DIY Fall Dog Treats: Homemade Apple Dog Donuts

It’s that time of year when you crave donuts and spiced cider. I was making donuts for the two-legged members of the household because due to allergies buying them is not an option. I found an amazing recipe from Nicole at Gluten Free on a Shoestring (you really must try them, even if you don’t have allergies!) and I modified it for the four-legged members of the house. Make them both and you and your dog’s can share a special treat together.

Ingredients

• 2 cups gluten-free cake flour (We used Better Batter® which has no corn and is safe for dogs)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, at room temperature
• 2 extra-large eggs at room temperature, beaten
• 3/4 cup 100% no sugar-added apple cider
• 1 apple, diced very fine or grated

Makes approx. 11 regular sized donuts or 3 dozen mini donuts

Steps

Here are the steps for the apple dog donuts. They are pretty easy and only take about 20 minutes, including baking.

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F
2. Grease donut pan
3. Mix together dry ingredients: cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add in oil, eggs and apple cider. Continue to mix until it begins to thicken.
5.  Add in diced apples, mix until just blended.
6.  Pour batter into donut pan.
7.  Bake for about 8 minutes (the tops of the donuts should spring back when pressed).

That’s it! Your dog is sure to love these donuts.

Try These Variations

Did your dog just fall head over heels for the donuts? Make these other versions for the year-round treats.

Peanut butter and carob. Add 2 tablespoons peanut butter and a handful of carob chips to the dough. Replace apple cider with water.

Carrot. Replace diced apple with carrot. Replace apple cider with carrot juice.

Puppermint. Add 1 tablespoon fresh mint. Replace apple cider with peppermint tea (make the tea, let it cool, then add to recipe). This is perfect for Christmas!

Chicken and Apple. Replace apple cider with chicken broth.

Beef Stew. Replace apple cider with beef broth. Replace apple with diced cooked sweet potato.

Don’t be afraid to switch out ingredients and experiment if you have a dog with allergies. If you are unsure whether you can use an ingredient safely for your dog, ask your vet or refer to the Pet Poison Helpline.

About the Author

Based in Wilsonville, Ore., animal lover Kristina N. Lotz is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) and works as a full time trainer. She is the founder of, A Fairytail House, a unique all-positive all-sport dog training facility that helps rescue dogs in her area and provides free seminars and training classes for the community. In her spare time, she trains and competes in herding, agility, obedience, rally, and conformation with her Shetland Sheepdogs. She smartly married a Veterinary Technician, who helps keep the fur kids happy and healthy, and provides a quick resource for articles.

 

About the Author

Based in Wilsonville, Ore., animal lover Kristina N. Lotz is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) and works as a full time trainer. She is the founder of, A Fairytail House, a unique all-positive all-sport dog training facility that helps rescue dogs in her area and provides free seminars and training classes for the community. In her spare time, she trains and competes in herding, agility, obedience, rally, and conformation with her Shetland Sheepdogs. She smartly married a Veterinary Technician, who helps keep the fur kids happy and healthy, and provides a quick resource for articles.