Home-baking biscuits for your dog ensures he's getting wholesome, natural ingredients in his treats. Making them hard and crunchy exercises and cleans his teeth and gums. Made with ingredients such as old-fashioned rolled oats, safflower oil, honey and herbs, these biscuits are especially nutritious, and they have a long shelf life.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Crack the eggs into a large bowl. Wash the empty egg shells in warm water until all of the egg white is removed, leaving the membrane in place. Air-dry the shells on a piece of paper towel, then break them into small pieces and grind them in a coffee grinder or nut mill, or place them in a plastic zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to grind them.
Combine the oats, buckwheat flour, whole wheat flour, dried parsley, dried rosemary and ground egg shells in the large mixing bowl and mix well. Add the boiling water, safflower oil, molasses and honey. Mix to form a sticky dough.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. Place the dough on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and bake for about 30 to 45 minutes or until lightly browned, then turn off the oven. Score the dough into squares with a knife or pizza cutter, then place them back in the oven. Leave them overnight to make them harder.
Tips
Store the treats in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days, or double or triple the batch and store individual weekly portions in zip-top bags in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can make your own oat flour by finely grinding old-fashioned rolled oats in a food processor or blender.
If the dough is too sticky, add more flour; if it is too dry, add water.
You can substitute whole-wheat flour for the gluten-free flours used in this recipe; and you can use other herbs in place of parsley and rosemary, such as sweet basil, oregano and mint.
For a sweet rather than savory version, omit the herbs and add 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and 4 tablespoons of carob chips.
Tips
Store the treats in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days, or double or triple the batch and store individual weekly portions in zip-top bags in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can make your own oat flour by finely grinding old-fashioned rolled oats in a food processor or blender.
If the dough is too sticky, add more flour; if it is too dry, add water.
You can substitute whole-wheat flour for the gluten-free flours used in this recipe; and you can use other herbs in place of parsley and rosemary, such as sweet basil, oregano and mint.
For a sweet rather than savory version, omit the herbs and add 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and 4 tablespoons of carob chips.
Items You Will Need
- Large mixing bowl or food processor
- Coffee grinder or nut mill
- Rolling pin
- Knife or pizza cutter
- Sheet of paper towel
- Mixing spoon
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoon
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Cookie cutter
- 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1/4 cup oat bran
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed
- 1 cup boiling water
- 4 tablespoons safflower oil
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 medium eggs
- 2 ground egg shells
References
- "Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog"; Wendy Volhard and Kerry Brown, D.V.M.
- ""Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats"; Dr. Richard H. Pitcairn, D.V.M., Ph.D. and Susan Hubble Pitcairn
Tips
- Store the treats in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days, or double or triple the batch and store individual weekly portions in zip-top bags in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- You can make your own oat flour by finely grinding old-fashioned rolled oats in a food processor or blender.
- If the dough is too sticky, add more flour; if it is too dry, add water.
- You can substitute whole-wheat flour for the gluten-free flours used in this recipe; and you can use other herbs in place of parsley and rosemary, such as sweet basil, oregano and mint.
- For a sweet rather than savory version, omit the herbs and add 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and 4 tablespoons of carob chips.
Writer Bio
Based in Ontario, Susan Dorling has written professionally since 2000, with hundreds of articles published in a variety of popular online venues. Writing on a diverse range of topics, she reflects her passion for business, interior design, home decorating, style, fashion and pets.