This dog cookies recipe was given to me by my elderly neighbour — our dogs have managed to convince her that we don’t feed them anything tasty (not true!) and love to beg her for these home-made dog treats!
These treats call for cornmeal, but you can substitute oatmeal if you have a dog with an allergy to corn, as I do. My preference is to use real peanut butter – the kind that’s made just of ground-up peanuts, not the big-brand kind that’s about 1/3 sugar and not particularly healthy for man or beast, but no one’s judging if you want to grab a big jar of the cheaper kind for canine consumption. After all, these are treats – for occasional snacking – and it’s fine to give treats as long as the pooch is getting high-quality nutrition in his regular meals.
One really great thing about this dog treat recipe? If the kids get into them, there’s no harm done. It’s all the same things you’d put into a peanut butter cookie made for humans, but without all the sweeteners.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup plus 1 Tbsp water
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1-1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
Whisk together the first four ingredients. Stir in flour and cornmeal until well mixed. Knead until the dough holds together, then transfer to a lightly floured surface.
Roll out dough to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Poke holes all over the dough with a fork and cut into pieces of the desired size — use a bone-shaped cookie cutter, if you have one!
Place on a baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart and bake at 350°F for 18 – 20 minutes, until firm. Put the pan on a rack and let the dog cookies cool completely. Reduce the oven heat to 300°F and bake for 20 minutes longer, until hard. Cool, then store in a tightly sealed container.
I’m told that they will keep for about 30 days, but our dogs seem to gobble up their special treats much more quickly than that!
