Getting ready for a pawfect Easter? Looking for an alternative to ready-made carob treats? We’re making homemade peanut butter and carob Easter egg dog treats with coconut oil. Here’s the treat recipe and instructions for these simple but special dog-friendly Easter eggs.
Perfect Pairs
Is anyone else a sucker for peanut butter and chocolate? It’s one of my personal favourite (human) treat combos, so I couldn’t resist combining them into a peanut butter chocolate egg inspired Easter treat. The treats were created in layers, as shown, but can also be created as a single homogeneous mix if you prefer. You can also adapt the treats and make them without the carob and/or peanut butter to suit your dog’s sensitivities, palette, and/or your own personal preferences. Easy peasy! My dogs both enjoy coconut oil straight up, too.
Coconut Oil in the Dog Diet
Coconut oil is what makes these melt, pour, and set treats possible. Although it is considered beneficial by many, coconut oil is still almost exclusively fat and so it requires careful consideration of suitability and moderation for pet (or human) diets. When this post was first shared, coconut oil was recommended as a dietary supplement for dogs by many holistic vets and dog nutritionists; however, it has recently come under debate. You can see our post on super simple coconut oil dog treats for more information as well as links on the benefits of coconut oil and potential issues to consider before introducing it to your dog’s diet. If you coconut oil is still part of your dog’s diet, read on for the treat recipe below. If it isn’t, we have lots of other dog treat recipes you can explore instead. Woofs!
Using Carob Powder Instead of Carob Drops in Set Treats
Carob vs. Chocolate
Carob is often used as a dog-friendly version of chocolate. In terms of dog-friendly cooking, carob is hands-down the way to go! Chocolate contains a compound called theobromine which is toxic to dogs. It can also contain other doggy no-nos like caffeine, sugars, or sweeteners. Holidays, such as Christmas, Easter, and Halloween when there are lots of human goodies can be very dangerous times for dogs. Make sure the Easter bunny knows to be extra cautious about hiding anything that your pup might get and that human Easter baskets are kept safe from any four-legged chocolate snatchers.
Using Carob Powder to Create Dog-Friendly “Chocolates”
Ready-made carob drops, chips, and melts are easy to use for dog-friendly special treats like our easy Easter dogolates, but these treats use carob powder in coconut oil. You can use melted carob instead, if you prefer. Be aware that carob drops are often sweetened. Many are a combination of sugars and oils with carob powder, some are unsweetened carob and oil mixtures. Yogurt drops are much the same. Either way, there’s nothing wrong with an occasional special treat, but always read your ingredients to know what you’re buying and eating/sharing.
Pure carob powder is a healthy alternative, but it needs to be part of a mix. These Easter dog treats use the coconut oil as the carrier to make a melt and set treat. Unlike carob drops, coconut oil treats need to be kept cool to avoid remelting. I also find that when I use carob powder instead of carob melts that the cooled treats can get a little motley looking, especially if I’m using lower carob concentrations. Because I was using my pretty little Easter egg moulds, I decided to layer the treats with a peanut butter and carob combo so that the fun designs could really shine.
Peanut Butter and Carob Coconut Oil Easter Dog Treat Recipe
Easter Dog Treats with Carob and Peanut Butter Infused Coconut Oil
These melt, pour, and set treats were made using shaped silicone moulds, just like making human chocolates. They’re cute and inexpensive, and versatile for making pupsicles, gummies, and other set treats too. Ingredients can be easily scaled to suit your own mould and you can adjust the flavouring add-ins to suit your preferences. Measurements are indicative only.
Treat Ingredients:
- 1 cup coconut oil, divided to create the separate peanut butter and carob layers
- Approximately 1-2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- Approximately 1-2 tbsp carob powder (or melted carob drops, if you prefer)
In dividing my coconut oil for layers, I used an uneven split of 2/3 peanut butter and 1/3 carob so that I could ensure that the designs on my eggs were within the peanut butter portion of the treat with a tasty little carob backing. You can easily adjust if you prefer a different combination or flavour strength.
Making the Treats:
Working incrementally so the first layer sets to the touch before the next is applied:
- Melt together the divided portion of your coconut oil with the peanut butter.
- Layer the liquid into the mould.
- Tap lightly if needed to even out the mixture in the mould.
- Refrigerate until set to the touch before adding the next layer.
- When ready, melt the remaining coconut oil and mix with the carob powder.
- Layer the liquid into the mould.
- Tap lightly if needed to even out the mixture in the mould.
- Refrigerate until thoroughly set before removing from the mould.
- Store cool or refrigerated as coconut oil will soften or melt at ambient temperatures.
Treat Making Tips and Tricks
- See our comprehensive post on making and storing chilled dog treats for additional information.
- Be mindful of treat size and consumption relative to your pet’s size and any other individual factors.
- See our post on super simple coconut oil dog treats for more information on the coconut oil diet debate as well as links on the potential benefits and issues to consider before introducing it to your dog’s diet.
- Take care when shopping and check your product labels to avoid artificial sweeteners in ingredients peanut butter when used for your dogs. Xylitol (E967) is particularly dangerous for dogs.
Hungry for more tasty treats? There are all sorts of homemade dog treat ideas in our blog archives. You can use the category and tag labels to find other recipes that might be of interest or use our internal search tools to find something specific. Remember, treats (bought or homemade) are for spoiling your pup in moderation. We share ideas from treats that we’ve made ourselves for our pets, but different animals have different preferences (likes/dislikes), just like people. Some pets may have special dietary requirements and/or food allergies/intolerances. If you are ever in doubt or have questions about what’s suitable for your pet, have a chat with your trusted vet.
