he winter coats are hanging, the leaves are turning, and the oven is begging for some Autumn love. While sweet-toothed, amateur bakers scroll their cookbooks for the perfect apple pie, pumpkin pie, and apple crisp recipes, we’re on a mission to get your bouncing pooches what they’ve been begging for all along: a taste of that scrumptious November treat.
Deborah Howard baking treats with Spencer and Beatrice
CAPS has been on a non-stop quest for healthy, homemade doggie treats. After clicking, scrolling, and closing more than a couple of misleading windows, we found a cute blog with some tasty, promising recipes that will have your barking buddy woofing for more.
It’s A Vegan Dog’s Life offers a little bit of everything for the curious blog reader. Besides a friendly display of adorable vegan pups, readers get imaginative ideas to make life with man’s (and woman’s) best friend wholesome and fun. To read more than recipes (we’re pretty sure these will have Fido salivating in .5 seconds), including natural and easy to make pet deodorants and vegan product recommendations, make sure you visit their website.
Now, lets get your hands dirty while the audience wags its tail with anticipation. Here are the healthy treats that got Deborah Howard in the mood for some serious baking.
(The three recipes were taken directly from It’s A Vegan Dog’s Life):
Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Muffins
2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
¼ cup wheat germ
1 Tbsp. ground flax
1 Tbsp. hulled hemp seeds (optional)
1 tsp. baking soda
½ cup pumpkin
½ Tbsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. agave nectar
1 ½ cups water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin pans with non-stick spray.
In a large bowl, combine flour, wheat germ, flax, hemp seeds and baking soda. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, nectar and water, mixing well. The batter will be thick. Scoop batter into the muffin pans and bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove and let cool completely before serving. Store in the fridge.
Makes approximately two dozen mini muffins.
Variations:
Biscuits– Reduce water by ½ cup and eliminate baking soda. Knead into a stiff dough, adding ¼ cup of flour at a time until it can be rolled out without sticking to the rolling pin. Roll out onto floured surface to ¼ inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters or knife and bake on a greased cookie sheet until crispy.
Cookies– Add ¼ cup of flour at a time until dough is firm enough to form into balls. Place dough balls on a greased cookie sheet and press flat with your hand or a fork. Bake until crispy.
Bagels– Make the same as the cookies except do not press them flat. Dip your finger in water and poke a hole in the middle of the dough ball. Flatten slightly to form a bagel shape. Bake until crispy.
2 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup wheat germ
1 Tbsp. ground flax
1 Tbsp. hulled hemp seeds (optional)
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp. baking soda
½ cup shelled, unsalted pumpkin seeds
¼ cup blackstrap molasses
1 ½ cups water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin pans with non-stick spray.
In a large bowl, combine flour, wheat germ, flax, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, pumpkin seeds and baking soda. Add molasses and water, mixing well. The batter will be thick. Scoop batter into the muffin pans and bake for 15 to 25 minutes. Remove and let cool completely before serving. Store in the fridge.
Makes approximately thirty mini muffins.
Variations:
Biscuits– Reduce water by ½ cup and eliminate baking soda. Knead into a stiff dough, adding ¼ cup of flour at a time until it can be rolled out without sticking to the rolling pin. Roll out onto floured surface to ¼ inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters or knife and bake on a greased cookie sheet until crispy.
Cookies– Add ¼ cup of flour at a time until dough is firm enough to form into balls. Place dough balls on a greased cookie sheet and press flat with your hand or a fork. Bake until crispy.
Bagels– Make the same as the cookies except do not press them flat. Dip your finger in water and poke a hole in the middle of the dough ball. Flatten slightly to form a bagel shape. Bake until crispy.
3 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
½ cup cornmeal
1 Tbsp. ground flax
1 Tbsp. hulled hemp seeds (optional)
½ tsp. baking soda
½ cup applesauce (no sugar added)
½ cup pumpkin
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 ½ cups water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin pans with non-stick spray.
In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, flax, hemp seeds, cinnamon and baking soda. Add applesauce, pumpkin, oil and water, mixing well. The batter will be thick. Scoop batter into the muffin pans and bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove and let cool completely before serving. Store in the fridge.
Makes approximately three dozen mini muffins.
Variations:
Biscuits– Reduce water by ½ cup and eliminate baking soda. Knead into a stiff dough, adding ¼ cup of flour at a time until it can be rolled out without sticking to the rolling pin. Roll out onto floured surface to ¼ inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters or knife and bake on a greased cookie sheet until crispy.
Cookies– Add ¼ cup of flour at a time until dough is firm enough to form into balls. Place dough balls on a greased cookie sheet and press flat with your hand or a fork. Bake until crispy.
Bagels– Make the same as the cookies except do not press them flat. Dip your finger in water and poke a hole in the middle of the dough ball. Flatten slightly to form a bagel shape. Bake until crispy.
