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Valentine’s Day is almost here! Therefore, surprise your dog with these valentine cookies for dogs. Plus, you can’t go wrong giving your furry valentine an edible gift this season of love.
Your dog probably doesn’t care if you bake their treats or buy them from a store. However, it is so much fun to whip up a homemade batch of treats just for them.
And, holidays are always the perfect excuse to do this. Furthermore, baking with your dog at your feet lets them feel included in the holiday festivities.
These valentine cookies for dogs are made with beets and applesauce to delight your dog’s taste buds. Furthermore, both of these ingredients have nutritional value that makes them healthy.
Check out the nutritional values of unsweetened applesauce, here. Plus, below you’ll find out all about red beets and the nutritional benefits they give your dog.
This Valentine’s Day, remember your dog and whip up some valentine cookies for dogs. In addition, this recipe will make enough for you to treat all of your favorite dogs.
Why Add Red Beets to Valentine Cookies for Dogs?
Beets are safe for your dog to eat! However, as with any human food, safe for dogs, they should be eaten in moderation. Furthermore, beets are not toxic to dogs according to the ASPCA.
In addition, adding beets to valentine cookies for dogs can be a healthy source of vitamins. For instance, beets provide vitamin C, which helps with immunity. Additionally, vitamin B folate helps with cardiovascular support and normal tissue growth.
Furthermore, adding beets to valentine cookies for dogs can be a great source of minerals. For instance, manganese helps bones, kidneys, the liver, and the pancreas. Fiber aids digestion, while iron aids the formation of healthy blood cells.
Minerals such as potassium and magnesium are essential for healthy nerve function. Potassium also helps with muscle function, while magnesium helps with bone health.
Above all, red beets help fight inflammation. My two senior dogs are showing signs of arthritis, so this benefit excites me. The nutrient in red beets that helps fight inflammation is known as betaine. Furthermore, this nutrient can help support emotional health.
On the other hand, red beets are high in oxalic acid. This acid can lead to kidney stones and a depletion of calcium. Therefore, feed red beets sparingly.
Plus, although rare, some dogs have an allergic reaction to beets. Therefore, talk to your veterinarian if you have concerns before making these valentine cookies for dogs. These are small treats, so your dog will only receive a small portion at a time.
Now This Is Something To Bark About!!
Let’s Bake Some Valentine Cookies for Dogs
Honestly, this was my first time to work with beets, ever, not even for human consumption! I even looked for a canned version of beet purée at my local Natural Grocers. When I couldn’t find any, I found myself in the fresh produce, examining organic beets.
Then, I did a quick Pinterest search on how to purée beets. I discovered that I would need to choose between a raw purée or a cooked purée. So, since my purée would be used in treats that would be baked, I opted for the raw.
In addition, the recipe yields 240 small, heart valentine cookies for dogs. I developed this recipe to make a large amount so that I could treat my doggy friends.
However, if you don’t want to make this many at one time, be sure to half the recipe. On the other hand, these treats will keep in the freezer up to a month.
Ingredients for Doggy Valentine Beet-ing Heart Cookies
- olive oil
- unsweetened applesauce
- 3 to 4 beets (used to make beet purée)
- oat flour
- baking powder
- quick rolled oats
- coconut flour (to be used in the kneading process)
Steps to Make Raw Beet Purée
Cover a countertop with parchment or wax paper. As a result, this will keep your countertop from being stained from the beet juice.
Then, wash and rub any dirt away from 3 to 4 beets. Next, quarter-cut the beets. You can peel the beets before cutting them, but this isn’t necessary.
After that, place the quarters into a food processor and pulse, adding a little water. This will be a finely, chopped textured purée that you can actually use. However, I was after a smoother purée.
Therefore, place the processed beets into a blender. Then, add a little water, blending until the texture is smooth.
Steps to Make the Doggy Valentine Beet-ing Heart Cookies
First, heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place parchment or wax paper on cookie sheets.
Secondly, stir together beet purée, applesauce and olive oil in a large bowl. Then, in a separate bowl, combine oat flour and baking powder. After that, slowly stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients.
