Lactation Brownies: Vegan, Gluten-Free, and Packed with Galactagogue Ingredients

This recipe is part of the Nella Vosk Breastfeeding Nutrition & Milk Supply: Evidence-Based Guide for Australian Mothers — a comprehensive resource covering galactagogue foods, postpartum nutrition, and practical feeding strategies. This recipe focuses on one of the most satisfying baking formats available: a genuinely fudgy, chocolate-ganache-topped brownie that is also vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and loaded with galactagogue ingredients from two Nourish Mama products.

A brownie is the kind of thing you want, not just need. And there is something particularly important about that distinction when you are breastfeeding — when everything you eat can feel like it is about nutritional obligation rather than pleasure, when the act of sitting down to eat something delicious feels like a minor luxury.

These brownies are made with a base of blended chickpeas and almond butter, which gives them a dense, fudgy interior that is significantly better than a standard flour-based brownie on its worst day. The ganache on top — dark chocolate, coconut oil, coconut cream, fresh berries — makes them look like something from a bakery shelf. The secret is that they also contain a full packet of Nourish Mama Lactation Bliss Ball Premix and a quarter cup of Nourish Mama Lactation Hot Chocolate — which means every square is carrying oats, linseed, millet, raw cacao, sunflower meal, and maca alongside the chocolate.

At Nella Vosk, making lactation nourishment feel indulgent rather than medicinal sits at the heart of our Milk & Feeding Support pathway. These brownies are the argument for why those two things do not have to be in conflict.

Author

Kelly Northey, Certified Postpartum Nutrition Professional

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Servings

16 squares (from a 20x20cm brownie tin)

Category

Snacks

Ingredients

• 1 can (400g) organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained well
• ½ cup almond butter (natural, no added sugar or oil) — or sunflower seed butter for nut-free
• ½ cup vegan dark chocolate chips (70%+)
• 1 packet (275g) Nourish Mama Lactation Bliss Ball Premix
• ¼ cup Nourish Mama Lactation Hot Chocolate — Original, Chai Spice, or Choc Mint depending on the flavour you want
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp baking soda
• Pinch of sea salt
• ½ cup vegan dark chocolate chips (70%+)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tbsp coconut cream
• Fresh raspberries or blueberries, to top

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (fan-forced 160°C). Line a 20x20cm square baking tin with baking paper, leaving overhang on two sides for easy lifting.
2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas thoroughly.Pat dry with paper towel if possible — excess moisture can make the batter too wet. Remove any loose skins that come away easily.
3. Blend the base. Add all brownie base ingredients — chickpeas, almond butter, chocolate chips, Lactation Hot Chocolate, Bliss Ball Premix, maple syrup, vanilla, baking soda, and salt — to a food processor. Process for 60–90 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides, until the mixture is completely smooth and well combined. The batter will be thick. Note: the chocolate chips will remain largely whole at this point — they create pockets of melted chocolate in the finished brownie.
4. Spread into the tin. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and spread evenly with a spatula. The mixture is thick — press it into the corners and smooth the surface as evenly as you can. Lightly dampen the spatula with water if the batter sticks to it.
5. Bake for 30 minutes. The surface should appear set and a skewer inserted into the centre should come out with moist crumbs (not wet batter — a few moist crumbs are correct for a fudgy brownie). Do not overbake — the chickpea base continues to firm up as it cools.
6. Cool in the tin for at least 10 minutes before adding the ganache. The base needs to cool enough that the ganache sets on contact rather than running off.
7. Combine the chocolate chips, coconut oil, and coconut cream in a heatproof jug or small saucepan.
8. Microwave method: heat in 20-second bursts on medium power, stirring between each, until just melted and smooth. Do not overheat.
9. Stovetop method: melt over the lowest heat setting, stirring constantly, until smooth. Remove from heat the moment the chocolate is melted.
10. Pour the ganache over the cooled brownie base and spread to the edges with a spatula.
11. Immediately top with fresh raspberries, blueberries, or a combination of both, pressing them lightly into the ganache.
12. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes until the ganache is fully set before slicing. Use the baking paper overhangs to lift the entire brownie out of the tin before slicing for cleaner cuts.