HEALTHY DOG TREATS

Every month or so I stand in the pet aisle of my local grocery store in an effort to find the best (or least offensive) healthy dog treats for my beloved pups.  It’s the same confusing dilemma each time while I look for treats made in the USA, treats that don’t contain harmful ingredients, harmful preservatives, yada, yada. More and more I hear about peoples’ pets that suffer from skin allergies and intestinal abnormalties and that are thought to be wheat intolerant. So why not consider a gluten free option for our pets too? I’m usually able to narrow the selection down to the “least offensive”, but the price tag on these treats is highly offensive. Really! The newer options for healthy dog treats can break the bank, especially if you have more than one dog.

Cooking is something I love to do.  So why not whip up my own dog treats?! That’s exactly what I did and I’ll never again waste hard earned money or subject my dogs to the low quality and expensive stuff that’s sold in our stores today.

I made three different kinds of treats and here’s how I did it….

• Cookie cutters
• Large mixing bowl
• Parchment paper
• 2 1/2 cups fine ground oat flour (I use whole oats and grind them with a Nutribullet)
• 1 Tsp of salt
• 1 egg
• I tsp of stock (beef, chicken or vege)
• Water (enough to make dough pliable (start with 1/2 cup and add more if needed)

*Helpful tip: When kneading dough lightly dust hands with oat flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1.  Wisk together oat flour and salt

2. Wisk together egg and stock

3. Slowly pour egg mixture into flour mixture

4.  Add water slowly while folding dough

5.  Fold with pastry spatula until dough begins to pull away from sides of bowl

6.  Sprinkle one tsp of oat flour onto parchment paper

7.  Knead dough into baseball sized balls and roll with pin to approximately 1/4 inch thickness

8.  Cut with cookie cutters and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet

9.  With extra dough, roll into nickle sized balls for smaller treats

10.  Push treat sized balls down with thumb to flatten

11.  Bake for 30 minutes

Allow to cool.  Refrigerate or freeze  to maintain freshness

• Cookie cutters
• Large mixing bowl
• Parchment paper
• 2 1/2 cups fine ground oat flour (I use whole oats and grind them with a Nutribullet)
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
• I/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional – may reduce or omit)
• 2 tablespoon of maple syrup (optional – may reduce or omit)
• Water (enough to make dough pliable (start with 1/2 cup and add more if needed)

*Helpful tip: When kneading dough lightly dust hands with oat flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1.  Wisk together oat flour and cinnamon

2.  Wisk together pumpkin, coconut oil and maple syrup

3.  Slowly pour pumpkin mixture into flour mixture

4.  Add water slowly while folding dough

5.   Fold with pastry spatula until dough begins to pull away from sides of bowl

6.  Sprinkle one tsp of oat flour onto parchment paper

7.  Knead dough into baseball sized balls and roll with pin to approximately 1/4 inch thickness

8.  Cut with cookie cutters and place on parchment lined cookie sheet

9.  With extra dough, roll into nickle sized balls for treat size

10.  Push treat sized balls down with thumb to flatten

11.  Bake for 30 minutes

Allow to cool.  Refrigerate or freeze extra to maintain freshness

• Cookie cutters
• Large mixing bowl
• Parchment paper
• 2 1/2 cups finely ground oat flour (I use whole oats and grind them with a Nutribullet)
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
• 1/2 cup water (enough to make dough pliable (start with 1/2 cup and add more if needed)

*Helpful tip: When kneading dough lightly dust hands with oat flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1.  Wisk together oat flour coconut oil and peanut butter

2.  Slowly add water and fold until mixture pulls away from sides of bowl

3.  Sprinkle one tsp of oat flour onto parchment paper.

4.  Knead dough into baseball sized balls and roll to about 1/4 inch thickness

5.  Cut with cookie cutters

6.  With extra dough, roll into nickle sized balls for treat size.

7.  Push treat sized balls down with thumb to flatten

8.  Bake for 30 minutes

Allow to cool.  Refrigerate or freeze extra to maintain freshness

Your pups will love them. And so will their friends!