Recipe Ideas for Quick and Healthy Homemade Dog Treats
Want to spoil your pup with healthy homemade dog treats? Despite what you may think, homemade dog treats are incredibly easy to make. Additionally, they’re a healthy alternative to dog treats bought from the store.
Still wondering why you should make your own homemade dog treats? The following benefits are just a few reasons why:
- Control what goes into the recipe. By making homemade dog treats, you can ensure that your pet is getting a nutritious and wholesome snack. You can also tailor your dog treat recipes to your dog’s taste preferences as well as cater to any dietary restrictions.
- Prevent unhealthy additives. Many brands of commercial dog treats are filled with preservatives to help extend their shelf life. In addition, store-bought treats are often made from fillers and byproducts rather than natural and high-quality ingredients. By creating your own healthy homemade dog treats, you will be able to provide your dog with a healthy snack that is not only nutritious but also free of unhealthy additives.
- Tasty alternative. Making your own homemade dog treats allows you to provide your pet with a tasty alternative to his usual doggie biscuit.
Ready to discover how to make homemade dog treats and the best homemade dog treats for your pup to enjoy? Let’s begin!
Our List of Healthy Homemade Dog Treats
Contrary to what you may think, making homemade dog treats is a simple process. With only a few ingredients, you can create a healthy and delicious snack for your dog to enjoy.
Below, we’ve whipped up a list of quick and easy homemade dog treats your pup will absolutely adore. From homemade dog biscuits to dog trail mix treats, these quick homemade dog treats are guaranteed to be a hit!
Quick links to each homemade dog treat recipe:
Frozen peanut butter yogurt dog treats
Leftovers Trail Mix
Looking for quick homemade dog treats to reward your pup with? Consider these tasty and healthy dog trail mix treats. Combined with a few leftovers in your refrigerator, these dog trail mix treats make a great snack after a long hike or playtime at the dog park.
Ingredients
- Pieces of meat (if seasoned, make sure to rinse off any flavoring)
- Potatoes
- Vegetables (no onions)
- Fruit (no grapes or raisins)
Directions
- Cut ingredients into ½ inch thick pieces
- Spray lightly with cooking spray
- Place in a food dehydrator or into a 200 degree preheated oven until dried
Frozen Peanut Butter Yogurt Dog Treats
Peanut butter is a favorite treat among many canines. Hence, it’s just obvious why peanut butter should be included in homemade dog treats recipes. Not only is it a flavorful snack, but these homemade peanut butter dog treats are full of protein and healthy fats. Combined with vanilla yogurt, this recipe makes the perfect treat to cool your pet down after a vigorous play session.
Ingredients
- 32 ounces vanilla yogurt
- 1 cup peanut butter
Directions
- Melt the peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl
- Combine the yogurt and melted peanut butter
- Pour the mixture into cupcake papers
- Place in the freezer
Basic Dog Biscuits
Be prepared for your dog’s mouth to water with these homemade dog biscuits! These healthy homemade dog biscuits are a fantastic alternative to commercial dog treats. Not only are they packed with healthy ingredients but are super savory and simply delicious! Furthermore, this homemade dog biscuits recipe can be customized to cater to your canine’s palette.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour (substitute regular flour or oats if your dog is sensitive to wheat)
- 1 tsp. salt (or less)
- 1 teaspoon of beef or chicken bouillon granules (can substitute beef or chicken broth or stock)
- ½ cup hot water
- 1 egg
- Optional: Add bacon or chicken broth, eggs, oats, liver powder, wheat germ, shredded cheese, bacon bits, to (your dog’s) taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Dissolve bouillon in hot water
- Add remaining ingredients
- Knead dough until it forms a ball (approximately 3 minutes)
- Roll dough until ½ inch thick
- Cut into slices or bone shapes (you can purchase a bone shaped cookie cutter to make shapes with)
- Place dough pieces on lightly greased cookie sheet
- Cook for 30 minutes
Healthy Pumpkin Balls
Want to surprise your dog with a little pumpkin treat? Look no further than these homemade pumpkin dog treats. This sweet treat is loaded with fiber, vitamin A, beta-carotene, potassium and iron. Just be sure to choose plain canned pumpkin with no added sweeteners so your pet can fully reap its many health benefits.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
- 4 tbsp molasses
- 4 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Mix pumpkin, molasses, vegetable oil, and water together in a bowl
- Add the whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon to the mixture and stir until dough softens
- Scoop out small spoonfuls of dough and roll into balls on your hands (wet hands work best)
- Set the balls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and flatten with a fork
- Bake approximately 25 minutes until dough is hardened
Apple Crunch Pupcakes
Looking for a sweet treat to reward your pup with? These apple crunch pupcakes are guaranteed to become a favorite snack in your household. Filled with healthy yet delicious ingredients, this fruity treat is one of the best healthy homemade dog treats.
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups water
- ¼ cup applesauce (unsweetened)
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/8 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 medium egg
- 4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup dried apple chips (unsweetened)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Mix water, applesauce, honey, egg, and vanilla together in a bowl
- Add remaining ingredients and mix until well blended
- Pour into lightly greased muffin pans
- Bake 1 ¼ hours
Some Things to Watch Out For
When preparing homemade dog treats, make sure you take into account any allergies that your pet has to specific ingredients. Avoid adding any ingredient that your pet has reacted poorly to in the past. If you are experimenting with new flavors, feed the treat to your dog in small quantities and observe how he reacts to it before you distribute an entire treat.
Store your homemade dog treats in an airtight container and place them in the freezer. Allow the treat to thaw for 10 to 20 minutes prior to serving your dog. These homemade dog treats will last for up to six months in the freezer.
Does your dog have a favorite treat? We’d love to see a photo of her enjoying it! You can post it in the comments below as well as your favorite homemade dog food recipes.
