Looking for a healthy breastfeeding snack that will help you increase milk supply? These pumpkin lactation muffins are perfect for breastfeeding moms! They are gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free. And they taste so delicious even my kids love them. These muffins are just one of my favorite healthy pumpkin lactation recipes.
There is nothing like indulging in a pumpkin muffin with the flavors of pumpkin pie spice to get you in the spirit of Fall. But just because you indulge doesn’t mean that it has to be unhealthy!
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Have you noticed how so many of the lactation recipes you come across are sweet treats loaded with sugar and things like cake mix or pudding mix? I’m sure they taste great, but they are not so great for your health and ultimately your baby’s health.
The awesome thing is that you can eat really yummy food (all day long) and still be healthy.
I love to take classic recipes and make them healthier and breastfeeding friendly. You just take out the not-so good stuff and substitute it for real food, healthy ingredients.
In this healthy pumpkin muffins recipe, I use date fruit instead of refined sugar for sweetness. I also use almond milk to make it dairy free and gluten free flour instead of wheat flour.
So what makes this a lactation pumpkin muffin?
There are many foods that increase milk supply known as galactagogues. In this recipe I have included these galactagogues to help you make more breast milk:
- oatmeal
- chia seeds
- flax seeds
- pumpkin
- coconut oil
Eating a breastfeeding diet that includes a variety of galactagogues can make it easier for you to produce milk for your baby.
Want a done for you breastfeeding diet plan? Check out this FREE breastfeeding meal plan.
Pumpkin and Breastfeeding
Pumpkin is a traditional galactagogue. In a recent study in Thailand, it was found that pumpkin helped increase milk supply in exclusively breastfeeding mothers.
Pumpkin is a really great healthy food that is loaded with nutrients including:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Iron
- Folate
- Vitamin E
- Beta-carotene
It is also high in fiber which can help you feel full longer, relieve constipation and help with weight loss.
This makes it a great food for breastfeeding moms to eat on a regular basis.
Read more about foods that boost milk supply here.
Lactation Pumpkin Muffins – Tips for this Recipe
These muffins are pretty easy to make, but do require a bit of time to come together.
This is a great project to do when your baby is napping or with the help of older children. They can do the measuring and mixing and you can hold the baby.
And while these are called lactation muffins, because of the breastfeeding friendly ingredients, they really are just healthy muffins good for the whole family.
Tip –>> If you have a big family – make a double or triple batch! These go fast!
Many lactation muffin recipes include brewer’s yeast, this one does not. Though you can add 1-2 tbsp of brewer’s yeast, if you have it on hand and find it helps your milk supply.
The most important step to making this recipe is soaking the date fruit before starting. The dates are used to sweeten the muffins, but it can come out lumpy if you don’t soak ahead of time. Especially if your dates happen to be totally dried out.
I like this brand for date fruit as they come really soft in the package.
Try to soak your date fruit for at least 30 minutes. Soaking overnight is good if your dates are overly dry.
After pureeing the soaked (and drained) date fruit into a paste, add the other ingredients directly into the food processor.
Make sure to wait a few minutes in between mixing your dry and wet ingredients in order to let your batter come together. I find with gluten free flour, flax and chia that it helps everything soak up if you give it 5 to 10 minutes before putting in the muffin cups.
Try using these parchment muffin cups. You don’t need to spray them and the muffins come out perfect with very little sticking to the sides.
You can top the muffins with what every toppings you like, or leave them plain. My favorite toppings are:
- chocolate chips
- shredded unsweetened coconut
- oats
- pumpkin seeds
- dried cranberries
- chopped nuts
Pumpkin chocolate chip lactation muffins
This is my favorite version of these muffins. Simply add in a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips to the batter.
Then use an additional 1/4 – 1/2 cup of chocolate chips to press into the tops of each muffin. It makes them prettier and extra yummy.
If you are doing a dairy free diet while breastfeeding, make sure to read the label and go with a brand of chocolate chips that does not contain milk. I like this brand of dairy free chocolate chips.
Also if you baby is suffering from reflux, you may want to skip the chips, as chocolate can irritate some babies.
Read this post on foods to avoid while breastfeeding for more information on what not to eat to keep your baby happy.
Make sure to watch the video below for the step by step pictures of how to make these lactation muffins with pumpkin.
More Pumpkin Breastfeeding Recipes
If you love this recipe and love pumpkin and pumpkin spice, give a few of these easy lactation recipes a try!
Pumpkin Lactation Cookies
Healthy Pumpkin Lactation Bread
Pumpkin Oatmeal Smoothie (to boost milk supply)
Healthy Pumpkin Lactation Muffins
Yield: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Additional Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Pumpkin lactation muffins that are dairy free, gluten free and refined sugar free for boosting milk supply.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of small pitted dates (12-14)
- 1 cup of gluten free flour
- 1 cup of oatmeal
- 1 cup of pumpkin puree
- 2 tbsp ground flax meal
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Put date fruit into a bowl and cover with water. Let soak for minimum of 30 minutes to overnight.
- Drain date fruit and puree in food processor for 1-2 minutes until a paste forms.
- Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the pumpkin, eggs, pumpkin pie spice and coconut oil to the food processor and mix for 2 minutes until smooth.
- In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients - gf flour, oatmeal, flax, chia, salt and baking powder. Mix with a whisk to combine.
- Pour the wet ingredients plus the almond milk into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix with a spatula.
- Let batter sit for 5-10 minutes to come together.
- Place parchment muffin cups into muffin tin. Using a large spoon, put equal amounts of batter into each muffin cup.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
- Test to make sure they are done. Then cool for at least 5 minutes and enjoy.
Notes
You can include 1/2 - 1 cup add-ins of your choice (chocolate chips, shredded coconut, dried fruit, etc).
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 178Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 145mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 3gSugar: 9gProtein: 4g
More Lactation Recipes You Will Love
Banana Blueberry Lactation Muffins Recipe
Apple Pie Lactation Energy Bites
The Ultimate Lactation Smoothie Recipe (for Making More Milk)
9 Healthy Soup Recipes for Breastfeeding Moms
No Bake Chocolate Lactation Bars Recipe
Lactation Recipes for Making More Breast Milk
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