Homemade DIY Dog Biscuit Recipe

It was never my expectation to have these homemade dog biscuits wolfed down in mere moments. My husband and I, have an extremely picky pooch after all. However, it turns out, they were!

It was our sweet Honey's 10th birthday the other day and as she reached the big ONE ZERO, I thought she deserved a little something special.

Now if you think my husband and I are crazy pet parents, you may prefer to scroll down for another post, quick! There's no apology a-coming :) Sorry!

I scoured my Pinterest Pet Board for inspiration and came up with my own recipe for these Homemade Dog Birthday Biscuits.

Not to brag too much, but I think it's safe to say that these aren't your average dry dog biscuits. Judging by the reception I got after making them, it seems they could even pass as 'extra special' treats instead - hence the name 'Birthday Biscuits'.

Unfortunately, my Honey could stand to lose a few LB's too, so while praying they would be appreciated as I made them, I also knew I also had to get lots of nutrition in there too, even if it required a little extra effort. What better way to bulk them out than add loads of fruit and veggies?

First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

  You will need:

 • 2 cups of Oatmeal flour, plus more for dusting

• 2 cups of cooked and cubed chicken breast piece

•  2-3 tablespoons of olive oil 

• 1 large egg

• Low sodium chicken stock for moisture as needed (not pictured) 

• Pinch of salt

Your choice of fruit and/or veggies. I used: 

• 3 grated carrots • 1 grated parsnip • 1 cup of frozen peas • 1 quarter of a diced apple

* If you're thinking the chicken breast is a little extravagant, rest assured that I didn't actually cook a whole chicken for Honey! Funnily enough I'm sure that's actually up there with her other dreamy ideas. Instead, my husband I actually like to buy the large value packs of chicken breast from the supermarket. As I'm a pinch finickity to say the least, I always trim and prep them as soon as I get home before placing them in a ziplock baggy and into the freezer. So, the trimmed breast pieces on this occasion, ended up in my biscuit recipe.*

1) First I added the (beaten) egg and olive oil to the flour and mixed it in so it came together. You want a firm yet pliable dough so have on hand your chicken stock and extra flour to add as needed.

2) Then add the carrot, parsnip, peas, apple and chicken. Once the mixture has all come together nicely after a few minutes, you'll have a virtually clean bowl and one solid piece of dough that you can hold without it being sticky.

3) Shape it into a big ball, press it flat like a large disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and pop it in the freezer to chill for 20 minutes (I find this makes it much easier to roll out).

4) When you're ready to roll (ha!) sprinkle the dough liberally with flour and as you roll it out, keep it moving the whole time.

5) When you're happy with your thickness (mine were about 1/4" thick) cut out the biscuits with a cookie cutter. This where I wished I had a bone shaped cutter! That would have been so cute!

6) Place them on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes dependent on thickness. Once ready, take them out and set aside to cool.

*Note: I think dog biscuits are usually crunchy to account for those big nashers I guess, so don't be afraid to over bake a touch more than you would for your usual oatmeal and raisin. Mine came out crunchy on the top and edges but when cooled, had a softer center.*

I got to admit they did smell good hot out of the oven and it seems we weren't the only ones who thought so. Ensue the loud whimpers and cries of frustration from pooch under the countertop!

And that's it! All done and so easy!

In fact it's so easy, just swap out the ingredients and you have my delicious cranberry, orange and chocolate orange biscuits for us humans, soon too. (Recipe coming soon!)

Please let me know if you have a go at this recipe too. I'd love to hear your variations and of course, the all important verdict from your beloved furry friends!