My family recently adopted a new dog. Before we got her, I spent a whole day preparing her little area in our house as if I was preparing a hotel room. I made her bed and rested some new toys, treats and other cute doggy things on top. Needless to say I spent quite a lot on that set up.
When I was raiding the pet store, I came across these realllyyy cute gourmet dog treats. They were cut into cute little shapes ranging from cupcakes to cars and there was even a treat shaped like a foaming beer (which is obviously the one I ended up buying). The treats were frosted to look like human sugar cookies, and honestly they even smelt like them too.
However, I did feel a bit guilty buying these treats because I thought to myself that I could totally make them. As it turns out, doggy safe food isn’t the hardest thing to make. I made these treats with only four ingredients that you probably already have at home: peanut butter, skim milk, baking powder and oats.
If you are concerned about your dog eating human food, contact your vet first before giving your fur baby any homemade treats. However, I also heavily researched to make sure all of these ingredients were dog safe. Just be sure not to do the obvious, like mix in chocolate (a very poisonous food for doggos) into the icing or the treat itself. Also keep an eye out for the lesser known deadly ingredient xylitol, which is an artificial sweetener and is deadly to dogs.
I also try to avoid heavily processed foods (like certain peanut butters) and instead try to reach for organic options which are usually more simple and pure.
A quick note on the icing: you’re basically making oobleck. The icing will turn into a solid when you stir it and a liquid when it’s left alone, so I chose to use a tiny spoon to frost my cookies instead of a piping bag. Don’t worry, the icing will harden once it’s on the cookie. Slowly add the water until it thins and then stop. I wrote the measurements that worked for me in the recipe, but this could slightly vary depending.
Make your best doggy treats and be sure to post a photo of them and tag me @everythingahnika on Instagram so I can see! If your doggy likes peanut butter, they’re in for a real treat. And remember, don’t use treats in place of food! They’re meant to be used as rewards and don’t hold the daily nutrition that a pup needs.
Homemade Dog Treats With Icing
Ingredients
Treats
- 1/2 cup peanut butter organic
- 2 cups oats
- 1/2 cup skim milk
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
Icing
- 4 tbsp cornstarch sifted
- 4 tsp water
- 1 tsp honey
- food colouring optional
Instructions
For the treats
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Using a food processor, blend the oats until they're very fine and almost resemble a flour.
- Whisk together the blended oats and baking powder. Gradually add in the skim milk, then mix in the peanut butter until the dough comes together.
- Roll the dough out 1/4 inch thick using a rolling pin. Use a paring knife or cookie cutters to cut out different shapes. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.
- Once the cookies are baked, let cool on a cooling rack before frosting or keep them plain for an easier treat.
For the Icing
- Gradually mix together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water. Mix in the honey and slowly stir in the rest of the water. If using food colouring, stir in a small drop.
- Using a small spoon, slowly spoon the icing onto the baked cookies. The icing will dry once it is on the treats. I find using a toothpick helps to get tricky details.
- Keep frosted cookies in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature or up to a week in the fridge.
Notes
- Educate yourself on the foods that are poisonous to dogs before allowing them to consume human food. Check your ingredients for chocolate, grapes, raisins, etc and be aware of the artificial sweetener xylitol, which is deadly to dogs and sometimes used in processed peanut butter.
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