Vegan Banana Dog Treats (Recipe)

Lately I’ve been trying to use up some leftover ingredients I have stocked in my “dog treat test kitchen,” and this recipe managed to help me out with 2 of those extra ingredients: flaxseed meal and chickpea flour.

Although the original recipe calls for whole wheat flour, I found that the ground chickpea alternative worked wonderfully if I omitted a splash of water. Dogs can eat chickpeas in moderation, as they are a good source of protein and fiber.

Dr. Judy Morgan, DVM, CVA, CVCP, CVFT, who reviewed this recipe for Petful, says, "Chickpea flour is one alternative, but not all dogs can tolerate chickpeas, so you could also try coconut flour or almond flour."

"If you try one of those alternative flours, you might have to play with the amount of water added,” she advises.

Even a small serving of flaxseed like this has lots of fiber and protein, according to PetMD, which adds that "fiber is important to a dog’s digestive health, while protein provides energy and keeps the immune system strong."

Vegan Banana Dog Treats

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup chickpea flour*
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 banana, mashed
• ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted

*If you use another type of flour (such as coconut flour or almond flour), you may need to add up to ¼ cup of water to reach a cookie dough consistency.

Directions

1. Heat your oven to 350 F.
2. Combine the flaxseed meal, oats, flour, cinnamon and salt.
3. Mix in the mashed banana and coconut oil.
4. Drop the dough by tablespoons onto a nonstick cooking sheet and then flatten the balls with the back of a spoon.
5. Bake for 20 minutes.

The combination of banana and cinnamon left my kitchen smelling heavenly while these treats were baking. And the scent of Banjo’s favorite snack — bananas — was enough incentive for her to wake from her nap and join me by the stove. Since they are packed with nutrients, bananas make a great occasional treat for dogs.

When the cookies were cool enough, Banjo happily snacked on a couple and licked the crumbs from the floor.

Adapted from: Healthy Slow Cooking.