Halloween Spider Cookie Dog Treat Recipe

I have to be honest here, I totally stole this idea from  Tastes Better From Scratch.  Sorry, Lauren!  But haven’t you heard that imitation is the highest form of flattery?  As always, I was on Pinterest and saw these adorable spider cookies and had to give them a try and create this Halloween spider cookie dog treat recipe!

Obviously, chocolate is a major NO-NO for dogs so I tweaked the recipe a bit.  I tried to make it as simple and healthy as possible, thus no added sugar or butter.  Sad.  Be extra wary of the Halloween treats you may have lying around the house.  I’d say half of the goodies in your trick-or-treat bag will be chocolate.  Death by chocolate doesn’t sound so bad.  Sorry, a bit of dark humor!

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Halloween Spider Cookie for Dogs

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Ingredients

Cookie

• 1.5 cups brown rice flour
• 1.5 cups oat flour
• 1 egg
• 0.5 cup carob chips
• 0.5 cup water

Icing

• 0.5 cup carob chips
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Preparation: 15 min  Cooking: 20 min  Makes: 20 cookies

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Instructions

1. Mix the two flours together.  (You may also use 3 cups of whole wheat or gluten-free flour instead.)
2. Whisk the egg and add to the flour mix.  Add the carob chips.
3. Add water as needed to get a workable dough that’s not too sticky or dry.
4. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C) and prepare a baking sheet
5. Take a spoonful of dough, form a ball with your hands, then flatten into a circular shape.
6. Strategically place a few extra carob chips on top if you’re planning on adding legs.
7. Arrange your cookies onto the baking sheet and pop them in for about 20 minutes.

For the spider legs:

1. Melt the carob chips and oil in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds.  Stir.
2. Heat for another 30 seconds and stir until smooth.
3. Pour melted carob into a plastic bag.  Cut off a corner- just a tiny bit.
4. Squeeze gently and start drawing legs!

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Did You Know?

Carob is absolutely safe for dogs to eat.  It comes from the carob bean which grows on a tree.  Looks just like chocolate but offers a natural sweetness to their treats, so no extra sugar needed!  It contains loads of vitamins, as well as fiber and pectin (helps eliminate toxins).

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Tips & Tricks

* Don’t make the cookies too thick or it won’t bake evenly through.

* If your dough is too dry, add water bit by bit.  If too wet, gradually add more flour.

* Keep treats in a tightly sealed container for longer lasting freshness.

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