{ Banana Nutter Poochies: Treats for Pups }

When I'm in the kitchen, I have an audience.

Pretty much always.

I don't mind when they sit and watch, but they are not allowed inside the kitchen walkway.

Tripping hazard. Bad for me, bad for them.

So, they sit past the bar and watch.

And wait.

Just in case something hits the floor.

Our dogs, Jingle Bella (laying), and Luna Rosa Lovegood (nerd name!) are 8 & 4 respectively.

Fun story about Jingle (who was a Christmas present for the Bean when he was in 1st grade). She's camera shy. I'm NOT joking. Get out the camera, and she's GONE. It's totally weird. Who knew animals could be camera shy??

Luna, on the other hand, could care less. You'll see a lot of her in my Instagram feed, because, well, she's there. She's a big ole lapdog. Cannot be without person. She's my shadow. Jingle is very independent and happy to cuddle on her bed alone. Luna, is a scaredy cat. Can I legally call a dog a cat? I hope so, cause I just did (don't get me started on our outside cat, Arnold (named after Ginny Weasley's Pygmy Puff!), who I call Arn Dog. I have no idea why, I just do. Luna is afraid of everything. Plastic bags, the vacuum, fast movements, loud noises, etc. Ironically, she's NOT afraid of thunderstorms. Odd. Dog.

I told the pups I was going to bake them something. I had totally planned to make them homemade treats for Christmas, but I never got around to it. Oops.

So, it was finally time.

As I baked, here is what I saw.

" Hey, hey, watcha makin?"

"You done yet?"

(btw, this is the BEST photo I've gotten of Jingle in FOREVER!)

Once finished, I gave them a cookie.

They went BAZONKERS.

They would NOT stand still for me to get photos. Here is what happened.

(Prepare for very bad photography)

I guess you could say they liked them!

For the cookies, I went with doggy friendly ingredients.

You can see in this list here, that oats, eggs, and peanut butter are listed A-OK for doggies.

Mine are cr-razy for Peanut Butter.

I also went with Bananas, which are listed by the ASPCA as good for dogs.

Brown Rice flour easily digestible & easier on doggie bellies than white/wheat flour. 

(Plus my Luna is allergic to wheat.)

There's a bit of cinnamon in there for flavor. That is listed as non-toxic by the ASPCA.

 And those are all the ingredients!

Dogs don't need sugar, so there is none in these, however, I added a teeny bone shaped sprinkle (leftover from Halloween) to a few of them.

Mix 'em up, roll into balls, smash with glass, and bake!

I made mine tiny for my tiny dogs. 

 

You can make yours larger, but you'll need to adjust baking times.

My dogs are just stupid crazy over these. Hope your furry friends are too!

Bonus?

You know exactly what is in these, so you won't have to worry when they recall dog treats, like just happened a couple days ago.

Package these up pretty & they make a great gift for the dog lover in your life!

Tina

Banana Nutter Poochies

recipe by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers

1  1/3 cup Brown Rice Flour*

1 large banana, peeled, and mashed

3/4 cup rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 egg, beaten

*you can also use White or Whole Wheat flour if you aren't worried about gluten, but

Brown Rice Flour is a little easier on doggy bellies.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Add all ingredients to a mixer and mix until well blended.

Roll into small balls, about 1".

Place onto a parchment paper or slipat lined baking mat.

Flatten with the bottom of a glass. Once flattened they will be about 2".

These won't rise or spread, so you can fit lots on one sheet.

Bake for about 20-24 minutes, so they will be crunchy.

No matter how much begging happens, cool completely before giving the Poochies to your pooches.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

If you won't use all of them in that time, freeze half. Allow to totally thaw before giving to your dogs.

Feed treats sparingly, of course.

The ASPCA recommends that treats should make up only 5% of your dog's daily food intake.

Different dogs are different however, so let your doggie sample one treat to make sure it doesn't upset his belly :)