Looking for a new recipe to try out with the flock? Coconut flour allegedly promotes healthy digestion and a healthy heart. Oats help lower cholesterol. So, while doing some holiday baking, why not whip up some oatmeal cookies for the parrots?

The Oatmeal Cookies were a hit with this crew! Top: Babee (Female Umbrella Cockatoo), Layla (Female Scarlet Macaw), Bottom: Pickles (Quaker, unknown gender), Jake (Male Lesser-Sulphur Crested Cockatoo). All are adoptable and at the Phoenix Landing Adoption Center in North Carolina.

Ingredients:

Finished Oatmeal Cookies for parrots.

3 c. coconut flour
1 T. aluminum-free baking powder
1 c. rolled oats
1 egg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
8 ounces (1 c. or 2 snack size cups) unsweetened applesauce
4 ounce jar of butternut squash baby food (no additives)
4 ounce jar of banana baby food (no additives)
1 1/3 c water
Finely chopped walnuts

Directions

1. 

   Dough formed into small balls

   Mix together flour, baking powder, oats, cinnamon and ginger.

2. Separately, mix together egg, applesauce, and baby food.
3. Add to dry ingredients, and add the water. Mix until dough forms.
4. Roll into small dough balls.
5. Place dough balls on a greased baking sheet (grease with coconut oil for added health benefits) about 1 ½ inches apart.
6. Flatten balls so cookies are no taller than ½” tall. Sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts.
7. Bake 18 – 22 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool completely before serving. Extra cookies may be frozen.

A local avian veterinarian recommended that I get one of my parrots to eat sweet potato and brown rice, as they would be good for his digestive system. This simple sweet potato biscuit recipe is a result of my quest to find an easy way to get him to do just that. So far, it has been a hit with my flock!

Ingredients:

1 15 ounce can of organic sweet potato puree
2 c. brown rice flour
1 egg
Tumeric, ginger, and cinnamon to taste
Sesame, chia, and flax seeds

Optional ingredients:

Chopped cranberries (I used freeze fried, but fresh or frozen may also work)
Walnuts
Other herbs and spices (I added a little crushed dehydrated dandelion)

Directions:

Mix tumeric, ginger, cinnamon and additional, optional dried herbs together with the brown rice flour. Add egg. Mix in sweet potato puree. Add any additional optional ingredients (chopped cranberries and/or walnuts).

Place sesame, chia, and flax seeds on a plate. Form dough into small balls, flatten, and dip both sides of the flat biscuit dough piece in seed mixture.

Bake at 350 F on lightly greased baking sheet for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned.

Let them cool completely before serving. Divide into batches that will last several days and freeze those you won’t use within a few days. After you finish a batch, just pull the next from the freezer, thaw, and serve!