Three Great Dog Biscuit Recipes

Before I left for vacation last month, I volunteered to make something for the United Way Giving Campaign at work. At first I assumed I could just bake a few dozen cupcakes or some caramel dipped pretzels but quickly learned that home-baked goods for humans were prohibited for company sponsored events. Um...what? The kind woman who was organizing the event had to break the bad news to me and suggested that I consider making dog or cat treats instead. What an incredibly awesome idea!
After much research, I learned what foods to stay away from - no chocolate, avocado, garlic (this is controversial though but I decided to steer clear) or onions and found a plethora of great recipes to choose from. I selected three that used wholesome ingredients and would be something I would eat, albeit probably not completely enjoy.

These recipes were SUPER easy to make and took almost no time at all. It's also a wonderful way to know exactly what your beloved companion is eating and save a few bucks at the same time.

Here are the recipes I used:

Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Breakfast Cookies
Adapted from Allrecipes

1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup margarine or butter
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons white sugar

1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup of well-cooked (but not burnt) crumbled bacon (about 6 strips with all visible fat removed)

3 cups whole wheat flour or regular flour, either works.


Preheat oven to 325F.

In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, margarine, bouillon and boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes. Grease cookie sheets or use a SilPat mat.

Thoroughly stir in cornmeal, sugar, milk, Cheddar cheese, egg and bacon. Mix in flour, 1 cup at a time, until a stiff dough has formed. Be sure to get all the sticky batter from the bottom of the bowl. Keep adding flour, even if it's more than the 3 cups, until the dough is no longer sticky.

Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, mixing in additional flour as necessary until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Roll or pat out dough to 1/2" thickness. Cut with cookie cutter and place onto the prepared cookie sheets. You can crowd these pretty close together on the sheet, just leave about 1/8-1/4 inch between each cookie. The dough will not spread.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Cool before serving. Store in a loosely covered container.

Yield: 5 dozen full size cookies plus another 60 tiny cookies

5-Dot Block Cookies
Adapted from Allrecipes

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup water

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a cookie sheet or silicone mold pan.

In a large bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, cornmeal and salt. Mix in the oil, egg and water to make a soft dough that is not too sticky. You may add more flour if needed. Roll teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place on the prepared cookie sheet or mold. Flatten slightly.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until nicely browned and firm. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container.

Yield: 48 cookies 1x1" wide cookies

Peanut Butter Crackers
Adapted from Allrecipes


2 cups whole wheat flour, or as needed
2 cups spelt flour
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
2 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (no Jiff or Skippy!)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine wheat flour, spelt flour, and oats in large bowl. Stir in water and peanut butter. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, mixing in more flour as needed until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with small cookie cutters into desired shapes, and place 3/4 inch apart on greased cookie sheets.

Bake 40 minutes. Turn oven off; leave biscuits in oven until completely cool.

Yield:60 large cookies plus 60 really small cookies

I packed all the cookies by size and flavor. The larger cookies I packed 3 to a bag and the smaller ones I packed by weight (25 grams). I had a few spares so I created a sampler pack that contains one of each cookie.

I plan to sell them $2 a bag. I hope they all sell!