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I love experimenting with different ingredients in an easy dog treat recipe. Sometimes it is a total bust, but this time it was a hit with my two doggos. They couldn’t eat these Carrot Crunch Cookies fast enough.
This was my first time to add three of the nine ingredients to an easy dog treat recipe. However, I will only be adding two of the three to a future easy dog treat recipe. The one ingredient that I will not be using again is brown sugar.
Please note that adding the brown sugar is optional. The brown variety of sugar is the white with the addition of molasses. However, the brown does contain the lowest percentage of sucrose.
Brown sugar is safe for your dog, but you only want to give in moderation. The consequences of excess sugar consumption can include weight gain, cavities, and diabetes.
This was my first time to try using brown sugar in an easy dog treat recipe. However, I will just stick to using a natural sweetener, such as, unsweetened applesauce. In actuality, the natural sweetener from the carrots will probably satisfy your dog.
On the other hand, the rest of the ingredients are very beneficial for your dog. The oats are a great source of soluble fiber, and the bananas are beneficial with potassium. In addition, coconut oil helps your dog’s coat and skin stay healthy.
Carrots and parsley are the two ingredients I will be adding to a future easy dog treat recipe. Parsley promotes fresh breath and aids in digestion. Adding carrots has so many great benefits that I want to discuss further.
Carrot Benefits in an Easy Dog Treat Recipe
According to the American Kennel Club, raw and cooked carrots are healthy and nutritious options for dogs. In addition, they recommend cutting whole carrots into bite-size chunks before feeding them to your dog. As a result, you will prevent choking, especially in small dogs as noted on the AKC website.
Carrots make an excellent low-calorie snack for dogs, especially an overweight dog. A medium carrot contains protein and fiber for about 25 calories. Furthermore, a medium carrot has almost zero fat.
In addition, carrots are high in beta-carotene, which produces vitamin A. They are also rich in vitamin K, potassium, biotin, and vitamin B6. Dogs can have fun chewing on a raw carrot which is like a natural chew toy. As a result, it’s great for their teeth and can relieve discomfort in teething puppies.
3 Additional Benefits to Adding Carrots to Your Dog’s Diet
- When a dog chews on a crunchy carrot, tartar is scraped away. This prevents plaque buildup which leads to periodontal disease. So, it is safe to say that feeding your dog raw carrots supports his or her dental health.
- Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that the body converts into vitamin A. As a result, Vitamin A is an essential nutrient that plays an important role in maintaining healthy vision. Vitamin A also contributes to healthy bone growth and boosting the immune system. Furthermore, to get the maximum benefit of Vitamin A, it is best to cook the carrots.
- The significant amount of dietary fiber in carrots supports your dog maintaining good digestive health. In addition, carrots contain 95% water, which helps with digestion.
So, whether you give your dog raw or cooked carrots or bake them into dog treats, the benefits are aplenty.
Baking Carrot Crunch Cookies
You are going to love following this easy dog treat recipe! Furthermore, your dog is going to love you for baking just for him or her.
Ingredients:
- coconut flour
- oats
- banana
- carrots
- coconut oil
- brown sugar (optional)
- dried parsley
- egg
- water
Putting It All Together
Firstly, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Secondly, add the coconut flour, oats, brown sugar, and parsley to a medium bowl.
Thirdly, peel and mash a ripe banana with a fork or a potato masher. Then, add this to the bowl.
Next, wash and peel the two carrots. Lay them on a cutting board, and cut off the top and bottom tips. Then using a vegetable peeler, remove the skins. If you don’t have a vegetable peeler, you can use a knife. However, you will need to be careful not to take too much of the flesh with the skin.
After that, shred the carrots using a box or plane grater. You can also shred the carrots with a food processor. Once they are shredded, add them to the bowl.
Then, melt the coconut oil in the microwave and add it to the bowl. I skipped the melting when making mine the last time and just added the solid oil.
Next, crack an egg and add it to the bowl.
In Addition…
Mix all of the ingredients together with a spoon. While you are mixing, add the water. If the dough is too dry and crumbly, add a little more water. If the dough is sticky, add some more coconut flour or add some rice or almond flour.
After that, knead the dough with your hands forming a dough ball. I prefer forming several small dough balls, because it is easier for me to work with.
Next, flour the top of your counter space with coconut flour. Then, roll the dough out to an ⅛ inch thick.
Now, you can cut the dough using cookie cutters of your choice or form into round little discs. I did both. However, for this dough, I prefer forming round little flat discs like cookies. I found that the carrots in the dough made it hard for the cookie cutters to cut through.
After cutting or forming the cookie shapes, bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Ovens vary, so start checking them at about 9 minutes. Also, if you want them softer, then take them out sooner. Or, if you want them crispier, leave them in a little longer.
Lastly, let the cookies thoroughly cool before serving them to your fur baby.
Of course, the best part of making an easy dog treat recipe is sharing with your doggos.
In Conclusion
Whenever you cook with carrots for your dog, be sure to wash away the dirt and pesticides. In addition, make sure the carrots are peeled.
If you have any concern adding human food to your dog’s diet, please visit with your veterinarian. You can ask about the amount and if there are any health concerns to feeding your dog carrots.
Have you used carrots in your dog’s treats or as an add-in to regular food? Tell us all about it in the comments below.
After you try making this easy dog treat recipe, let us know in the comments how it went.
Check out these treat recipes using vegetables:
If you want to save this post with the recipe, use one of the following images to pin to Pinterest.
Carrot Crunch Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup organic coconut flour
- 1 cup organic old fashioned thick rolled oats
- 1 ripe banana
- 2 carrots
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the coconut flour, oats, brown sugar, and parsley to a medium bowl.
- Peel and mash the ripe banana with a fork or potato masher. Add this to the bowl.
- Wash and peel the two carrots and shred them with a box or plane grater. Add this to the bowl.
- Melt the coconut oil in the microwave and add this to the bowl. (You can also add it without melting, which is what I did.)
- Crack an egg into the bowl.
- Add the water as you are mixing all of the ingredients together with a spoon. (If too dry, add a little more water, but if too sticky, add a little more coconut flour. You can also try adding a little rice or almond flour.)
- Knead the dough with your hands. You want a play-doh-like consistency.
- Form into a dough ball easy enough to work with. You may choose to work with one big dough ball or several smaller ones.
- Flour the top of a counter space and roll the dough to about an ⅛ inch thick.
- Cut the dough using cookie cutters of your choice or form into round little discs.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. (Ovens vary, so start checking them at 9 minutes.)
- Let the cookies thoroughly cool before serving to your dog.
I would have to ask that you not tell people to use all purpose flour for your pet recipes. There are many healthier alternatives and being so concerned about all your ingredients, down to peeling and washing carrots, I would hope that you would have made mention about using an all natural, gluten free or a healthier flour
Hi Julie,
Thank you so much for pointing this out. At first I was confused, because I use coconut flour for this recipe, so I made sure that the recipe on my site does say coconut flour. Then, I saw where in my directions, I mentioned flouring the countertop with all purpose flour. I have updated the site to read correctly. I agree with you about using natural, gluten free or healthier flours and strive to have my recipes reflect this. This is why it is important for readers like yourself to leave comments. One-man show bloggers like myself need you! Thanks again!
Tell your dog I said, “Hi!”
Jeana