As the Holiday season begins, the air is filled with the yummy odour of baked goodies, the atmosphere is filled with joy and the people are merry. The radiators are turned on, the Christmas tree is put out and decorated, the premises of our houses are decked up with Christmas decor as we indulge in many of the seasonal delicacies. But we may feel tempted to treat our pet to many of our human food but since we may bake cookies for Santa, why not bake some for your beloved furry friend so that they feel included in the festive celebrations. Baked Christmas goodies are an interesting, loving and personalised gift idea for your pet.
Here are 5 DIY Christmas recipes for your pup:
- Pupnog
- Gingerbread cookies
- Doggy plum cake
- Christmas cookies
- Doggy candy canes
Pupnog
A yummy traditional Christmas drink made from the emulsion of eggs and milk with some added spices. It is a warming drink which your pet will enjoy.
Ingredients:
- Egg yolks – 3
- Fresh cream – ½ cup
- Coconut milk – ½ cup
- Cinnamon powder – a pinch
- Nutmeg powder – a pinch
- Honey – ½ Tbsp.
Method:
- Froth the egg yolks in a mixing bowl.
- In a pan, heat the fresh cream and coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
- Combine the hot milk mixture and egg yolk mixture in a bowl briskly and heat it to get a custard-like consistency.
- Strain the mixture with the help of a strainer and add honey and mix well.
- Transfer to serving bowls and refrigerate for 4-5 hours.
- Once chilled, serve it to your beloved puppy.
Feeding guidelines:
- Toy and Small breeds – 2 Tbsp
- Medium breeds – 3 Tbsp
- Large breeds – 4 Tbsp
- Giant breeds – 5 Tbsp
Gingerbread man cookies
Gingerbread cookies are the perfect delicacies which can take you down memory lane and remind you of the fairytale – “The Gingerbread Man” we read as a child. Your pet can also rejoice the tempting cookies with this recipe.
Ingredients:
- Yoghurt – ½ cup
- Egg – 1
- Applesauce – ½ cup
- Ginger powder – ½ tsp.
- Cinnamon powder – ½ tsp.
- Coconut oil – 1 Tbsp.
- Whole wheat flour – 2 cups
Method:
- Add all the wet ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix well.
- Sieve the flour into the wet mixture and use a spatula to make the dough.
- Roll out the dough on a baking sheet and cut out gingerbread man shapes.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Place the cut out gingerbread on the baking tray and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
- Decorate with blueberries, yoghurt, peanut butter etc. your pup loves and treat them to cookies.
Feeding guidelines:
- Toy and Small breeds – 1 small cookie
- Medium breeds – 2 cookies
- Large breeds – 3 cookies
- Giant breeds – 4 cookies
Doggy plum cake
This doggy plum cake is a rich, dense cake made with dried cranberries soaked in orange juice and spices like cinnamon. It is a delicacy your pet can enjoy during the holidays and otherwise too.
Dry fruit soaking:
- Dried cranberry – ¼ cup
- Freshly squeezed orange juice – ⅛ cup
For the Batter:
- Whole wheat flour – ½ cup
- Baking powder – ½ Tsp.
- Baking soda – ¼ Tsp.
- Ginger powder – ½ Tsp.
- Cinnamon powder – ½ Tsp.
- Brown sugar – 3 Tbsp.
- Honey – 1 Tbsp.
- Coconut oil – 3 Tbsp.
- Milk – ½ Tbsp.
- Egg – 1
Method:
- Soak the dried cranberries in the orange juice for 2 to 3 hours.
- Whisk the brown sugar and coconut oil in a mixing bowl.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger powder and cinnamon powder into the wet mixture and combine.
- Add the egg, milk and honey into the batter and combine.
- Transfer the prepared batter into the baking dish and bake in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes at 160 degrees Celsius.
- Allow the dish to cool and cut into slices.
- Serve your pup and watch them enjoy the cake.
Feeding guidelines:
- Toy and Small breeds – 1 tiny slice (50g)
- Medium breeds – 1 medium slice (75g)
- Large breeds – 1 slice (100g)
- Giant breeds – 1 large slice (125g)
Christmas cookies
This cookie is a healthy and delicious cookie with carob and peanut butter which is an excellent and mock combination of the chocolate-peanut butter combo that your pet will enjoy for sure.
Ingredients:
- Whole wheat flour – 1 cup
- Greek yoghurt – ½ cup
- Peanut butter – ½ cup
- Baking powder – 1 Tsp
- Carob powder – 2 Tsp.
- Water – as required to make dough
Method:
- Mix the ingredients to get a cookie dough consistency.
- Roll the dough and cut out the dough using Christmas cookie cutters.
- Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius.
- Call out your pet to enjoy the freshly baked cookies.
Feeding guidelines:
- Toy and Small breeds – 1 small cookie
- Medium breeds – 2 cookies
- Large breeds – 3 cookies
- Giant breeds – 4 cookies
Doggy Candy Canes
A pup friendly version of candy canes that is a staple and colourful combination of red and white, the designated colours of Christmas.
Ingredients:
- Peanut butter – 1 Tbsp
- Honey – 1 Tbsp
- Wheat flour 1 cup
- Water – ¼ cup
- Egg – 1
- Strawberries – 5
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Combine the honey, flour, water and egg in a bowl.
- Mix the dough with a spatula and make into a dough.
- Separate into balls of dough.
- Combine one part with peanut butter and the other half with strawberries.
- Roll out the dough to ¼ “ thickness.
- Cut out strips of the dough of strawberry and peanut butter.
- Gently roll the strips and braid to form a candy cane shape.
- Bake for 20 minutes and let it cool for 20 minutes
- Serve your doggy and watch them enjoy them.
Feeding guidelines:
- Toy and Small breeds – 1/2 candy cane
- Medium breeds – 1 candy cane
- Large breeds – 2 candy canes
- Giant breeds – 3 candy canes
These are yummy recipes which your furry buddy will enjoy for sure. It is crucial to keep in mind to not share any of our human Christmas goodies and delicacies since it is not suitable for your furry friend. However, not all ingredients suggested for the recipes above might suit all pets. Please consult your veterinarian or a canine nutritionist to understand the suitability of the recipes and read the ingredient list carefully before cooking.
Mayuri
Clinical Dietitian, Simplyweight
