Fiber-Filled Lactation Bites

Peanut buttery, fiber-filled lactation bites are the perfect snack for all the snacky needs. Whether you are lactating or not, you’ll want to keep these around for quick and easy munching.

Yeah, I made these lactation bites a while back (along with these lactation cookies) mostly with myself in mind. But I’m pretty sure the kids have far outpaced my intake.

And that’s fine, because it’s made this postpartum time period a little easier for both me and Kevin.

Whenever the older kids asked for a snack that first week, our offering was almost always one of these “snack bites.” For those first few weeks with a newborn, it’s good to have a few tricks (and lactation bites) up your sleeve to help keep everyone alive and decently happy.

If you’ve made any “lactation” recipes before, you probably know these are not going to make anyone spontaneously lactate. They’re just full of goodness that mothers need – like carbs – when they are producing milk. And fiber? It’s just generally a good player to have on your team.

Ingredients

• Pitted dates– These could be date pieces (the kind rolled in oat flour), deglet noor dates, or medjool. The deglet noor dates and the kind rolled in oat flour will not be as soft, so these likely need to be soaked in hot water first, then drained. The medjool dates are softer and sweeter, so you may need to add an extra tablespoon or two of oats to the mixture if it’s too soft.
• Natural peanut butter – If your peanut butter has been sitting for several months or just came out of the fridge, you may need to microwave it so it becomes nice and drippy. Peanut butter gives the bites a healthy dose of protein and fat for staying power. If you can’t do peanut butter, almond butter or sunflower butter are good options too.
• Cinnamon – Optional, but it adds a nice layer of flavor. Feel free to spice it up with some fresh nutmeg too.
• Vanilla extract – Gives kind of a nice cookie dough flavor to the mix.
• Coconut oil – Helps bind everything together.
• Chia seeds – Hello fiber!
• Ground flax seeds – Aaand more fiber!
• Oats – Carbs for all that milk production, along with more fiber. Since we run it all through the food processor, it doesn’t matter too much if you use old fashioned, quick, or instant oats.

Equipment

• Food processor We have a Cuisinart food processor that we bought about four years ago, and we have been very happy with it.
• Electric kettle This isn’t a must-have, but I do use it to heat water for softening the dates if they are especially dry.
• Scoop A 1-tablespoon scoop is perfect for getting these to be just the right size.
• Spice/coffee grinder We grind our own flax seeds using this coffee grinder, but feel free to use pre-ground too.

How to Make

1. Place the dates in the bowl of the food processor and process to chop well. This is easiest if the dates are soft. if they seem dry, soak them in some hot water and drain well before adding to the food processor.
2. Add the peanut butter, cinnamon, vanilla and melted coconut oil. Process to form a nice bowl of paste.
3. Add the seeds and oats, and process to combine.
4. Using a 1-tablespoon scoop (or your hands), scoop the dough into roughly 1 tablespoon portions and roll into balls.
5. Store lactation bites in an airtight container in the fridge or place on a lined baking sheet to freeze, then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container when frozen.

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