Thursday, June 27, 2013

Homemade Grain-Free and Egg-Free Flyball Speed Boost Bones

In preparation for the shelter's dog sports demo day over the weekend, our flyball team, the Flying Underdogs, decided to jazz up our booth at the event with fancy team flyers and some homemade dog treats and recipe cards.  I was put in charge of baking the treats, so I knew that I'd need a yummy recipe that was grain-free to accommodate all of the doggies who would be visiting our booth.

Our table at the sports demo day

Grain-free homemade treat recipes are hard to come by online.  I scoured Pinterest for grain-free treat recipes that had limited ingredients and that also didn't contain egg, since many dogs are also allergic to eggs (we still don't know if that's one of Athena's triggers, so we avoid it).  I finally found an awesome recipe here, but it called for an egg, so I did some further research on dog-friendly egg substitutes.  Just for your reference if you ever want to substitute egg in homemade dog treats:

one egg = 1 T ground flaxseed + 3 T water


Bean waiting to try a speed boost bone!

This egg substitution sounded PERFECT to me since flaxseed is not a grain and has many health benefits for dogs.  As far as the grain-free part of this treat recipe, garbanzo bean flour is called for instead of wheat flour.  Athena has had treats made with garbanzo bean flour (like her favorite STAM treats), so I knew that this recipe would be good for her sensitive tummy!  Garbanzo bean flour is also very high in protein, so these treats were perfect to bring along for a long hard working day of flyball!

Here's the recipe:


The recipe cards that we handed out at the sports demo

Here are some photos of the treat-making process:

4 thick slices are sizzling away!


Bean always hangs out in the kitchen when there's bacon cooking

I rolled out the dough on floured parchment paper just so there wouldn't be any sticking

Look at those big chunks of bacon in there!  YUM!

Rolling out the dough in preparation to cut with my cookie cutter

Straight out of the oven!

Not only are these treats yummy, they are pretty too!

Of course, Athena has to perform a solid "leave-it" in order to enjoy her treat

I was so impressed with this treat recipe (I actually made 3 batches for the demo) and the dough turned out great every time even with the garbanzo bean flour and egg substitute.  Just an FYI, I poured the bacon fat into my dough mixture while it was still hot (I let it cool off of the burner for about five minutes before pouring it into the mixture) which helped to melt the shredded cheddar and keep the dough really smooth instead of lumpy.  One batch of dough yielded an entire cookie sheet full of bones.  However, because these bones are homemade and have fresh ingredients, they do need to be stored in the refrigerator.  Athena doesn't mind though, she goes bonkers for these treats!  Every time I get them out of the fridge she stalks me around the house, jumps on me (which is rare) and even gave me a woof!  Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that at least four humans have tried these treats since I made them and everyone agrees that they are actually pretty tasty.  They would make great crackers to pair with some cheese!

Have you ever attempted a homemade grain-free treat recipe?

21 comments:

  1. Great recipe....but where does one find Garbanzo Bean Flour? My husband does the grocery shopping so I'm not sure if it's common in most grocery stores.

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    1. Not sure where you live, but I got mine at Bob's Red Mill in Milwaukie, OR (right outside of Portland). Many of the grocery stores here carry Bob's Red Mill products and you can also buy them online:

      http://www.bobsredmill.com/garbanzo-bean-flour.html?&cat=

      I'm thinking that you may be able to find garbanzo bean flour in the natural section of the grocery store, but it may be easier to find at like a Whole Foods or New Seasons!

      I would also say that you could substitute the garbanzo bean flour for another grain-free flour like potato flour if your dog isn't allergic to potatoes.

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  2. These look so good! Definitely going to make these for the pups and I'm sure they'll go crazy for them. Thanks for sharing!

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  3. Looks really tasty. I will try to make them, but with applesauce instead of the egg or flax seed. I'm allergic to eggs, and I prefer to stay away from flaxseed for my dogs since a few studies have shown it can mess with their hormones a lot- which isn't surprising to me since it is used as a hormonal supplement for women going through menopause.

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  4. Those definitely look like a tasty human treat, too. My training treats mostly flour (seeing as the only other ingredient is baby food) but garbanzo bean flour sounds like it would be a great substitute if we ever have a dog come through who can't have grains.

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  5. You need a Pinterest share button, for this one :)

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  6. I actually never got to try them. I will have to make a batch for the kids. They look great. Although, sharing bacon with the dogs is very difficult for me.

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  7. I love that people have actually tried this.... and how Portland-y of you to add bacon bits! ;)

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  8. I've always wanted to try making dog biscuits, and the way you laid it all out step-by-step makes it seem really easy. I'm marking this as another summer project!

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  9. Of course you would be in charge of making the treats!!!

    Love this recipe -- we still have YET to make our own treats. This will definitely be added to the list, along with the sweet potato treats!

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  10. Thanks for the Linkback! Glad they worked for you. Garbanzo bean flour is a mainstay and a godsend for grainfree biscuits! Yours look great and now I'm going to add the bacon back in! Good luck this weekend!
    Ashley @recycledrover

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  11. These biscuits were a hit with my pups, thanks! :) Also, please share, where did you get that adorable dog mason jar?!

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  12. I think it will be considered puppy torture if my mom does not make these delicious treats for me after letting me drool over all the pictures!

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  13. Really this can be a delicious food for dog. A nutritious, diet is important to keeping your dog healthy. Thank you for sharing this info.

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  14. Thanks! Terribly informative article. Or dog was simply diagnosed with cancer, and we're extremely making an attempt to clean up her diet and find her healthy. See more at homemade dog treats

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  15. Looking for Garbanzo flour? Get it cheap at Indian groceries; they call it Besan flour. Much cheaper than getting it from mainstream markets!

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