Peanut Butter Banana Dog Cookies

Easy Homemade Snack is a Treat for Pooches

Want to spoil your dog with a tasty and healthy homemade treat? This easy-to-make, flavorful cookie is bound to please even the finickiest eater.

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 mashed banana
• 1/3 cup smooth peanut butter* (low sodium is a healthier choice for pets)
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten, for brushing (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 300ºF.

Lightly beat the egg then mix in the peanut butter, mashed banana and honey. Blend thoroughly. Add the flour a little at a time, until mixture is evenly combined.

Turn out the dough on a floured board and roll until ¼ inch thick. Using a cookie cutter of your choice, a biscuit cutter or the rim side of a glass, cut the dough into desired shape. Brush tops with egg white (optional).

Place cookies on a lightly greased baking sheet or one fitted with a silpat silicone baking sheet liner.

Bake cookies for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. (Cook time will vary based on size of your cookie. Bake less for smaller cookies, more for larger cookies.)

Cool cookies on a wire rack. Leaving them out overnight will produce a crunchier cookie. Storing them in a sealed container will keep the cookies softer.

Variation

Dip cookies in carob for a pseudo chocolate treat. Carob chips can be bought in the baking aisle at most grocery stores. Simply melt carob chips in a double broiler over low heat, then dip one end of the dog cookies into the melted carob while it's warm. Let cool completely on wire rack or wax paper before serving.

*Xylitol Warning!

Before mixing the peanut butter into the batter, make sure to read the ingredients label on the peanut butter jar. Many nut butters are now using xylitol as a sugar substitute. Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs; a very small amount could send your dog into hypoglycemia and liver failure. Immediate veterinary care is recommended. To learn more about xylitol poisoning, read our in-depth article.

Health Tip

Keep in mind that these cookies are meant to be treats, not meals — excessive consumption of cookies with added ingredients such as peanut butter, fruit and carob can give your pets an upset stomach.