Top 5 Easy Nutritious Homemade Dog Treat Recipes for your Dog

 

 Can you make Homemade Dog treats that are easy AND Nutritious for your Dog?

 

 

"Of Course, you can." And you're going to have so much fun making them too!

 

 

 

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Picture this...

 

 

You sit down to eat a delicious bowl of yogurt with FRESH blueberries and then THIS happens. Your Dog is staring at you.

 

 

Not ONLY staring but salivating at the mouth. Your dog wants what YOU have. Always, right!? 

 

 

Maybe you're eating that pumpkin muffin baked the night before. 

 

 

"Yep, still drooling." 

 

 

"Ok, so you want to share but you may be worried about what's inside of that baked muffin you're giving him."

 

 

There are so many food ingredients that we can eat. But your dogs cannot. 

 

 

 

I used to buy dog treats from stores, and online. The ingredients weren't always simple or nutritious. Have you ever found yourself questioning the ingredients as well? 

 

 

The cost of pet treats has gone up significantly. So, making some delicious and nutritious treats at home makes sense. And ingredients that my daughter can pronounce!

 

 

These recipes are so easy to make. And your dogs will LOVE them! "Shh...Your dogs won't even know that they are good for them."

 

 

This is where the fun starts! 

 

 

 I'm sharing some yummy nutritious dog treat recipes to try at home. 

 

 

Bring the whole family. It's a great creative way for your kids to use their imagination. 

 

 

 (Image Credits: Annmarie Holbrook)

 

The Nutritious ingredient side of Homemade Dog treats

 

• Pumpkin puree - Pumpkin is high in fiber. Packed with vitamins A, C, and E. It's great tasting and nutritious for your dog. 

 

• Organic Peanut Butter - Peanut Butter is packed with minerals and healthy fat for skin and Coat. You can place it in their sensory toy to stimulate their senses. 

 

• Kefir or Greek Yogurt - Kefir yogurt is packed with probiotics for digestion, Protein, and Calcium for strong bones and teeth.

 

• Coconut  Coconut is so beneficial for your dog. It comes in many forms like; (coconut flour, shredded coconut, coconut water, and coconut oil) If you are using the oil form, use unrefined virgin coconut oil. <side note Benefits of coconut oil are high in vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats.

 

• Cottage Cheese - Cottage cheese is a good source of protein for muscle growth and repair. Calcium for healthy bones and teeth.

 

• Blueberries - Blueberries are nature's antioxidants. Blueberries are packed with minerals, antioxidants, and Vitamin C, and are a great source of fiber.

 

• Wheatgrass - Freshens Breath, Great for digestive health and a wealth of antioxidants. Wheatgrass is a SUPERFOOD.  You can find it in a powder form to add to your dog's treats or grow it yourself! Check out How to Grow and Harvest Wheatgrass for Homemade Dog Treats.

 

 

 

"Pick your favorite recipe and freeze them in these fun-shaped silicone molds.

 

 (Image Credits: Annmarie Holbrook)

 

 My, "Dog-Approved" Yogurt Watermelon Treats for Dogs Recipe

 

 

(Featured Image Credits: Annmarie Holbrook)

 

These "Paw-cycle" shaped treats are cool and sweet for that warm summer afternoon snack. These are one of my favorites because they are so nutritious and the dogs love'em. 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 Cups of diced watermelon
• 1 Cup of plain Greek Yogurt or Kefir Yogurt
• 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh blueberries (smashed)   *  I smash them so they don't get stuck in the piping bag opening.
• 2 T Raw Honey

 

Instructions

Place Watermelon and Greek Yogurt in a blender and mix for 2 mins.

Place mixture in a bowl and fold in blueberries and honey

Spoon mixture in a piping bag

Fill mold shapes

Place in Freezer overnight or up to 4 hours, until frozen. 

Pop out of molds and keep in a sealed freezer bag in between use.

I like to place one in each of their bowls, during feeding time. 

"Enjoy dog-a-loos."

 

 

 

Notes

Keep them in the freezer, they can melt fast in the hot summer. "OH, oh..." I like to place one in my dog's food during feeding time. Great for aiding in digestion. 

 

 

My Peanut Butter Baked "Paw-Licious" Dog Cookie Recipe

 

(Featured Image Credits: Annmarie Holbrook)

 

Peanut butter is such a popular staple in baking dog treats. It's packed with protein and minerals. Your dog will go crazy over the aroma! Guaranteed! 

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup of Coconut Flour
• 1 T of Baking Powder
• 1 Cup of Organic Peanut Butter
• 1/4 Cup of Plain Greek Yogurt or Kefir yogurt
• 3/4 Cup of Water

 

Instructions

Combine the Coconut Flour and Baking powder in one bowl. Set aside.

Mix Peanut Butter, yogurt, and water in another bowl. Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients. Mix well. You can create these fun cookies for your dogs in one of two ways. One way you can create the dog-shaped cookies is to place the dough mixture on a lightly floured cutting board and roll it out to 1/4" thick.

