Cheese Bone Dog Cookies

Five ingredients and your dog will think you’re the greatest human alive. Flour, shredded cheddar cheese, garlic, vegetable oil, and water get pulsed in a food processor into a dough, rolled out, cut into bone shapes, and baked until crisp. These are dog cookies you actually feel good about giving because you know exactly what’s in them.

The food processor does the mixing here, pulsing the flour, cheese, garlic, and oil into a coarse meal before water is slowly added with the machine running. The dough comes together into a ball almost instantly. This is basically a savory shortcrust technique, and the result is a firm, crunchy biscuit that holds its shape.

Don’t reroll the scraps. The recipe says it and it’s good advice. Reworked dough develops more gluten and bakes tougher and chewier. Your dog might not care, but the first-roll bones will have a better snap. Give the scraps to your pup as-is, they won’t complain.

Roll to a full half-inch thickness. These are meant to be sturdy chew treats, not thin, delicate wafers. The thickness gives dogs something to gnaw on and the bones hold up better in storage.

Kitchen Tips

• Use a 4-inch bone-shaped cookie cutter or make a cardboard template and cut around it with a knife
• Bake until the bottoms are lightly browned. The tops may still look pale, and that’s fine
• Cool completely on a wire rack before storing. Any trapped warmth creates condensation in the container and softens the biscuits
• Refrigerate in an airtight container. The cheese means these can spoil at room temperature after a few days

Variations

• Add a tablespoon of dried parsley for fresh breath benefits
• Use whole wheat flour for extra fiber
• Swap cheddar for Parmesan for a harder, crunchier biscuit with a stronger cheese aroma