Homemade Pet Treats

By Lisa Payne

My daughter loves her dog. She also loves to cook. I will never forget the first time she was old enough to bake a dog-friendly cake for our dog Cooper’s birthday. She spent hours. It was a two-layer delicious mess with peanut butter as frosting. We invited all the neighbor dogs over to run around and ended the playdate/birthday party with slices of the dog cake.

Here is her recipe for homemade dog cake and also dog biscuits that are easy. Always check with your vet to make sure ingredients are safe for your pet.

Tenny’s Dog Cake

(Makes single-layer cake. Double recipe for two layer)

INGREDIENTS:

CAKE

• 1 cup flour

• ½ tsp baking soda

• 1/8 cup vegetable oil

• ¼ cup natural peanut butter

• ½ cup applesauce

• ½ cup pumpkin puree

• ¼ cup shredded carrots

• 1 egg

FROSTING

• ½ cup natural peanut butter

• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt

INSTRUCTIONS:

CAKE

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour and baking soda.

3. In a separate bowl mix together vegetable oil, peanut butter, applesauce, shredded carrots, and pumpkin puree. Once combined, mix in egg and stir until combined.

4. Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir until combined.

5. Pour mixture into an 8” round pan (or square pan) that has been sprayed with oil.

6. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly.

7. Allow to cool on a wire rack prior to removing from pan.

FROSTING

1. Mix Greek yogurt and peanut butter until well combined. Spread over cake. If not serving immediately, store in refrigerator.

Easy Homemade Dog Biscuits

(Our favorite is from the “It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken” website)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups oats (old fashioned, 1-minute oats, or instant) plus more if needed

• 2 medium ripe bananas

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Add the oats to a food processor and grind until they reach a fine powder. Add the bananas and peanut butter and blend until a sticky dough is formed.

3. Remove from the food processor and roll out on a lightly floured surface. (Use whole wheat flour, more ground oats, or another dog-safe flour that you have on hand). I used a heart cookie cutter to cut out the treats but you could use any cookie cutter, or just cut them into squares with a knife or pizza cutter.

4. Lay the treats on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the treats are puffed up a bit, dry and dark brown on the bottoms, (they will still feel soft when first removed from the oven). The treats will get a bit more firm once they are cool but will still be a slightly softer dog treat. Let cool before giving one to your pup. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Lisa Payne writes about home, health, and family. You can reach her a paynefam6@gmail.com.