These homemade dog biscuits are made with peanut butter for an irresistible treat your pet will love.
Have you heard of 23PAWS?
No? Well now you have. Basically, it’s a chance to gush about your pet and post pictures of them. The stuff most people do already, but now with an actual purpose so you don’t feel like as much of a crazy cat/dog/chinchilla/ferret/whatever lady. This is the first official link up Cinnamon is hosting for 23PAWS so if you missed the boat this time around, go check out everyone else’s posts, read up and get prepared for next month.
Ok, now let’s get to the gushing because obviously, I have the best dog ever.
Internet, meet Ginger.
She’s pretty cool.
She used to look like this.
An eight week old, 10 pound puppy who ate so much sand at a jet-ski race she literally pooped out a sand log.
5 years later, she’s all grown up and quite sassy.
She hates little children.
She loves eating mulch.
She likes to roll in other animals’ crap.
She dislikes baths.
She has a very intimate relationship with a stuffed hedgehog.
She doesn’t like to be snuggled.
She sometimes self-diets.
She a complete daddy’s girl.
Every day around 7pm, this is what goes on in my family room.
Ginger turns 5 in two weeks and since this is pretty much her idea of the perfect day,
I decided to make her some homemade peanut butter treats.
Sometimes I feel like a fraud in that I’m so keen on eating healthy myself yet I feed my dog Eukanuba. I literally have dog-mom guilt over that sometimes. I should buy her the organic dog food and I shouldn’t buy her those treats she loves from Sam’s Club but yet, I do. So instead of heading out to Walmart and buying some cancer causing cheap dog biscuits this time around, I made my own.
Was it more involved than throwing a large box of biscuits in my cart and forking over $12.95? Yes. But, it was also a heck of a lot cheaper and didn’t result in any dog-mom guilt.
Someone didn’t seem to mind the homemade kind.
“Mind? Mom, there’s peanut butter in these!”
So I’ve promised myself that from here on out, homemade treats it is. I think we’ll both be happy about that.
Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup oats
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 banana, mashed
- egg whites for brushing, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper/silpat.
- Combine banana, egg, applesauce and peanut butter in a medium bowl and mash together.
- Add flour and oats and stir to combine.
- Flour a clean surface and roll dough out with a rolling pin, adding as much flour as you need to keep it from sticking (I had to use a generous amount).
- Use a cut out of any shape (I used the top to a jar of jam for small discs) and lay each piece on the baking sheet.
- Brush with egg whites if using and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool on rack.
- Keep sealed in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
LOVE! I’m going to have to check out that site and post pics of my lovely lab, Solitude! Your pup is so pretty! And how ambitious of you to make her treats!! Very cool thanks for sharing!
Your dog is adorable!! I’ll have to try making those treats for my mom’s dog
Your posts are so enjoyable and fun. As a fellow doggie mommie I laughed so hard at today’s and forwarded to my husband who is a mucky-muck Director and Software Designer and also a 5th degree Black Belt in Kung Fu who is reduced to absolute MUSH and goofy baby talk when our dogs need (I mean command him) to. What a little Sassy-Pants your Ginger is is right! That look says it all…that she’s well loved and I’m sure so much enjoyment for you both. Thanks for another fun post!
“She likes to roll in other animals’ crap.”
LOL!!! I’m so glad you posted this because my puppy LOVES to eat the crap the local cats and raccoons leave in our yard. Groooooooss. Anyway, I did feel better after reading that about our dog. (And so does hubby, who thinks our dog is the only one fascinated with anything that has to do with animal poop, ‘cept his own – thank goodness)
I am SO excited for this recipe. I hope you post more dog recipes soon!!! (PLEASE?) I happen to have all the ingredients; will make this tomorrow. Puppy and I thank you!
haha, don’t worry, you’re not alone! I had a pointer growing up that did the same thing as Ginger. It’s apparently to cover their scent b/c they think they’re hunting or something. Granted, the only thing Ginger hunts are small children and squirrels but I guess it’s just ingrained in her ;)
I’m happy to have found 23PAWS on its first run – it was a fun post to write! I love the chair picture – so like a person. I swear they are. I had the mom guilt too, badly, so I buy the poodle human grade dog food. Of course she weighs a fraction of what Ginger does so I’d buy the Eukanuba then if I were you too. Our Labrador pretty much eats whatever is on sale that week. I will definitely be trying this recipe, but they sound yummy so do I have to feed them to my dog???
Ok a couple things…..
1) those puppy pics….to DIE for. She is the cutest!
2) is it bad that I kind of want to eat those treats too?
3) that pic of her sitting in the chair. So sassy. Love it.
We must think alike, because I commented almost the same thing before I read yours…
Great minds….
I tried one myself, they’re not bad! haha
Wow Ginger is absolutely gorgeous. Such a beautiful color. I’m sure she loved the treats. Filled with mommy-dog love!
What a pretty dog! I like that you made her snacks, and I forwarded your link to my sister who has a bunch of pooches and might enjoy your dog snack recipe. Matter of fact, she’s making them homemade frosty paws today (it’s hot!)
can’t wait to make these for our dogs! we have a chocolate lab and a yellow lab, and i know they’d both LOVE these treats!
Awww Ginger :) I’m so glad she liked the treats. Plus she is a total sweetheart!