Carrot Cake Dog Treats
Updated
Updated
These easy Homemade Carrot Cake Dog Treats are made with some of your favorite carrot cake ingredients, but healthy for your fur baby!
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Last year as we were driving home with our new puppy, smiles ear to ear, my husband said to me, “You really just wanted another dog so you could make homemade treats again, huh?” I laughed out loud.
While obviously not the reason we got another dog, his question was not without merit. I love making homemade dog treats. They’re so easy, healthy, and fun! Plus, less expensive than buying them.
And who says dogs should have all the fun! Check out these Carrot Cake Cookies and Carrot Cake Oatmeal for humans!
What’s in This Dog Treats Recipe?
These dog treats only contain natural unsweetened ingredients – all safe for dogs. You can find the exact measurements in the recipe card below.
- Apples provide a significant amount of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Also, they are high in fiber, which may benefit your dog’s digestive system. Only use plain applesauce that is made from pure apples without any added sugar or additives.
- Nut and Seed Butters such as Peanut butter, Almond butter, and Sunflower butter can be an excellent source of vitamins and protein for dogs. Make sure they are raw and natural, unsalted and unsweetened, and free of any flavors and xylitol, which is a sugar substitute that can be toxic to dogs.
- Eggs are safe for dogs as long as they are fully cooked. Cooked eggs are a wonderful source of protein and can help an upset stomach.
- Oat flour is made from old-fashioned oats, which is safe for dogs. Plain, unflavored oatmeal provides some vitamins and minerals, and has a lot of fiber, making it a great for dogs with bowel irregularity issues. It’s also a great alternative to wheat flour, which a lot of dogs are allergic to.
- Carrots are low in calories, high in fiber, and an excellent source of vitamins. They are very good for dogs.
- Coconut meat and oil contains Lauric acid, which can help combat bacteria and viruses. It can also help with clearing up skin conditions like hot spots, flea allergies, and itchy skin.
Are These Homemade Carrot Cake Dog Treats Safe?
Yes! These treats only contain unsweetened plain applesauce, natural unsweetened almond butter (or peanut butter), eggs, oat flour, carrots, and unsweetened coconut flakes – all safe for dogs. Nobody knows your dog like you do, though, and not all dogs digest human food the same. Use your best judgement and as with any treat, feed in moderation.
How to Make the Dog Treats Hard and Crunchy
These dog treats are fully baked at 18 minutes, but I baked them for 20 minutes to get them a little crunchier. You can increase the crunch-factor even further after the 18 minute mark by turning off the oven, opening the door a crack, and leaving the treats inside while the oven cools down for about 30 minutes. Allowing them to cool on a wire rack makes them crispier, too. Also keep in mind that these treats will get crunchier after they’ve cooled completely.
How To Store Dog Treats
Always look at the treat before giving it to your dog; if it looks at all soggy, discolored, or moldy, don’t feed it to him and throw the remainder out.
- Cool completely. After baking, make sure they have completely cooled – I mean COMPLETELY. Even the tiniest amount of residual warmth in the treats can cause condensation once they’re placed in a container or bag. This will make the treats soggy and cause them to spoil quicker.
- Counter. Since these treats are dry, crunchy, and do not contain meat or fish, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days.
- Fridge. Stored in an airtight container, they will keep in the refrigerator for 4 weeks.
- Freezer. Stored tightly in a freezer-safe container, they will keep in the freezer for 4 months.
I love this in-depth article about homemade dog treat storage, which gives more information about how ingredients, cooling, and where you live all play a part.
More Homemade Dog Treats To Make:
- Watermelon Pupsicles
- Pineapple Pupsicles
- Yogurt Banana Frozen Dog Treats
- Banana Zucchini Bread Dog Treats
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Homemade Carrot Cake Dog Treats
Ingredients
- 1 cup applesauce, (plain, unsweetened, without any additives)
- 1/4 cup almond butter or peanut butter, (raw and natural, unsalted and unsweetened, and free of any flavors and xylitol)
- 2 large eggs
- 4 cups oat flour, (plus 1/2 cup more if necessary and for dusting)
- 1 cup grated carrots, (peeled first)
- 1/2 cup coconut flakes, (unsweetened natural)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the applesauce, almond butter, and eggs together until blended.
