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FEATURED COMMENT:
Super easy to make, and our sweet little rescue Chihuahua Kowalski loooooves them. I used a pizza cutter to make them into little squares, so it made a LOT. He was kind enough to share them with his canine cousins, who also loved them. These are a WIN! - Karen
Ingredients:
Ground Flaxseed: good for skin and coat health, immune system support, and healthy digestion. If you have whole flaxseeds you can grind them in a blender or coffee grinder. Unsweetened Applesauce: a good source of vitamins A, C, K, calcium, and phosphorus. The antioxidants may help ward off cancer, help with joint disease symptoms, and can improve dental health and breath. Make sure you use unsweetened applesauce. Alternatively, you could substitute applesauce with unsweetened pumpkin puree or cooked mashed sweet potato (without any added oils or seasonings). Natural peanut butter: A small amount of peanut butter is added for flavor to make these treats more delicious, but peanut butter also contains protein, healthy fats, vitamins B, E, and niacin. Make sure that the peanut butter you use is natural peanut butter. The only ingredient should be peanuts. Do not use processed peanut butter that contains added oils, sugars, and salt. That stuff is basically frosting and is bad for our pups. Dried Parsley: a good source of vitamins and minerals and also has antimicrobial properties that help freshen breath! Cinnamon: in small amounts, cinnamon is safe and healthy for dogs. It can help support brain function, improve focus and memory, and also has anti-inflammatory properties. Omit this if preferred. Whole wheat flour: is packed with fiber, and protein, and is a good source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, including vitamin B9 (folate), vitamin E, copper, iron, manganese, and selenium. You could alternatively substitute this with oat flour or another dog-safe flour.
How to Make This Healthy Dog Treats Recipe:
Preheat your oven to 350F (180C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or leave it dry (the treats shouldn't stick). In a small bowl or measuring glass mix the warm water and flax. Set aside for about 10 minutes to thicken.
In a large bowl add the thickened flax mixture, apple sauce, peanut butter, parsley, and cinnamon, and mix well. Add the whole wheat flour and mix to make a stiff dry dough (it won't come together just yet).
Dump the dough and any remaining flour and bits from the bowl onto a clean work surface. Gather the dough and knead to incorporate all the flour. If your dough doesn't come together and is too dry, sprinkle over 1 teaspoon of water at a time until the dough comes together into a stiff dough.
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick. Cut the dough into dog biscuits. I used this bone-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the treats but you could use any cookie cutter, or just cut them into squares with a knife or pizza cutter. Gather any dough scraps, and reroll to make more treats.
Lay the treats out in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for 45 mins - 60 mins until the treats are golden on the bottom and dry.
Let cool before giving one to your pup. I like to let my treats cool on the baking sheet and sit out in the open overnight to dry even more and become more crunchy. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or you can freeze them. I hope your dog loves this healthy dog treats recipe!
This healthy dog treats recipe is...
- Full of ingredients that are good for your dog
- Made using pantry staples
- Always a hit with dogs- they love them!
More homemade dog treats recipes:
Homemade Sweet Potato Dog Chews Easy Homemade Dog Treats (banana, peanut butter, oats) Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Treats If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram. Bon appetegan! Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Healthy Dog Treats Recipe!
These healthy dog treats are easy to make and full of ingredients that are good for your dog. These treats help freshen breath, improve skin and coat health, and are packed with fiber, and nutrients your dog needs. Best yet, dogs love them!!
Servings: (depending on your cookie cutter size)
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Ingredients
- ½ cup warm water
- ¼ cup ground flax, for skin and coat health
- ½ cup unsweetended apple sauce, for dental health and breath (or sub pumpkin puree)
- 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter, for protein and healthy fats (smooth or chunky)
- 2 tablespoon dried parsley, for fresher breath
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, for brain function
- 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour, for fiber, protein, and minerals (or sub oat flour)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F (180C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or leave it dry (the treats shouldn't stick).
- In a small bowl or measuring glass mix the warm water and flax. Set aside for about 10 minutes to thicken.
- In a large bowl add the thickened flax mixture, apple sauce, peanut butter, parsley, and cinnamon and mix well. Add the whole wheat flour and mix to make a stiff dry dough (it won't come together just yet).
- Dump the dough and any remaining flour and bits from the bowl onto a clean work surface. Gather the dough and knead to incorporate all the flour. If your dough doesn't come together and is too dry, sprinkle over 1 teaspoon of water at a time until the dough comes together into a stiff dough.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick. Cut the dough into treats. I used this bone-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the treats but you could use any cookie cutter, or just cut them into squares with a knife or pizza cutter. Gather any dough scraps, and reroll to make more treats.
