Easy Homemade Grain-Free Blueberry Dog Treats

A few months ago, Romeo developed a nasty hot spot on his left cheek. After a change in diet, a makeshift paper/duct tape cone of shame, and excessive vet bills, the stubborn hot spot finally healed after two months. The vet strongly urged me to take Romeo off any chicken, beef or lamb foods and limit him strictly to salmon, whitefish, duck or venison due to poultry allergies. I bought top of the line salmon dog food, stocked up on Wild Alaskan Salmon, salmon oil, sardines, and coconut oil for healthy skin and coat. But did I mention Romeo may in fact be the pickiest dog I have ever encountered? Fish every day—including his treats? He was not having it.

I tried a bunch of store-bought treats made of salmon, sweet potato, duck, venison—anything I could find that wasn’t made of chicken, beef, or lamb. But while Romeo was known for running to the treat jar at the sound of the clasp opening, he was beginning to turn his head the other way. That’s when I decided it was time to make my own.

I scoured the internet for grain-free, wheat-free, gluten-free, meat-free, and, of course delicious recipes. I found plenty. And first on my list to try were Grain-Free Blueberry and Banana Dog Cookies.

“These grain-free dog treats are made with nutritious blueberries, tasty banana and a touch of peanut butter for that drool-worthy factor! Made with grain and gluten free coconut flour for skin and coat health, these yummy doggie biscuits are full of anti-oxidants and vitamins.”

 

Grain-Free Blueberry and Banana Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of coconut flour
• 1/2 cup of smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup of mashed blueberries
• 1/2 cup of mashed bananas
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup of warm water

Directions:

I began by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Romeo supervised the entire process from below.

Next, in a large bowl, I combined the coconut flour, peanut butter, crushed blueberries, mashed banana, eggs and water.

I mixed thoroughly by hand. You can add more water if it gets too dry.

Next, I rolled out the cookie dough and used my dog-themed cookie cutters to cut out shapes of bones, dogs, and paw prints. When the dough got too sticky, I just sprinkled some more flour.

Then I placed the shapes on a baking tray.

And put them in the oven with a timer set for 22 minutes.

Romeo stood guard the entire time.

After 22 minutes, the cookies looked like they needed a bit more color. So I left them in for another 5 minutes. When I took them out, they looked like this:

And since Romeo waited patiently the whole time…

He had first dibs!

And second. And third. And fourth.

I’d say it was a success. Romeo is back to running toward the treat jar at the sound of the clasp. Sometimes, he even sits there after I’ve already given him one—just waiting for another.

Note: I put about half the batch in a ziploc bag and placed it into the freezer so they last longer. Romeo has a full jar for the next few days, but I don’t think they’d stay fresh much longer than that.

 

Want to give them a try? Follow these super simple directions:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, combine the coconut flour, peanut butter, crushed blueberries, mashed banana, eggs and water. Mix thoroughly, add more water if it is too dry.
• Roll out your cookie dough and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes, or place on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper in your size and shape of preference.
• Bake in the oven for 22 minutes

Recipe from K9Instinct.

 

Next time, we’re going to try these Grain-Free Peanut Butter Bites!