Ok, so the banana hasn’t gone bad exactly, but I’ve got one left that’s over ripe and I don’t feel like making banana muffins. Apparently, though, experimental dog treats aren’t out of the question.

This recipe comes from my favourite inspiration: what’s about to go bad in the fridge? That’s usually how I determine dinner too.

I took a look at what I had on hand, and this is the end result:

Bananas Going Bad Dog Treats

What you’ll need:

1 really ripe banana (the softer the sweeter – but not black)

¼ apple sauce

½ rolled oats

1 cup of whole wheat flour (plus a bit more to allow the dough to roll out)

What you’ll do:

Mash banana in a bowl.

Add oats and mix. Add apple sauce.

Add flour gradually and mix until a doughy ball forms.

Roll out dough on a floured surface to about ¼ inch thick. Cut shapes with a cookie cutter. (I’m collecting quite a few dog themed ones. Here’s some suggestions from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca).

Because the dough was on the sticky side (even with more flour) I used a simple shape: traditional dog bone. These lifted easily onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Baked at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes until crunchy on the outside but a bit soft on the inside. Bake longer for fully crunchy.

My dog was being babysat the next day, so he took a bag of these to his best buddy as a ‘thank you’ gift who, as usual, liked them more than my dog did – although both ate them.

‘Icing’ them with peanut butter makes them extra special too.

Yield: I got a baker’s dozen (that’s 13) with a medium sized bone cookie cutter.