3 All Natural Dog Treats

So it’s true. This dog who looked like this eight months ago

has me wrapped around his little paw. He’s rotten. And cute. And stubborn. And sweet. Can anyone relate? Maybe this describes a husband or child? Or even your own dog?

Well, I’ve been playing in the kitchen again and came up with a few new treats for this little cutie.

A couple of weeks ago I shared a post on All Natural Summertime Dog Treats. They were deemed “summertime” because it’s a frozen treat. Today, I wanted to share more all natural treat ideas that’s good for any time of the year (no sun required).

Browsing the many, many recipes online for dog treats, I put together ingredients that I knew were healthy for dogs plus gave good flavor and would produce a “biscuit” type treat that I could bake. I also wanted to get a different flavor combination than what I did before so I hope your pooch likes the three treat recipes I have created.

These three recipes are ALL natural and GLUTEN free!

Jax has been having training classes at our local PetSmart. They have been wonderful for both of us. Growing up, my parents always bought collies which in my experience were MUCH easier for training to sit, stay, shake, etc.

ACDs typically are high energy and often stubborn. Jax fits right into these two categories. Plus, he’s pretty hyper which may be a reaction to the energy he’s feeding from me. (Yes, I’ll admit I can be hyper.)

Anyways, for these classes I have needed LOTS of little treats. Not crumbly treats where the pup will be sniffing the floor and looking for pieces that have dropped but small, compact pieces that he can eat in one bite. I want those little bites packed with flavor though because in training, I want to reward him for a job well done.

Thus, I developed what I have named "Jax Snax." ;) Using two ingredients I have in abundance right now – apples and zucchini – this is an excellent treat full of vitamins, insoluble (zucchini) and soluble (apple) fiber plus protein (garbanzo flour and peanut butter). I have really tried to do well in researching and producing treats that will not hurt your canine digestive system. This smelled like zucchini bread while baking. In fact, my son walked in the kitchen and excitedly asked, "What are you making?" I told him, "It's not for you. It's for the dog."

Jax Snax
printable recipe here

1 cup apple, shredded
1 cup zucchini, shredded
1 cup garbanzo bean flour
½ cup flax meal
½ cup smooth peanut butter
1 egg
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.

Add up to an additional ¼ cup garbanzo bean flour if too sticky to handle. Pour on parchment paper that’s on a baking sheet. Spread out and use hand to thin. Cut preliminary lines with pizza cutter.

Place in preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Cut through lines again and put back in oven but turn the oven off. Keep in oven for 3-4 hours or until squares are dry and cool.

Break apart and store in refrigerator up to a month. Leftovers can also be frozen.

Quick funny story: I had a few pieces sitting on the counter for a couple of days and my husband said I better feed them to the dog or he'd eat them. I asked him if he would try a piece because they did smell good and are all natural, after all. He tried a piece and acted like he was gagging but said they were actually okay. LOL I think they just are not as sweet as we're used to since they only have a bit of honey.

My second treat recipe was developed because I like having a regular daily treat for my boy. He sleeps in a crate at night and stays in it while we’re gone from home, so I like to reward him when he goes in without resistance.

I wanted this treat to be easy and quick. This is a one of those one pot-type recipes where you can throw it all in a pot or in this case, a blender, and mix! I hope you like it….or should I say, I hope your dog likes it!

Chicken Bones
printable recipe here

1 chicken breast, cooked, and shredded
1 cup zucchini, shredded
1 cup flax meal
1 cup garbanzo bean flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 egg
¼ cup coconut oil

Put all ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix thoroughly.

Expect a paste-like consistency. Spoon the batter into each lower bone mold of the preheated Bake-a-Bone treat maker (available here) filling them 1/8 inch above the mold’s side walls. 

 Close the unit and bake 15-20 minutes. 

Cool on rack 30 minutes and store in airtight container. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers for later.

You can also pipe these with a baker’s decorator (like this) on parchment paper and bake 15-20 minutes.

Additional fillings you could add for nutrition and taste are cheese and nutritional yeast.

To use Bake-a-Bone dog treat maker for your own recipe creations, add baking powder to cause ingredients to rise. Batter will need a paste-like consistency to work properly.


My last treat recipe came about because I had all these healthy, flavorful combinations I had concocted and wanted to try for him. He has liked them all. Yes, he does eat deer poo and turkey droppings, but he obviously does have discerning taste buds as he turned up his nose to a high-end treat offered him at last week’s training class and even had no interest in the treat the lady gave him while checking out at PetSmart. My boy knows ALL natural when he smells it, poo and all.

Sweet Bacon Bites
printable recipe here

1 cup sweet potato, baked
1 cup carrots, shredded
12 oz package bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 ½ cups milk (use chicken broth if dogs are lactose intolerant)
¼ cup maple syrup
½ cup garbanzo bean flour
About 1 teaspoon bacon grease

Scoop sweet potato into blender. Add carrots, bacon with grease, maple syrup, and half the milk.

Blend until thoroughly mixed with a uniform consistency. 

Add flour and rest of milk. Blend again until mixed through.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pipe onto baking sheet covered with parchment paper using baker’s decorator star tip (found here).

Bake for 25-30 minutes until set and slightly golden. Cool and remove from parchment paper. Store in refrigerator for up to a month or freeze leftovers.

I was able to find some preservative free, all natural bacon on clearance at my grocery store for a cheap price. Other than that this treat is inexpensive in supplies. You could also substitute some other meat for the bacon.

PRINT ALL THREE RECIPES TOGETHER HERE

Garbanzo Flour? (Aka, Chickpea Flour)
To make garbanzo flour, add dried garbanzo beans to a high powered blender 1 cup at a time and process until it forms a powder, about a minute. Remove what you’ve ground into flour and add another cup. A pound of dried garbanzo beans yields about 2 cups flour.

Note: If you want to make garbanzo flour to be used in your own baking and not just for your dog then you should sieve any unground pieces out before using.

Garbanzo flour is an excellent flour to use for dogs with gluten intolerance. It is an excellent source of lean protein plus fiber which can help ease canine constipation. It is rich in vitamins such as A, B, C, and folic acid and minerals such as potassium and manganese. Other benefits include excellent digestive tract support, rich in antioxidants, cardiovascular health, and regulation of blood sugar.

ETA: If you don't have or want to make garbanzo bean flour then you can substitute any other gluten free flour such as coconut flour, rice flour, or all purpose GF flour in its place. ;)

Do you have a furbaby that you enjoy spoiling? If you have a dog, then do you think any of these would be appetizing for them? Please let me know if you try one.