Healthy Dog Treat Recipes
Mean Green Breath
Fighting Treats

You can make your own healthy dog treat recipes that are good for your dogs teeth. This recipe is packed with calcium rich tofu, omega filled ground flax and breath freshening parsley and fresh mint.

Using tofu in a baked dog treat had never even occurred to me. But, once I learned that tofu contains 77% of a persons daily value of calcium, and milk only contains 14%, I knew tofu was needed to make a healthy dog treat for dental care. Also, calcium is needed to help build strong and healthy teeth and is a must to keep our dogs happy and healthy.

But calcium isn't the only ingredient that makes this a healthy dog treat recipe. We've added a heaping helping of dried parsley, fresh mint and wheatgrass powder.

You probably know about the breath freshening abilities of parsley and mint. We even have a couple homemade dog treats that feature these ingredients. Don't miss these two fun recipes, our Parsley Pucker-Up's and the Mint Kiss Dog Cookies.

But we've added not only parsley and mint to these dog treats, but wheatgrass powder, too. The powder does much more than give the treats a fun green color. Because of the chlorophyll, it can also help to deodorize bad breath.

Not to be forgotten, we've added ground flax for the healthy omega 3's and peanut butter for an added savory and delicious taste.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 Tbsp ground flax
• 2 Tbsp fresh mint
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley
• 1 - 8 gram packet wheatgrass powder
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 8 oz silken tofu
• 1/4 cup peanut butter

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F
2. Finely mince the fresh mint.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, ground flax, fresh mint, parsley and wheatgrass powder. (You'll notice the flax is not in this picture. I forgot it and added it later.)



4. Stir in the rolled oats.



5. Using an electric hand mixer, blend the tofu and peanut butter until smooth.





6. Stir the dry ingredients into the tofu mixture a 1/3 at a time. Stir to incorporate each addition.
7. With a damp hand, lightly knead the dough until it forms a ball.



8. Lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
9. Place your dough on the prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly with your hands.
10. Place a sheet of plastic wrap over the dough and roll directly on the baking sheet until your dough is about a 1/2 inch thick.



11. Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 10 minutes.
12. Using a plastic spatula, score and then cut 1 inch rows in the dough.



13. Then cut 1 inch squares and arrange the pieces so they are not touching.



14. Bake for 10 minutes.
15. Remove any pieces that are already hard, or if they are at the right consistency for your dog. If you would like them to be more dry and hard, reduce the temperature to 250° F and bake for another 10 minutes.
16. Turn off the oven, leave the treats in the oven while it cools.

Storing - This healthy dog treat recipe should stay fresh in the fridge for about one month. Keep them fresh in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Yield - Rolling the dough out to 1/2 inch thickness and then cutting squares that are approximately 1 inch by 1 inch, you will yield at least 60 pieces.

Tips & Techniques

• Wheatgrass Powder - You should be able to find this in most major health food stores in their vitamin department. You can buy a larger amount, or just one packet for these homemade dog treats.
  
  
• Wheat Free Flour - You can make this recipe wheat and grain free by substituting the type of flour you use. Instead of whole wheat flour, use a combination of 1/2 cup Garbanzo bean flour, 1/4 cup almond flour and 1/4 cup tapioca flour.
  
  
• Size the Treats - The size of the treats for this healthy dog treat recipe is an average size. Feel free to make the bites smaller or larger for your individual dog. Keep in mind, though, that the baking times will vary a little if you change the size. Bake for less time for smaller treats and a little longer for treats that are large.
  
  
• Hand Mixer - Using an electric hand mixer is a must for this recipe. I tried vigorously stirring the tofu and peanut butter together and they just don't come out smooth. Blend the ingredients for about one minute, or until smooth.

Making your own healthy dog treat recipes is a great way to ensure your dog is getting needed nutrition for healthy teeth.