Treat your precious pooch with these drool-worthy delicious and healthy gourmet dog treats for the holidays!
Who says humans are the only ones allowed to treat themselves over the holiday season? If you are someone who loves to spend time in the kitchen baking delicious treats for your family, then you might have realised how much your dog will stare at you longingly while you’re cooking.
Resist those puppy-dog eyes no more and spoil your dog with these simple and healthy recipes.
1. Peanut butter puppy cupcakes (or pupcakes)
These treats are packed with healthy fats and flavour! The trick is to first make the base and then the icing which consists of sweet potato and coconut cream!
Cake Base
Ingredients
- 1 cup oat flour (a good idea if you do not have oat flour is to place dry oats in the blender and blend until smooth)
- 1/2 cup quick oats
- 1/4 cup agave syrup (honey also works well)
- 1/4 cup peanut butter (make sure you choose xylitol-free peanut butter as xylitol is incredibly dangerous for dogs)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Method
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees and lightly grease a muffin tin.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Add agave or honey, peanut butter and apple sauce and stir until well-combined.
- Fill the muffin tin three-quarters full, bake 12-15 minutes and allow to cool.
Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup sweet potato, boiled
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
Method
- Peel the sweet potato and chop it into small cubes.
- In a medium-sized pot, bring four cups of water to boil.
- Add chopped sweet potato.
- Boil 20 minutes or until very tender.
- Drain and allow to cool.
- In a medium bowl, combine sweet potato and coconut cream and beat until smooth.
- Once the cupcakes have cooled down, top with the frosting and serve.
If you liked this recipe, then have a look at this one for pumpkin peanut butter dog cookies.
2. Eggnog for dogs
Whilst eggnog is not a common drink in South Africa, it is incredibly popular in America and other overseas countries. This yummy treat is similar to a bowl of delicious cold soup for your dog!
Ingredients
- 1kg plain yoghurt
- 1 unseasoned chicken breast, boiled
- 1/4 cup of green beans
- 1/4 cup of carrots
- 1/2 cup sweet potatoes, boiled (you can also use butternut)
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups water
Discover: 9 healthy human foods for dogs
Method
- Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Serve a small amount in your dog’s bowl and refrigerate the rest.
- Expert tip: this is also a great way to keep your dog’s coat healthy and shiny.
Banana and carrot treat
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal (oats can also work well)
- 1 bunch fresh carrots, finely chopped or grated
- 3 fresh bananas, peeled and mashed
- 1 beaten egg
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil (or coconut oil)
- 1/2 cup cold water
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and then gradually add the other ingredients until you have a dough-like consistency.
- Flour your workspace and roll out dough to desired thickness (a centimetre or so should do it!) and use a cutout shape of your choice.
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet and bake for about 35 minutes. Allow to cool and then serve.
Very berry dog biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups oat flour
- 2 1/2 cups quinoa flour
- ¾ cup flax meal
- 1/2 cup frozen unsweetened blueberries
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 large egg
Method
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
- Line a decently sized baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients with 1 cup water to form a dough. Roll out mixture to be about 1 centimetre thick on a working surface covered in flour.
- Cute cookies into shapes using a cookie cutter (you can also use a glass if you want to make round cookies).
- Space biscuits 1 inch apart on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until nicely browned and firm.
Sweet potato and cinnamon gourmet dog treats
Ingredients
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 medium sweet potato, boiled
- 1/2 cup oat or coconut flour
Method
- Boil the sweet potato until soft.
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.
- Mash sweet potato (you can keep the skin on).
- Add the oil and cinnamon.
- Gradually mash in the flour, start with a half cup.
- Flour your workspace countertop and roll out the dough to be about 1cm thick.
- Cut into shapes.
- Bake for 30 minutes, turning midway through.
- Allow cooling before serving.
We hope you and your pup have a wonderful holiday season and enjoy baking these delicious treats together!
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