We love making homemade dog treats. Not only are they healthy (as they often contain a lot less fat than store-bought treats, if any) but they can also save you a whole bunch of money.
DogHeirs member Dogmama shared this delicious recipe for oatmeal dog cookies. It will yield 100 or so little dog-bone shaped treat and lasts several weeks out of the freezer.
It’s got all the great basics and the recipe is flexible, making substitutions easy. But remember only to add ingredients that are dog friendly (not toxic) and that you know your dog will ove.
Here’s Dogmama’s recipe:
Ingredients:
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup black strap molasses
1 tsp cinnamon
2 mashed bananas (if you have them, no complaints from the fur kids without them)
2 cups whole oats (not instant)
1/2 cup ground flax seed (I use Bob’s Mill)
2 eggs
1-2 cups whole wheat flour
Water as needed, you could use milk also.
Cookie cutter (2-inch dog bone cookie cutter recommended)
Step 1 – Put the honey and molasses in a large microwave safe mixing bowl and heat them for 30-45 seconds until warm.
Step 2 – Add mashed bananas, oats, flax, cinnamon, mix until combined.
Step 3 – Add eggs, mix.
Step 4 – Add flour and water little by little until you have cookie dough consistency and a nice ratio of dough to oats.
Step 5 – I roll mine out to about 1/4 of an inch and use a 2-inch dog bone cookie cutter. You could also hand roll them and flatten them to a cookie shape. They don’t spread, I just put them on a cookie sheet, they don’t stick.
Step 6 – I cook them at 375F or so for about 30 minutes to get them crispy. If you have a dog that would like them softer cook them for less time. I put them in the cookie jar, and they are good for 2-3 weeks if crispy, 1-2 weeks if soft.
I’m not the type of cook who measures, but this should be pretty close. I tend to make a mess whenever I use the Kitchen Aide, so I mix by hand. For dogs with wheat allergies, you could use rice flour or any other substitution that you like. Applesauce, Sweet Potatoes, Chicken Stock, whatever I have around the house is fair game, as long as it’s dog healthy they get it.
Do you have a tried-and-true dog treat recipe? Send it over to us at team (at) DogHeirs (dot) com and we may publish it. If you have photos of the finished recipe please send them along too. And if you have a pic of your dog enjoying the treats send them along too. Your original recipes only please (eg no links to cookbook authors or copyrighted material)!
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