December is famous for Christmas and New Year’s Eve, but we often overlook December 4th: National Cookie Day! Whether you’re a sugar cookie connoisseur or a macaroon maven, there’s a cookie for every person out there. However, while we can pick and choose our favorites, our pups are often left out of the fun.
But, in the spirit of holiday warmth, we’ve made a guide to help you make special treats that can be infused with whatever the crowd wants in their festive cookies. With the right steps, you can become the DIY-treat maker you know you can be!
1. Skip the oven. That’s right, no one has time to whip out the baking sheets AGAIN in the midst of the holiday season. If you were tasked with cooking for Thanksgiving, most of us are burnt out and don’t mind cutting a few corners. No-bake cookies are easy, fun, and far less hassle than traditional DIY dog treats.
2. Make a base. The best part about DIY cookies are the health benefits of natural ingredients. Here’s where our best secret comes in: your dog won’t notice that your treats have only a few ingredients, but they will love the taste of treats you know aren’t filled with random chemicals. A base is the first step to building up your paw-fect cookie, and our favorite seasonal base is pumpkin. Pumpkin is safe for dogs both raw and cooked, and pureed pumpkin is an amazing base to amp up the flavor of your pup’s holiday treat. Our other favorite is peanut butter.
3. Add in liquid. Once your base is the desired consistency, it can help to add a liquid to thin out the treats. Some dogs might love your peanut butter treats with a splash of milk, while other dogs might be turned off by the diary. While most dogs don’t digest milk well, a splash added to your base usually won’t hurt. However, unless your trusted veterinarian has given milk the OK, water will work just as well.
4. Mix in extras. Here’s where the fun comes in! Most dogs love oats, while others might prefer banana or dried fruit to add some varying texture to their treats. Regardless of what you add, remember that it should be done in moderation, as an excess of any unusual food in a dog’s diet can cause problems.
5. Enjoy! While there are endless ways to prepare a no-bake DIY dog cookie, our favorite is the tried-and-true freezing method. This ensures your mixture is a good consistency all the way through and might take your dog a few minutes to gnaw through. Now everyone in the family has a special holiday cookie.
