Posted in Recipes on 05.12.2019
Grain Free Dog Treats
prep: 10 mins / cook: 15 mins / inactive: 0 mins / total: 25 mins / quantity: approx 25 biscuits Print recipe?
Just 5 ingredients are needed to make these super easy and healthy homemade grain free dog treats that your pup will love!
I can’t begin to tell you how bittersweet it is for me to write this. Every year I make something special for Meg’s birthday in December. So I started developing this grain free dog treats recipe back in October so I would have time to get it right and of course make more for her actual birthday.
Naturally, life is life though and things never really work out the way you expect (hope) and our baby girl left us on 13th November, just 3 weeks before her 15th birthday. We’d had her since she was 18 months old and apart from a couple of holidays (where I missed her like crazy) I’d hardly spent a single day away from her. She was my constant companion, my tiny shadow. The heartbeat at my feet.
The worst thing about any death is that life just goes on. Doesn’t matter that you might need it to stand still, even for a moment. The world still turns and other people go about their day like it’s just another day.
Coming home the house didn’t just feel empty or quiet. It felt wrong. Such a tiny little life can have such a huge presence. Even as I’m writing this now, it still feels surreal. Like it happened to someone else.
We managed a whole 3 hours at home before deciding the wrongness of our house wasn’t sustainable and we got back in the car and drove to the local rescue kennels where we met Nooch (formerly Cluffy) – a six year old staffy who’d also had a tough time in and out of kennels courtesy of his previous owner.
He’s about as different to Meg as is humanly (dogly?) possible. He doesn’t require daily medication or constant worry. For the last few weeks of Meg’s life I was on perpetual high alert, terrified of what was coming. I started grieving for her while she was still here.
And while it was exhausting I wouldn’t swap those extra couple of months for anything in the world. She’s taken a piece of me with her and life will never be the same. Adversity doesn’t care about your plans. Or how you don’t know how to exist in a world without her. Life really does go on and if anything good can come from this it’s that now we have the opportunity to give another dog in need a good home.
With homemade dog treats. Obvs.
Nooch is THE sweetest, most gentle little boy. He will cuddle you, lick you, chew your ears (and hair bun). He’s finally starting to settle now that Phil is back at work and routines are being established. And his adorable character and personality are starting to properly come out.
His presence is cathartic and we’re already head over heels in love with him. He’s not a replacement for Meg but he’s NEEDED. His companionship, his love, his sweet smile. All are needed.
And in return I happily bake him Meg approved homemade dog biscuits. I hope she doesn’t mind sharing.
Happy Birthday Ms Meg ❤
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Grain Free Dog Treats
prep: 10 mins / cook: 15 mins / inactive: 0 mins / total: 25 mins / quantity: approx 25 biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 + 1/2 cups (170g) rolled oats
- 1 medium banana
- 1/3 cup (100g) smooth peanut butter
- 1 tblsp ground flax seeds
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Food processor – I used this Magimix
Cookie cutters
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160 Fan / 180 C / 350 F / Gas 4 and line a couple of large trays with parchment or silicon mats
- Put the oats into a food processor and whizz until fairly powdery
- Peel the banana, break into chunks and add to the oats in the food processor along with the remaining ingredients
- Whizz everything together until it starts to form a dough
- Tip the dough out onto a piece of baking parchment, lay another piece over the top and roll the dough out between the two sheets until roughly 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) thick
- Use whatever cutters you prefer to cut shapes out of the dough and lay them onto your prepared trays. Re-roll the trimmings and repeat until you've used up all the dough
- How many biscuits you get wil depend on how big your cutters are!
- Bake for 15 minutes then allow to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely
- Store in a lidded container for a few days or freeze in batches
Notes
- If you don't have any cookie cutters just cut the rolled dough into strips before baking - the dogs really don't care what shape these dog biscuits are! ;)
Some products I used in today's post...
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Hello there! I’m Sam, former Michelin star pastry chef and now your go-to vegan foodie on a mission to make plant-based eating a deliciously easy adventure! From cozy comfort foods to vibrant salads and decadent desserts, there’s something for everyone in my kitchen.
Whether you’re cooking for one or for a houseful I believe food doesn’t have to be complicated to be full of FLAVOUR and I want to show you how. I’ve been a rigorous meal planner for over a decade whilst embracing seasonal ingredients (because that’s where the real flavour is!)
I’m also a dedicated dog mum to Nooch and Baxter and enjoy cooking them homemade treats (many of which are posted here) when I’m not screaming at the tennis or devouring fantasy fiction.
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