pancake syrup” and made from corn syrup… not the same!
- coconut oil – make sure you’re using coconut oil that’s melted. I’ve purchased several different brands of coconut oil before, but Nutiva organic extra virgin coconut oil is my favorite.
- ripe bananas – these will help bind the ingredients together, while also adding some natural sweetness. If you don’t have bananas on hand you can use 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce instead.
- molasses – adds a sweet, rich and warming flavor to this baked oatmeal.
- sesame seeds – contains phytoestrogens which will help increase milk supply. You could also use tahini, which is ground sesame seeds.
- cinnamon – the perfect warming spice for this baked oatmeal!
- baking powder – helps the baked oatmeal rise.
- sea salt – brings all the flavors together.
- vanilla extract – another flavor enhancer.
- shredded coconut – adds a great flavor and texture to this baked oatmeal. Make sure you’re using unsweetened shredded coconut.
- chocolate chips – I recommend Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips which are allergen-friendly or Lily’s chocolate chips because they are low in sugar and calories.
How to Make
Preheat the oven to 375°F and spray an 8×8 inch square baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients except for the shredded coconut and chocolate chips.
Fold in shredded coconut and chocolate chips. Carefully pour oatmeal mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with additional coconut and chocolate chips.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.
Portion and serve. I like to drizzle a little maple syrup and nut butter on top when serving.
Ingredients That Help Increase Milk Supply
When developing this lactation baked oatmeal recipe I did some research on what foods help with milk supply so I could include as many as possible in this recipe!
- Oats – One of the reasons for decreased milk supply is low iron levels. Oats are high in iron so some studies have shown that oats help with milk production. I personally love having some sort of oat-based breakfast almost daily. I’m a big fan of overnight oats (these chocolate chip overnight oats are my go-to) and baked oatmeal (I love my strawberry banana baked oatmeal). I gravitate towards these options because I can prep them in advance.
- Brewer’s yeast – It is considered a “galactagogue,” which is anything that promotes breast milk production. Brewer’s yeast is packed with vitamins and minerals – most notably, vitamin B, iron, zinc, magnesium and potassium. It’s also a good source of protein. One 1/4 cup serving offers 8 grams of protein. While brewer’s yeast has a lot of really great benefits, it’s important to note that you should talk to your doctor before adding brewer’s yeast to your diet as it can interact with a variety of medications.
- Flaxseed – Flaxseed is high in omega-3 fatty acids (which are great for baby) and it also contains phytoestrogens that can influence breast milk production.
- Sesame seeds – Just like flaxseed, sesame contains phytoestrogens. Using tahini is one of my favorite ways to incorporate sesame in my recipes. These tahini chocolate chip protein balls and chocolate chip tahini cookies are two of my faves!
- Molasses – Molasses is a rich source of iron, calcium, and vitamins B6 and B12, all of which are important for lactation.
What to Serve With Baked Oatmeal
This baked oatmeal is packed with fiber, healthy fats and some protein, so it’s a great breakfast option and can definitely be eaten on its own, but if you want to serve it with some sides here are some ideas that would pair well with it:
- Eggs – baked egg muffins , egg white bites, dairy-free spinach quiche, kale and feta crustless quiche or hash brown breakfast casserole.
- Fruit – a bowl of fresh fruit like this easy fruit salad or fruit salad with mint would be an excellent addition to serve alongside this baked oatmeal.
- Meat – regular bacon, tempeh bacon, chicken sausage, breakfast sausage or veggie sausage
- Yogurt – pairing this oatmeal with a yogurt bowl is a great combo.
- Smoothie – pair this baked oatmeal with one of my many smoothie recipes. Or for an added protein boost make one of these simple protein shakes!
Storing & Freezing
Baked oatmeal is great for meal prep. You can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. When freezing, I recommend cutting the oatmeal into portions, wrapping each in plastic wrap and placing the portions in a large freezer bag. The individual servings make it easier to reheat.
To reheat the entire pan of baked oatmeal: cover with foil and reheat in the oven at 350ºF for about 20 minutes or until warm.
To reheat individual portions: set oven or toaster oven to 350ºF and bake for 5-10 minutes. You can also reheat in the microwave for 1 minute. Once warm, add your toppings and enjoy!
