Every dog needs a little positive reinforcement! Fortunately, Bay Area dog lovers are blessed with a cornucopia of great local choices when it comes to healthy treats for our deserving pups.
But occasionally those well-petted tummies can take a turn, and we may need to experiment with diet alternatives. Other times it’s just more fun to get our own paws into the mix and knead together a batch of home-baked treats for FiFi and Fido. So we’ve collected some allergy-conscious recipes for healthy, bake-at-home dog treats – meant to supplement but not replace a complete, balanced diet, of course.
Tasty tips: Most of these recipes allow you to use a cookie-cutter of your choice – bone and heart shapes are classics. Always let the treats cool completely before serving. Lastly, whenever you have concerns about a change in Rover’s health or are considering a significant change in his dietary regimen, be sure to consult your vet.
Grain-Free Dog Treats
Adapted from A Cozy Kitchen
Ingredients
1 medium banana, mashed
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups garbanzo bean flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
Directions
Preheat oven to 300F.
In a small bowl, mix together the banana, peanut butter, and egg until completely combined.
In a medium bowl, mix the flour and rolled oats.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and combine until the dough comes together.
If using a shape cutter: The dough will be sticky, so flouring everything (wax paper, rolling pin, and shape cutter) is important. Roll on heavily floured wax paper to 1/4-inch thickness, cut out shapes, re-roll the scraps of dough, and repeat. Transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment.
For drop treats: Scoop teaspoons of dough onto baking sheet lined with parchment, and flatten.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
Cleo’s Wheat-Free Pumpkin Dog Biscuits
Ingredients
2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons dry milk
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 1/2 cups brown rice flour
1 teaspoon dried parsley (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and pumpkin until smoothly combined.
Stir in dry milk, sea salt, and (optional) dried parsley.
Add brown rice flour gradually, combining with spatula or hands to form a stiff, dry dough.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and briefly knead until dough comes together.
Roll dough to ¼-1/2-inch thickness (depending on your dog’s chew preferences), cut out shapes, re-roll the scraps of dough, and repeat.
Transfer to ungreased baking sheet.
Bake 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully turn biscuits over, then bake an additional 20 minutes.
Wheat-Free, Dairy-Free Carob Crunchers
Adapted from Doggy Dessert Chef
Ingredients
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup carob powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup water
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients and knead until dough is formed and smooth; add more water as needed until the dough comes together.
On a heavily-floured surface, roll dough until ¼-inch thick. Using a small shape cutter, cut out shapes, re-roll the scraps of dough, and repeat.
Transfer to ungreased baking sheet.
Bake 10-15 minutes, or until the cookies start to crackle.
Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Biscuits
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats, regular or quick-cooking
1 tablespoon dried parsley or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup peanut butter, crunchy or creamy
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cold water, or more
Directions
Preheat oven to 300°F.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, parsley, dried milk, and salt.
Add the eggs and peanut butter, stirring to combine; the mixture will be crumbly.
Add water; continue to add more water as needed until dough comes together.
If using a shape cutter: Roll dough to about ¼-inch thickness, cut out shapes, re-roll the scraps of dough, and repeat.
For drop biscuits: Drop the dough in walnut-sized balls onto prepared baking sheet, and flatten to about ¼-inch thickness.
Transfer to baking sheet either lightly greased or lined with parchment.
Bake for 40-60 minutes, depending on biscuit size, until biscuits are dark golden brown and dry and crisp all the way through.
Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Carrot Treats
Adapted from VegNews
Ingredients
5 cups flour
3 cups rolled oats
2 1/4 cups water
5 large carrots, finely shredded
2/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup applesauce
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large bowl, combine flour and oats.
Mix in water, carrots, peanut butter, and applesauce.
Knead dough until it comes together.
Roll dough onto a floured surface to desired thickness, cut out shapes, re-roll the scraps of dough, and repeat
Bake 20- 25 minutes or until slightly firm.
Corn-Free Heavenly Health Dog Biscuits
Adapted from Allrecipes.com
Ingredients
1 3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup golden flax seeds
2/3 cup brewer’s yeast
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup brown rice flour
2 cups oat bran flour
2 tablespoons organic raw sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 eggs
Directions
Preheat oven to 325F.
In a large bowl, combine oats, flax seeds, brewer’s yeast, cheese, rice flour, oat bran flour, and sugar.
Whisk together broth and eggs; mix with oat mixture to make a fairly stiff dough.
If using a shape cutter: Roll dough onto a floured surface to ¼-inch thickness, cut out small shapes, re-roll the scraps of dough, and repeat. Transfer to greased baking sheet.
For drop biscuits: Roll dough into 1-inch balls, drop onto greased baking sheet, and flatten.
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