I don’t know about you, but as the end of the year approaches and the weather gets a little cooler, I often find my thoughts turning to ….baking. Unfortunately for my waistline, I love to bake. I’ve recently discovered that baking for my dog is a great way to indulge my inner Martha Stewart without expanding my waistline. Baking your own dog treats also ensures that your dog is getting all natural, healthy and energizing snacks that are good for them. Store bought treats can have a lot of junk in them, and IMHO are to be avoided!  Homemade treats are a perfect snack, and also make great gifts for friends who have dogs.

Baking for man’s best friend has gotten a lot healthier with an abundance of natural treat recipes springing up all over the internet. Here are some recipes we’ve run across recently that sound very promising – can’t decide which one to try next.  Let us know what you think!

Bonnie’s Dog Treats

All Natural Dog Treat.com offers a lot of options when it comes to making dog treats and even dog food. Bonnie’s Dog Treats are simple to make and fill two cookie sheets. To make these, you’ll need 1 cup cream of wheat, 1 cup powdered milk, one jar of carrot baby food, and one jar of of turkey dinner baby food that has green beans, squash, and barley. To make the treats, just mix all the ingredients together then drop them on parchment paper in the desired size. Baked at 350 degrees until browned on the edges.

Peanut Butter and Bacon Dog Treats (Gluten Free)

Tidy Mom.net has a scrumptious-sounding natural dog treat recipe. You will need 1 cup oat flour, 1 cup brown rice flour, ½ cup of peanut butter, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 egg, ½ cup of water, 2-3 pieces cooked bacon, and 1 shredded carrot. To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees while you mix and prepare the ingredients. Combine all wet ingredients, then add the flours to create dough. Roll the dough out flat about ¼ inch thick and cut out shapes. Use any standard cookie cutter, or the dog bone shaped one you received from your groomer is (we think) extra cute…and also reminds you that these treats are meant for dog (although there’s no reason you couldn’t eat them yourself if you’re so inclined.) Place the treats in the oven for 20-25 minutes and then allow them to cool completely. These treats will freeze really well in an airtight container.

Parsley Breath-Bits 

These genius Parsley Breath-Bits from Sweet Paul Magazine are quick to make and may even help sweeten your dog’s breath. For this recipe you need 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ stick of melted butter, ½ cup of plain yogurt, 1 teaspoon honey, and 4 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley. Set the oven to preheat to 400 degrees while you put together your ingredients. Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. If the dough is too dry, add a little water. Roll out your dough just like you would to make sugar cookie cutouts and make the dough ⅜ an inch thick. Cut the dough into squares in your desired size and bake them for 15-20 minutes. Allow the bits to dry and serve them to your favorite pup!

At Awesome Doggies, we encourage home baking for you dog — have fun with it. You may have  received a doggie cookie cutter from us at some point in time. We’ve been known to hand them out periodically!  If you don’t already have one, just ask your groomer at your next appointment.