DIY Recipe: Cavy Crunches

DIY Recipe for Cavy Crunches

Rather than purchase treats that are full of who-knows-what unhealthy ingredients, I make my own barley based organic goodies I call "Cavy Crunches" for my guinea pigs.  They smell so great you'll have to resist eating them.  :)  My guinea pigs love them!

I purchased all the ingredients below at my local organic store. Here's my ingredients list as follows:

• 1 cup barley flour
• 1/2 oat bran
• 1/3 cup Oxbow guinea pig pellets
• 1 banana
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 green apple
• 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
• 1/4 bunch of fresh dandelion greens
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Water as needed (usually about 1 cup)

I take the 1/3 cup of guinea pig pellets and put them in a bowl with around 2/3 cup of very hot water. I let them sit so all of the water is soaked up and the pellets are softened.

I put all of the fruit and fresh greens in a food processor with 1/3 cup water, blending until smooth.

I then put the barley flour, oat bran, softened guinea pig pellets, molasses, and olive oil in a bowl and mix them very well.

Then I add in the fruit and greens from the food processor and stir well again.  If it seems unusually stiff, a little bit more water can be added, but be careful not to add too much.  It should be sticky to roll out like cookie dough.

I then lay out the mixture onto a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper and pat it out until it's a pretty even thickness of about 1/4".  (A rolling pin would come in handy.)  I then use a knife to cut them into pieces, although I've used a round cap before, and thought about making other types of shapes...

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, but if you make them thinner, they won't take as long.  Check frequently to make sure they do not burn and are hardened to the touch.  Then shut off the oven and let them cool in the oven.   They should be fully dried and crispy when you remove them from the oven - this will keep them well preserved so they will not mold. (I let them sit in the oven to cool overnight.) Then, put them in your cookie jar and they're ready to share with your guinea pigs!  :)