So, one of my favorite boys – my miniature dachshund, Jasper – recently ran out of dog treats. As one of my resolutions this year is to try more DIY projects outside of the scope of what I normally make, I decided I’d start by trying my hand at making him some homemade dog biscuits. In doing this I discovered that it’s a lot more expensive to make dog treats than it is to buy them. Of course, the inclusion of both powdered milk and peanut butter in this homemade dog biscuits recipe were a huge contributing factor in the cost of the end product. Jasper does love them though. Next time I’ll make them smaller – I made them a bit too large for his small size – and I might try them with cheese instead of peanut butter. Or cheese and bacon bits?

The homemade dog biscuits recipe I used is called “Best of Breed Dog Biscuits” and comes from the King Arthur Flour website. I considered using rice flour instead of wheat flour, but my grocery budget wasn’t quite that flexible this shopping trip to accommodate the extra cost. (See a step by step photo tutorial here.)

Homemade Dog Biscuits Recipe

Ingredients:

2 Cups whole wheat flour
1 Cup regular rolled oats
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 Cup nonfat dry milk
pinch salt
2 large eggs
1 Cup peanut butter
1/2 Cup + 1 Tablespoon water

Directions:

Start by mixing your dry ingredients together in a large bowl and mix. (This makes just over a cookie sheet worth of biscuits, so if you only want to bake once or have a small dog then you may want to halve this recipe.) Now mix in the eggs and peanut butter. I tried to use a spoon for this but in the end I found it was easier to use my hands, albeit somewhat messier. Once combined completely, the result will be a crumbly mixture. Now add the water and mix into a dough. If it’s a bit dry add just a touch more water.

Once your dough is ready, roll into quarter sized balls, then press flat with a fork onto a cookie sheet. I used a dark non-stick airbake cookie sheet and did not have to grease the cookie sheet. (Plus they bake the top and bottom evenly so there are no burnt bottoms!) The recipe calls for baking these for 40-60 minutes at 300°F. However, my dog biscuits were ready after 25 minutes at 300°F.

Once they have baked thoroughly and are dry all the way through, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Then share with your favorite Fido! You can store these in an airtight container. I popped mine in the freezer so they stay fresh longer. Plus Jasper likes them this way!

What’s your best friend’s favorite doggie treat? Do you purchase something special or do you bake your own?