Nut Butter and Banana Dog Cookies (Recipe)

Banjo turned 3 recently, and I'm a pet mom who likes to indulge in a little pet-friendly celebration.

So I started off with a new dog biscuit recipe. This one has some of Banjo’s favorites — including nut butter and banana — as well as a new ingredient: parsley.

I wasn’t sure what Banjo would think of the greenish, herb-speckled treats, but I gave it a shot.

According to Dogs Naturally, "Parsley is quite the nutritional powerhouse, including large amounts of Vitamin K, along with healthy amounts of Vitamins C and A, and iron."

This recipe originally called for peanut butter. But Dr. Judy Morgan, DVM, CVA, CVCP, CVFT, who reviewed this recipe for Petful, says, “I do not like to use peanut butter when making food or treats for dogs. Peanuts (a legume) are commonly affected by aflatoxins, a toxin produced by molds. Not to mention the xylitol risk with peanut butter. Almond butter is a much better substitute.”

These cookies also contain rolled oats, which, One Green Planet tells us, "can reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure, can prevent artery clogging and can help boost a dog’s (and people’s) immune system."

Nut Butter and Banana Dog Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• 1½ cups oat flour
• ⅔ cup rolled oats
• ½ cup dried parsley
• 3 tablespoons almond butter
• 1 egg

Directions

1. Heat your oven to 300 F.
2. In a medium bowl, mash the banana.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
4. Roll onto a floured surface ½-inch thick and cut with a cookie cutter.
5. Place the treats on a nonstick cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cookies are firm.
7. Cool on a wire rack and refrigerate leftover treats.

To celebrate Banjo’s birthday, I used “B” and “3” cookie cutters. I placed one of the finished nut butter and banana dog cookies directly onto a decadent dog birthday cake that I made. It was the perfect detail.

Of course, details like this are really only appreciated by my pup’s humans, but savoring the cookies and drooling for more was definitely Banjo’s job.

She didn’t hesitate to gobble up that first treat, and I learned that Banjo is a fan of parsley (as long as it’s mixed with nut butter and banana).

Adapted from Whole Foods Market.