Rainy Day Homemade Dog Treats

Rainy Day Dog
Treats, Maple
Carrot on left,
Tomato Beef
on right ~ the
"hardest" part
is actually
baking them..
.
In our neck of the woods, it has been a particularly rainy summer which has put a damper on outdoor activities at times. And so far, it has been a cooler than normal summer ~ which lends itself to having the kitchen oven turned on for extensive baking activities at times.

One of our favorite cold and rainy day past-times is making homemade soup (especially good when local fresh produce is available) and homemade bread.
.
Several years ago however, I began looking over the available hundreds of Homemade Dog Biscuits and Treats out there ~ and truthfully, some of the recipes and preparation seemed either a bit intimidating and/or a lot of work for very little return (especially considering our extensive four-footed family).

With some experimentation however, I managed to develop a fairly no-hassle recipe ~ the "hardest part" of making these is the actual baking of them ~ which can be changed and adapted to whatever one may have on hand in the pantry ~ and of course, adapted to whatever flavors your pup likes best. If you decide to give this recipe a try, you may want to try a smaller or "half batch" to see if your pup will like them before making more. However should they prove a "success" with your canine food critic, the recipe can easily be adapted to make more.

One staple you will need on hand of course is flour. While it is nice also to have some whole wheat flour and cornmeal or cornmeal flours on hand to mix in with the batch, ordinary regular all-purpose flour will do nicely. Another necessity is rice ~ and rice also has the advantage of being particularly healthy for dogs. We always purchase rice in bulk, and so invariably have plenty enough on hand at any particular time to make at least a batch or two of these home-made treats.
.
Cooking oil (corn, vegetable, etc. will do) and baking powder round out the basic batter for these. This is an adaptable recipe ~ as stated above ~ so it is easy to add whatever else you may have on hand, and whatever you pup likes as well ~ and you can double or triple the recipe to make more at one time should they prove to be as popular as they are here.
.
Start with 2 cups of rice and 4 1/2 cups of water (or other liquid ~ for instance, you can substitute beef or chicken broth for some of the water or add a packet or two of dry gravy mix to the liquid before the rice cooks or even a can of condensed tomato or other soup ~ again, whatever your pups like best and whatever you have on hand). Our pups all like apples in various forms, so I have even added applesauce to the liquid before putting the rice onto cook.
.
The reason for adding the "flavoring" to the liquid before cooking is that the flavor absorbs into the rice while cooking and makes a more flavorful treat in the end. Cover and cook the rice according to package directions ~ always have a little more liquid in the rice than called for on the package or box as you want the rice fluffy and any liquid not absorbed will be taken care of when you add the remaining ingredients. So don't be afraid to add more water or liquid while cooking.
.
Again the best part of this recipe is that it can be adapted in countless ways for whatever your pups like best. You can also add items such as chopped up green beans or carrots or peas into the batter for added nutritional benefit as well as for additional flavor. Our pups all like all sorts of vegetables, too, so vegetables such as these are added regularly into our treat batter here ~ according to what we have on hand. For instance, I have at times even purchased a big bunch of fresh carrots, sliced them and baked them in a casserole dish on 325 to 350 degrees with water enough to cover and added maple syrup to flavor ~ then added the carrots and liquid to the batter.
.
Some of the Maple Carrot flavored treats are shown in the photos here and are among our pups favorite flavors. Peanut butter is also a favorite flavor here and I add this after the rice has cooked (and usually add some applesauce also to the rice mixture liquid before cooking).
.
Whatever other ingredients you may choose to add, you should also take into account how your pup's digestive system reacts to certain foods.
.
After the rice has cooked, you can mix the remaining ingredients into the hot rice ~ however it is recommended that you let it cool at least a bit first as you will be handling it in short order, shaping it into biscuits. Add a tablespoon or two (or three) of baking powder to the mixture, this will help with the "biscuit" like texture (and yes, it may sort of fizz or foam). Then add your other flavors and special treats, such as any vegetables or even meat bits you want to throw in ~ use the liquid also if you are using canned goods.
.
Then add a cup of whatever cooking oil you have on hand and stir. Add the other dry ingredients you've selected ~ but if you're using cornmeal, add no more than one cup of cornmeal or cornmeal flour (too much cornmeal will make the biscuits grit-like and they do not hold together well after baking). I've also added oats (as in old-fashioned or quick oatmeal) and then whole wheat and/or all purpose flour, enough to make a stiff batter like cookie dough. You can also add more water, although I recommend more cooking oil instead as it will keep the biscuits at a better consistency when baking and afterwards.
.
Form into small log shapes with your hands. If the batter sticks to your hands, use a small bowl of water to wet your hands as needed and smooth the biscuits into the desired shapes. We make our biscuits into "logs" three to five inches long ~ just make them all the same size so they bake consistently.
.
Place the formed biscuits on a large greased cookie sheet. These "spread" extremely little, if at all, when baking ~ so you do not have to place them really far apart ~ just enough to let the heat in the oven circulate between them adequately. I use two cookie sheets at a time and bake on two racks to bake them all more quickly.
.
And bake at 325 to 350 degrees until nicely browned and relatively crisp on the outside (about 25 to 35 usually, depending on your oven (it also depends on how large you've made them, larger ones will take longer) ~ just don't over-bake (too brown) ~ when done, they will have the consistency of a regular "drop-style cookie" or dinner biscuit inside. And just like as when baking a loaf of bread, if you tap on one and it sounds "hollow" it is probably done. Store in plastic bags in the freezer (we use the gallon freezer zip-lock sizes), taking whatever you need out to thaw. If you've added something like eggs or milk or something else that spoils easily, I would recommend keeping the thawed biscuits in the refrigerator and taking them out to come to room temperature before "serving."
.
Our pups always insist on a "little taste" of the batter while I am mixing it ~ yes, just like little children ~ they then wait patiently for them to bake and cool ~ so don't be surprised if your pups do, too. One warning though: once you make these, your pups may want more so be prepared to make them fairly regularly.
.
John and I also always take a zip-lock storage bag-full of these when we are spending long days in the field hunting over our Setters ~ and they truly appreciate these well-earned special treats whenever we stop for breaks.
..
Shown above Top:Tomato Beef flavor made with condensed tomato soup
and beef broth for flavor; Bottom is Maple Carrot, flavored with chicken broth during rice cooking process and whole carrots which were sliced and baked in water and maple syrup in the oven until tender
To Top of Page