You guys, humans aren’t the only animals who love junk food — our pets do too, as evidenced by the mad dash to the kitchen every time a bag of dog cookies is jostled just enough to make the tiniest of rustling noise. Obviously, we want to give our dogs every luxury they want, but those dog treats really aren’t that good for them — not to mention, they can be expensive. Homemade dog treats on the other hand are made from fresh ingredients and can actually save you a little money.
DIY dog treats are ridiculously easy to make at home, and while we haven’t personally taste-tested them, we’ve seen firsthand that the dogs go crazy for them. Because store-bought dog treats get stale and are also made with added ingredients, these fresh-baked treats are the perfect way to show your pooch how much you care.
And did we mention they’re super-easy? If you’ve got some organic peanut butter and whole-wheat flour in your pantry, then you’re halfway there.
I’m Kelly Dixon from Smart School House, and I’m here to share a quick and easy recipe for DIY dog treats. They are so fun to make that my kids did all of the cookie cutting. So, get the family together and celebrate your dog with these fantastic homemade dog treats.
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DIY dog treats recipe
Using dog bone cookie cutters makes these cookies super-cute, especially if you’re making these as gifts. But if you don’t have one, you can certainly use any shape of cookie cutter you like. Your dog won’t mind one way or another.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup organic peanut butter
- 1 cup skim milk
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 cups whole-wheat flour, plus more for cutting out the cookies
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter and milk. Drizzling the milk in slowly will allow you to combine it more efficiently.
- In another large mixing bowl, combine the baking powder and whole-wheat flour.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the peanut butter-milk mixture. Combine all of the ingredients until thoroughly mixed.
- On a sheet of parchment paper, sprinkle a tiny bit of wheat flour on the surface and roll out the dough to reach your desired dog treat thickness. Using your dog bone cookie cutters, cut out dog treats and place them onto a greased cookie sheet.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Before making these dog treats, be sure you take your dog’s dietary needs into consideration. Some dogs don’t do well with peanut butter, while some dogs love it. As always, put your dog’s best interests first. However, I’ve never met a dog that doesn’t like homemade treats. They make wonderful gifts tied in baker’s twine or delivered in small jars.
More: What Does It Actually Mean When Your Dog Gets a Random Burst of Energy?
Originally published July 2014. Updated May 2017.
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