Making your own dog treats can be a fun baking activity and ends with tasty snacks for your dog! There are so many recipes out there but here are a few easy recipes you can try today.
Sweet Potato Chews
This is by far the easiest treat to make on this list! All you need is a sweet potato (or more if you want to make more), a knife, and a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 250F/130C. Rinse off the sweet potato and slice it into coins or lengthwise (for longer chews). The slices should be about a ¼ inch thick, as any thinner would make the chews more crispy instead of chewy. Place what you cut onto the baking sheet in a single layer and pop into the oven for 2.5-3 hours. Flip the chews about halfway through. Once finished, let them cool before giving them to your dog. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for two weeks.
Ice Cream Pupsicles (Dairy and Non-Dairy)
Note: dogs cannot eat ice cream made for humans. Our ice cream has too much dairy and sugar, plus some flavors have other ingredients that are dangerous to dogs (like chocolate). So while sharing a pint of Ben & Jerry’s with your dog is out of the question, you can still treat your dog to ice cream!
The great thing about making this kind of ice cream is its simplicity, both in directions and ingredients. First up, the dairy ice cream popsicles, which require plain Greek yogurt, xylitol*-free peanut butter, and one ripe banana. Start by mashing up the banana in a bowl. Then, add in a ¼ of the peanut butter and 4-7 ounces of yogurt (an individual plastic container of yogurt is roughly 4-7 ounces, depending on the brand). Scoop the mixture into a popsicle mold or ice cube trays and freeze until solid. If you want to avoid dairy, there’s a similar recipe for non-dairy ice cream. For this ice cream, mash up two bananas before mixing with a ¼ of xylitol*-free peanut butter. Scoop that mix into a popsicle mold or ice tray and freeze until solid.
Any type of frozen treat can be great on a hot day but be careful of where you give the treat to your dog. These treats might be best enjoyed out in the yard to prevent your floors from getting particularly messy.
Wild Berry and Salmon Oil Dog Treats
This recipe is a bit more involved than the first three but you’ll end up with 10-12 treats that’ll be great for your dog’s digestion, skin, and coat! This recipe is adapted from House Fur and the ingredients are:
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats, blended into a flour consistency
- 3 tablespoons salmon oil
- ⅓ cup peanut butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup fresh or frozen wild berry mix (strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries)
Preheat the oven to 375F. Turn the old-fashioned oats into a flour consistency by blending in either a food processor or blender. Thoroughly mix all ingredients together in a bowl before scooping small portions onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The dough should be stiff but moldable in texture, similar to cookie dough. Add whole oats or other types of flour if your dough is a bit runny. Bake for 15-17 minutes (until the treats are browned on top) before removing. If you want a crunchy treat, bake for a bit longer. Let the treats cool completely before serving and store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Similar recipe: Crunchy Dog Treats with Blueberry, Oats, and Peanut Butter from Southern Bytes
*Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that can be very dangerous to dogs. It looks and tastes like sugar with 40% fewer calories and is often found in sugar-free gum, candies, mints, and some types of peanut butter. Xylitol can be found in small amounts in many fruits and vegetables but this amount shouldn’t be too concerning. Dogs need to consume 100 mg of xylitol per kilogram of body weight in order for it to be dangerous.
