Baking For Your Bunny

[NorthernAutumn]

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Baking For Your Bunny

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When you're at the bottom of the pellet and hay bags, sifting through the fines for that last stray pellet, you're probably thinking "Man, what a waste of hay!"

Waste no more! Home-made bunny baking projects are a fabulous way to get enough bang for your buck

So, how do you get pellet and hay flour?

Most of the cooking projects listed here use either pellet fines or hay fines.
These can be retrieved by sifting your bag of pellets/hay with a flour sifter, or by simply waiting until the bag is empty (Doesn't take long, does it? :big wink

You can crush the pellets with a rolling pin, or send them into the blender.

Another option: use a coffee grinder to buzz your pellets into dust.

Some enterprising bunny bakers actually store their collected pellet and hay fines in large mason jars to help make baking a breeze!

[align=center] "We grind up our Rabbit Flour in advance and keep it in labelled Mason jars to make it easier and faster to make them! When we grind up the flour we make 3 different kinds. We have a Herb flour...with dried basil, sage and lovage ground in. We have the Spice flour that we use for the apple sauce cookies...with a little tiny bit of cinnamon, and nutmeg. And we have the Plain flour that we use for the pumpkin cookies.

So far the herb cookies are the biggest hit! We bought little cookie cutters too so that all the flavors have a different shape!" - Runestonez
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Typical Bunny Cookie Ingredients
- pellet dust/hay dust
- rolled oats
- banana
- canned pumpkin puree
- applesauce
- carrots
- grass
- parsley and other herbs
- a sprinkle of flax seed


Heck, you can puree any sort of bunny-safe veggie or fruit, and add it to your cookie recipe Baby food is a great time-saver.

Most bunny cookies freeze very well, so you can whip up a big batch on Saturday morning, and have enough cookies to last you a month!

[align=center] Some fabulous member bunny cookie recipes are listed below.
:littlecake:happybunny::littlecake Happy Baking! :littlecake :happybunny::littlecake[/align]

Member Threads

Home-made Bunnie Biscuits
Home-made Hay Cube Cookies
Bunny Treats!
Any Recipes for Home-made Treats for Buns?
Recipes for Bunnies


External Links
Brenda's Home-made Bunny Biscuits
Bunny Treats Blog
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[NorthernAutumn]

JimD's Home-Made Bunnie Biscuits

This recipe has grown in length and legend over time. Originally posted courtesy of Brenda P. on rabbit.org, our own JimD has tweaked this recipe to perfection!

Remember, these are treats, so give them sparingly.

1 small carrot, pureed (can substitute apple or pear)
1/2 banana, mashed until really creamy
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup rabbit pellets, ground finely in a coffee grinder
1/4 cup ground oats, ground finely in a coffee grinder

Mix pureed carrot, banana and honey in a medium bowl. Add pellet powderand ground oats. Mix until blended. Knead in your hands for 1-2minutes. Roll out the "dough" in 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick layers betweensheets of plastic wrap. Cut into small cookies (about 3/4 inch across).Place cut shapes onto a parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Bake at325 degrees for about 30 minutes (check to make sure they are notbrowning too much). Turn off the heat and let the cookies sit in thewarm oven for an hour or so.

Oh yeah.....you have to yell; "BINKY !!!" when you put it in the oven.:biggrin2:

Enjoy

:~) Jim


Jim's Recipe Notes:

- Add in some craisins or raisins

- Dice up the oats with a sharp knife

- I baked them like brownies and skipped the parchment paper stuff. I just mushed the mix into a throw-away aluminum pan (a meatloaf size done worked great for the amount). I also scored it into 1/2" X 1/2"pieces before baking, so it would break apart easier. The recipe makes about 2 doz. I wrapped them up in packages so I could freeze them

- You can puree some greens and add them in too.
- Pureed Papaya is a big hit

- Instead of the carrot, I have also used some applesauce. A few tablespoons should be enough to equal a small pureed carrot.
And a small jar of babyfood would be enough to equal a half ananner.
I pick up a couple of jars to keep on hand in my emergency treatment kit, too.
Start out by mixing the dry stuff and then add liquids a little at a time to get a mushy mix....not runny.
I let the mix sit for just a little while and then add a little more liquids if needed.

You should be able to handle it enough to roll it out of the bowl and into a pan....kind of like a cookie dough.


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Maisy126 took some great pictures of her finished cookies:
Okay, here are the pictures of my biscuits:

Before:

After:


The bunnies loved 'em (used carrot gratings and raisins for toppings)

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[NorthernAutumn]

Kherrman3's Cookies (From Recipes for Bunnies)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup ground-up pellets
1/4 cup ground-up hay (the stuff at the bottom of the bag works well)
1/4 cut ground oats

Directions:
- Grind-up dry ingredients in a coffee grinder (blender is an OK substitute).
- Mix all ingredients together until fairly thick (not in blender).
- Roll mixture out between two sheets of waxed paper (less than 1/4 inch thick (1/2 centimeter)).
- Rub extra pellet powder on to absorb extra moisture (both sides).
- Bake for 30 minutes at 350*F (177*C roughly); flip, then bake for 30 more minutes.
- Turn off oven, and allow treat "cookie" to cool in oven (as the oven cools).
- Break the giant cookie into smaller, bite-sized pieces.

A note from Khermann3:
I've tried to make this recipe work where you can make the cookies look a little "prettier" but the paste/dough just doesn't work that way. They basically look like broken chips when they are broken apart. Berry-Boo goes nuts for them. She hears the container and ZOOM! she's at the front of the cage, smooshing her nose through the bars.

 

[NorthernAutumn]

Carrot Cookies (From Rabbit.org)
(***Tips courtesy of Luv-Bunniz)
1/2 cup dry oatmeal
1/2 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup carrot, grind finely ***
1/4 cup water

Put oatmeal, wheat flour, carrot, then water in the bowl. Mix until smooth and somewhat creamy. On a cookie sheet, get a spoon and scoop the mixture and create make individual little balls until there are no more in the bowl. Bake 350º for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Give around 1 or 2 treats to your rabbit and refrigerate the rest for later uses.

*** Boil & puree carrots

 

[NorthernAutumn]

Toby Cookies
(Courtesy of Kirbyultra & Toby)

1/4 cup of rolled oats, finely ground
1/2 banana, mashed creamy
1/4 cup rabbit pellets, finely ground
1/4 cup of pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon of honey (optional)

Knead mixture into a stiff dough. Roll dough 1/4" thick. Cut into 3/4" squares. Bake for approx 20-30 minutes on 325 degrees. Leave cookies in the oven for at least an hour more to dry out the moisture for longer shelf life. Serve right away or freeze your treats for months of enjoyment.


The ball of dough:

Makes approximately 40 cookies. Here is the raw dough:

Mmmm they smell like bananas in the oven:

Nomnomnom!

Toby approves!

 

[NorthernAutumn]

From Robin at the Bunny Treats Blog (http://bunnytreats.blogspot.com/) (2006)

Easy Mint Raspberry Drop Cookie
1/3 cup Frozen Raspberries, de-thawed
1/2 Tbsp Dried Mint
1/3 cup Rabbit Pellets
3 Tbsp Old Fashion Oats

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

With a fork mash raspberries together
Mix raspberries with mint

Grind pellets (use a coffee grinder only used to make rabbit treats)
Mix with oats

Slowly add dry mixture to raspberry, mint mixture until well blended together

Using a teaspoon measuring spoon, spoon out onto a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper (it prevents sticking and doesn't add any grease)
Flatten cookies with a fork to about 1/4" thick
Cook for 20 minutes or until brown on bottom. Let cool (For a crunchier treat, turn off oven and leave in until stove cools)
Once cooled, place in sealed container or bag. Can be left out for about a week but to prevent spoiling, refrigerate or freeze treats

Makes About 18-20 cookies

*This Recipe is great for those winter months when raspberries are out of season.


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Berry Madness Biscuits
2/3 cup Blueberries, fresh or frozen, de-thawed
2/3 cup Raspberries, fresh or frozen, de-thawed
2/3 cup Strawberries, fresh or frozen, de-thawed
1 tbsp honey
2/3 cup Rabbit Pellets, ground finely
2/3 cup Old Fashion Oats, ground finely
2 pieces Shredded wheat

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Using a blender, puree together blueberries, raspberries, and Strawberries.
Pour puree in bowl and mix with honey.
Grind pellets, and oats using a coffee grinder (use a grinder only used to make rabbit treats). And crush shredded wheat into small pieces (I like to put them in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin). And mix in with puree until well blended together.
Roll out dough on plastic wrap (It makes for easier clean up) until it's about 1/4" thick.
Use a mini cookie cutter or shot glass (no bigger than 1") and place on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper (it prevents sticking and doesn't add any grease).
Cook for 30 minutes or until brown on bottom. Let cool (For a crunchier treat, turn off oven and leave in until stove cools).
Once cooled, place in sealed container or bag. Can be left out for about a week but to prevent spoiling, refrigerate or freeze treats.

*This is a larger recipe and can be cut in half.

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Pear & Banana Treats
1 pear, ripe and soft (can be put in steamer if not soft)
1 banana, ripe, broken into pieces
1 tbsp honey
1/3 cup Rabbit Pellets, ground finely
1/3 cup Old Fashion Oats, ground finely
2/3 cup Cheerios

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Using a masher, mash together pear and bananas with honey until smooth.
Grind pellets, oats, and cheerios using a coffee grinder (use a grinder only used to make rabbit treats). And mix in with pear/banana mixture until well blended together.
Allow to cool only if you steam your pears, if not go onto next step.
Roll out dough on plastic wrap (It makes for easier clean up) until it's about 1/4" thick.
Use a mini cookie cutter or shot glass (no bigger than 1") and place on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper (it prevents sticking and doesn't add any grease).
Cook for 30 minutes or until brown on bottom. Let cool (For a crunchier treat, turn off oven and leave in until stove cools).
Once cooled, place in sealed container or bag.
Can be left out for about a week but to prevent spoiling, refrigerate or freeze treats.

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Apple & Banana Treats
1 apple, steamed until soft
1 banana, broken into pieces
1 tbsp honey
1/3 cup Rabbit Pellets, ground finely
1/3 cup Old Fashion Oats, ground finely

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Using a masher, mash together apples and bananas with honey until smooth.
Grind pellets and oats using a coffee grinder (use a grinder only used to make rabbit treats). And mix in with apples/banana mixture until well blended together.
Allow dough to cool in fridge.
Roll out dough on plastic wrap (It makes for easier clean up) until it's about 1/4" thick.
Use a mini cookie cutter or shot glass (no bigger than 1") and place on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper (it prevents sticking and doesn't add any grease).
Cook for 30 minutes or until brown on bottom. Let cool(For a crunchier treat, turn off oven and leave in until stove cools).
Once cooled, place in sealed container or bag.
Can be left out for about a week but to prevent spoiling, refrigerate or freeze treats.

 

[NorthernAutumn]

CorkysMom's Cookies

1 banana

1 cup oats (approx)

Mash banana, mix in the oats and put them on a cookie sheet kinda in lil balls, globs, whatever. I top w/ a craisin as well.

Bake for 25 minutes @ 325.


These can be frozen as well and they love them!

 

[NorthernAutumn]

Katie's Smack Snacks for Rabbits



I'd never even thought of posting this here until I saw the entry for homemade dog treats. I figured this would be worth posting because with over 8,000 members, certainly someone must have a pet rabbit.

This is my recipe for homemade rabbit treats. It's a bit time-consuming and makes a big mess, but it's worth it because it's so much healthier than treats sold in stores (which are usually the rabbit equivalent of donuts and candy bars). My three bunnies go CRAZY for these snacks, and Amy Sedaris' rabbit, Dusty, goes so bonkers for these that Amy put the recipe in her hospitality cookbook, I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence. So if you have a pet rabbit (or have a friend who does), you might want to give these a shot.



The final product:



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RO Member Shainabee suggests:

"I blended up some raspberries and put the juice on top of the other stuff once I had it laid out on the pan, so it looks like red icing on a bunny cake"

"I am keeping mine in the freezer to stiffen then up because I think I added too much water so it wasn't much like a cookie but more like a brownie."

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RO Member BlueCamasRabbitry made a substitution:

"And here is what I substituted for the things I didn't have:

*1 c. hay bits

*1/4 c. pellets

* 2 handfuls of grass

*1/2 carrot & 1/2 banana

*1/4 c. + 1 tbsp. water "


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[NorthernAutumn]

Luv-Bunniz Barley Bunny Biscuits

I made some barley biscuits based on Oxbows...

1 cup Barley Flour
1 cup Rolled Oats (flakes or ground...ground is better)
1/2 cup Ground pellets
1/4 cup grated Apple
2 tsp copper, sunflower or olive oil (optional, helps coat condition)

Bind together with warm water into a dough consistency, roll into about 1/2" thick, cut into cookie-sized pieces and bake on 200C until thoroughly baked. You can feed up to 3 [highlight= rgb(255, 255, 136);]cookies a day per rabbit and they can be frozen until you need them.

 

[NorthernAutumn]

Tonyshuman's Variation on Katie's Smack Snacks

A great way to clean out your food and treat bags!

- 1c rolled oats
- 1/4c pellets
- bottom fines of a pellet bag
- bottom fines of an oat hay bag
- other dust left over in some treat bags
- 2T of flax seeds
Put all in the grinder

I put about 2c of parsley in the food processer, and added about 1c of fresh pumpkin puree I made to help it grind up well.

Added the two mixtures together.
If more moisture is needed, I add about a cup of applesauce.
Put on waxed paper on a baking sheet with sides, cut into pieces, baking at 325 for 30 min.
Leave in oven while it's off overnight, to dry out.