The next best thing to finding your pup’s favorite treats at the store is making your own! Making your own treats ensures that you know exactly what ingredients are going into what you feed your dog. It also guarantees no preservatives, additives, or dangerous/harmful ingredients that sneak past you on the packaging. Before making your own treats, however, make sure you know exactly what you dog can and can’t eat– i.e. allergies or anything your pup has had a reaction to in the past. These three recipes below are healthy, tasty, and fun, and they’re sure to put a smile on your dog’s face!
To make sure that we’re providing you with the best treat recipes, I’ve made each of the three below, and added pictures of my own.
Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Treats
These Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Treats are the perfect fall snack for your dog! You can cook them longer (30-40 mins) for a crunchier bite, or less (20-25 mins) for a soft chew. Once the treats come out of the oven, let them cool for 20 minutes before feeding to your dog. Be sure to make it very clear to your dog that it’s a treat– my dog took it in his mouth and ran around the house for 15 minutes before realizing he could actually eat it. Once he discovered it was edible, of course, he loved it.
Ingredients:
- 1 can pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup peanut butter (MUST BE ALL NATURAL– any peanut butter with Xylitol is highly toxic and dangerous, so be sure to read the ingredient list before adding peanut butter. Read more here.)
- 2 cups whole wheat (or all-purpose) flour
*The recipe calls for pumpkin spice or cinnamon, but I left mine out. Before using any spice, make sure you know what allergies your dog has, and/or if your dog has had a reaction to any spices in the past.
You can find the baking instructions here.
Apple Crunch Pupcakes
Autumn isn’t only the season of pumpkins, it’s prime time for any and all apple baked goods. These Apple Crunch Pupcakes are sure to spice up your dog’s day.
Ingredients:
- 2 ¾ cups water
- ¼ cup applesauce (unsweetened)
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 egg
- 4 cups whole wheat (or all-purpose) flour
- 1 cup dried apple chips
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
*This recipe calls for vanilla extract, but I recommend NOT using it, as too much vanilla extract is actually toxic and harmful for dogs. Read more here.
You can find the full recipe here.
Pupkin Spice Latte
Here’s another pumpkin treat for your furry friend, because it’s pumpkin season! Also, pumpkin is full of nutrients and has many health benefits for dogs. This treat has a strong resemblance to the Puppuccino– but is definitely tastier and healthier.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup coconut or goat milk (I used coconut)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- Dash of ground ginger
- Dash of cinnamon
- Organic whipped cream (optional; must be organic or hand-whipped)
You can get the full recipe here— this blog’s presentation is much more exciting and true to its origins. I hand-whipped the whipped cream for this recipe, and didn’t add any sugars. If you choose this method, all you need is heavy whipping cream and a whisk (or hand mixer). Whisk on high speed for a few minutes until ridges in the cream become visible.
If you have leftover whipped cream, you can morph it into a Puppuccino, or add sugar and make a little treat for yourself!
Storing treats:
- Seal in an airtight container; treats last for about 3 days
- Store in freezer: lasts up to 6 months. Let treats thaw for 20 minutes before giving to your dog.
*BEFORE YOU BAKE: watch out for dog allergies, research what allergies your specific breed might have, and don’t include any ingredient that your dog has reacted to badly in the past!
The post 3 Fun and Healthy Homemade Dog Treat Recipes appeared first on Lilly Brush.
