Delicious Dog-Friendly Easter Treat: Carob Rocky Road Recipe

Easter is so full of chocolate goodness, however it can be a time we have to be extra careful not to share our chocolate goodies with our dogs and cats.

Chocolate contains theobromine, a chemical that’s harmless to humans but toxic to dogs. Their bodies metabolize it much more slowly.

Side effects from theobromine can include vomiting, diarrhoea, rapid heart rate, seizures, and in extreme cases, death. This can affect the liver, and also the Nervous system and the heart.

Dark chocolate and cocoa powder have the highest levels of theobromine, making them especially risky. Even small amounts can cause health issues, so it’s best to keep all chocolate away from your dog.

What about chocolate free easter treats?

That’s why carob is such a great alternative—it looks and tastes similar but is completely safe for dogs!

and not only is this safe, carob can be a healthy alternative.

Carob is high in fibre, naturally sweet, and antioxidant rich, high in calcium and caffeine free!

Here is a recipe to make for your dog, so they can have a nice chocolate free treat when you are eating your chocolate treats.

A plate of carob treats in the shape of bones — Carob is a dog friendly alternative to chocolate

You can add in, or take out anything which your dog loves. I like to keep them as healthy as possible, whilst still being a little special.

To be honest, I had to tell everyone I showed them not to try them, as they all went in for one.

If you left out the liver and the provex treats, they would be a totally exceptable human friendly treat too.

My go to inclusions are

Chia Seeds

High in omega 3 essential fatty acids, and fibre. They are high in proteins and have antioxidants to help support cellular health. The mucilaginous coating is soothing to the gut, however the seeds are soft enough to be fully broken down in the digestive tract.

Sunflower seeds

Rich in protein and vitamin E, along with many minerals and vitamins.

Pumpkin seeds

Rich in zinc, tryptophan and essential minerals.

Dehydrated liver treats

Rich in iron, vitamin B12, vitamin A and copper. High protein and delicious! well, delicious to the dogs....me not so much

Dehydrated treats

I also add in some of the Provex treats. You can use any of the flavours. These contain the extra benefit of Hemp seeds

Coconut

High in fiber, and Medium chain triglycerides. This also adds some extra body, and colour diversity to the rocky road. I used the shredded coconut

Dried Cranberries

rich in vitamin C, and antioxidants, plus a splash of red

Honey

I use my Hyland Honey in these recipes, just to add a little sweetness to them. Local honey will have pollens from local plants, and this can help with allergic dogs.

This is a very rough guide of what you can add. You can interchange anything out, and add in a different dog friendly ingredient.

For dogs that are struggling with metabolic issues, such as diabetes, the honey can be left out.

I am also careful offering these to a dog with known digestive issues, such as a sensitive stomach, or pancreatitis issues. There is coconut oil which can be a little too rich for some dogs.

NOTE of CAUTION

Always check the ingredients on any change to the ingredients. Some sugar free carobs may be sweetened with Xylitol. This is toxic to pets.

We also need to offer these in moderation, and you will need to change the size of the moulds you use depending on the size of your dog. My 30kg dogs were totally ok with a couple of the treats I made. If you cannot find a small enough mould, you can cut thee up into smaller portion sizes before offering them.

Dog-Friendly Easter Treat

Carob Rocky Road

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons carob powder (sifted to remove lumps)
½ cup coconut oil (melted, to create a smooth texture)
1 Tbsp dehydrated liver treats (cut into small pieces)
1 Tbsp dehydrated Provex treats (cut into small pieces)
1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 Tbsp shredded coconut
1 Tbsp unsweetened dried cranberries
1 Tbsp sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp honey (optional, for a little extra sweetness)

Instructions

FInd appropriate silicone moulds- I went with small paw and bone moulds
Melt the coconut oil. If using honey, add to the hot coconut oil, and mix together.
Mix the carob powder and melted coconut oil.
fill 1/3 of the mould with the carob and coconut (and honey) mixture.
Add the loose ingredients to the moulds. dividing them evenly into the moulds, so each mould has equal amounts of each ingredient.
Give each mould a little stir to mix the ingredients into the carob
pour in more of the carob mix, to fill the mould to the top. I added one larger piece of the provex treat right on the bottom.
Refrigerate until firm
Remove from the moulds.