Healthy Homemade Dog Treats:
Liver & Cranberry Brownies

Brownies and healthy homemade dog treats are not words that always go together. But they do now! We've combined liver, a dog favorite, with fresh whole cranberries to create a tempting and healthy dog treat you both can enjoy.

Working with and baking liver may not be your first choice of ingredients. But, at least give it a try. You'll be amazed at how much your dog loves the flavor of liver dog treats. We have several other liver dog treats you can try after you've baked this one.

There are a few things to consider when using liver. Be sure to review our tips on buying liver before making any liver dog treats for your dog or as a gift.

This recipe is very versatile. Check out our tips and techniques to see how to use other kinds of cranberries. Who knows, once you see how easy it is to use cranberries, maybe you'll want to add cranberries with their source of vitamin C, potassium and fiber to more dog treat recipes.

Want to see more pictures of making these healthy homemade dog treats with liver and cranberries? Sign up to our Newsletter and view our back issues because we featured this recipe in a past issue and our subscribers get lots of extra pictures and access to new recipes first!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb calf liver (organic is best)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 tbsp dried parsley

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F
2. Slice the liver into 2 inch chunks.
3. In a food processor, pulse all the ingredients, except the cranberries.
4. Scrape the sides of the food processor and continue pureeing until a dough forms.
5. Remove the food processor blade, then scoop the mixture into a medium bowl.
6. Fold in the fresh cranberries.
7. Liberally spray non-stick cooking spray in a 8x8 baking pan.
8. Spread the mixture into the baking pan.
9. Bake for 25 minutes.
10. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
11. Slide a knife around the edges of the pan. Then release the entire brownie block from the pan, onto the cooling rack to completely cool.

Storing - These healthy homemade dog treats need to be kept in the refrigerator. They will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge, and up to 6 months in the freezer.

Yield - How many dog treats you get depends on how small or large you cut the brownies. We were able to cut the 8x8 block into 24 pieces that were 1 inch by 2 inches in size.

Tips & Techniques

• Cutting the Liver - The liver needs to be cut into smaller pieces before being pureed in the food processor. To make your job easier, we highly recommend cutting the liver while it is still slightly frozen. Not only will it be easier to cut, the smell and mess will be limited.
  
  
• Fresh, Frozen or Dried Cranberries? - We recommend fresh cranberries for these healthy homemade dog treats. The textural difference and adorable apperance of whole cranberries when the brownies are cut makes us use fresh cranberries. However, you can use frozen or dried cranberries if that's what's available. Thaw and drain the frozen cranberries. Then fold them in like the fresh variety, or puree them in the food processor with all the other ingredients. If you choose to use dried cranberries, make sure they are not sweetened. Your dog does not need the extra sugar in most dried cranberries. Fold these into the batter at the same time you would add the fresh kind.
  
  

Even though liver is not your first choice for brownies, one taste of these healthy homemade dog treats and your dog will learn a new word "Brownies"! Use this to your advantage and ask your dog to learn a new trick or improve on his manners. Or, indulge your loving dog with a healthy and delicious homemade dog treat.