As you may have noticed in previous blogs, I have a bit of a sweet tooth and that’s why I never pass up an opportunity to include our four legged friends into the realm of tasty treats.  After all it would be just sinful to exclude a living thing from the wonderful world of treats!  Keeping in mind that we need to be cognizant of our health and waistlines, some try to keep to “healthy” treats with no sugar or less sugar or even sugar substitutes.  The vegan world has an array of recipes that allow us to indulge and still be healthy.  The doggie world is not much different, as we have to be cautious of not only the kind of dog treats we feed our pets but also how much so that we don’t end up with a plump pup.  Excess weight bears down on the skeleton and joints to humans and pups alike and can cause joint pain not to mention other related problems such as diabetes.

So what to do? How do we satisfy our cravings and still feel good about ourselves especially around the holiday seasons year round when we are so inundated with sugar, sugar, sugar?  Back to Google I went to find what tasty dog treats are out there DIY style so that you can ensure what goes into your dog treat in on the up and up!

There is a crazy selection of treats from frozen pupsicles to doggie cookies to outright mini cakes.  The sky’s the limit!  Of course pup treats exclude any form of chocolate, but, and I can’t believe I’m saying this; there is a world of treats beyond chocolate!  From what I’ve read, most people start with a Greek yoghurt, coconut oil and peanut butter base or berry base.  Depending on what you are making i.e. a cake versus a popsicle, you will need the related ingredients.   Don’t forget to be cautious of any allergies your besty might have and provide the appropriate substitutions.  Also, if in any doubt, make sure you discuss treat options with your vet if your pup already has dietary concerns.

Now that we have the caution signs out of the way, let’s take a look at my top three treat options that I thought were puperiffic!

1. Pupsicles:

¼ cup pureed pumpkin
¼ cup of coconut oil

• Mix , place in Halloween moulds and freeze!

Thank you prettyfluffy.com!

2. Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Treats

2 ½ cups of whole wheat flour

2 eggs
½ cup canned pumpkin
2 tbsp peanut butter
½ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• Mix all ingredients together to form a dough. Add water or flour as needed to achieve dough consistency. Roll out and use Halloween shaped cookie cutters. Bake in a 350 deg (F) oven for 40 minutes.

Thanks allrecipies.com!

(On a personal note, the recipe could be made more “organic” and healthier by using non-canned pumpkin, ditch the salt and substitute the wheat flour for quinoa flour.)

…and the ultimate….

3. Fancy Pup Cake

1 ¾  cup almond flour
1-2 tbsp honey (preferably raw)
3 eggs
2-3 tbsp of coconut oil,melted
1 hand full of chopped organic strawberries and a couple of extra for topping

(blueberries are a great alternative!)

Icing:

1 cup of organic plain yogurt
2-3 tbsp of almond butter or natural peanut butter

Mix all the ingredients together and pour into ramekin bowls.  Put in 350 deg (F) oven for 15-20min and let cool.  Add icing between layers and top cake with icing and berries. Another great idea by prettyfluffy.com

Okay, so that last one isn’t very Halloweeny, but it just looks so good!  Try adding a a teaspoon of cinnamon to the recipe with a ginger snap garnish:) Have any great pup treat ideas?  Share your sweet treat ideas or let us know how the recipes in this blog turned out!