Vegan Cheddah Dog Treats (Woof!)

These vegan dog treats were a hit--trust me!

One of our sweet girls, Annabelle, waiting for her treat--big smile for Mommy!

Here is my cooking zone being guarded by my sleeping girl, Moonpie, just as the treats went into the oven!

These are very simple to prepare, cut out and pop in the oven.

Have you walked into Dog Treat stores and looked around wondering, hmmm--looks like something I could do? I have. I don't take my dogs to the boutique stores and allow them to sniff this or that, being petted by strangers and all--they get plenty of that here at home and in the backyard and when friends come over. My husband and I will take a few here and there on our walks and will mix the group up (because there is absolutely no way we could ever take them all at once--my vet visits are broken up into four trips!). The canine kids we have are, shall I say--a tad spoiled by their mom and dad--I adore and cherish my kids! So, a few weeks ago as we were registering folks for our fundraiser all day one Saturday, I found myself in one of those Dog Treat stores--for four hours. I smelled the goods, watched the dogs come in and out with their companions and those very companions inevitably walking out with a bag or bags of goodies for their four-legged loved ones. It was sheer joy to see! I missed my own kids so much that by the end of the day, I, too, found myself walking out the door with bags of goodies in tow. One gentleman affiliated with our fundraiser asked me to try one of the dog treats. He said, My wife and I buy these and will eat them ourselves! I smiled politely and declined. But he persisted--They have the most incedible taste--you should try these. Well, first of all, they looked like mini peanut butter cups, so I thought that would be silly because everyone knows dogs get very ill from chocolate. Then I shared that I was vegan and I doubted that these were vegan. He would not let it go until I tasted a morsel. So my friend and I split a mini--it was just okay--nothing I'd write home about. But I worried about the ingredients and asked the clerk whether they were vegan, Uh, no--they are made from melted yogurt chips. Well, thanks to my friend's cajoling, I had just consumed a non-vegan dog trreat!

When I got home, my dogs shared in their new bags of goodies for several days. I watched closely (like a mother over a child) testing each response to the treats. Was the ginger more favored than the peanut butter. Did the dipped treat seem too "over-the-top"--my dogs are not food snobs--but they have been known to shun certain foods for whatever canine reason they felt at the time. It made me curious about my own abilities at crafting a vegan dog treat. Well, thanks to Google and the thousands of results I found when I entered "dog biscuit recipes", I began my first baking expedition exclusively dedicated to my four-legged kids. I researched all of the ingredients I wanted to use, making sure nothing I added could harm my dogs. I modified a Martha Stewart recipe (I really like Martha). She used cheddar cheese and barley flour in her treats. I changed the flour option and also used vegan rice cheddar for my cheese. Other than that--these treats were just a joy to make and even more fun to watch my kids (who for some strange reason would not leave my side all the while I was rolling and cutting out these cookies!)--they are very smart dogs! These would make a great vegan dog lover Christmas gift--they were easy as pie to make and smell so good while they are baking (and yes, I even taste-tested them myself. . .just to be sure).

Vegan Cheddah Dog Treats

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup vegan rice cheddar cheese
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons (or more for bringing the dough together)

Preheat oven to 350. Line two cookie trays with parchment paper. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. I used my spoon at first, then just used my hands to get a good dough to form. Then place on a lightly floured surface and roll out to about 1/4 " thickness. Use whatever cookie cutter shape you'd like. Place cutouts on cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and place AWAY from the kids so they can cool completely. Place in a container and these will keep for up to two weeks.Woof!