This weekend, the Easter bunny will be hoppity hopping to each house to drop off delicious chocolate and candy treats. If you are like most pet owners, you’ll need to watch that your dog doesn’t ramble through the trash of sweets. But who says our dog friends can’t partake in some Easter fun? Here are a few recipes to help get your dog in the spirit of the holiday!
Easter Egg Cookies
Ingredients
½ cup Peanut Butter
2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup Steel Cut Oats
1 cup Hot Chicken Broth
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Honey
Dog Cookie Icing Ingredients:
4 Tbsp. Whole Wheat Flour
2 Tbsp. Water
Natural Food Coloring (Optional)
Note: If you are not sure about food coloring, then you can top them off with an all-natural peanut butter icing, plain yogurt icing, or leave them plain.
Baking Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Place steel cut oats in a blender, food processor, or coffee grinder until they are almost at a powder/flour consistency. Combine peanut butter, hot chicken broth, olive oil, and honey. Stir until dissolved. Stir in ground oatmeal and flour until well combined. (You may use your hands to ensure everything is mixed well). Powder a cutting board/surface with flour. Place dough on powdered surface and roll out to a 1/4” thickness. Then, cut out shapes with egg-shaped cookie cutters (or any shape you may have). Next, place cutouts on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. If you will be icing the cookies, add the icing decor after taking them out, and then place them back in the oven for 2-3 minutes more.
Icing Directions:
Mix flour and water until smooth
Depending on how many colors you use, divide “icing” into snack size sandwich bags
Add 1-2 drops food coloring, massage bag until thoroughly mixed
Squeeze all mixture to one corner of the bag
For creating details like lines and polka dots, cut off a tiny corner of the bag and squeeze gently as you go, drawing on your cookies. You can also Or ice the entire top surface with a butter knife!
Carrot Mini Muffins
Ingredients
3 medium carrots shredded (approximately 1 1/2 cup)
1 cup sugar-free apple sauce
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line mini-muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, mix shredded carrot, apple sauce, eggs, and milk then set aside. In a large bowl mix whole wheat flour, cinnamon, and baking powder. Once well combined add the wet carrot mixture to the flour mixture and stir until mixed. Spoon cupcake batter into paper liners until 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake for 10 minutes (until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean). Cool 5 minutes in pans then remove and place on wire racks to cool completely. This makes 4 dozen.
Dog Bone Treats
Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup unsalted natural peanut butter
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Stir together the flour and baking powder; set aside. In a medium bowl, mix together the peanut butter and milk. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into shapes using cookie cutters. Place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.
If you aren’t comfortable with making treats, you can always give your pup some healthy snacks that you may already have at home. Vegetables like carrots are a good snack for your pup.
On Easter morning, you can make it a game and hide these treats around your house, creating a special “egg hunt” for your four-legged pal. It will be a fun time for you and your family to share together. Happy Easter!
All proceeds from Thousand Hills Pet Resort support New Life K9s. New Life K9s provides service dogs to veterans and first responders with PTSD at no cost to them.
References:
Easter Egg Cookies: https://petcouponsavings.com/homemade-easter-egg-cookie-dog-treats/
Carrot Mini Muffins: http://doggydessertchef.com/2011/04/22/carrot-mini-muffins/