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’Tis the season to spoil your dog! Like us humans, most dogs love few things more than food. If we get seasonal delights such as gingerbread, cinnamon stars and marzipan potatoes, so should they. This recipe will make for fantastic Christmas gifts for your canine loved ones.
I love baking for dogs because it is so hard to mess up. I will never know if it was bland or too dry, if I went for a weird flavor combination or if buckwheat has a funny aftertaste.
As long as they get to lick the bowl and have something to crunch when it’s done, I am their favorite master chef.
Dogs can be allergic to peanuts, eggs, dairy, grains and more so if your pet has never encountered some of these ingredients, it is advisable to feed him a small dose at first and adjust the recipe according to his dietary preferences.
Both of the following recipes are designed for every ingredient to be swapped for something else so there are endless flavor combinations and possibilities for you to recreate your own favorite Christmas treat for your furry companion.
We’ll start off with the traditional way of preparing a hard dough to roll out and using cookie cutters for fun shapes.
Cookies
- 2 eggs (alternatively 1 banana, 4 tbsp. apple sauce or 6 tbsp. peanut butter, salt- and sugar-free)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (or sweet potato, liver paste)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (or butter, vegetable oil of choice)
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 3/4 cups oat flour (or coconut, wholemeal, buckwheat, rice)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. cinnamon (turmeric, ginger, garlic have great health benefits)
Icing
A thick paste made of water or yogurt and flour as well as food colouring can be used as icing
Mix well, cool dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour and roll out evenly. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes.
Optional:
Turn the oven temperature way down to dry them for about 90 minutes so they will keep for months. Put a chopstick in your oven door to let the moisture escape.
A silicone baking mat is handy for baking your own tiny treats as they’re quick to make and each mat creates about 100 training drops at a time. They are available online from $10 and come in fun shapes and sizes.
- two eggs (or substitute)
- 1 cup flour of choice
- 1 cup yogurt of choice
Extras: fresh fruit or vegetables of choice or shredded cheese
Get creative and experiment with colours such as beetroot, charcoal, turmeric, spirulina or parsley (for fresh breath)
Mix well. Aim for a liquid consistency: it should look like crêpe batter. I use a high-speed blender to make sure there are no chunks left, which makes it easier to fill the little molds.
Bake at 350° for circa 20 minutes until they fall out of the mat easily. Spread them on a baking sheet and dry as described above.
