Homemade Dog Treats

The one and only Boo Bear

The Topic: Cheap Canine Treats

The Dish: I adopted my dog Boo this past December, and he's pretty much the best ever. While I grew up surrounded by animals, he's the first that has been solely my responsibility, and I'll tell you the biggest lesson I've learned: Dogs are expensive. Totally worth it? Yes. Could I stand to spend a bit less on toys, treats, and every other ridiculous canine-themed thing I see? Oh yeah.

There are plenty of healthy, store-bought treats that he likes, but just like with my own food, it can be much cheaper—and satisfying—to whip up a batch of dog chow or small bites in your kitchen. I mentioned It's A Vegan Dog's Life last week, and it's definitely worth a read. On top of all the great advice on raising a healthy dog (vegan or otherwise), it has more than 50 recipes, such as Apple Cinnamon Muffins and Peanut Butter Cake, to keep the Boo in your life happy.

In the meantime, whip up a batch of these peanut butter treats, courtesy of VegWeb.com member VeganRun.

Oliver's Favorite Doggy Treats

What You Need:
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup water
1-1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup flax seeds
1-1/4 cups rolled oats
1-3/4 cup brown rice flour

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, combine peanut butter and water and microwave for 1 minute. Stir to combine and add canola oil.
2. In a separate bowl, combine nutritional yeast, flax seeds, oats, and flour. Add to wet mixture and mix well.
3. On a piece of parchment paper, roll mixture out to 1/4-inch thickness. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate one hour.
4. Remove plastic wrap and with a knife, score the dough, making whatever size pieces you wish. If you want to get fancy, feel free to use cookie cutters.
5. Cook the scored dough until crispy and no longer soft in the middle, about 1 hour 45 minutes for small treats. Halfway through, remove the dough and carefully break apart pieces. When they're crisp, take out of the oven and let cool.
   

The Final Word: Once you start cooking for your canine, you can go off-book and design your own recipes featuring his or her favorite foods. Just be sure to stay away from poisonous ingredients, including chocolate, raisins, garlic, and walnuts. With a little research and some time in the kitchen, you'll have one happy pup on your hands.

Bonus: In other huge news, today is the official 10th anniversary of VegNews! Celebrate with us and enter to win one of our brand-new tote bags. We're giving away 10 at 11am, 2pm, and 5pm PST. Good luck, and thanks for making this milestone possible!