Dog and Human Cookies

Chuck Hughes cookies recipe to make a special homemade treat for your dog and for yourself!

One of the victims of my lack of personal time is super important to me and hasn’t complained once: Fakey. My dog. Recently I found these great dog walkers in the area and they take him and a bunch of dogs out on what seems like a daily spring break to me… best of all, they swing by with the dogs from time to time to say hey… It sounds like a little thing, but when you’re working from 9 to 2 AM everyday, this stuff makes a difference.

Easy, Moderate, Complex

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes

Yield: About 20 cookies

Ingredients

  • For the crispy caramelized bananas:
    • 1 banana, thinly sliced
    • Juice of 1 lemon
    • 2 tablespoons butter, melted (30 ml)
    • 2 tablespoons sugar (30 ml)
  • For the cookies :
    • 1 cup peanut butter (250 ml)
    • 1/2 cup honey (125 ml)
    • 1 cup flour (250 ml)
    • 1 cup chocolate, roughly chopped (250 ml)
    • Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C).

Method

  • For the bananas: Mix the slices in a bowl.  Squeeze the lemon juice on them to ensure they don’t brown.  On a baking tray covered with parchment paper, brush 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of melted butter. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of sugar and lay out the banana slices.  Brush the slices with remaining butter and sprinkle with remaining sugar.  Bake for about 1/2 hour until the bananas are golden brown. Set aside.
  • For the cookies: In a medium bowl, stir together the peanut butter and honey.  Mix in the flour, then the caramelized bananas and chocolate.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Drop tablespoon sized clusters on the baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Note: For dog cookies, omit the banana chips and chocolate.

Food to avoid for dogs:

Cheese and Milk – These are not foods poisonous to dogs; however, some dogs are sensitive to dairy products (some even to the point of being lactose intolerant). You can use a recipe like the homemade peanut butter dog biscuits since it’s made with soy milk, as an alternative. (I don’t understand this last line)

Chocolate – Even though your dog may want a taste of your chocolate, avoid those tempting puppy dog eyes. Chocolate, in all of its forms (except white chocolate) can make for very dangerous dog treats. The result may be as small as vomiting or diarrhea, but depending on the type and amount consumed, it may also lead to abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and, in severe instances, death. With so many yummy dog treats available, skip the chocolate all together.

Onions – Onions have the ability to cause changes in red blood cells, possibly damaging them and causing anemia. Even though you only have a cause for concern if it is eaten in very large amounts, play it safe and avoid all onion products.

Liver – This can be a great addition to any treat, especially training treats. The aroma is hard to ignore, and most dogs will obey quite diligently just to have a taste. However, large amounts of cooked liver can cause vitamin A toxicity. So, keep your dog guessing what will be in his treats next and avoid overloading his system with any one ingredient.

Macadamia Nuts and Walnuts – These nuts qualify as toxic foods for dogs. They contain unknown toxins that may result in weakness, muscle tremors and paralysis. Talk about dangerous dog treats! You also need to be aware that, while other varieties of nuts may be safe, they can be heavily salted, and they contain high amounts of fat. So keep these in moderation.

Potato – There is no problem with potatoes, except for the green parts because they are toxic. In potatoes and other Solanum species, including the tomato, if the green part is eaten in large amounts, it can be dangerous. However, a bit of potato here and there shouldn’t cause any problems for your dogs.

Raisins and Grapes – Unfortunately we don’t know much about why these are foods poisonous to dogs, but we do know that they are. With so many other healthy choices of ingredients to bake homemade dog treats, don’t risk it by adding either to your recipes.

Salt – Why do you put salt on your food? It’s for flavor right? Well dogs have a lot less taste buds than we do. They get the “taste” of food through their incredible sense of smell. So, because of this, salt is just unnecessary. In large amounts, salt can lead to kidney issues for your dog, and possibly pose a risk for the development of a sodium ion toxicosis. So if they won’t miss it, don’t add it!

Sugar and Sweeteners – Sugar and sweeteners are similar to salt: Not needed and not missed. But that’s not the only reason sugar should be avoided. Some experts believe that continuous feeding of sugar can lead to hypoglycemia, obesity and tooth decay. Also artificial sweeteners are on the list of toxic food for dogs.