My dog Victor loves cheese. Most dogs do. It’s one of his favourite ‘people’ foods especially in a house of no meat (expect pet food). However, fat is an issue, and not because he’s over-weight. Victor’s getting older and has already had a pancreatitis scare – too much fat can set it off.

So, that’s why I chose low-fat grass-fed cow cheese for this recipe (and it was on sale). Also, I didn’t give him many but packaged these up for some pot-luck fun.

That’s right, I went to a pool-side potluck and brought a bowl of bone-shaped dog treats (individually bagged) for fur-parents to take home – or give to the host dog. That doodle smelt them coming into the house.

And you can too. Here’s the recipe.

Cheesy Pot-luck Doggie Cookies

What You’ll Need:

1 ¼ cup                 oat flour

½ cup                    rolled oats

½ cup                    grated cheddar cheese

2/3 cup                 apple sauce

2 tbsp                    vegetable oil

What You’ll Do:

Preheat oven to 350-degree F.

Grate cheddar cheese and mix it with the rolled oats and oat flour in a bowl.

Add apple sauce and oil. Mix together.

Combine and add water one tablespoon at a time until formed into a large ball.

Lightly flour a flat surface and, using a rolling pin, roll out dough until ¼ to ½ inches in thickness. I left these a little thicker than usual so they’d stay soft in the middle.

Cut dough into shapes. I used a bone shape (so they look like they are for dogs, not people) and got a baker’s dozen out of this recipe.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350-degree F then cool.

Bag in small individual packages and tie with a ribbon. I included an extra Paul Newman heart-shaped treat and a printed ingredients list (or entire recipe) just in case.