Cranberries – not something I immediately associate with dogs. Apparently, cranberries aren’t just a superfood for us but for our pups as well.
If, like me, you missed the cranberry boat during the holiday season, Valentines Day presents the opportunity to create some dog-friendly superfood canine treats for your one true love.
Dried cranberries (unlike raisins which are toxic for dogs), benefit dogs because they contain cancer fighting antioxidants and inflammation reducing phenols. Cranberries improve digestive health thanks to a lot of fibre and possibly prevent urinary tract infections.
My previous dog was prone to urinary infections, and cranberry supplements (along with prescription dog food) worked as a preventative.
In the holiday-of-love spirit, I gave this recipe a try. Admittedly, it’s not my most successful, though my picky little puppy did eat them. (Well, mostly licked the bacon off).
Canine Cranberry Valentines Dog Treats
¾ cup coconut flour
½ dried unsweetened cranberries chopped small
1 egg
2 tablespoons of unsweetened apple sauce
½ cup water
Preheat the oven to 350F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the cranberries, apple sauce, water and egg. Add the flour one quarter cup at a time as needed to make the mixture a consistency that able to roll into a ball.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin, about ¼ inch thick.
Cut with cookie cutters. Use a simple shape, like a heart obviously. I used a heart with scalloped edges, which I don’t recommend because the cranberries make it a little challenging for a neat edge. Flouring the cookie cutter slightly helps because this dough is on the sticky side.
Put cookies on baking sheet. Bake at 350F for about 20-minutes.
Yield: five larger heart cookies.
Dog Treat Cookie Icing:
2 teaspoons corn starch
2 teaspoons of warm water
Real bacon bits for sprinkles
Combine the corn starch and water in a bowl stirring quickly. I found a one-to-one ration of starch to water worked. It will get thick fast. Drizzle rather than dip on the cookies and sprinkle the bacon bits quickly (and liberally) before the ‘icing’ hardens.
I made these today. I had everything on hand except for the cranberries. But, right now–pandemic, I am not making extra trips to the store, so I made do with what I had. I added some shredded cheddar cheese and bacon to the cookie batter instead. My girl approves! Thanks for the recipe!
Good to hear it. I think cheese would be better than cranberries because the cranberries made it harder to cut with the cookie cutter.
Cheese is likely a better idea because the cranberries where hard to cut with the cookie cutter.