Homemade dog treat recipes – quick, easy and healthy

Published by IDOGGYCARE on April 24, 2020April 24, 2020

Who does not love a tasty treat every now and then? Yes, we all do! Our furry friends love treats, too, just like their human families. You can be the terrible cook in the family, but you cannot go wrong with simple homemade dog treat recipes. You will become your doggy’s world’s best chef. Yeah! Dogs love you like that. There are so many DIY dog treat recipes, but make sure to give your friend healthy and nutritious treats. We have a list of easy homemade dog treat recipes for cooking pros and beginners both. So, don’t worry, your dog will love every treat that will result from these tasty recipes. These recipes need very fewer ingredients and no fancy ingredients too. They are super simple and delicious! Humans please do not cheat. These treats are for your four-legged family companion, your dog, okay?

We know that it is very easy to go to your pet food store and buy a couple of dog treat packets. But, they include preservatives and sometimes allergens, which will have negative long term effects on your dog. It is not always easy to find good- quality dog treats and such are expensive too. So, why not make a variety of healthier treats through a homemade dog treat recipes than what you find in pet sore. You will 100% know what you are putting together to make the treats and no more worries about suspicious ingredients. Nothing can beat DIY healthy homemade foods for both humans and pets for sure. It is always wise to discuss with the pup’s vet about whichever explicit concerns about the dog’s diet, breed, and treats.

So, chefs shall we start?

Things to consider before trying homemade dog treat recipes

Wait! It is crucial to understand that we cannot add whatever we use in making treats when it comes to dog treats. To make safe and healthy treats for dogs, you have to know a few basic guidelines.

So, before trying homemade dog treat recipes, let us check on those first.

• Do not use any baking containers or molds which contain BPA, which is a cancer-causing contaminant.
• Do not use ingredients like onions, garlic, raisins, and chocolate, which are harmful and toxic for dogs to consume. Before adding any other additional ingredient, make sure to check its effect on dog health.
• Avoid xylitol contacting Peanut butter. Xylitol is a substance which not bad for human health but can cause liver damage and low blood sugar in dogs. Peanut butter is a common ingredient for dog treats. Therefore read the label of the container before buying it for dog treat recipes to avoid xylitol.
• Treats should be cooked and baked up to adequate temperatures to avoid disease-causing pathogens like salmonella.
• Avoid too much fat, frostings, and sugar. It’s true that we love those on or in our treats, but if you truly love your dog, make sure to avoid those.
• Do not feed too many treats. Your dog treats may be very healthy, but taking too much of it can become unhealthy. If your dog has a healthy diet every day with enough calories, adding too many treats is bad for his/her health. The daily diet needs to be well balanced for dogs, the same as for humans.
• Doctors allocate only 10% of dog’s daily caloric intake for dog treats while 90% is for a healthy balanced meal.

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Now it is time for us chefs to head to the kitchen.

Let us do this!

Simple and healthy 05 recipes

1. homemade Peanut butter dog treats – a simple mix

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup peanut butter (select a product without xylitol and sugar substitutes as an ingredient)
• 1 cup of pumpkin puree
• 2 cups of whole wheat flour
• 2 large eggs

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Keep aside a baking tray lined using a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
• Take a large bowl to mix peanut butter, pumpkin puree, and eggs and stir well.
• Gradually add whole wheat flour to the mixture. Stir well until combined completely. Make non-sticky dough.
• Knead the dough on a lightly floured working top for 3-4 times.
• Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough to ½ inch thickness.
• Use a cookie cutter to cut the flattened dough into desired shapes. Bone-shaped would be lovely!
• Place the cutouts on the prepared baking tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
• Take baked treats out and let them on a cooling rack.

Store:

Use an airtight container to store the treats. You can keep them for about one month in the refrigerator. In the freezer, they’ll last for six months.

2. Frozen yogurt plus peanut butter treats – a super simple cool treat

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of peanut butter
• 32 ounces of vanilla yogurt

Method:

• Take a microwave-safe container and put peanut butter to melt it.
• Mix vanilla yogurt with melted peanut butter well.
• Take cupcake papers and pour the mixture.
• Freeze the treats! Done!

3. Pumpkin Balls – a nutritious treat

Ingredients:

• ½ cup of canned pumpkin
• 2 cups of whole wheat flour
• 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 4 tbsp of molasses
• 4 tbsp of water
• ¼ tsp of baking powder
• 1-4 tsp of baking soda
• 1 tsp of cinnamon powder

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a bowl, mix pumpkin, vegetable oil, molasses, and water together.
• To the same mixture, add whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
• Mix them together until you get soft dough. Knead it well.
• Take small spoonfuls of the dough and make into small balls using hands.
• Grease a cookie sheet on a baking tray. Place the small dough balls and flatten them using a fork.
• Bake for 25 minutes. Cool and store.

These pumpkin balls are enriched with fiber, potassium, iron, vitamin A and beta-carotene. It will make your dog happy and healthy.

4. A healthy Veggie treat – Carrot, Spinach, and Zucchini

Ingredients:

• ½ cup old fashioned oats
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• ¼ cup peanut butter
• 1 cup baby spinach- chopped
• 1 carrot- shredded
• A zucchini- shredded
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups whole wheat flour

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Take a baking tray and line a parchment paper.
• In a bowl, mix peanut butter, eggs, and pumpkin puree. Mix well until combined.
• Gradually add old fashioned oats, 2.5 cups of whole wheat flour to the mixture. Beat well until combined completely. Mix the remaining ¼ cup of flour and mix well.
• Add carrots, spinach, and zucchini to the mixture. Make a non-sticky dough.
• Knead the dough on a lightly floured working top for 3-4 times.
• Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough to 1/4 inch thickness.
• Use a cookie cutter to cut the flattened dough into desired shapes. Bone-shaped would be lovely!
• Place the cutouts on the prepared baking tray. Bake for 25 minutes (this can slightly change) until edges turn golden brown.
• Let them cool on a cooling rack.

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5. Icy Fruity Treat – Watermelon popsicles

Ingredients:

• A quarter of a watermelon – seedless will be ideal
• A can of coconut milk

Method:

• Scoop out the watermelon piece. If there are seeds, make sure to remove them.
• In a blender mix, watermelon and coconut milk. You can add extra watermelon if desire.
• Pour the watermelon and coconut milk mixture into an ice cube tray. 
• Freeze!

Tip: There are bone-shaped ice trays that will make nice watermelon popsicles for your dogs. He will surely be delighted and drooling. Your furry kid will be just over the moon with all these homemade dog treat recipes. Make sure to follow the set of guidelines we include in our article to avoid disappointments. They will ask for more and more but maintain their daily diet as you love them like your life.

Here are some more valuable tips

What Fruits Can Dogs Eat

Are carrots good for dogs?