10 EASY DOG TREAT RECIPES
10 EASY DOG TREAT RECIPES
It’s no secret that dogs love treats. A greyt way to take advantage of this extra time at home -- make some home-made treats. Start simple if you’re a novice like me. Here are some recipes for yummy treats that have four ingredients or less; some are baked and some frozen. Don’t worry if they aren’t perfect, your dog will still love them. *denotes soft treats that are perfect for older dogs.
LIVER DOG TREATS
1 lb raw chicken livers, not drained
2 eggs
1 regular (or 2 small Jiffy) corn muffin mixes
Put livers and eggs in a blender/food processor and blend until smooth. Stir into corn muffin mix until well blended. Line a cookie sheet with edges (jelly roll pan) with parchment or waxed paper. Pour in the mixture and spread it flat. It should be less than 1/2 inch thick. Bake at 350F for 35 minutes or until done. Turn oven off and leave overnight. Then lift the whole thing out with the parchment paper. Flip it over onto a large cutting board and peel off the parchment. Use a pizza cutter to cut into appropriate sized treats for your dogs. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freeze.
SWEET POTATO FRIES
1 sweet potato
1 tbsp coconut oil (melted) or olive oil
Spices - turmeric, cinnamon (these are safe for dogs)
Preheat oven to 425F. Wash and peel the sweet potato. Cut the sweet potato into evenly sized long skinny (fry shaped) pieces. Coat with oil and spices - Mix in a large bowl or zip top bag. Place fries on baking sheet in one layer. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping over half way. Let cool before giving to your dog!
DOG “BROWNIES” *
1 can sardines in oil (approximately 4 oz.)
½ cup meat leftovers, tuna, dog food crumbs, or combination of other leftovers like potatoes, Parmesan cheese, or vegetables (not avocado or onion)
1-2 eggs, depending on the moistness of your other ingredients
1 cup tapioca flour/starch, or a mixture of tapioca and other flour
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper. Puree everything except flour in food processor. In a large bowl, mix puree with enough flour to make a dough that you can handle. Take about a tablespoon of dough in your hands and form into a patty. Or pat into the bottoms of paper lined muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or till a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into squares. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.
OATMEAL APPLE PRETZEL DOG TREATS
2 cups oat flour, or other flour
3/4 cup oatmeal
1 egg beaten
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Beat egg and set aside. Combine applesauce, oat flour, and oatmeal in a large bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the egg, and pour the rest over the mixture. Stir the mixture until a dough forms. The dough should be tacky but not overly sticky. Add a bit more or less flour if necessary. Take a two tablespoon sized piece of dough (approximate) and roll into a rod. It should be about 10 inches long and about the width of a pencil. Take each rod and make into an upside down U shape, then twist the ends together and fold back to the top. This makes the pretzel shape. Pinch the ends in to make sure they're secure. Place the pretzels onto the baking tray. Brush the top of each pretzel with the remaining egg. Bake for approximately 25 minutes until they're slightly browned and starting to crisp. Turn the oven off and leave overnight. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or freeze.
~Recipe from https://www.thecookierookie.com/
FROZEN PEANUT BUTTER DOG TREATS*
1 cup all-natural peanut butter
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
silicon paw print tray or regular ice cube tray
Be sure the coconut oil is in liquid form. If not, place coconut oil in a microwave safe dish and heat in 10 second increments until melted. Add peanut butter and cinnamon. Stir until mixture is completely smooth and thoroughly mixed. Mixture should be thick, but pourable. Pour mixture into tray and freeze until set. Carefully remove from tray and store in zip top baggies in freezer (they soften quickly).
FROZEN FRUIT DOG TREATS*
2 apples, seeded and cored*
1 cup Greek plain yogurt, or non-dairy plain yogurt
Water
Cut the apples into small pieces, and put in blender or food processor with yogurt. Add water a bit at a time till you get a liquid consistency. Pour into ice cube tray and freeze hard. Carefully remove from tray and store in zip top baggies in freezer (they soften quickly).
*Can substitute other fruit, such as berries, bananas, or melon
CHICKEN DOG BISCUITS
1 cup cooked, finely diced chicken
1/2 cup rice, cooked & mashed
3 tablespoons rice flour, or other flour
1 egg
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Mix all ingredients in a food processor, adding a little more flour if it is too sticky. Turn out on lightly floured surface and roll to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes and place on prepared sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave overnight. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or freeze. If you don’t have cookie cutters, use a shot glass, juice glass, or pizza cutter to cut squares. Or find Greyhound, squirrel, and bunny cookie cutters here https://bit.ly/GreyhoundCookieCutter.
PUMPKIN CARROT BITES
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1 cup whole wheat flour, or other flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Stir pumpkin, egg, carrots and flour in a large bowl until moistened. Roll the dough into small balls and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes.
SALMON & SWEET POTATO SQUARES*
1 can salmon
1 medium sweet potato, baked in the skin, then peeled
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup flour of choice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and fold in salmon and flour. Mash sweet potato till smooth, then add to batter. Press the batter into a greased 9x9 pan. Bake for 1 hour or till a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into squares. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.
BANANA ALMOND BITES*
1 egg
3/4 cup almond butter
1/3 banana
1 Tsp ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mash the banana in a medium size bowl. Then add in the rest of the ingredients and mix together with a fork until blended. The batter consistency should be very thick and gooey. 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. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.
~Recipe inspired by PrettyFluffy.com
You can punch up the nutrition by adding a little of the following superfoods to the above recipes: coconut, flax seed, chia seed, honey, or hemp seed oil. If you are not sure what foods are harmful to dogs, you can get a complete list here https://www.vetinfo.com/foods-poisonous-dogs.html
These recipes are for treats only and should not replace your dog’s regular food. Always keep an eye on your dog when introducing something new, and check with your vet about any questions you may have.
Please share your dog's favorite treat recipes in the comments below and thanks for reading.