- Lay the treats out in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for 45 mins - 60 mins until the treats are golden on the bottom and dry. Let cool before giving one to your pup. I like to let my treats cool on the baking sheet and sit out in the open overnight to dry even more and become more crunchy. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or you can freeze them.
Nutrition
Serving: 1treat (recipe makes 28 treats) | Calories: 53kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕
Cathy says
A favorite for my grand puppies. They get so excited for a treat. So healthy !! Great recipe. Thanks.
Maurine C. says
I can't wait to try your dog biscuit recipes!! They look so easy to make and would definitely be healthier than a lot of the store bought treats. I'm curious though, do you make your dog's dog food as well? I read he's a vegan dog and am interested in a healthier dog food for my dog. Thanks!!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Maurine! I don’t make my dog’s full meals myself, that can be risky to do unless you fully understand dog nutritional needs (which are very different than human nutritional needs). If you want to learn more, check out the highlight called "diet" on my Chickpeas's Instagram account 🙂
Gina says
Can you make these in a mold
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Gina! Yes, absolutely, you can press the dough into silicone molds. Works great! 🐾
Shannon says
Hi - I can't source unsweetened apple sauce where I live so I want to substitute with the mashed cooked sweet potato that you suggested. How many grams (or overall measurement) would be needed to do so?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Shannon, yes that will work perfectly. If you click the word "metric" below the ingredient list the ingredients will convert to grams for you. It would be the same amount as apple sauce, 1/2 cup / 122g. Enjoy!
benny says
eh it doesn't work as well if you have no flax seed :/
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Benny, Yes, the flax is an important ingredient here because it helps bind the dough and adds the nutrients the treats are designed for, so leaving it out will definitely change the texture. Hope that helps!
Jamee says
My dog got really bad pancreatitis so I started making these for her and doubling the recipe. I freeze them and keep some in the fridge, she loves them! I also gave some to the picky neighborhood dogs and they love them too. 10/10!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Aww so happy you're dog loves them Jamee!! 🙂
Marie says
Hi Jamee! I would like to share what my husband and I learned from a dog nutritionist. She loves dogs, has two that I saw were super healthy, and I asked her advice, of all things, about chew toys. At that time I knew nothing about pancreatitis. She said, "Don't give your dog one except after a meal, don't let her chew on sticks, etc. "Chewing" tells the stomach that FOOD is coming and the pancreas has a lot to do with digestion. Too much "chewing" on an empty stomach causes overworking and inflammation with digestive enzymes from the pancreas. This is one of the biggest causes of pancreatitis. It can lead to diabetes. Give a chew toy only after they eat and for a very short while if needed, then take it away. Play with them a lot to burn up energy and stop boredom. You will not have any trouble with pancreatitis. And try not to give them too many treats between meals. Treats are best right before a meal, during a meal, or right after. And keep consumption of animal fat low IF your dog doesn't get enough exercise to burn it." We have followed that advice, have no problems and we especially now have to be careful. We have a tri-color chocolate labradoodle and had to spay her at 8 months because one day she started acting very strange with not-normal signs of coming into heat, with peeing every 3 feet for almost 100 feet while on a walk, even like staggering. We made an appointment with our vet to find out what was wrong. When they opened her up, her right ovary was attached to her pancreas. They were able to carefully separate them and she had to be spayed. We learned that labradoodles have a big problem with organ adhesions. Anyway, I try to share what we learned from this nutritionist with many people to be a small help. I'm thankful for Sam's healthy treat recipes as the majority in the stores have ingredients I would not even eat. And after all, we humans like a treat for dessert too. :-))
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Thank you so much for sharing this, Marie. I really appreciate you taking the time to pass along what you learned, and I’m so glad the treats have been a good option for your pups!
nina says
my dog loves it!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Wonderful! So happy to hear that Nina! Thanks for your review 🙂
nina says
great recipe!!!!!!! *****
Stacy Wilson says
I haven’t tried these yet. I’m going to but I have a mixture of flax, chia and hemp seed. Can I use that instead of just flax seed? Also I think mint is better for dogs than parsley so I might substitute that after I fact check myself. I’ll come back with a review when I’m finished.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Stacy, yes the flax/chia/hemp mixture should work. You may need to adjust the quantities slightly but overall it should be fine. ENjoy!