Back in 2011, my dog Olive was diagnosed with food allergies and at that time, there weren’t a lot of allergy friendly dog treats on the market. So the veterinary dermatologist we were seeing shared a few recipes that would be grain, dairy and meat free. These treats are surprisingly delicious for pets and for people too! With applesauce, cinnamon and oats they smell great baking too. A jarful of these make a great gift for a new furry family member or a birthday gift for a pup in your life.
Funny story… Olive was in training when I first made these and the trainer just couldn’t believe that a dog would be excited about a crunchy non meat treat. At the end of class, after I’d stuck my gooey dog hand in the bag a million times, we were chatting and she said “Can I try some?” I said “Of course!” thinking she was going to give a few to her dog. But no. She ate them herself!!! I was slightly horrified but she responded with “Wow, those are actually really good!” Anyway, I laugh every time I make them thinking about that moment.
These treats are great for dogs who have all kinds of allergies, to meats, dairy, grains or to nothing at all. My dogs, including Lottie, have all always loved these. They can be cut into any shape or size. I found a great pappardelle pasta making tool that I use to create a small square training treat size. I roll it in one direction and then go back over it in the opposite directions to create small squares. I also love using a regular bone shaped cutter or letter cutters to spell out my pups name for a birthday or special occasion. When choosing cookie cutters you’ll want to make sure they are metal because they need to be able to cut through the oats.
This recipe makes a TON of treats, which is great if you’re in training, but not so great if you’re not! I’ve done 1/3 of the recipe a few times and that has worked really well and gives a nice number of treats. I usually use Bob’s Red Mill Oat Flour. This can be found in most grocery stores or on amazon.
Apple Cinnamon Oat Dog Treats
Ingredients
- 1 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 3/4 cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- 3 1/2 cups Oat Flour or Rice Flour
- 1 cup Additional Oat or Rice Flour for rolling
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 3 cups Old Fashioned Oats NOT instant or quick
Instructions
- Mix everything together in mixer. Then roll out adding flour as needed.
- For training treats, roll very thin and cut with pappardelle roller or a pizza cutter (they will grow a little when baking).
- When using a pappardelle roller, make sure the dough is well floured to avoid it sticking to the roller.
- For larger dog treats, roll dough a little thicker and use a cookie cutter.
- Bake at 350. For training treats bake for 8-9 minutes, for bigger treats bake for 10 minutes. Cooking times may vary, so look for a golden brown color and make sure they are fairly crisp and are not too soft.