Thanksgiving Treats: Pet Edition

Our dog Barley is part of our family, and every year he loves to circle the Thanksgiving table waiting for holiday scraps to hit the floor. Too often, we worry that a rogue onion from the stuffing or sugary bite of pie will fall and make his stomach upset later. So, this year, we thought we’d make it easier for him to enjoy the holiday with us by making some pup-friendly Thanksgiving treats that taste great and won’t upset his stomach.

Did you know that dogs can eat Medjool dates? Yep! Thanks to their fiber content, dates are actually a great naturally sweet treat for dogs to help keep their digestive tract functioning properly when given in small servings. This year, we’re making two staple Thanksgiving recipes that we know our fellow dog parents will love making and their dogs will love eating. And YES, we’re naturally sweetening them with Medjool dates! 

Main Course: Thanksgiving Turkey Dog Biscuits

Queen Bee’s Kitchen created the ultimate Thanksgiving dinner for our furry friends, including turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberries, and all the yummy seasonings from stuffing (minus those digestion-disruptive onions!). Cookie-cut these into bones and watch as your dog devours their holiday dinner. 

Recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 2 carrots medium-sized
• 2 sweet potatoes medium-sized
• 1 cup rice flour plus extra for rolling
• 1 cup oats
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 3 Tbsp. honey (we sub 2 Tbsp. date paste for more nutrients)
• 2 eggs well-beaten
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries chopped
• 1 Tbsp. parsley chopped

Get the full cooking instructions over at Queen Bee’s Kitchen here!

Dessert: Date Sweetened Pup-kin Pies

Your dog will go nuts for these mini pies. They’ve got all the go-to favorites your pup loves - pumpkin, yogurt, and oats! Plus, they are sweetened with date paste to add additional nutrients and digestive support.

Recipe:

Pie Crust

• 3 cups oats, blended into flour
• 4 eggs

Pie Filling

• 1 can pure pumpkin purée
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp. date paste
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to  350°.
2. Blend your oats into a flour, add eggs, and hand mix until the dough is thick and moldable. Press a small ball of dough into a lightly greased cupcake tin to create mini crusts. Bake crusts for 8 minutes.
3. While your crust bakes, mix together the pumpkin purée, egg, date paste, and cinnamon. Once your crusts are finished, spoon filling into each cup. Bake for 30 minutes. 
4. Optional: top each pup-kin pie with a dollop of greek yogurt for that “whipped cream” look. 

And of course, for the humans at our table, we’ve got some of these delicious Thanksgiving recipes on the list, recommended by registered dietitian Mackenzie Burgess. One of our favorite ways to enjoy the holiday meals we love is by naturally sweetening them with Medjool dates so we avoid a ton of added sugar and add a little bit of nutritional benefit to the things we enjoy eating. This year, we’re extending that to our furry friends as well.

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David Baxter is the Director of Marketing at Natural Delights. He and his wife live in Michigan with their two daughters and dog, Barley. Aside from enjoying a round of golf and watching sports on the weekend, David loves to cook with his wife who is always finding the best recipe hacks and DIY projects.