- Add in the oat flour, carrots, and coconut flakes until just incorporated. (If you pinch a piece and it crumbles, add a little water. If it’s really sticky, you’ll need to add a little more oat flour, 1/4 cup at a time and not exceeding 1/2 cup. You want the dough slightly tacky, but not overly.)
- Transfer the dough to a surface lightly sprinkled with oat flour and knead 3-4 times until it comes together.
- Using a rolling pin sprinkled with oat flour, roll out the dough to a 1/2-inch thickness.
- Using cookie cutters, cut out the desired shapes and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
- Place in the oven and bake until the treats are dry and edges are golden, about 18-20 minutes.
- Let cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!
Love this recipe but wondering if they will bake ok in the little silicone baking treat sheets about 1 /2 in thick?
Hi Kim- Without testing them myself that way, I can’t say, sorry. Try it?
What can I substitute the coconut oil and flakes with? I’m very allergic to coconut so can’t cook with it or have it at home. Our dog loves carrots so would like to try something to substitute.
My three corgis love these sooooo much, I have to make a double batch each time. They will do anything to get one of these “corgi cookies”!
I made these for my puppy’s first birthday party! They were loved by all the doggos – even the picky eaters!
Hi I was looking for recipes with carrot for my golden retriever and I’m loving this but we don’t have applesauce. We never buy it lol. Is it ok using yogurt? Any other ideas for substitute ? Thanks!!!
Hi Hilda – I’ve never tried using yogurt in this recipe and without further testing, I can’t vouch for results, sorry.
Is there anything that can be subsituted for the nut/seed butter?
Fantastic! Total hit! Wish I could post a pic even though mine did not look nearly as coconut-ee as the beautiful recipe photo! Thx so much!
Great recipe! I made mine with peanut butter since I know my dogs can’t handle almonds. They’re super high in fat (especially the nut butters) so you need to be careful with smaller dogs so it doesn’t cause pancreatitis…You guys know your dogs though, so just wanted to mention it for the new dog owners who might not be aware.
Easy to make an my dog loved them!
Made Both Carrot and Zucchini Treats! My Babies Loved them!
Thank you for the recipe, i make half portion of the recipe this morning and my pooch loves it so much.
Can I substitute zucchini for the coconut? Would the recipe still work?
It should, but without further recipe testing, I can’t say for sure. Maybe try these zucchini banana dog treats instead? https://bellyfull.net/banana-zucchini-bread-homemade-dog-treats/
These look tasty! We’ve been doing peanut butter treats lately, but these look even better! Thanks so much, I’m going to try them and see how my pup like them!
I want to make these but don’t have coconut flakes. I saw in the article it said coconut flakes or OIL? Can I substitute the flakes for coconut oil? If yes, how much? If not, can I just leave this ingredient out?
Hi Laura – I was referring to the health benefits that the flakes and the oil both bring, but you don’t want to substitute or these won’t adhere properly. I would simply omit the coconut flakes and maybe add an additional 1/4 cup of carrot. Hope they turn out!
Can you use whole wheat flour instead of oat flour?
Hi Monique – without further recipe testing, I can’t vouch for the results. But you could try it!
Could you add glucosamine to the recipe for joint pain?
5 Stars based on my dogs reaction….I will be making another batch this weekend…
I did try one, they are pretty good. Oh and the dogs loved them!
I tried this recipe at home yesterday, and it turned out to be really delicious. This really tricked my dog and it was fun watching him. Gonna save this and will share with others.
How many carrots are required?
Hi Denise! 1 cup grated is listed, which is about 2 small-medium carrots.