These Grain Free Dog Treats are super simple to make and dogs love them! Packed with bananas, peanut butter and some protein from eggs and chickpea flour, they’re healthy, fast, easy and delicious!
Well, tomorrow (April 25) my baby turns 12! Although, I don’t know his birth date for sure since he’s a rescue, and truthfully I have a strong feeling he’s a Capricorn, but we just pretend his adoption day is his birthday and it has worked for 11 years!
Mannie is a Border Collie and he was adopted from the Sacramento SPCA 11 years ago. Technically he was my boyfriend at-the-time’s dog that we had adopted “together”, but Mannie lived with the boyfriend. When the boyfriend and I broke up (his loss!) I asked if I could take Mannie… and he said yes! The rest was history and Mannie was officially mine to keep. We’ve been inseparable since!
Mannie isn’t the friendliest dog, and over the years he’s become incredibly protective and territorial of me and Jack, my Shorkie pup. He doesn’t really like other dogs at all, and especially not when they go to sniff him where the sun don’t shine! – but lately he’s kind of averse to humans as well.
Because of this, I decided to throw a partial in-real-life-but-also-online birthday pawty for him! (Awkward). Basically I cooked up some of these treats and delivered them to various dog friends in the neighborhood that I’d totally want at my dog party if Mannie weren’t a grump. I also snapped some pics of the pups because obviously you need to know who the guests in attendance are! They’re a very integral part of his party, even if they all stayed at their respective homes when I delivered the cookies, ha! 🙂
I definitely didn’t get around to every dog in the complex, though! These cookies make about 24 per batch and I only made a single batch. So if you’re our furry neighbor friend, I’m sorry if I didn’t get around to you! To be honest, the dogs here were ones in my building only because I’m also a recluse, tbh.
So let’s get the paawwwwty started!
First up, the guest of honor, my sweet, smart, sassy, neurotic, sensitive boy, Mannie!
Mannie is pretty good about posing for pictures, but in this instance he was off the hook, bouncing everywhere like a puppy and not sitting still! I am actually surprised I was able to snap this one.
Fun fact: Mannie has ALWAYS looked skeptical when I handed him treats. He always looks like this ^^ as if to say, hmm.. I don’t trust you, mom. What even is this? before gulping it in one piece. Silly goof.
Next up, Mannie’s pal and my other pooch, Jack! He’s a Shorkie (Shih-Tzu Yorkie) mix! Jack is very hard to photograph because he’s always on the move or tap-dancing with his little paws.
Jack would kill me if he knew this picture was on the internet but he was just soooo excited for a cookie!
My parents dogs, Winston and Tulip, joined the party. Winston and Mannie used to be BFFs when I lived at home and before we respectively adopted Jack and Tulip. Check out those crumbs in Winnie’s beard! Last year Winston had a severe case of IVDD, which is a disc disease in his back. His photo at last year’s pawty was heartbreaking because he was in so much pain. Winston has done a complete 180 and is healthy, happy and active as ever thanks to acupuncture, of all things!
Tulip is the only girl at the pawty this year, but she doesn’t mind getting dirty and playing ruff with the boys! It’s hard to see here, but this Whipador has a bat-girl symbol in white on her chest!
Back in my ‘hood, here’s Bear! Remember him from last year? Here’s a throwback…
Yep, that’s the same goofy dog! Bear has grown a ton since we saw him last year (well, since you saw him… I see him daily; he’s my neighbor!). He still acts like a young pup though, always bounding around, playing and going for car rides to the dog park with his mama! And despite being on the move nearly every second of his life, he’s pretty easy to photograph!
This is Dart! Dart was busy last year, but I’m so glad he could make time in his hectic schedule to come this year! Dart is a Border Collie/Aussie mix also and he’s the SWEETEST baby ever. In fact, I try not to play favorites, but there are times when I have definitely whispered “you’re my fave dog here!” (excluding my boys of course!) in his ear. Shhh…
Dart also has a cat friend named Fumble! Fumble did not come to the party because he makes Mannie feel some type of way (and that way is not good). Fumble likes to chill on the other side of his owner’s sliding glass door, away from Mannie’s staring glare, but Fumble also loves dog food, too, so he got a cookie!
Last up is Rudy, a Scottie/Jack Russel terrier mix! Rudy’s little front legs are crooked, but when he stands a certain way, it looks like a heart! He’s so sweet and loves to jump up and down for cookies!
So there’s Mannie’s birthday party! Hope you enjoyed! Now let’s talk cookies!
These cookies are totally grain-free and perfect for pets with allergies, like Mannie and Jack. Jack has a some food allergies and Mannie has a very sensitive stomach, so I usually avoid grains and proteins like chicken and beef. So far it has helped! My recipe from last year uses whole wheat flour, but I wanted something totally grain-free, so I looked to my friend Alyssa’s recipe from Simply Quinoa, and these were perfect!
The recipe calls for chickpea (garbanzo) flour and coconut flour. Chickpea flour is very high in protein and fiber and is a great flour substitute for these cookies! Coconut flour adds a little flavor and is great for dog coats (to make them nice and shiny!) but it tends to be higher in fat. However, just 1/2 cup did the trick!
It also calls for peanut butter, eggs, and banana. I used one medium mashed banana, which was about 1/3 cup, maybe slightly more or less. You will definitely be able to feel the dough to see if it needs more flour to accommodate a larger, more moist banana or not. Eggs are obviously great for protein, and peanut butter is packed with fiber! However, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR PEANUT BUTTER DOES NOT HAVE XYLITOL IN IT! Xylitol is in some peanut butters nowadays and it can be fatal for dogs. Look for peanut butter with just one or two ingredients: peanuts and salt. This will ensure it’s safe for pups to consume!
The banana can be substituted with pumpkin puree as well, although I have not tried it. The banana adds some moisture and definitely makes these a little softer of a cookie than a traditional crunchy biscuit.
All in all, I think all these puppers were pretty pleased with these Grain-Free Dog Cookies! Hopefully your dog will be, too!
Grain-Free Dog Cookies
Ingredients
- One medium banana about 1/4-1/3 cup or so, mashed
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter make sure it does NOT have xylitol in the ingredients!
- 1 cup chickpea flour (also known as garbanzo flour)
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, eggs, and peanut butter until smooth. Add in the chickpea and coconut flours and baking soda and mix until incorporated. The mixture may be easier to mix with your hands if it becomes too stiff! Add more chickpea flour if mixture is too wet, starting with 1/4 cup and working your way up.
- On a clean, flat work surface dusted with a little bit of chickpea flour, roll out the dough about 1/4" thick. Using your favorite cookie cutter, cut out shapes and place 1" apart on the prepared baking sheets. Reroll dough if needed.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time to ensure even baking. Cool completely, and store airtight at room temperature for up to one week.
These cookies are definitely Fido-approved!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
Heather says
They are all so cute! Happy Birthday, Mannie. Love you bud.
thedomesticrebel says
Thank you so much, Heather! xo!