Okay listen. If you’re reading this right now because you’re sitting there feeling like a brick is living in your intestines… hi, same. I’ve been that person way more than I want to admit. Cheese boards, late-night pizza, forgetting to drink water like it’s optional—yep, all guilty. Laxatives make me feel like I got hit by a truck the next day, so a couple years ago I started messing around with homemade cookies that actually help without turning me into a bathroom prisoner.
These aren’t some sad “health” brick that tastes like cardboard. They’re actually tasty. Chewy. A little sweet. And yeah—they get things moving. Gently. Naturally. No drama. Let’s talk about it.
What even are constipation cookies?
Basically cookies that secretly have your back when your gut is being stubborn.
The main players are fiber (the kind that actually helps instead of just sitting there), natural sugars that pull water into your intestines (looking at you, prunes), and some seeds that act like little gut brooms. I started making them because a friend wouldn’t shut up about her grandma’s recipe. I rolled my eyes… then tried it… then ate three in one sitting and had the smoothest poop of my life two days later. Sold.
Why cookies instead of smoothies or oatmeal? Because cookies are fun. You don’t dread eating them. You look forward to them. Huge difference when you’re already miserable.
Why do they actually help?
Fiber. Water. Magic. (Okay not magic, but close.)
Oats give you soluble fiber that turns into this gel-like thing and softens everything. Flax and chia add insoluble fiber that literally pushes stuff along. Prunes have sorbitol—which is nature’s gentle laxative—and they taste way better than you remember from childhood.
I read somewhere (don’t quote me, it was probably Pinterest) that people who get 25–30g fiber a day have way less constipation. These cookies sneak in like 5–7g per cookie depending how generous you are with the seeds. Eat two with a giant glass of water? You’re golden. Literally.
Just don’t dry-swallow them and then wonder why you feel worse. Fiber without water is the enemy.
Stuff you actually need to put in them
No exotic $12 superfood powder required. I promise.
- Rolled oats – the base, chewy, filling
- Prunes – soak and blend them, trust me
- Ground flaxseed – I grind mine in the coffee grinder because pre-ground goes rancid fast
- Chia seeds – they puff up like crazy
- Walnuts or almonds – optional but makes them feel like real cookies
- Honey or maple syrup – keeps it from being too healthy-tasting
- Coconut oil – or whatever oil/butter you have
- An egg (or skip it and use extra flax goo)
- Cinnamon because it smells like heaven
- Tiny bit of baking soda and salt so they don’t taste flat
That’s literally it.
The recipe I make every couple weeks
I don’t measure super precisely anymore but this is close enough.
About 18–20 cookies.
Throw in a bowl:
- 1.5 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup prunes (pitted, soaked in hot water 10 min, then blended smooth)
- ½ cup ground flax
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- ½ cup chopped walnuts if you want crunch
- ¼ cup honey or maple
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp baking soda
- Pinch salt
Mix dry stuff first. Mix wet stuff (including the prune puree) in another bowl. Combine. It’s gonna be sticky and look like wet granola. That’s correct.
Scoop golf-ball size blobs onto a parchment-lined tray. Flatten them a little. 350°F / 175°C for 12–15 min. Edges golden, centers still soft. Cool on the tray a bit.
They’re chewy, not crispy. Sweet but not dessert-level sweet. My husband steals them thinking they’re normal cookies then asks why he suddenly poops like clockwork. 😂
Eat 1–2 a day max. With water. Don’t be a hero and eat six.
Little tricks that make them work better
- Chug water. Like, embarrassingly much water.
- If your gut isn’t used to fiber, start with half a cookie the first day.
- Keep them in a jar on the counter. They last a week easy. Freeze the rest.
- Throw in dark chocolate chips if you need motivation to eat them.
- Raisins work instead of prunes if prunes weird you out (but prunes are stronger).
Pumpkin seeds instead of walnuts sometimes—extra magnesium helps the gut muscles chill out.
Things that can go wrong (being honest)
- Eat too many too fast = gas, bloating, emergency bathroom runs
- Prunes + sorbitol sensitivity = you might overshoot into diarrhea town
- Forgot water = now you’re more constipated. Rookie mistake.
- Pregnant, kid, chronic gut issues? Ask your doctor first. I’m not one.
Also they have calories. Nuts + oil + honey = tasty but not zero-calorie. Don’t eat the whole tray and then blame me.
What else I do besides cookies
These are my lazy-day hero, but on good days I also:
- Eat actual vegetables
- Walk after dinner even if it’s just around the block
- Have yogurt with breakfast
- Try to remember water exists before 8 p.m.
Cookies are the fun part. The rest is boring adulting.
Final thought
Look—if you’re tired of feeling backed up, tired of harsh laxatives, tired of pretending fiber bars taste good… give these a shot.
They’re cheap. They’re easy. They actually taste like something you want to eat. And yeah, they work. At least for me and like half my friends who I’ve now peer-pressured into making them.
Next time you’re at the store grab some prunes and oats. Make a batch Saturday morning. Eat one Sunday. See what happens.
Worst case? You have decent cookies.
Best case? You finally poop like a normal human again.
Hit me back if you make them—or if you change something and it’s better. I’m always down to steal improvements.
Stay regular out there, friend. 🍪💩