Thirdly, stir in the quick rolled oats. Cover the bowl and let the oats expand for 10 minutes.
Next, cover a countertop with parchment or wax paper and dust with the coconut flour. The mixture will be sticky, so you will want to work with it in small portions.
So, spoon out a cup of the mixture onto the prepared countertop. Then, add a small amount of the coconut flour to the top of the mixture. Next, knead it into a play-doh like consistency and form a dough ball.
After that, flatten the dough ball with the palm of your hands. Then roll it out with a rolling pin to a ¼ inch. Don’t forget to add a little flour to the rolling pin!
Next, use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out cookies and place on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes, then turn the cookies over and bake another 5 to 6 minutes.
Keep in mind, cooking time varies with different ovens. If you want a crunchier cookie, leave in the oven a little longer. The cooking time in this recipe is for a softer cookie.
Lastly, remove the cookies from the pan and let them cool on a rack.
In Conclusion
So, when all of the baking is done, share the cookies with your dog. In addition, be ready for your dog to beg for more. Above all, this is always the funnest part of baking for your dog.
Furthermore, there will be plenty of these valentine cookies for dogs to put into cute treat bags. Then, you can share them with all of your doggy friends for a fun Valentine’s Day treat surprise.
Another note, beets contain the red color component, betanin and the body can’t break this down. As a result, urine and stool will be dyed red which is commonly called beeturia.
However, don’t let this alarm you after your dog eats these valentine cookies for dogs containing beets. Betanin will work its way out naturally within several days to a week.
One last thing, celebrate Valentine’s Day responsibly for your dog. Please remember to put those heart boxes full of chocolate out of your dog’s reach. Remember chocolate is highly toxic for dogs.
Do you do anything special for your dog on Valentine’s Day? I would love to read about it in the comments below.
Has your dog ever had red beets? Let me know about it in the comments below.
You might want to try these recipes for your dog:
- Donuts for Dogs – The Perfect Morning Snack
- Homemade Banana Dog Treats – Dogs Go Bananas
- Sweet Potato Jerky For Dogs – Humans Too!
Save this post with the recipe by using one of the following images to pin to Pinterest.
Doggy Valentine Beet-ing Heart Cookies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 cups unsweetened applesauce
- 1½ cups beet purée (3 to 4 fresh beets)
- 4½ cups oat flour
- 3½ tsps baking powder
- 2½ cups quick rolled oats
- coconut flour (this will be used in the kneading process)
Instructions
Beet Purée Directions
- Cover the countertop with parchment or wax paper.
- Wash and rub the dirt from 3 to 4 beets and place on the covered countertop.
- Quarter-cut the beets. (You can peel the beets before cutting them, but it is not necessary.)
- Add the quarters to a food processor and pulse, adding a little water.
- Put the processed beets into a blender with a little water and blend until smooth.
Cookie Directions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place parchment or wax paper on cookie sheets.
- In a large bowl, stir together beet purée, applesauce, and olive oil.
- In a separate bowl, combine oat flour and baking powder. Slowly stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients.
- Stir in the quick rolled oats. Cover the bowl and let the oats expand for 10 minutes.
- Cover a countertop with parchment or wax paper and dust with the coconut flour.
- Spoon out a cup of the mixture onto the covered countertop.
- Pour a small amount of coconut flour on the mixture, knead it into a play-doh-like consistency and form a dough ball.
- Flatten the dough ball with the palm of your hands, then roll it out with a rolling pin to a ¼ inch.
- Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out cookies and place on the prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake for 5 to 6 minutes, then turn the cookies over and bake another 5 to 6 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the pan and let them cool on a rack.
Hi, I was wondering if you can use whole wheat flour and if so would the proportions be about the same. Thank you
Hi Sandra,
Yes. You can use whole wheat flour. Start with 3 1/2 cups and see if that gives you the playdough consistency needed. You can always add to, but can’t take out. If it doesn’t, then add a 1/4 of a cup at a time until the desired consistency. I hope your dog loves them as much as mine do.
Tell your dog I said, “Hi!”,
Jeana