For all the dog owners out there looking for a healthy, easy treat for their four-legged friend, look no further!
This recipe for oatmeal applesauce dog treats is not only delicious but good for your dog too. Apples are a great source of fiber, which aids in digestion, and oatmeal is full of essential vitamins and minerals.
So not only will your dog love these homemade treats, but they’ll be getting a nutritional boost as well.
Let’s get started baking!
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How to make homemade oatmeal applesauce dog treats
These homemade dog treats are easy to make. With only 3 ingredients, you’ll be able to whip these up quickly.
Note: Always check with your vet before introducing new foods to your dog’s diet. This is especially important if your dogs has any dietary restrictions.
Equipment
You will need:
- food processor
- measuring cups
- mixing bowl and spoon
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened applesauce or homemade applesauce
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup natural peanut butter (make sure it doesn’t contain xylitol)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the rolled oats into a food processor and process until it is mostly ground up. It should end up with a flour consistency. Though you can leave it a little less processed if you want.
If you don’t have a food processor, a blender will work.
In a bowl, mix together the applesauce, processed oats, and peanut butter. It should be thick and somewhat difficult to stir.
Once it’s mixed together, take a small spoonful, or small cookie scoop, of the mixture and roll it into a ball. Place the applesauce oatmeal ball on a cookie sheet that is lined with parchment paper and flatten it.
It should be about 1/4 inch thick. You can bake these without parchment paper, but there is a chance they will stick to the pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The longer they bake, the drier and crispier they will get. But don’t bake too long or they will burn.
My first batch took the full 25 minutes, but the applesauce was slightly frozen still. The second batch, which sat on the counter while the first batch baked, and was at room temperature, only took 20 minutes to be fully baked.
Let the treats cool completely before giving them to your dog.
Once cooled completely, store in an airtight container on the counter for a few days or in the fridge for about a week. Or freeze in a sealed container for longer storage.
Notes
These oatmeal dog treats can be made in fun shapes with a cookie cutter. To do this you will want to start with making sure your oats are a flour consistency, with no whole pieces of oats. Any whole pieces of oats will make it harder to separate out the shapes.
Once the dough is mixed, use whole wheat flour, or more oat flour, and spread it on the counter. Place the dough on the floured surface and spread it out as evenly as possible, getting it to about 1/4 inch thick.
Then use your cookie cutters on the dough and carefully separate the shape from the rest of the dough. Pick it up carefully, a spatula will make this process easier, and place it on the cookie sheet. Bake the same as above.
The biggest issue I had with using cookie cutters is the fact that the dough is sticky. It was very difficult to get it separated from the rest of the dough and onto the pan.
Another option is to use an oven-safe silicone mold and fill those with the applesauce oatmeal dough. Make sure to press the dough into the mold, or it won’t take the shape properly. This method may take longer to bake due to the different thicknesses of the molds.
The paw-shaped ones I made took 30 minutes to bake and are still a little soft in the middle. This is fine, but they will go bad faster than the crunchy dog treats made by spreading the dough thinner.
Do dogs like oatmeal applesauce dog biscuits?
Dogs love oatmeal applesauce dog treats! At least my dogs love them.
Both Luna and Morgan give me the stare-down while I’m making these. Then they pout while the treats bake and cool.
Once the treats have cooled enough for a taste, they are both ready and waiting to gobble them up.
Just look at the pictures above and below to see how much they love these treats!
Can humans eat these oatmeal applesauce cookies for dogs?
Yes, these oatmeal applesauce dog treats are safe for humans to eat.
I haven’t tried them myself, but feel free to give them a try. Due to the lack of added sugar (bad for dogs), they may taste a little plain to you.
But I assure you, dogs love them. Both Luna and Morgan could barely wait for them to cool to give them a try.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it – a healthy, easy recipe for homemade oatmeal applesauce dog treats.
Not only are these treats easy to make, but they’re also economical. Chances are you have all the ingredients on hand, so there’s no need to make a special trip to the store.
So next time you’re looking for a healthy snack for your furry friend, give this recipe a try! I’m sure they’ll love it as much as Luna and Morgan do!
Check out my other dog treat recipes!
Soft Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Treats
No-Bake Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Treats
Will be trying these in the morning. My dog just had TPLO surgery and needs to take his meds with food. I think a few of these would be a great option for him to eat with his meds, thank you so much!!
The 3 little critters, Chihuahuas, love them. One has allergies, so these are treats he can eat. I did taste them, and they were kind of like human cookies, but dryer tasting. We are happy. Thank you!
Is it ok to use Quick Oats (not instant)?
The recipe calls for Old fashioned oats, not instant. I regularly substitute old fashioned and quick oats in other recipes but have not tried it in this recipe. I would think it would be fine, but again I haven’t tested it myself.