My dogs expect a “cookie” every time they come in from outside – yes, they have us well trained. Not that I give them a treat every time, but often enough so they expect it.
Tragedy this week
I am out of dog biscuits. I forgot them when I went shopping last week. Now sad faces look up at me and they stand by the counter waiting.
And I really don’t feel like making a run to the store just for dog bones.
deciding to make homemade dog treats
I cook and bake a lot, so how hard can a dog treat be? I happen to have everything on hand that I wanted to use as ingredients. Work Is slow today (I’m working form my kitchen counter anyway today), so it’s time to try it.
My key ingredients: pumpkin (cause it’s good for pets and people), peanut butter (my dogs absolutely favorite treat), brown rice flour (though oat flour or garbanzo bean flour would work as well), wheat flour (whole grains are good!) and a bit of olive oil.
I scanned a few different recipes on line to get a sense of proportions, and wen through the pantry to pull out the items I wanted to include. It’s a lot like baking cookies, only smaller! I only buy small treats, otherwise the dogs would be eating another whole meal a day in dog treats. Pumpkin peanut butter flavors seem to be quite popular, so I made that my flavor for today.
I used a 1″ circle biscuit cutter, although certainly you can buy a “dog bone” shaped cookie cutter. Just get a small one. I also used parchment paper to line the sheet trays, as I dislike clean up, but you don’t really need to.
A note of caution. for storage: Do not place all of them in your dog treat jar and leave them indefinitely. They will spoil, as there are no preservatives, just as a cake or bread would if left out on the counter for days. Leave out enough treats for a few days, and store the rest in the refrigerator or freezer. Since frozen foods have nearly no odor, let them warm to room temperature – your dog will enjoy them more!
Fox Pines Dog Biscuits
An easy homemade treat, made healthier with whole grain flours and no preservatives!
Ingredients
Cream together:
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 8 ox canned pumpkin
- ¼ cup olive oil
Add:
- 1 cup wheat flour
- 1 cup brown rice flour or oatmeal flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
Instructions
-
Cream together the wet ingredients, then add the dry ingredients. Mix until all flour is absorbed. If it seems too dry, add a bit of water.
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Preheat oven to 400F
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Roll out to less than ¼” thick, and cut into desired shapes with a cookie cutter.
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Place on parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes, rotating halfway through.
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Cool on the sheet tray for a minute or two, then place on a cooling rack.
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A few treats can be stored on the counter cookie jar for a few days, but since there are no preservatives, homemade biscuits will not last indefinitely like store bought treats.
Recipe Notes
Store in refrigerator for several weeks, or in freezer for several months. Take out and let treats come to room temperature.
cream the wet ingredients
Mix in dry ingredients until blended
cool treats on a rack
These were very quick to pull together and bake. My recipe made two full sheet trays of 1″ treats. Next time, I need to try a different flavor. Who knows, I might not ever buy store bought treats again!
What favorite treats do you make for your dog or cat?