How do you show gratitude to someone who loves you unconditionally? With food! Let’s make a plan to remember our four-legged, furry pals this holiday season. Gifts from a store are fine, but something handmade can be even more endearing – especially grain-free, egg-free Homemade Apple-Coconut Canine Cookies.
I don’t have a dog, but my cat, Coco, has always thought he is a dog. And for a recent 2 Weird Hungry Girls podcast episode, I needed to find a local expert, passionate about pet wellness, who could share tips on a beneficial dog diet.
Listen in to the Dog is Family Podcast
In the podcast, Tracy Beaky and I spoke with Barb Emmett, president/owner of Godfrey’s: Welcome To Dogdom. Barb has a passion for lively, lifelong relationships with pups and their owners, and for keeping dogs healthy and happy. Not only did she share ideas for furry-friend food gifts in the episode, she also shared treat recipes.
Find the recipe for Savory Turkey and Cranberry Treats here
Barb has a short list of guidelines for folks thinking of making their own treats or selecting recipes. This is especially helpful when preparing treats for gifts.
1. Avoid using ingredients that many dogs have sensitivities to, like wheat (wheat flour), corn and soy.
2. The simpler the recipe, the better. Use pure, whole ingredients.
3. If making a recipe with peanut butter, be sure to select one that does not contain xylitol, an ingredient that is toxic to dogs.
4. Read the ingredient panel for every item you want to include in a recipe, and use natural and organic ingredients whenever possible. Do not use any artificial ingredients.
5. For a list of specific ingredients to avoid, visit www.aspca.org, which lists substances poisonous to dogs.
Barb’s recipe for Homemade Apple-Coconut Canine Cookies contains easy-to-find ingredients, but she does offer some advice when selecting products. Coconut flour is used as the base for these cookies because it is grain-free and a healthy, low-carb alternative to bleached grain flour – plus it helps improve the skin and coat of your pet.
She also advises that coconut oil is easily digestible and healthy and for the skin and coat. Barb is particular about which coconut oil she uses: virgin, unrefined, organic and single source (from one farm) is the purity she suggests.
Make a few batches of these simple cookies this holiday season; they’re the perfect gift for your – or your host’s – best friend.
Happy baking!
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ½ cup apple puree (use natural apple baby food, or puree a seeded apple in a blender until smooth)
- 1 tablespoon raw, local honey
- 2 tablespoons virgin, unrefined coconut oil, softened
- 3 tablespoons water
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Using two tablespoons, scoop and roll the dough into small (1- or ½-inch) balls. Place on the paper.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely, then store in the refrigerator or freezer.
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