Ever since I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with dogs. My dogs, your dogs, that random dog on the street I meet halfway through my run — they’re all fair game. Considering this, it should come as no surprise that I make it a priority to take the best possible care of my two chocolate Labrador Retrievers, Judy and Bill. One of the ways I do this is homemade dog food and treats. When my older Lab, Judy, developed food allergies, I dove into the world of food ingredients and aversions, making it my mission to help her live a more comfortable life free from sneezing and scratching. A full year later, Judy is thriving and I know that is in part to her specialized diet. You can find out more about the principles of canine nutrition from PetMD here.
As someone who suffers from a gluten allergy myself, neither of my dogs consume gluten either; it’s just a byproduct of operating a gluten-free kitchen. When I’m looking to spoil Judy and Bill a little bit more than usual, I turn to my favorite recipe — carrot and apple biscuits. Not only do they devour them, I feel confident knowing every ingredient is something I could eat, too. I tend to make this dough in large batches (doubling or tripling this recipe) and freezing what I don’t need in smaller batches for quicker baking…and happier pups!
Carrot and Apple Biscuits
1.5 cups gluten-free flour (I like Cup4Cup)
1/2 cup carrots, shredded
1/2 cup red apple, shredded
1 cup chicken broth
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine flour, carrots, apple and chicken broth in a large mixing bowl.
3. Fold ingredients together.
4. Sprinkle countertop with about 1 tbsp. flour and roll mixture flat (about 1/2”) using a rolling pin.
5. Using your favorite cookie cutter, cut biscuits until the mixture is used entirely.
6. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
7. After your dog gets one (or two!), refrigerate the rest of the biscuits.
Judy and Bill both think these treats are “paw-some” and highly recommend them for all of their four-legged friends!
(Photos provided courtesy of Kait Hanson).
Kait Hanson is a writer, gastronome and dog lover with a passion for good food. She is also the girl behind CommuniKait, a lifestyle blog, and the author of Sweet Eats and Dog Treats, a book born from a desire to share her journey into the world of gluten-free baking in hopes of showing others that delicious food does not end where food allergies begin. When she’s not in her kitchen, Kait enjoys traveling, shopping and Instagramming cute photos of her dogs.
