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I’m 99% sure Kolchak is sick of my face. Yesterday, we were on the couch (I was working; he was napping) and I reach out to pet him, but as soon as my hand hit his fur, he heaved the H E A V I E S T sigh I have ever heard and moved to the other end of the couch where he glowered at me for a full 10 minutes. So it appears that, like many relationships, even in mine and Kol’s just a little absence might make the heart grow fonder.
Still, even when I’m on his very last nerve, there is one surefire way to my puggle’s heart: homemade dog treats
If you’ve never seen your dog’s face light up when you hand him a cookie, still warm from the oven, let me tell you, there’s nothing like it. And while I’m over here refusing to bake human treats because I live alone and if I make them, I’m the only person to eat them…and I will eat them, all of them, embarrassingly fast. I’m not looking to finally get the A-OK to return to my lovely life outside this apartment only to find none of my pants fit anymore. Leggings lie, guys. Do not forget this. There is no amount of walks in the world that can make up for eating entire batches of cupcakes alone – and if we’re being honest? Kol is also kind of sick of walks. He says 5 – 7 a day is “excessive” and “exhausting”. In my defense? I just wanna feel the sun on my face!
So, in an attempt to win back my annoyed puppy’s love and to bake something that I wouldn’t be tempted to snack on, we made one of our favourite easy cheesy dog treat recipes this week.
These DIY Dog treats are so freaking easy, you guys. Anyone can make them. I don’t care if you’re a kitchen disaster like Carol at Fidose of Reality or a modern cooking maven who lives to try new techniques, this recipe is almost impossible to mess up. And the best part? Even though it’s so simple to make, it’s one of Kolchak’s absolute favourite treats. No matter how many times I’ve baked them, he still stands at the oven, whining until I pop that first warm, fresh cheesy dog biscuit in his mouth. It’s both obnoxious and endearing.
Easy Cheesy Dog Treat Recipe
These cookies are made with just a few ingredients that I always have in my kitchen, they’re quick and easy to throw together and you don’t need any fancy tools or equipment to make it happen. Anyone – A N Y O N E – can execute these cheesy treats flawlessly. Trust me.
Materials
- • 2 large eggs
- • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- • 2 tablespoons cold water
- • 1 onion & garlic-free chicken bouillon cube
- • 2 cups finely grated sharp cheddar or other strongly flavored cheese
- • 2 cups all-purpose flour
Tools
- Medium bowl
- Spoon
- Cheese grater
- Cookie cutter
- Cookie sheet
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, olive oil, water, and the bouillon until the mixture is thick and frothy (approx. 1 – 2 minutes). Fold in the cheese.
Add the flour, one tablespoon at a time, stirring to combine. When the dough becomes too stiff to stir, knead in the remaining flour. As the warmth from your hands works the dough, the cheese will melt and smooth out the dough.
If the mixture remains slightly crumbly even after you have kneaded it for several minutes, rinse your hands with cold water, shake them off and work this small amount of water into the dough – that should be just enough to bring it together perfectly.
Using a rolling pin, roll out your dough to ¼” thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into shapes.
Place the dough on a cookie sheet; the dough will have very minimal spread, so the cookies do not need much extra spacing.
Bake your dog treats for 17 – 20 minutes until the bottoms are lightly golden.
Allow the dog treats to sit on the baking sheet for 2 minutes after you’ve taken them out of the oven, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
For a crisper, crunchier treat, turn off the oven and allow the treats to cool inside overnight.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
1 If you do not have olive oil, no problem! This can easily be substituted with vegetable oil or melted coconut oil.
2 Try Go Bio, Massel or Fody brand bouillon as these brands declare on the labels that they are onion and garlic free. Onion and garlic can be toxic to dogs, so if you cannot find one of these brands, go ahead and leave this out! The treats won’t be quite as flavourful, but your dog will still love them.
3 If your dog has a wheat intolerance, you can substitute Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose baking mix or any gluten-free baking mix that substitutes at a 1:1 ratio.
4 The cutter I used is a part of a set of cookie stamps made by Chef’n
While I usually pull a few out to share with Kol while they’re still warm, he definitely loves these super crunchy, so we like to turn off the oven but leave the cookies inside to cool over night. That way they get a good SNAP! when he crunches into them – and drier treats can keep a bit longer.
