Meeting your dog's dietary needs doesn't have to mean constant trips to the store.
Does your dog have food allergies or dietary requirements that make it difficult to find treats they can eat? Try making your own dog treats! Believe it or not, making your own dog treats isn't that complicated. With so many people opting for homemade rather than store-bought treat for their dogs, there's no shortage of great recipes for you to try.
To save you the time, we've made a list of our top 10 recipes for homemade dog treats:
1. No Bake Peanut Butter Dog Treats
We'll start this list with the easiest treat possible - these no make peanut butter treats. Requiring only four ingredients and zero baking time, you can whip up a batch as you need them in no time. If you're nervous about making your own dog treats, this is the perfect recipe easy recipe to start with.
Ingredients
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup milk
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, divided
Instructions
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat pumpkin puree, peanut butter and milk on medium-high until well combined, about 1-2 minutes. Gradually add 2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats at low speed, beating just until incorporated.
Using a small cookie scoop, roll the mixture into 1 1/4-to-1 1/2-inch balls, forming about 20. Dredge balls in remaining 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, pressing to coat.
Cover and place in the refrigerator until firm, about 1 hour.*
Notes
*These can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Recipe courtesy of Damn Delicious
2. Chicken Wild Rice Dog Treat
These treats are as filling as they are delicious. Made from chicken, rice, and other wholesome ingredients, each treat is like a bite-sized dinner. We have a feeling after trying these your dog will be begging for more!
Ingredients
1 cup wild rice, mashed (may sub with another rice)
1 cup chicken, diced fine or shredded
3 Tablespoons rice flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, diced
1 egg, beaten
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and stir until well incorporated.
Using a spoon, press mixture into each cavity, packing tight and filling nearly to the top.
Bake for 25 minutes or until top begins to turn golden brown.
Let cool completely before serving.
Notes
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days (or freeze).
Recipe courtesy of Lola the Pitty
3. PB & Ginder Snaps Holiday Treats
These treats are perfect for any holiday baking you may have planned this year. They are the dog-friendly take on ginger snap cookies and taste just as good. So good, in fact, you could swap them out for the real thing and we bet your guests couldn't tell the difference!
Ingredients
2 Cups Almond Flour
1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
1/2 - 3/4 Cup Natural Peanut Butter
3 Tablespoons Ground Ginger
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Water
Instructions
Preheat oven to 320 F.
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and form a ball with the dough.
Roll the dough out until flat and use a cookie cutter to cut out the individual treats. I didn't have a miniature cookie cutter on hand, so I just used a jar cap as a makeshift cutter. Feel free to get creative!
Place your treats onto your baking tray and bake for 25 minutes.
Turn oven off after the 25 minutes are done and leave the treats in the oven for 45 more minutes, or until crisp.
Recipe courtesy of Pretty Fluffy.
4. Doggie Breath Mints
Does your dog's breath leave something to be desired? Then these treats are for you! These doggie breath mints are easy to make, taste delicious, and have the added bonus of freshening even the stinkiest dog-breath.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats, (optional whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
1 large egg (see tip below for dogs with allergies to chicken products)
1/4 cup of water, plus 1 teaspoon
3 tablespoons coconut oil (unrefined extra-virgin is best)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325° F
Add oats to a blender and pulse to a flour like consistency. In a large bowl whisk together diced parsley and mint, egg, water, and oil. Add oat flour and stir to combine. Knead dough a few times then turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
Using your hands or a rolling pin, flatten dough to about 1/8? thick. Using a cookie cutter or knife cut out approximately 40 (1-inch mints) mints. Place mints about 1/4-inch apart on a parchment lined or non-stick cookie sheet. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
Allow mints to cool completely before serving. Store in an airtight container.
Recipe courtesy of SkinnyMS.
5. Paw Print Dog Treats
These treats are essentially crackers for your dog. Made from many of the same ingredients as bread (with some dog-inspired modifications), these will be a breeze for any baker to make. These treats are so cute you might be inspired to re-create some human-friendly versions of them!
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup brewer's yeast
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Combine flour, wheat germ, brewer's yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Place canola oil in a large bowl. Add flour mixture to oil in 3 additions, alternating with 1 cup stock; mix until combined.
Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 2 minutes (dough will be sticky). Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out rounds using a 2-inch fluted cutter. Transfer to baking sheets. Make an indentation towards the bottom of 1 circle using your thumb, then press dough to make an arch of 4 small circles on top of the thumbprint using the tip of your pinky. Repeat with remaining rounds. Freeze for 15 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating sheets and lightly brushing with remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock halfway through. Turn oven off, and let stand in oven for 40 minutes.
Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart.
