Ok, so I understand that baking healthy dog treats might be a bit too ambitious, and many of you will probably think that I’m mad, but baking these was just so much fun, that I just had to share this with you. Let me start by saying that there is absolutely no reason to feed your pets plant based treats, because they are obviously carnivores. I am not saying that we should turn our pets into plant eaters, which is completely crazy of course, but I just didn’t want to bake meat cookies for Balu, so I made a plant based recipe. We feed him high quality dog food, and he has all the nutrients he needs, but lately he’s come to love steamed carrots, and he’s always had a thing for bananas. So I did some research, and found out that you can make delicious dog treats with these two ingredients.
Of course dogs do not need carbohydrates in their diet due to their mainly carnivorous needs, but Balu actually loves his carb-based little treats, so I think it’s o.k. to feed him some from time to time. Instead of white flour I used buckwheat flour, because some dogs are sensitive to wheat, and buckwheat is a great source of protein. The other ingredients in this recipe include coconut oil, chia seeds, banana and carrots. Bananas and carrots are just as healthy for dogs as they are for humans. Bananas are a great source of potassium, which strengthens your dog’s heart. Carrots contain lots of vitamin A, which is vital for a healthy vision and skin. I used coconut oil in this recipe, too, because coconut oil aids digestion, it can improve their coat, and help prevent infection. Of course dogs should not eat a large amount of coconut oil, but a little bit of it is just as healthy for them as it is for us humans. I used chia eggs in this recipe, mainly because I didn’t have eggs in stock, but mostly because chia seeds are also extremely beneficial for your dog’s health. They help strengthen their immune system and have amazing anti-inflammatory properties. If you don’t feel comfortable with using chia seeds for your dog, then just use one egg instead.
I also shot a YouTube video for these healthy dog treats last week, so you can even see Balu and I in action.
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- 2 carrots
- 1 banana
- 1 tablespoon of chia seeds + 3 tablespoons of cold water (or 1 egg)
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin coconut oil
- 1½ cups (200g) of of buckwheat flour
- Wash and grate the carrots. Combine the chia seeds and water in a small bowl and set aside for 10 minutes to thicken.
- Mash the bananas with a fork and add to a food processor or mixing bowl. Add the chia mix, coconut oil, grated carrots and buckwheat flour. Stir well until a dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, add a little bit more of the buckwheat flour.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (360°F).
- Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper and cut out the dog treats with a cookie cutter (I used a bone shaped one :)).
- Transfer the cut-out cookies to a baking tray that you aligned with baking paper.
- Bake the dog treats for about 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
- Let them cool completely before serving them to your dog.
- Stored in an air tight container, they should last for about a month.
Did you make these healthy dog treats for your pet? Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @heavenlynnhealthy #heavenlynnhealthy. I love seeing your creations!
I hope your dogs will love them just as much as Balu did!
Love this! Need to try it for my mum’s dog :))
http://thehappyvegangirl.com
Hi Edith! Your mom’s dog is going to love you even more 😉
xx Lynn
I love love LOVE these!! And my little rescue pup would love these too 😉
Thank you for the recipe.
Love your site.
Gonna try a few thinks.
From Rio de Janeiro
Bella
I just made these yummy biscuits for my 3 little dachshunds. They love them! I tried one too and I’ve got to say that they’re delicious!
Is there anything I could use to substitute the oil? I don’t have any currently :/
Hi Rebecca,
you could use other healthy oil or you can probably even sub it with apple sauce 🙂
Let me know how it turned out,
xx
Lynn
Hello,
I think my dog would love these.. I would like to make the 30 servings so do you know what size cookie cutter you use?
Thanks for the recipe.
Peter.
Hi Peter, I had a pretty regular cutter in bone shape, but I don’t remember its exact size. Just try different ones, I’m sure your dog won’t mind what shape or size they are. The smaller the cutter, the more you’ll get.
Best,
Lynn
Thank you, you are right only taste matters to Ben.
How many treats does one batch make ?
Do you use under / over heat or “luft” when baking these dog treats?
Also do you have this recipe in German?
I am making these with students at the Realschule in Herzogenaurach next week.
Hallo Deb,
ja! Hier ist das Rezept auf deutsch:
http://de.heavenlynnhealthy.com/gesunde-hundeleckerlis-mit-banane-und-karotten-5/
Und es ist Ober-Unterhitze!
Liebe Grüße,
Lynn
Hi i made these for the dogs and my dough is much darker then yours and it was very sticky so i added more flour, did everything like u said..
Just wondering why the color difference.
Hi Judy,
I’m not sure why the color turned out so differently. As long as they taste great, I think there is no need to worry.
Best,
Lynn
My dough was a bit dry. I added 3 Tbls. of unsweeten applesauce, one Tbls. at a time to moisten it up to sticky.
I used whole wheat flour. I used the clear plastic wrap to place the dough on and also covered it with the plastic, as suggested., with the surface floured very minimally and floured the top of the dough finally also, again as suggested. I was in a rush and just ran a cookie cutter to make strips and then cut the strips with it into squares and rectangles. I put them in a 360 degree oven for twenty minutes flipped them over onto a cooling grid and put them back in the oven for 4 minutes. I love treats crispy so I later in the day after finishing more treats set the cooling tray in at 170 degrees for 20 minutes and then let them sit overnight in the oven after turning it off. They are one of the most awesome treats, I mean I even love how they taste! I feel good giving my pup treats that I know exactly what is in them. This is a keeper recipe that I will use many times again.
Hi Jeanne,
thank you so much for the sweet comment and suggestions for improvement! I’m so happy your dogs (and you!) love them!
xx
Lynn
Hi! is it possible to replace the flour by another type? oats maybe? Thanks
Hi, yes you could use oats!
Best,
Lynn
Can you use coconut flour instead? If so, how much?
Hi Nichelle,
I haven’t tried it yet, but I would see no reason why this would not work. However, coconut flour is a little denser, so I’m not sure about the texture of the cookies with coconut flour.
Best,
Lynn