More Recipes to Help with Milk Supply
- Lactation Smoothie
- Lactation Bites
- Easy Baked Oatmeal
- Lactation Cookies
- Lactation Brownies
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookie Smoothie
- Protein Overnight Oats
More Baked Oatmeal Recipes
- Coffee Cake Baked Oatmeal
- Cauliflower Brownie Baked Oatmeal
- Protein Baked Oatmeal
- Cherry Baked Oatmeal
- One Pan Baked Oatmeal
- Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
- Samoa Baked Oatmeal
- Chocolate Baked Oatmeal
- Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal
- Coffee Baked Oatmeal
- Almond Joy Baked Oatmeal
Be sure to check out all of my baked oatmeal recipes as well as my baby meal prep ideas!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.

Lactation Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled old-fashioned oats
- ¼ cup brewers yeast
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups milk, I like using unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon melted coconut oil
- 1 Tablespoon molasses
- 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds or ½ Tablespoon tahini
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ripe bananas, sliced or ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 Tablespoons shredded coconut, plus more for topping
- 2-3 Tablespoons chocolate chips, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and spray an 8×8 inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients except for the shredded coconut and chocolate chips.
- Fold in shredded coconut and chocolate chips.
- Carefully pour oatmeal mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle top with additional coconut and chocolate chips.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.
- Portion and serve. I like to drizzle a little maple syrup and nut butter on top when serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was a fun & easy recipe! I appreciate everything being combined into one bowl straight away and then just dumped into the baking pan. The taste of the brewer’s yeast is still there, which is not my favorite, but I can muscle through it to fight the good fight. The chocolate chips and coconut flakes help a lot.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Tiffany! Glad the chocolate chips and coconut flakes helped balance things out—thanks for giving it a try and for leaving a review!
This recipe was really easy to follow. my brewers yeast is bitter even though it claims to have reduced bitterness, so I think that I will test with some ice cream or whipped cream 😋
flu is coming to our house with that time of month and working on weaning as a slow approach with my almost 2yr old. The texture of this baked oatmeal was very satisfying for me and I’m looking forward to having more over the next few days
Yay! So glad you enjoyed these cookies. Hannah. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
I want to make this for my friend who just had twins! But I’m wondering if I should give it to her pre-baked so she can bake it when she is ready? Or should I just bake it and pre-slice it as I saw in one of your previous comments so she can freeze them if she would rather? They sound delicious!
Hi Taylor! I’d go ahead and bake it up, slice and take it to her. And yes, you can totally freeze it!
Thank you! I am a big fan of your lactation cookies and lactation brownies but lactation baked oatmeal is my favorite! My LO is 10 months and these recipes are the biggest help when I’m concerned about my milk supply, I use them instead of power pumping which is a huge win!
Aw yay! This is the best, Celeste. I am so glad you are loving my recipe and they turn out great for you. Thank you for coming back and sharing your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
This was easy and very good. Added 1 more egg for extra protein and just drizzled with honey as a topping. Very filling
Excellent! I am excited that you are loving this oatmeal. Thank you for your review & star rating, I so appreciate it!
How well does this recipe freeze? I’m getting prepared to give birth in May, so trying to find good freezer meal recipes to try out before baby gets here!
This recipe is perfect for prepping ahead of time, Jenny. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. When freezing, I recommend cutting the oatmeal into portions, wrapping each in plastic wrap and placing the portions in a large freezer bag. The individual servings make it easier to reheat. Best of luck and enjoy!
This recipe is SO good. I love how quick it came together and only required one bowl. The taste was perfect! With a side of Greek yogurt and blueberries it was nice to have a healthy and actually satisfying meal between feeding the baby! Thanks for a great recipe!
WOO! I am so excited to hear that you are loving this recipe, loving the side of yogurt and blueberries, sounds perfect, Parker. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, it means so much to me!
This is the first time I have ever tried baked oats or almost. I switched the oats for wheat flakes and it turned out great. So yummy, delicious and flavorful… Even though I haven’t made it for lactation, I definitely enjoyed it.
Thank you for the recipe!
Excellent! I am so glad to hear that you are loving this recipe, Denisa. If you are not looking for a lactation recipe, I would also highly recommend my Samoa baked oatmeal, chocolate, coconut goodness. Thank you for your review + star rating, I appreciate it!
Can I omit the brewers yeast and molasses? I want to make it for my kids.
Hi Andrea – While you could omit the brewers yeast and molasses, this recipe was specifically made for breastfeeding mamas. If you are looking for a chocolate coconut baked oatmeal recipe, I highly suggest my Samoa Baked Oatmeal. Enjoy!
Brittany,
Can protein powder be added to this?
Hi Erin – Yes you can add protein powder, but you might have to add a little more milk depending on how much gets added. I’d also suggest my protein baked oatmeal if you are looking for a protein packed baked oatmeal recipe!