Get your dog involved in the Pancake Day fun with these healthy and dog-friendly pancake recipes.
Even if your dog flips head over tail for these mouth-watering pancakes, don’t forget to give them as an occasional treat as part of a well-balanced diet. Some of these recipes may not be suitable for dogs with nut allergies or other special dietary needs.
Find out more about portion control and other things to think about when treating your dog to one of our Pancake Day treats.
Our recipes
Peanut butter pancakes
- 2 eggs
- 100 grams of flour
- 250ml water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp peanut butter (xylitol-free)
- 50g of blueberries or chopped strawberries
- 1 tbsp peanut butter (xylitol-free)
- 50g of blueberries or chopped strawberries
- Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl
- Add water, peanut butter and flour to the beaten eggs
- If the pancake mixture is very thick you can add more water
- Place a frying plan on a medium heat and add a small amount of olive oil
- Add a ladle of batter to the pan and cook each pancake for two minutes on one side
- Once the mixture has begun to solidify, and the bottom side starts to change to a golden colour, flip the pancake and cook for an additional minute
- Repeat with the remaining batter
- For the toppings, spread the peanut butter on top of your warm pancake and decorate with your chopped fruits. Alternatively, you can warm some peanut butter up in the microwave for a few seconds and drizzle it over your pancakes before topping them with your diced fruit
Carrot pancakes
- 360g milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped
- 250g of plain flour
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 30g butter
- 1 tbsp peanut butter (xylitol-free)
- 50g of blueberries or chopped strawberries
- Add the milk, eggs, butter and carrots to a blender and pulse until the carrots have been chopped and blended
- Add the rest of the dry ingredients to the mix and blend until everything has combined
- Heat a frying pan on a medium heat and use a small amount of olive oil to stop the pancake from sticking
- Add a ladle of your batter to the frying pan at your desired pancake size
- Cook each side for 2 minutes, or until the sides become golden
- Repeat with the remaining batter
- For the toppings, spread the peanut butter on top of your warm pancake and decorate with your chopped fruits. Alternatively, you can warm some peanut butter up in the microwave for a few seconds and drizzle it over your pancakes before topping them with your diced fruit
Banana pancake
- 1 banana
- 1 apple
- 2 eggs
- 50g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp peanut butter (xylitol-free)
- 50g of blueberries or chopped strawberries
- Mash up the banana with a fork and dice your apple into small pieces
- Add the banana, apple and eggs to a large mixing bowl and mix until combined
- Add the flour and baking powder to the bowl and mix
- Heat a frying pan on a medium heat and add some olive oil to prevent the pancake from sticking
- Pour a ladle of the batter into the pan to create your desired size and cook for around two minutes on each side
- Repeat with the remaining batter
- For the toppings, spread the peanut butter on top of your warm pancake and decorate with your chopped fruits. Alternatively, you can warm some peanut butter up in the microwave for a few seconds and drizzle it over your pancakes before topping them with your diced fruit
Two-ingredient pancakes
- Roughly 100g of sweet potato
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp peanut butter (xylitol-free)
- 50g of blueberries or chopped strawberries
- Preheat your oven to 220°C / 200°C Fan / gas 6
- Prick the sweet potatoes and then cook them in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes
- Leave to cool completely
- Slice each potato and scoop out the centre and mash
- Combine the sweet potato with the eggs and make rough pancake shapes with the mixture
- Heat a frying pan on a medium heat and place the pancake mixture once the pan has had enough time to heat up. Don’t flip the pancake too early as this may cause it to break
- Repeat with the remaining mixture
- For the toppings, spread the peanut butter on top of your warm pancake and decorate with your chopped fruits. Alternatively, you can warm some peanut butter up in the microwave for a few seconds and drizzle it over your pancakes before topping them with your diced fruit
Oat pancakes
- 300g of blended oats
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 eggs
- 240g of milk
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp peanut butter (xylitol-free)
- 50g of blueberries or chopped strawberries
- In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients (apart from the olive oil) and mix
- Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and use some olive oil to stop the pancake from sticking
- Pour a ladle of the pancake mixture into the frying pan and allow to cook for two minutes before flipping
- Repeat with the remaining batter
- For the toppings, spread the peanut butter on top of your warm pancake and decorate with your chopped fruits. Alternatively, you can warm some peanut butter up in the microwave for a few seconds and drizzle it over your pancakes before topping them with your diced fruit
Things to consider when making homemade treats for your dog
Portion control
The snacks we’ve listed above should only be given as an occasional treat and must be given in moderation. Giving too much food in one go can be dangerous to dogs and could cause life-threatening bloat, particularly if they’ve eaten immediately before or after exercise. Large amounts of certain foods, especially fatty foods, can also cause a painful and potentially severe condition known as pancreatitis. If you ever suspect your dog has bloat or pancreatitis, then always contact your vet immediately.
It's easy to give your dog extra food throughout the day, especially around this time of year, but doing so regularly can be damaging to their health and can make them less happy in the long run. It’s vital that you take care of what food you give to your dog. Maintaining good feeding habits will allow your dog to live the healthiest and happiest life possible.
Counting the calories
It’s important that you divide your dog’s total calorie intake for the day between each meal so that you're not overfeeding them. If you like to give them treats, make sure that you assign a certain amount of their calories for these before working out how much to give them for each meal.
Cautions about peanut butter and xylitol
Some of the recipes above use peanut butter. Do not use these recipes if your dog has a nut allergy.
Although dogs love peanut butter, and it’s a great source of protein, you must be careful which type you use. Always avoid feeding dogs peanut butter that is high in salt and sugar and it should never contain artificial sweeteners.
Xylitol, also known as birch sugar or E967, is an artificial sweetener that is highly toxic to dogs and can cause an otherwise healthy dog's blood sugar level to drop to dangerous levels or could cause liver failure. If your dog ever eats xylitol then contact your vet immediately.
Suitability
These recipes may not be suitable for all dogs, particularly those on a special diet or those that suffer from obesity, pancreatitis, diabetes, a sensitive stomach or those with problems with their kidneys or liver. If your dog has any pre-existing health conditions then always talk to your vet about any special diets that they may need, or what treats you can give them.