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Homemade Dog Treats

Dog treats are a fast and healthier way to show Fido how much you love him. Here are three tasty dog treat recipes that you can make in your home and save money in the process.

To live a more frugal lifestyle, I am working on cutting out extra expenses and trying to do, make or prepare as much as I can using what I have around me.

Call me cheap, but I cannot bring myself to spend $3 – $4 on store-bought dog treats when I can make them myself using better quality ingredients from my pantry like chicken broth, brewer’s yeast, whole wheat, and oat flour. I have found that many brands of commercial dog treats are filled with preservatives, fillers, and byproducts as opposed to natural and high-quality ingredients.

Dog treats are a fast and wonderful way to show Fido how much you love him. These treats are by far, healthier and better-tasting. Yes, I admit that I tasted these dog treats.

Bacon Flavored Dog Treats

makes 2 dozen

  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • /2 cup wheat germ
  • /2 cup melted bacon fat
  •  large egg
  • /2 cup cold water
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine ingredients and mix by hand until dough forms. Tip: Add more flour if the dough is too sticky or add more bacon fat if the dough is too stiff.
  3. On a floured surface, roll out dough to a thickness of just under 1/2-inch.
  4. Cut into 1×4-inch bars and transfer to a cookie sheet. With a toothpick, poke small holes into the bars.
  5. Bake dog treats for approximately 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn the oven off, flip the bars, and place back in the oven until cool (this will further crisp them).

Peanut Butter Banana Dog Biscuits

  • 1 banana, mashed with a fork
  • 1 c. whole wheat flour
  • 1 c. oat flour
  • 2/3 c. oats
  • 1/4 c. peanut butter
  • 1 c. hot milk
  • 1 egg
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until well mixed.
  3. Knead the dough for a minute or two to ensure that ingredients are combined.
  4. Roll out dough until 1/4 inch thick.
  5. With a cookie cutter and cut out the desired shape for dough. I used a dog bone cookie cutter, but you can use a small cookie cutter, or even use the rim of a small rounded glass cup.
  6. Set on a cookie sheet and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until dog treats seem hard to the touch.

Basic Dog Biscuits

Adapted from Cesar’s Way

These basic biscuits can be customized to cater to your canine’s palette.

  • 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour (substitute regular flour or oats if your dog is sensitive to wheat)
  • 1 tsp. Brewer’s Yeast
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp. Beef or chicken Bouillon granules (can substitute beef or chicken broth/stock)
  • ½ cup hot water
  • Optional: bacon or chicken broth, eggs, oats, liver powder, wheat germ, shredded cheese, bacon bits
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Dissolve bouillon in hot water and add remaining ingredients.
  3. Knead dough until it forms a ball (approximately 3 minutes).
  4. Roll dough until ½ inch thick.
  5. Cut into slices or bone shapes (you can purchase a bone-shaped cookie cutter to make shapes with).
  6. Place dough pieces on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

Healthy Pumpkin Balls

This snack is not only delicious but is also filled with fiber, vitamin A, beta-carotene, potassium, and iron. I haven’t tried this one yet, but it sounds good. Source: Cesar’s Way

  • 1/2 cup canned pumpkin or mashed sweet potato
  • 4 tbsp. molasses
  • 4 tbsp. water
  •  2 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • ¼ tsp. baking soda
  • ¼ tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix pumpkin, molasses, vegetable oil, and water together in a bowl.
  3. Add the whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon to the mixture and stir until dough softens.
  4. Scoop out small spoonfuls of dough and roll into balls on your hands (wet hands work best).
  5. Set the balls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and flatten with a fork.
  6. Bake approximately 25 minutes until the dough is hardened.

This article was originally published at Ready Nutrition™ on June 10th, 2013