Homemade Dog Treats
Homemade Dog Treats
Homemade Dog Treats
I just want to say thank God for businesses that give treats to dogs! It is awesome to see dog-friendly businesses that give treats to their furry visitors. Usually these businesses like to keep cheap treats on hand that are all different colors. These treats may taste good for dogs, but many of them are filled with artificial colors and fillers. We need to feed our pets good clean food and make our own homemade dog treats at home, so that our furry children can have the nasty treats when we can’t control it! Now, don’t condemn the businesses for doing it, thank them! Then, bake treats for the businesses to hand out to their visitors! Making treats is a great activity to get kids involved in as well.
Flour
This recipe lists whole wheat flour, but you may consider other flours too! Please take care to get a non GMO wheat flour that is of the best quality. Unfortunately there are very bad ingredients out there. I don’t recommend just any flour if I use wheat. I actually prefer to go with a grain free flour or brown rice. Many are suitable for biscuits such as rice flour or nut flours. The website (the Nest) is a great resource to learn about flours. See the substitutions list below to look at other types of flours.
There are some really wonderful creative recipes for dog treats out there. It is always a good idea to find a good basic recipe, with good wholesome ingredients so that you can change it up when you don’t have all of the ingredients. When you master a homemade recipe, it never is a burden to keep them on hand! You may want to experiment with a little less moisture in the recipe or add a little more flour as needed, to roll out the dough. You can roll it out on a cutting board but I like to use parchment. Just make sure to use a lot of flour as it could get sticky.
It’s a Great Way to Be Creative
The following recipe is great because it is basic. You can switch out the pumpkin for peanut butter. Also, you can change out flours, as I mentioned. However, the other fun part is defining the shape of your treats! The ones pictured above, I made specifically to fit inside my dog’s cookie jar. In addition, I like the rustic look. You may use any cookie cutter you’d like! However, keep in mind that your dog will love these and you might want to ration them. Therefore, smaller treats may be better! My dog, Lotus, is a pretty fussy eater. She really never has been treat-driven so finding food for her isn’t that easy. Lotus absolutely LOVES these treats! (You will see photos of her scattered all over this site!)
Equipment list:
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Mini cookie cutters to make it fun!
Ingredient Substitutions
Peanut Butter (an option instead of pumpkin) *Be sure to use a brand that doesn’t have added salt and sugar.
Best Poop Bags (after the treats!)
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We need to feed good clean food and make our own homemade dog treats and meals so that we can let our furry children have the nasty treats when we can't control it!
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour plus extra for rolling out dough
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 large egg
1 Tbsp olive oil or a Tbsp of coconut oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tablespoon honey
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease baking sheet or use a Pampered Chef baking stone.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour and flax seed. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, applesauce, pumpkin, and honey until smooth.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix. Form the dough into a disc. Sprinkle flour if it comes out too moist.
4. On floured parchment paper, roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thick. Cut shapes with a cookie cutter and place them an inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Alternatively, you can just plop small spoonfuls onto your baking sheet!
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the treats are deep golden brown and very hard. Cool completely on a rack before letting your pup enjoy.
Prep time: 15
Cook time: 30
Total time: 45
Servings: 24
Serving size: whatever you'd like
Meal type: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Sidedish, Appetizer
Special Equipment needed: stoneware or baking sheet, dog-shaped cookie cutter (optional)
Excited to try for our chocolate lab Winnie! She may find them under the tree for Christmas. 🙂
Awesome Laura! If pumpkin isn’t available for you, definitely try peanut butter. It’s a great substitution!
Definitely post a pic of her eating the treats!!
I’m fighting a losing fight to not have a dog. My wife and kids all want one…this is great because it’ll help make everyone involved in the dogs care since I know I’ll be left to walk it often, lol
Ha! I know that feeling! It will be great for you if you get one! You’ll have to post a pic when you do 🙂