Homemade Healthy Dog Cookies
Straight off, these are a soft dog cookie. If you like this texture, I’ve found it’s best to store these (once cooled) in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Personally I prefer to dehydrate these a bit, but the humidity in your area will affect this so after you get past the 25 minutes in the oven, you’re going to have to wing it. I typically cook these for 25 minutes, leave them inside but reduce the heat, or turn off the oven (depends on the time of year/humidity), crack the door a minute then check them in 30 minutes. If you live in a dry climate, it may be sufficient to allow them to cool on cooling rack on your counter.
Shape options…
My daughter saw a cute cookie shape when we were looking for ideas so we rolled them into balls and made paw prints in them with her fingertip. I did that exactly once, as evidenced in the photo…it was cute, but time consuming. Slicing an entire pan with a pizza cutter….that’s not as cute, but I promise my dog doesn’t care. You may do whatever you wish, and I’d love to see what you come up with! If my girls want to sit there and shape these into paw prints again, they’re welcome to it, but somewhere there’s a load of laundry to fold and dishes to clean. However, if you decide to create shapes with these, remove one egg so you have a firmer medium with which to work.
About the Tookie-Cookies…
When my girls were toddlers we lost our dogs to cancer and old age and it broke my heart to say goodbye. Those were my babies before I had babies, and I still miss them. It was years before I was ready and willing to take that on again, and I was honestly holding out for a big goofy dog. That didn’t keep my girls working me over, begging for a dog, praying for a dog. Out loud. Every night. I finally caved (because of course) and we ended up with a middle-aged, smallish rescue dog who is half Westie, half Carolina dingo, and 100% not the brightest bulb on the tree, but she’s the most affectionate dog I’ve ever owned, good with people of all ages, and happy, happy, happy all the time. True to form, I can’t bring myself to feed her processed garbage either.
I swear, the need to make everything from scratch is some weird genetic disorder.
I searched the web for ideas and allowable base veggies, merging them with nutritional needs. I avoided any ideas with wheat flour especially because this (most grains, actually) is a frequent allergen to dogs that usually manifests itself in scratching. I also scratched the peanut butter idea because peanuts are prone to mold – not good for health. I usually have most of these things in my pantry, but the base, the bulk of this recipe, changes from time to time based on what I have on hand. Often it consists of the extra butternut squash I need to cook, and the half a can of pumpkin leftover from the pancakes I made two days ago. Basically, it’s versatile.
The ingredients…
Pumpkin, squash, sweet potatoes and/OR carrots are the base ingredients of this and all are excellent choices for dogs. They are rich in vital nutrients and easily digestible. Carrots are high in vitamin K, sweet potatoes, yams and butternut squash are high in C and several key minerals, and all but yams are high in vitamin A.
Virgin coconut oil, a medium chain fatty acid, excellent for metabolism, contains lauric acid which has antibacterial, antiviral and antiprotizoal (parasites) properties. Basically, it’s exceptional for maintaining overall health, not to mention the benefit to their skin and coat. According to Dr. Bruce Fife, certified nutritionist and
naturopathic physician, coconut oil is the be-all, end-all for pets.
Whole pastured eggs to dogs are an excellent source of protein containing many essential amino acids, and are often soothing to a dog’s belly. Cooked eggs are even a great treat, but in days gone by, animals by and large ate (stole) eggs right out nests and didn’t wait for them to be cooked and served Benedict-style. Unless of course you’re Ginger, my sister-in-law’s old lab mix who once stole 23 hardboiled, brightly colored Easter eggs from my nephew’s basket. You cannot possibly imagine the amount of rainbow poop all over the backyard the next day. Everywhere. It looked like a unicorn barfed all over the place. But I digress.
Grass fed beef collagen is a clean source of protein rich in essential amino acids, and will help keep their joints strong (and ours). Collagen is in every connective tissue in the body and depletes as we age so it’s no wonder we, and our pets, suffer from joint disease as we grow older. The toxic load on our bodies from processed foods (and other environmental elements) accelerate this effect, so it’s necessary, in my opinion, to supplement with collagen if you aren’t getting enough of it in your diet, which is common.
Nutritional yeast is a nutrient powerhouse. Packed with B vitamins especially, and high in minerals, this yeast, often found in the bulk section at health food stores is also high in fiber and protein. Just try to find this yeast in its natural form, as opposed to having been fortified with synthetic vitamins. This yeast is also thought to make the blood unpalatable to parasites. Bonus…I could use less ticks in my life. (Our dog’s name is Tookie…sometimes I call her Ticky, so you can see the advantage for me here.)
The Kfibre is a new addition. I’ve been making this recipe for over a year but just got my hands on this fiber product. You can read more about the health and nutrition benefits HERE and HERE. In studies using mice, those who were given Kfibre showed a marked improvement in intestinal health and in villi specifically in the small intestine. Hippocrates said many moons ago that all disease begins in the gut. Keep the gut healthy and we can all avoid so many ailments. My goal, however, was to get more fiber into my dog’s diet, but also a prebiotic to feed all the good bacteria in her gut. If you do not have this product yet, you can use coconut flour noted in the recipe.
I’m determined to keep this dog out of the vet’s office, because holy mother of dog barf, those people are expensive.
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 25-50 minutes, depending on humidity |
| Passive Time | 10 minutes |
| Servings |
cookie sheet
|
- 2 cans organic pumpkin, unflavored See options in notes
- 1/3 c coconut flour
- 1/2 c Kfibre If you do not have this, use 2 Tbsp coconut flour
- 1/2 c collagen or gelatin from grass fed cows, I use Vital Proteins
- 1/3 c Virgin coconut oil never refined
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 c nutritional yeast - this is NOT the same as brewer's yeast
Ingredients
|
|
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper that comes up over the sides. Note that sweet potatoes and carrots would also work in this recipe. If you're using sweet potatoes, peel and boil these until they're soft, then drain. Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until it is smooth, pausing to scrape down the side of the bowl so everything is incorporated. Pour the entire mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet and smooth out until it is evenly dispersed and is 1/4" deep. Using a bench scraper is the best way to achieve a smooth, even spread and defined edges, but you can use a firm spatula. Allow the pan to sit 10 minutes before baking so the coconut flour can better absorb the liquids. Another option is to roll these into balls, place on the parchment, and then press cute little paw prints into these. We did this exactly one time - it's time consuming Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and adjust heat to 200 degrees. Slice the sheet of now-cooked batter into 1/2" squares (a pizza cutter is perfect for this), and return to the oven. The goal at this point is to dry out the treats a bit because they tend to be very soft, and they'll last in your pantry longer this way. The edges will start curling up when they're ready - about 30 minutes. IF you live in a drier climate, the 25 minutes may be sufficient. Remove the pan from the oven and move the treats to a cooling rack to finish drying. Store in an area where they will not become moist - this is REAL food so it will (and should if it's real food) develop mold eventually. These can also be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or frozen.
