For his fifth birthday, Tobyas received not only a cake, but also a generous batch of small, crunchy biscuits.
The birthday biscuits were originally intended as a one-off surprise. However, they were so easy to make, kept so well and met with such convincing approval from Tobyas that they now have plenty to recommend them even when there is no birthday in sight.
Carrot, oats, apple sauce and flaxseed make a simple dough that only needs to be rolled out and cut into small pieces. The handy little squares work equally well as treats at home, rewards on walks or small fillers for an enrichment toy.
The fact that they are called birthday biscuits does not, after all, mean that the next batch has to wait until the next birthday. At least, Tobyas has not made that rule.
At a glance
🕒 Preparation time: approx. 20 minutes
⏳ Resting time: 10 minutes
🔥 Baking time: 20–25 minutes
⏳ Drying time in the oven: 20–40 minutes
👩🏼🍳 Difficulty: easy
🐾 Makes: approx. 120–150 small biscuits, depending on size
Ingredients
- 100 g carrot
- 80 g unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 tbsp xylitol-free peanut butter
- 150 g fine rolled oats
- approx. 80–120 g spelt or oat flour, as needed
- ½ tsp Ceylon cinnamon
Instructions
- Mix the ground flaxseed with 2 tbsp water and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 160 °C fan or 180 °C conventional and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Finely grate the carrot, then mix it with the apple sauce, flaxseed mixture, rapeseed oil and peanut butter.
- Stir in the oats and Ceylon cinnamon. Gradually add the flour until the dough holds its shape well and is barely sticky. The amount of flour needed will depend on the moisture in the carrot and apple sauce.
- Roll the dough out directly on the baking paper to a thickness of about 4–5 mm.
- Cut the rolled-out dough into small squares using a knife or pizza cutter. Around 2 × 2 cm is a convenient size for little reward treats.
- Bake the biscuits for 20–25 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned.
- Reduce the temperature to 100–110 °C fan and leave the biscuits to dry for another 20–40 minutes. Briefly open the oven door from time to time to allow moisture to escape.
- Leave to cool completely and, if necessary, separate the pieces along the cut lines.
Two little birthday ideas
For Tobyas’ birthday surprise, I also used the biscuits to fill his chew toy: spread a little unsweetened Alpro Skyr Style into the gaps, tuck in some small pieces of biscuit and place the filled toy in the freezer for just under two hours.
Once hidden in the garden, it doubled as a little search game. The expression on Tobyas’ face when he found it left little doubt that the idea had been approved.
The biscuits made a second appearance on his birthday: Tobyas had a cake made from Maya’s birthday cake recipe. Five of the little biscuits served as decoration – one for each year. With very little effort, an everyday treat became a genuine birthday biscuit.
Notes
- The biscuits must be completely cool and thoroughly dried before storing.
- Stored in a cool, dry place with some airflow – in a paper or fabric bag or a loosely closed tin – they will keep for about 1–2 weeks. If they are still slightly soft inside, refrigerate them and use within 3–4 days.
- The peanut butter must be xylitol-free. A lightly salted variety is fine as an occasional exception in this small amount spread throughout the entire batch; do not add any extra salt to the dough.
- Treats are an addition to a dog’s regular food. The amount should suit the dog’s size, activity level and the rest of their daily ration.
- Only offer filled chew and enrichment toys under supervision.
Looking for another idea for a special dog day?
Here you’ll find Maya’s birthday cake:
