Since Hank joined us, he’s settled into our little family well. But like any puppy, he tends to overestimate his alpha dog status. So as of this Sunday, Hank begins school, where he will hopefully learn that pants aren’t toys. But of course, nothing motivates a puppy to learn like delicious treats.

The other day I picked up the It’s a Vegan Dog’s Life cookbook in PDF form from Etsy. Three dollars for almost 80 vegan dog treat recipes seemed like a pretty good deal, and judging by his reaction to the first recipe I tried, Hank seems equally pleased.

Maple cinnamon doggie muffins

To say that Hank loves these mini muffins would be an understatement. He adores them so much that when given one, he runs as fast as his little legs will take him to the other side of the house, to be sure that no one will take his magical treat back. School should be an easy experience when we have treats that he goes this crazy for.

Here’s the recipe for the parents of vegan and non-vegan dogs alike:

Maple Cinnamon Muffins

2 ½ cups flour (I used wholemeal flour)
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. ground flax
1 Tbsp. hulled hemp seed (optional)
¼ cup applesauce
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups water

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Spray mini muffin pans with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, flax, hemp seed and baking soda. Add applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla and water, mixing well. The batter will be thick. Scoop batter into the muffin pans and bake for 30 minutes. Remove and let cool completely before serving. Store in the fridge.

Try them before you buy the book! But $3 is a small price to pay for the blissful puppy happiness that these have brought Hank so far.