Home for the Holidays with Homemade Pet Treats

You simply can’t have a festive holiday season without including your furry friends in the celebrations. It’s not hard to guess what their favorite part of any holiday, from Halloween to Thanksgiving to Yuletide, might be — the treats. All the treats. And conveniently some of the same ingredients you use to create all kinds of holiday goodness are also healthy and delicious for your pets (hint: these yummy ideas share your fruit bowl’s bounty). Check out these three festive treat recipes for your four-pawed pals!

Minty Applesauce Dog Bones

Ingredients
• 1½ C whole wheat flour
• 1 C unbleached all purpose flour
• 1½ C old fashioned rolled oats
• ⅓ C oat bran
• 2 Tbsp milk powder
• 1½ tsp dry baking yeast
• 2 Tbsp chopped spearmint leaves
• 1½ C applesauce
• 2 tsp green food coloring
• ⅞ C water

You can use either your mixer with the bread hook attachment or a bread machine. If using a mixer, combine all ingredients and combine. If using a bread machine, place everything together on the dough cycle. When ready, roll dough out to ¼-inch thick. Cut into shapes using a bone or holiday shaped cookie cutter. Bake at 250ºF for one hour, checking from 50 minutes on to make sure they don’t over bake. Allow treats to dry completely in the oven, overnight is preferable.

Apple-Peanut Butter Cat Treats

Ingredients
• ½ C wheat flour
• ½ C quinoa flour
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ C creamy peanut butter
• ½ C unsweetened applesauce

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Stir together flours and baking soda. Combine peanut butter and applesauce and add to flour mixture. Stir until it becomes difficult, then knead dough to incorporate any remaining flour. Roll dough ¼-inch thick, then transfer to a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes then immediately transfer to cutting board. Slice into small cat-sized treats. Spread cut up treats over the cookie sheet and bake for another two minutes.

Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, freeze any remaining leftovers.

Bacon Cheddar Apple Dog Treats

Ingredients
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg
• 1 C milk
• 1 peeled and grated apple, cored
• 1½ C whole wheat flour
• 1½ C white flour
• 1½ C shredded cheddar cheese
• ¼ C chopped cooked bacon
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together butter, olive oil, and egg. Incorporate milk and grated apple, then mix in flours until just combined. Add in most of the cheddar, bacon, and parsley, leaving some aside to top. Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth – for about 30 seconds – the roll into a ½-inch thick 10-inch circle. Sprinkle the rest of the cheddar, bacon, and parsley onto the dough, gently pressing down. Cut out the treats using the shape of your choice, then place them on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until biscuits are a light golden brown.

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