This post continues my series on peanut flour. If you’d like to read more, check out the Peanut Chile Rubbed Pork Chops and the Nectarine Coconut Peanut Flour Scones.
As soon as I read that peanut flour would make a nice addition to dog treats, I knew I couldn’t leave the pugs out of my recipe experiments. I hadn’t made homemade treats in a while and I got the feeling they were missing them.
They had no idea that what was going on in the kitchen had anything to do with them. I mixed, I baked, but then, I got ready to photograph.
Now usually Dixie gets curious regardless of what the food is, but Macy only comes around when it’s one of her favorite ingredients like cherry tomatoes or strawberries. But somehow, she knew these were for her.
In fact, she came dangerously close to snagging one while I was adjusting the settings on my camera. Since she is usually a well-behaved pug, I can only believe that this is a testament to how much she loves these treats. She rarely risks getting in trouble!
She had exercised such restraint while I was photographing that I had to give her a reward. She patiently sat and whined while she watched two delicious cookies in front of her.
See that ear? That’s the ear that says, “Did you just say free?”
Finally!
A few notes about the recipe. I used the 28% fat medium roast organic peanut flour. I had an apple that was going soft on me so I decided to peel it and cook it down for a thick applesauce to add to the flour. You might try substituting applesauce from a jar, but what I ended up with was a bit thicker so you may need some more flour if that’s the route you take.
The dough is somewhat sticky and you’ll need to roll the treats into balls and then flatten them slightly before baking because they won’t spread on their own. One good thing is that these treats remain soft, so they are excellent for older dogs like the pugs. They have a hard time with some homemade treats because they can be a little too crunchy for their teeth to handle.
Overall, peanut flour is a big winner for dog treats. The treats have very few ingredients and pugs loved them. I’m looking forward to trying some more varieties.
Apple Peanut Dog Treats
Makes: About 24 treats
Ingredients:
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and chopped
3/4 cup 28% organic medium roast peanut flour
1/3 cup old-fashioned oats, ground in food processor
1/4 cup water
1 large egg, beaten
Prep:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chopped apple in a medium saucepan with about 2 tablespoons of water. Cook over medium-high until the apple begins to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Add more water if needed. Transfer the cooked apple to a small food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Let cool.
In a medium bowl, stir together the peanut flour and oats. Add the cooled pureed apple, water and egg. Stir until all ingredients are combined.
Scoop out a heaping teaspoon for each treat. Roll into a ball and flatten slightly. Place on a greased cookie sheet or a cookie sheet covered with a silicone mat. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool completely and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. They should stay fresh up to 2 weeks.
