Homemade Healthy Dog Cookies Recipe

This healthy vegetable dog cookies recipe is easy to make and also easy to tweak. It’s actually an updated version of a low-fat dog cookie recipe that I’ve often made for my dogs. I now have three dogs – a sheltie, a yorkie-poo and a jack russel, so their individual needs vary.

This versatile cookie mix includes options, after the recipe, for swapping ingredients depending on your dog’s needs or tastes.

Layered Dog Cookies in a Jar

Baking Instructions for Healthy Vegetable Dog Cookies

Pre-heat oven to 350F.

Mix wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, stir together hot water with olive oil and boullion. Add carrots, celery, sweet pepper and pumpkin puree and stir again to thoroughly combine. (Please see Substitutions, below, for variations).

Add cornmeal and the whole wheat flour. Use a flexible spatula to mix and form the dog cookie dough. It should be firm but not sticky. Knead with your hands to thoroughly combine all the ingredients, until you can see no more flour, turning dough in the bowl frequently.

Too Wet or Too Dry? If dough sticks to the bottom of the bowl, it is too wet. Add small amounts of flour, as necessary, kneading until dough forms a firm ball. If the dough is too dry, add water slowly, one tablespoon at a time. Once your dough is thoroughly mixed and has formed properly, let it rest in the bowl for a few minutes.

Rolling the Dog Cookie Dough

Sprinkle a little flour on your rolling surface and rub some flour over a rolling pin. Place dough on the rolling surface then flatten with your hands to make a thick circle.

Lightly dust the top of the dough circle with flour and roll out to 1/2″ thickness.

Flip the dough once, dust with flour if needed, and finish rolling to a uniform half inch thickness.

Cutting the Dog Cookies

Cut out as many dog cookies as you can with cookie cutters. Knead scraps together and re-roll. Cut out more cookies until dough is used up.

Tip: If you have dogs of different sizes, cut cookies of different sizes and shapes now. Cookie cutters are useful, and bone-shaped cookie cutters (Amazon) are cute, and available in different sizes, but you can also just slice the dough into triangles or sticks of the right size to suit your dog.

Let’s be real: your dog won’t care about the shape: it’s the smell, human, and the taste and, quite simply, just the treat!

Baking and Texture: Place dog cookies on ungreased non-stick cookie sheets and bake in 350F oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, flip cookies over, and return to oven for another 15 minutes baking time.

Check firmness of these healthy dog treats by pressing on the top of a baked cookie. If there is springiness to the texture, they will be somewhat chewy. Some dogs prefer chewy biscuits while others like a hard crunch.

In my case, I made a half-batch of bone-shaped softer cookies for my son’s 19-year-old jack russel (who doesn’t have many teeth left) and I left the other half in the oven for extra time.

If your cookies aren’t as dry and crunchy as your dog likes, return them to the oven for five more minutes then turn the oven off and let the cookies dry out as the oven cools.

Storage: Store these healthy, low-fat dog cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. Freeze in ziploc freezer bags for longer storage.

Although this recipe isn’t suitable to layer in a jar because it includes fresh vegetables, the finished cookies would be a wonderful gift for any dog owner. Try putting the cookies in a sealed bag, inside a dog cookie jar with a Dog Bone Cookie Cutter attached, along with a copy of the recipe. I think any dog owner, and certainly any dog, would find this combination irresistible. If you can’t give this gift on the same day as baking, store them in the fridge or freezer.

See Layered Dog Cookie Mix in a Jar for a gift-in-a-jar option, or Dried Sweet Potato Dog Treats which has instructions for drying sweet potatoes either in the oven or dehydrator. For people in a hurry, try Microwave Dog Cookies in a Jar.

List of Suggested Substitutions

• replace cornmeal with whole oats, wheat germ or moistened flaxseed meal
• replace whole wheat flour with oat flour
• add dried parsley for breath-freshening qualities
• replace celery with grated or finely diced apples
• replace pumpkin puree with unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana

Please let me know in the comments if you bake these dog cookies. Of course, I’d love to know what your dogs thought. Also any tried-and-tested substitutions to the ingredients are most welcome!