6. Almond Oatmeal Hypoallergenic Dog Treat
Dog food allergies are no fun. Between the itching, the dry skin, upset stomach, or any of the other unpleasant symptoms, it can be tempting to forego treats altogether. But before you swear your dog off treats, try this hypoallergenic dog treat recipe. It may be just what you're looking for!
Ingredients
1 Cup Rice Flour
½ Cup Oatmeal
½ Cup Almond Butter
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp. Water
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350?.
In a bowl combine all ingredients except the water and mix until thoroughly combined. Add water a teaspoon at a time until a dough comes together.
Roll the dough out to ¼ inch thickness on a floured surface and cut into desired shapes.
Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350? until slightly browned on the bottoms, about 12 minutes.
Remove and let cool. Store in an airtight container.
Recipe courtesy of DogVills.
7. Banana-Almond Puppy Treats
When you're training a new puppy, you end up going through treats pretty quickly. This isn't such a big deal if you know the treats are made of healthy, wholesome ingredients like the ones in this recipe. These treats are so tasty, we won't judge you if you want to sneak a few for yourself. We hear they taste like mini banana bread bites!
Ingredients
1 Organic Pasture Raised Egg
3/4 Cup Unsalted Almond Butter
1/3 of an Organic Banana
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Use a fork to mash the banana in a medium/large size bowl. Once mashed, add in the rest of the ingredients and mix together with a fork until blended. The batter consistency should be very thick and gooey - this will not resemble your normal treat dough.
Spoon out dime-sized dollops onto your parchment paper and place in the oven for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn the pan and bake for another 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool. These should last for approximately 5-7 days.
Recipe courtesy of Pretty Fluffy.
8. Diabetic Dog Treats
If you have a diabetic dog, you know how difficult it can be to find tasty treats for them to enjoy. The best way to ensure that the treats you give are diabetic-safe and tasty is to make them yourself. These require a bit more preparation than other treats on this list, but they're worth it - dogs love them!
Ingredients
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 pounds beef liver, cut into pieces
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper.
Place the liver into a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. If you have room, add the flour and eggs, and process until smooth. Otherwise, transfer to a bowl, and stir in the flour and eggs using a wooden spoon. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.
Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the center is firm. Cool, and cut into squares using a pizza cutter. The treats will have a consistency similar to a sponge. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Recipe courtesy of All Recipes.
9. Frozen Apple Dog Treat
These icy treats are perfect for the long dog days of summer. All you need is three common household ingredients and an ice cube tray and you're ready to go! Trust us, your pooch will thank you for these frozen dog treats.
Ingredients
2 Apples
1 Cup Greek Nonfat Plain Yogurt
Water
Instructions
Slice 2 apples into small pieces but remove the seeds and the core.
Mix the apple slices, yogurt, and a splash of water in your NutriBullet or blender and blend until you get a liquid consistency.
Pour the mixture into an ice cube tray and freeze for a few hours or until hard.
Notes
Recommend to only feeding your dog one "cube" at a time.
You can put the leftover treats into a Tupperware container and store them in the freezer.
Recipe courtesy of Irresistible Pets.
10. Peanut Butter and Apple Sauce Cookies
With only five ingredients and 25 minutes of baking time, it's easy to make these treats as often as necessary. Plus, you're able to use cookie cutters to cut the homemade dog biscuits into different shapes, like this bone-shaped cookie, which will provide endless possibilities for themed treats!
Ingredients
3 c whole wheat flour
2 c quick-cook oats
1 c peanut butter (smooth or chunky, your choice!)
1 c unsweetened organic applesauce
1 t baking powder
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients well.
Knead dough on a lightly floured surface. If the dough is too loose and crumbly, you can add a teaspoon of olive oil at this point.
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thick and then cut into shapes with cookie cutters.
If you don't want to use cookie cutters, simply make small dough balls.
Place cookies on baking sheet, approximately 1/2 inch apart.
Bake in preheated over for approximately 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
Let cool and then serve.
Notes
Store uneaten cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
Recipe courtesy of The Lazy Pit Bull.
There you have it! Our top homemade dog treat recipes. These are just a small sample of the hundreds of thousands of DIY dog treat recipes you can find in cookbooks and online today. If you've made your way through this list we challenge you to go find more to test your hand at making. Your dog will thank you for it!
Dogs aren't the only animal that enjoys homemade treats, however. There are plenty of recipes available that teach you how to make homemade food for any of the animals in your life. Just take a look at how easy it is to make your own chicken feed!
Have you baked any of these treats? Tell us on the Wide Open Pets Facebook page!
This article was previously published on April 9, 2019.
READ MORE: Baking Homemade Dog Treats Is Simple With a Bake-A-Bone Treat Maker