 

"Get it close." "There's no test on this, I promise."   

 

 

Get yourself some bone-shaped cookie cutters and cut out the dough shapes. I have some cute-shaped dog cookie cutters that I purchased on Amazon. Great price and so 'freakin' adorable! 

Lay them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Let them cool and place them in a zip lock bag or container. 

 

Notes

Another great way to shape your dough is to press into the Paw & Bone shaped Silicone molds. Follow the baking instructions above. Mine turned out pretty good. I know because my dogs 'Loved 'em.

 

 

 My Homemade Banana Blueberry Yogurt Bites for Dogs

 

 (Featured Image Credits: Annmarie Holbrook)

 

"This is one of my favorite dog treats to make." It's so colorful. The dogs try to knock me down to get one in their mouth. haha

 

I like to put one in their bowls during feeding time. 

 

They are packed with vitamins and minerals. Plus probiotics from Greek yogurt aid in digestion. It's a Win-Win! 

 

Ingredients

• 1 Large Banana thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 Cup of plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt or Kefir Yogurt, plain or blueberry
• 1 Cup of Blueberries (Frozen or Fresh) crushed

 

 Instructions

Place sliced bananas and crushed blueberries in a medium-sized bowl. Add your yogurt. Fold all ingredients together to incorporate. Spoon mixture into Paw & Bone shaped silicone mold. Freeze for up to 4 hours or overnight.  Pop the frozen treats out of the molds and place them in a sealed container or a freezer bag to store in the freezer. 

 

You'll want to keep these tasty refreshing Dog treats on hand. Your dogs will LOVE them! 

 

My Frozen Pumpkin Yogurt Dog Treats

 

 (featured Image Credits: Annmarie Holbrook)

 

 You will want to put this recipe on your weekly, "To Make" list! These tasty snacks are packed with fiber and probiotics for your dog's gut health. 

 

"Trust me, they're not just for fall." For most of the snacks that you make, you can add them to your dog's bowl during feeding time. 

 

It's a great way to give them a boost of nutrition along with their regular feeding. 

 

Ingredients

• 1 - 15 OZ can of Pumpkin Puree
• 1.5 Cups of Plain Greek Yogurt or Kefir Yogurt
• 1/2 Cup of Blueberries, smashed

Instructions 

Incorporate all ingredients into a mixing bowl. Take a piping bag and cut a 1/2" small slit at the end of the Bag. Fill the piping bag with the desired amount then fill your  Paw & Bone shaped silicone molds with the ingredients. Pop the frozen treats out of the molds and place them in a sealed container or a freezer bag to store in the freezer. Give as needed. 

 

 

Note 

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 My Sweet Carrot Cottage Cheese Bites

 

 (Photo Image Credits: Annmarie Holbrook)

 

These were so fun to make! And the cottage cheese was hard NOT to eat.

 

 

I combined simple ingredients that I already had in my kitchen to make these "SUPER POWER" snacks for the dogs. 

 

 

The carrots are already naturally sweet!

 

 

Combined with the Blueberry Kefir yogurt, it gives it an even sweeter taste that will be hard to resist, even with the pickiest of eaters. 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 Cup of Kefir Blueberry yogurt. 
• 1 Cup of Low-fat or non-dairy Cottage Cheese (Good Culture Regular/Organic)
• 1 Cup of Freshly grated carrots (washed)

 

Instructions

Wash two medium-sized carrots. With the skin on, grate the entire carrot.

(Image Credits: Annmarie Holbrook)

 

 

Combine the yogurt, cottage cheese, and grated carrots in a bowl. Mix by folding ingredients with a silicone scraper spatula. 

Place a sheet of parchment paper down. Then place your desired silicone molds on the paper. Fill the Paw & Bone silicone molds with the mixture. 

The tops of the mold look a bit messy but when frozen the treat takes its shape. 

 

(Image Credits: Annmarie Holbrook) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making dog treats at home is a great way to know what is going into your dog's diet. I do not use any unnatural preservatives of any kind.

 

When you use fresh natural ingredients, this will affect the shelf life of your homemade dog treats. This means It will shorten the shelf life significantly.

 

However, you can extend the shelf life by freezing your homemade dog treats.

 

To keep your homemade dog treats fresh, place the treats in a zip-lock freezer bag or an airtight container. Place them into the freezer.  You can give them as needed. This extends the shelf life for about 3 weeks. 

 

NOTE: As with any food, sensory, or toy product, it's advised to consult with your veterinarian before starting a new diet or snack implementation for your pet.  Some pets may have pre-existing health challenges. Check out our full disclaimer here.

 

 

Have you tried these recipes? What does your beloved dog think?

 

"We both know, he's going to be the REAL critic."

 

Do you have any nutritious dog treats that you have made? Share your thoughts.