How to Make Your Own Dog Biscuits
If you are like most dog owners your 4-legged friend is part of the family and as such you might want to make him some treats. The treats at the grocery store are full of preservatives that are great if you want your dog treats to last for years, but why not make some yourself that will last a couple of weeks on the counter or a few months in the freezer. With ingredients found in your pantry and about 10 minutes of your time you can have some healthy dog treats in the oven.
Step 1
Gather up the following ingredients:
- 1 C. All-purpose flour
- ¼ C. Whole oats (not quick cook)
- ¼ C. of dried cranberries
- ½ T. baking powder
- ½ C. creamy peanut butter (organic if possible)
- ½ C. milk
- 1 T. Olive oil
- 1 T. applesauce.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the flour, oats, cranberries and baking powder together in a large bowl. Add the peanut butter, milk, oil and applesauce to the dry ingredients and stir.
Step 3
Press the ingredients together and transfer them from the bowl to a lightly floured counter. Knead the dough until it has come together into a nice ball. If the dough seems too sticky add more flour a tablespoon at a time until the consistency is no longer sticky. Set dough on a sheet of waxed paper and dust the dough and a rolling pin with flour and roll the dough out until it’s about ½ inch thick. Using a bone shaped cookie cutter cut out the dog biscuits. If you don’t have a bone shaped cookie cutter any other cutter will work.
Step 4
Transfer the cut-out shapes to an unlined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. The remaining dough can be rerolled and cut into additional biscuits.
Step 5
When the biscuits have cooled completely store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Allow biscuits to sit out for 10 to 20 minutes before serving from the freezer.
Tips
This recipe is adaptable, if your dog has an allergy to white flour substitute for the same amount of rice flour and bake as directed.
According to the FDA’s Center for Veterinarian Medicine dogs should not be given real bones to chew on, like those from a ham or roast. Chewing on these bones could cause choking, broken teeth, tongue injuries and many more. Dog biscuits are a safer option.
To dress up the dog biscuits for gift giving, dip one end of the dog biscuit into some melted carob (artificial chocolate) and allow the dipped biscuits to cool on a sheet of waxed paper until the carob has hardened completely. Carob is safe for dogs, but you should never give dogs real chocolate because some dogs may have a severe allergic reaction and because their blood pressure may rise too high. Fill a cellophane bag with some dipped dog biscuits and tie it with some ribbon. Add the bag of biscuits to a basket filled with a ball, a leash and some other fun dog gifts for a fun gift basket that would be perfect for any dog lover, or give just the bag of biscuits to all of your friends and neighbors who own dogs.
Make larger dog biscuits for bigger dogs and mini-sized biscuits for your petite dog friends.
With very little effort you can have homemade dog treats for your dog. The benefits of making your own dog treats are that you can control the ingredients, save money, customize the recipe to match your dog’s preferences or dietary needs, and you can make as many as you need. Try making some dog biscuits today and your pet will surely thank you
Source: Emma Roberts and Anthony Sepe
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