Recipe: Bacon & Cheddar Dog Treats

Russell & Riley—a picture that completely captures their different personalities

It really doesn't take much to impress my furry friends—a little shredded cheddar and some bacon fat will do the trick. (I actually have a mason jar filled with bacon fat for this very reason!) The dough for these bacon and cheddar dog treats comes together very quickly, just like for the previous recipe we posted for pumpkin peanut butter dog treats. As much as I love baking, when it comes to dog cookies, there are no real skills involved, and honestly, if you mess it up, your canine critics don't care much anyway. It's all in the ingredients, and the line-up in this particular dog treat is sure to please even the pickiest palate—like Riley!

We love our cookies extra crunchy, and baking them a little longer helps keep them crunchier longer. Our dogs love the satisfying crunch-crunch-crunch. We also share most of our homemade treats since they don't have any preservatives and won't last very long. However, the treats can also be frozen if you don't have anyone to share them with.

I swapped out the vegetable oil and subbed in coconut oil due to the health benefits of coconut oil for dogs but you can use whatever you've got on hand. My dogs love coconut oil—they even love to eat if off a spoon.

Bacon & Cheddar Dog Treats ready to eat!

Bacon & Cheddar Dog Treats

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup bacon fat, melted
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup milk
2-3 tsp coconut (or vegetable) oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. On a floured work surface, knead the dough for 10-15 seconds, until the dough comes together in a smooth ball. Roll dough to 1/4-1/2" thickness and cut into desired shape(s)—the dough might be greasy/oily but should roll easily.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, depending on size and desired crunch factor.

Cool and give one to your salivating and patiently waiting pooch:

Russell practising his "leave it" command

....and store the rest in an airtight container (or freeze).

PS. If your pooch is trying to watch is weight or you'd like to lighten up the recipe above,  substitute pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) for the bacon fat.

Recipe adapted from: Delish Blog