December is by far my favorite holiday! Not only is it when snow tends to fall (not where I live in Oklahoma, but elsewhere), but the weather begins to grow colder, something I absolutely love. By far the reason why December is my favorite month of the year is because of Christmas and all of the treats associated with it.
Who doesn’t love Christmas? It is the time of the year when the entire family comes together at the end of the month and exchange gifts, but it is also when the most delicious treats are made in the kitchen such as gingerbread men, eggnog cookies, Christmas sugar cookies and much more. But why should we be the only ones to enjoy treats during Christmas? Why can’t we share the joy of Christmas with our furry best friends in the process?
Well, with the help of these simple and delicious treats, now you can celebrate Christmas with the furry members of your family. Not only are these treats simple to make, but I know you will want to make them every day leading up to Christmas.
What You Need
As I said, the overall recipe for these treats are relatively easy and only require a few ingredients.
1. Chickpea flour
This is an ingredient I love to use in the dog treats I make for the simple reason that this type of flour is packed full of digestible protein, which can prove extremely beneficial to your dog. Chickpea flour also happens to be an excellent source of potassium, fiber, iron, zinc, phosphorus, Vitamin B6, calcium and thiamine.
The other reason I use chickpea flour in many of the treats I make is because it is one of the few grain free flour options you can use for homemade dog treats. It is the perfect type of flour to use for dogs who suffer from sensitivities.
2. Ground cinnamon
While many pet owners think that cinnamon holds no benefits for dogs, you will pleasantly be surprised that cinnamon not only adds an irresistible flavor when applied to pet treats, but can help regulate blood sugar levels in the process.
3. Maple syrup
The main reason I use maple syrup in this dog treat recipe is to replace the use of molasses. In my opinion, it is a much safer alternative. While it is still high in sugar content, it contains manganese and zinc that can help support a dog’s immune system. While it still may have a high sugar content, I had to choose the lesser of two evils between this and the molasses. This just seemed like a better option.
4. Extra virgin olive oil
This recipe called for an oil source, and to be honest, one of best types of oil sources to use for dogs is extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil has a variety of benefits when fed to dogs such as:
- Helping dogs lose weight with the help of monounsaturated fats which help encourage the body to break down fat cells.
- Promoting optimal canine health by preventing and lessening the effects of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in dogs.
- Supporting a healthy immune system with a variety of antioxidants.
- Helping to support a shiny coat and healthy skin.
The ingredients used in this gingerbread recipe not only taste good, but they are highly beneficial for your dog.
For this particular recipe, you are going to need the following:
- 1 ½ cups of chickpea flour
- ½ tsp. of ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup of maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup of water
The Process
Making these treats are pretty straightforward. First, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. While the oven is preheating, place a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper onto a baking sheet.
Then take a bowl and add in the chickpea flour, cinnamon, maple syrup, olive oil and water. Stir well until everything is mixed together evenly. Once mixed, sprinkle extra chickpea flour onto a flat surface. Roll the dough out on the surface (keep in mind, it will be sticky. Keep adding flour as you knead the dough until it reaches your desired consistency), until the dough is at least ¼ inch in thickness.
Now, use a cookie cutter of your choice (I used a gingerbread man cookie cutter) and cut out 6 to 8 shapes from the dough. Transfer immediately onto the parchment lined baking sheet.
Transfer the treats immediately into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove and set aside to cool completely. Once cooled, decorate the cookies however you wish. In my case, I used a simple peanut butter icing from one of my favorite pet treat supply places called Pastries4Pets and dressed my treats with simple designs.
It really is as easy as that.
While these Christmas themed dog treats was pretty easy to make, there are plenty more that will be coming to PetFoodio.com. I’m hoping you will find them as enjoyable and fun to make as I do!
