Can Dogs Eat Waffles? What The Science Says!
By Brooke Bundy
Updated on
The slightly sweet smell of fresh waffles sizzling on the iron or warming in the toaster is enough to motivate us to get out of bed. Your dog’s nose is also tempted by a warm waffle’s charm, but is it safe to give them a bite? In most cases, yes, but definitely not always. Plain homemade waffles are more likely to be safe than commercially manufactured frozen waffles that may contain an array of artificial ingredients and preservatives. Even so, waffles containing ingredients that are toxic to dogs, such as chocolate chips, aren’t safe regardless of the source. Sweeteners and syrups never belong in your dog’s bowl because sugar is bad for their health, and artificial sweeteners can be deadly.
Are Waffles Okay for Dogs? What About the Ingredients?
In bite-sized amounts, a homemade waffle with simple ingredients isn’t likely to cause your dog any harm. Waffles certainly shouldn’t replace their breakfast, but you can reward them with a scrap of your leftovers if you want.
What do we mean by plain, homemade waffles? For our purposes, homemade waffles are made completely from scratch with ingredients such as flour, baking soda, baking powder, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla extract. Whole wheat flour is preferred to add a little bit of nutritional value, but regular all-purpose flour is okay too since they’ll only have a taste.
While all of these ingredients are safe once cooked, you should never give your dog raw flour or raw eggs. In large quantities, leavening agents such as baking soda and baking powder ingredients are toxic. Vanilla extract is toxic in smaller amounts since it’s in a concentrated form. To be safe, make sure to put all the ingredients away as soon as you’re finished with them.
Even if your waffles are homemade with the best, organic ingredients, your dog still shouldn’t wolf down a bunch of waffles because of the fat in the dairy ingredients and the sugar in the mix. Sugar can cause a wide range of detrimental effects in dogs, including putting them at risk for diabetes and pancreatitis. Fortunately, homemade waffle recipes don’t usually call for very much sugar, but you’ll still want to exercise portion control.
What About Frozen Waffles?
Store-bought waffles might be okay for your dog, depending on the ingredients. Artificial preservatives aren’t good for you or your dog, so they aren’t as healthy as homemade. However, they’re not likely to be toxic unless they contain artificial sweeteners such as xylitol. Of course, waffles aren’t exactly a healthy food and almost all of them contain sugar, so you should only let your dog have a sample if you decide to let them have any at all.
What About Syrup?
Never give your dog any sweet waffle toppings, such as maple syrup, candy, or chocolate. All of these foods potentially contain several harmful and even toxic ingredients, including cocoa, food dyes, and different types of sweeteners. Don’t worry about your dog complaining that their bite of waffle tastes plain. Canines don’t have a sweet tooth like we do, and they’ll be grateful for a bite of a savory waffle that has just a hint of sweetness.
Homemade Waffle Recipe Just for Dogs
As a special treat, here’s a dog waffle recipe by Spoiled Hounds that’s crafted just for your canine. While you’ll still not want to load their plate, they’re made with ingredients that are completely safe as long as you exercise portion control. Homemade waffles are the perfect way to tell your dog you love them and make their day a little tastier. Bone Appetit!
Homemade Dog Waffles Recipe
Equipment
- Mini waffle maker
- Two small bowls
- Whisk
- Measuring cups
Ingredients
- 2 cups oat flour or brown rice flour
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat your mini waffle maker.
- In a small bowl, mix dry ingredients together.
- Whisk the coconut oil, applesauce, and egg in a separate bowl.
- While whisking, slowly pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Once your waffle maker has preheated, pour or spoon batter into the waffle maker until the mold is almost full. Let cook for 5 minutes, or until done if you have an automatic waffle iron.
- Remove the cooked waffle and repeat with the remaining batter.
Notes
Conclusion
Waffles can be a fun and tasty treat for Fido. If you decide to give them a sample of a waffle meant for humans, make sure it doesn’t contain any harmful ingredients and only let your dog have a bite. Too much waffle isn’t good for them since this food doesn’t carry much nutritional value. Plus, an excessive amount of common ingredients such as sugar and dairy can be harmful. If you want to be completely safe, whip them up a batch of waffles meant for canines like the recipe from Spoiled Hounds. Just hold the syrup and watch their portions to reduce the risk of an upset tummy.
See also:
- Can Cats Eat Clams? Vet Approved Health & Safety Facts
- Are Elephant Ears Poisonous to Cats? Vet-Reviewed Info
Featured Photo Credit: RONORMANJR, Shutterstock
