4 Dog Safe “Chocolate” Recipes (w/ Carob)

My dogs LOVE baked treats, and I love chocolate. But I know that real chocolate is extremely dangerous for dogs, so I use the popular chocolate substitute – carob in puppy treats. They smell great and dogs love them.

Remember, you should NEVER give your dog real chocolate of any kind. Chocolate is never safe and always poisonous to dogs, and you have a short timeline to react to dog poisoning if it happens. If your dog(s) consume chocolate call your vet immediately.

But you can give them carob, which is safe for dogs and serves as a great replacement for chocolate in homemade baked dog treats.

Where to Buy Carob for Dogs?

Carob is a perfect replacement of chocolate if you want to avoid harmful chemicals like Theobromine and Caffeine.

This makes it an ideal ingredient for dog treats as chocolate can be lethal for your dog. You can use carob in all kinds of recipes, ranging from chip cookies to a cake. The recipe you are trying to make determines the form of carob you will need (powder or chips).

Carob Chips for Dog Treats

Just like chocolate chips, carob chips can be used in a number of recipes. You can find both sweetened and unsweetened carob chips (carob is naturally sweet) in the market. You can select what suits you the most on the basis of your dog’s choice and health. 

Carob Powder for Dogs

While making dog treats, carob powder is an impeccable alternative for cocoa powder. It is available on Amazon in organic as well as the roasted form to provide some variation in the taste. 

Once we have access to the dog-safe chocolate (carob), let’s have a look at some of the recipes you can try. 

Note: All of these recipes are made from CAROB and chocolate should NOT be used under any circumstance.

Carob Chip Cookies for Dogs Recipe

Dogs love chip cookies as much as we do. Consequently, they are one of the most commonly used (if not the most) dog treats around the world. Just make sure that you don’t include cookies in their regular routine as it can lead to obesity. 

Ingredients:

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ¾ cup old fashioned or quick oats
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup shortening
• 1 large egg
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup carob chips (no chocolate chips)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking pans with silicone mats or parchment paper; set aside. In medium bowl, whisk both flours, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In large bowl, using an electric mixer, mix shortening, egg, and vanilla until light and fluffy; about 1 minute. Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and continue to mix.
3. Stir in carob morsels. If the dough is too dry, hand mix until morsels are evenly dispersed.
4. Roll about 1 tablespoon of cookie dough into the shape of a ball, separating about 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking pans. Lightly press the tops of each dough ball to give a slight disk shape.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before removing. ENJOY!

Thank you to UrbanBakes for this recipe. 

Carob Peanut Butter Cups for Dogs

Just like humans, the combination of peanut butter and chocolate is extremely popular among dogs. It is common knowledge that dogs crave sweets and peanut butter cups are one of the best treats they can enjoy. 

Ingredients:

Makes one tray of 24 mini cupcakes

• ¾ cup rolled oat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp carob powder
• ½ cup applesauce (unsweetened)
• ¼ cup low-fat yogurt
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp molasses
• 1 tbsp vanilla

Peanut Butter Yogurt Frosting:

Makes enough frosting for at least two batches of cupcakes

• ½ cup yogurt
• 8-oz block light cheese cream
• ½ cup unsweetened peanut butter (should be free from xylitol)
• ½ cup tapioca flour
• 2 tbsp maple syrup or 1 tbsp vanilla extract (optional)

Equipment:

• Food processor
• Silicon mini cupcake mold
• Cookie sheet
• Piping bag and Frosting tip

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350^o.
2. Use the food processor to pulverize rolled oats until a fine, floury texture is reached, then set aside.
3. Place the wet ingredients into the food processor bowl and pulse just to combine.
4. Add the dry ingredients and pulse just to combine, scraping down the bowl if necessary.
5. Lightly grease the silicone tray and place on a cookie sheet for stability.
6. Drop batter by spoonfuls into molds.
7. Bake for 12 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick.
8. Cool completely before frosting.
9. While the cakes are cooling, use the food processor or your stand mixer and start beating together the cream cheese and yogurt for the frosting. 
10. Next, add the peanut butter and maple syrup if using. Beat until thoroughly combined.
11. Finally, add the tapioca starch a little at a time until your frosting is thick enough to hold its shape.
12. When cupcakes are completely cooled, frost and serve!

Thank you to Rover for this recipe.

Carob Cake Recipe for Dogs

Do you want to make rose-shaped cakes for the birthday of your dog? If yes, the following carob cake recipe could be an ideal treat (healthy and tasty) for all the guest dogs.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons water
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons carob powder

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray rose muffin pan with canola oil (or prepare the way you usually prepare your muffin pan).
3. Combine the vinegar and the milk to make the milk sour.
4. Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix on low speed for 30 seconds.
5. Beat on high speed for about 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally to make sure that the ingredients are mixed into the batter.
6. Fill the rose muffin cups ½-2/3 full (closer to ½ full works best).
7. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick, inserted into the center of one of the roses, comes out clean.
8. Cool the carob roses for 10 minutes.
9. Remove the dog muffins from the pan by shaking the pan gently while it is upside down. Finish cooling the dog cakes on a cooling rack.
10. Dust with white flour if you want a little white coating on top to emphasize the ridges in the roses–a nice finishing touch for your dog cake recipe.

Thank you Best Dog Treat Recipes for this recipe.

Carob Icing Recipe for Dog Treats

Are you looking for some dog-friendly doughnuts for an upcoming celebration? You can let your dog enjoy the occasion with some fresh Almond Butter Doggy Doughnuts topped Carob Icing. 

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup creamy almond butter
• 1 cup whole wheat flour* (plus more for dusting)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ¼ cup carob powder
• ¼ cup boiling water

*Experiment with different flours if wheat is not an option due to allergies. 

Instructions:

1. Heat your oven to 375 F.
2. In a medium bowl, beat the egg and stir in the milk and almond butter until smooth.
3. Mix in the flour and baking powder until a workable dough forms. You may have to add more flour if the dough is too sticky.
4. Roll out the dough on a floured workspace to ½-inch thick.
5. Cut the dough into doughnut-shaped treats and place on a nonstick cookie sheet. (If you don’t have a doughnut-shaped cookie cutter, you can use any other shape you’d like.)
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the treats are hard.
7. Cool completely on a wire rack.
8. Mix carob powder and boiling water until the mixture reaches an icing consistency.
9. Pipe the carob icing onto your treats and allow it to harden. (I don’t have an icing bottle, so I cut a small hole in the corner of a sandwich bag and fill the bag with the icing, making it easy to squeeze out.)

Thank you to Petful for this recipe.

The Bottom Line on Dog Safe “Chocolate” Recipes

Of course, you should never give your dog real chocolate. It’s poisonous! But if you want to make a chocolate-y treat for your dogs that is safe for them to eat, then carob is a good way to go.