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Bella, my 9-year old Morkie, gave an immediate “tongues up” approval as she finished her cookie I made using this easy treat recipe for dogs. Pretty sure her eyes are telling me, “More, please.” This little fur baby of mine loves her treats, and I don’t know about you, but it is so hard to resist giving in to the begging eyes.
Before getting into this easy treat recipe for dogs, I want you to know that apples and applesauce are perfectly fine to feed your dog. You need to core the apple first and then cut off small pieces to feed to your dog. Make sure you do not give them a whole apple to chew on. The core is full of seeds and the seeds contain cyanide. Cyanide is very poisonous to any living thing. It would take a large amount of seeds to do damage, however you still want to be preventive by keeping the seeds out of reach from your dog. If for any reason you believe your dog has consumed a large quantity of apple seeds, please contact your veterinarian immediately.
Health Benefits Of Apples and Applesauce
First of all, you shouldn’t feed your dog applesauce that has been sweetened. However, if it is unsweetened, then it is perfectly safe and healthy. Apples contain plenty of dietary fiber as well as vitamin C, phosphorus, and calcium. Depending on how it is made, the nutritional benefits of applesauce may vary a little bit.
When you can, try using a recipe to make homemade applesauce for the maximum benefits. You can try Kim’s Healthy Eats’ easy homemade applesauce recipe. However, if you are like me without a lot of extra time, then make sure you read the label for the word – unsweetened. Here are some health benefits your dog can derive from eating apples and unsweetened applesauce:
- Apples are rich in soluble fiber which is important for encouraging regular digestion. It also helps to safeguard against diarrhea and constipation.
- Low in calories and fat, so apples can be used as a healthy, low-calorie treat or as a nutritional supplement for dogs who need to lose weight.
- Vitamin C found in apples plays an important role in supporting the healthy development of bones and muscles, particularly in puppies.
- This fruit is rich in Vitamin A which has been shown to improve skin and coat health. It also supports your dog’s immune system.
- Apples consist of a number of different antioxidants which help to protect against free-radical damage, and may also support eye, bone, immune, and skin health.
- The calcium which is derived from eating apples is essential for healthy bones, nails, and teeth. It also supports your dog’s heart health.
- Apples contain phosphorus which works with calcium to support bone health, particularly in developing puppies.
What You Need to Make Banana Apple PB Cookies
- bananas
- unsweetened applesauce
- smooth peanut butter
- Ceylon cinnamon
- rice flour
Step by Step Directions
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. I mashed two bananas with a fork. Then, I added the applesauce, peanut butter and cinnamon, mixing well. After that, I added the flour slowly until blended.
3. The dough had a firm texture, so I rolled out small balls of dough at a time and used cookie cutters to form the shapes I wanted.
Would you look at this adorable face??? Oh! My goodness! I had to stop cutting out cookie shapes and snap a picture of Bella. She was so eagerly and patiently watching my every move. If I thought she could help, I would put her on the counter with a baker’s hat on and let her. Ha! I’m afraid that would be a disaster, so I will leave her on the kitchen floor anticipating the taste of whatever it is I’m cooking. Trust me y’all, this happens when I’m cooking dinner for my husband as well.
4. I placed the shapes onto a pizza stone. I love baking cookies on my Pampered Chef pizza stone for my family, so I figured it would work for the doggie cookies too.
5. I baked them at 200 degrees in the oven for about 12 minutes. (Different ovens will vary on their cooking time, so start checking them at about 8 minutes.)
6. I let the cookies thoroughly cool on a cooling rack.
Bella knows she is about to get a cookie, but Edward was wondering what was going on since he napped during the baking process.
7. This is my favorite part…sharing the treats with my fur babies.
You might also like this recipe containing unsweetened applesauce.
Let us know if you use this easy treat recipe for dogs and what you think!
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Banana Apple PB Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 bananas
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3 tbsp creamy peanut butter (I used Jif Natural)
- ¼ tsp cinnamon ceylon
- 1 cup rice flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
- Mash the bananas with a potato masher or a fork.
- Add the applesauce, peanut butter, and cinnamon and mix well.
- Slowly mix in the flour, stirring constantly.
- Knead into a ball of dough with your hands.
- Roll out the dough and cut into shapes of your choice.
- Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
- Bake in the oven for approximately 12 minutes. (Start checking at about 8 minutes, since ovens will cook differently.)
- Let the cookies thoroughly cool.
- Share the cookies with your fur babies.
I haven’t tried these yet but I plan to make some for my daughter’s dog for christmas. Can you please tell me how many approximately this recipe makes and how long they last on the counter and or in the refrigerator or freezer? Thank you so much!
Hi Debbie,
You are an awesome dog grandma to make these for your grand dog! How fun! Most of my recipes are made using small cookie cutters and they make between 80 and 120 small treats. You can definitely store them in the refrigerator and freezer both. In the refrigerator they will keep up to two weeks and in the freezer, they will keep up to 4 weeks. I always keep a bag full in the refrigerator and freeze the rest until I need them. You can portion them out into baggies and grab a bag at a time. Have fun at Christmas with your daughter and grand dog.
Jeana
Hi Debbie,
What an awesome dog grandma you are to make these for your grand dog! How fun! Most of my recipes make between 80 and 120 treats, because I use very small cookie cutters. You can store them in the refrigerator for up to two weeks and in the freezer for up to four weeks. Have fun with your daughter and grand dog at Christmas and Merry Christmas!
Jeana
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