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10 Homemade Dog Treat Recipes (Vet-Approved)

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Want to learn how to make homemade dog treats from the comfort of your home? Youll be able to choose each ingredient, save money, and cook specifically for your pups preferences. The best news is that dog treat recipes are typically simple and easy to follow.

Keep reading to find 10 amazing dog treat recipes for dogs of all ages. Spoil your dog with healthy and delicious homemade dog treats! Whether you want to make a healthy dog treat, replace your pups favorite brand of dog biscuits, or cook up a soft dog treat, weve got you covered.

Keeping your dog healthy is important, so youll want to choose a healthy dog treat recipe. That means avoiding ingredients that arent good for dogs! Scroll down to find our favorite healthy treat recipes:

The Top 10 Homemade Dog Treat Recipes:

Healthy Dog Treat Recipes

1. Oat and Apple Pretzel Dog Treat Recipe

What could be cuter than a doggie pretzel? This easy recipe just needs four ingredients: oat flour, rolled oats, applesauce, and an egg. So healthy and simple, you might want to try one!

2. Cranberry & Oat Treats

Whether or not its a special Day, your pup will appreciate these delicious and healthy cranberry dog treats. Made with gluten-free oats, flaxseed, and antioxidant-rich cranberries, these dog-friendly cookies come together in minutes.

3. Pumpkin Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Help your pup celebrate fall with these tasty treats! While you sip on a PSL, your dog can enjoy treats made with pumpkin and peanut butter. The best news? These treats are a lot like cookies, so youll have no trouble throwing them together quickly.

4. Breath-Freshening Dog Treats

Does your dog have bad breath? This recipe from Health Starts in the Kitchen has some unusual ingredients (like parsley and activated charcoal), but it will approximate Greenies and save you quite a bit of money!

Peanut Butter Dog Biscuit Recipes:

If youre looking for traditional dog biscuitrecipes, youre in the right place! These easy recipes will help you make crunchy biscuits with all kinds of shapes and flavors!

5. Peanut Butter Dog Biscuit Recipe

With the help of a fun cookie cutter, you can whip up peanut butter biscuits pretty enough to give as a gift! Throw these simple biscuits in the oven and youll have crispy treats in about 20 minutes.

6. Bacon Glazed Biscuits

These biscuits are pretty, full of great ingredients, and easy to make. But what puts them over the top is the glaze, a mixture of peanut butter and bacon fat. What dog could resist that?

7. Spinach, Carrot, & Zucchini Dog Biscuits

If youre looking for something a little more veggie-heavy, you might want to try this recipe. It incorporates carrots, spinach, and zucchini, plus pumpkin, peanut butter, and oats, into a classic-looking dog biscuit!

Soft Dog Treat Recipes:

Does your dog prefer soft treats? Here are some of the best soft dog treat recipes, including donuts and cupcakes!

8. No-Bake Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Looking for a soft dog treat recipe thats quick and easy? Try this one from Live Laugh Rowe, which uses coconut oil and peanut butter. Your dog will thank you!

9. Carrot Peanut Butter Pupcakes

If you and your dog are celebrating, why not roll out the pupcakes? These soft, dog-friendly cupcakes have a tasty peanut butter yogurt frosting and you can top them with homemade dog biscuits for extra flair!

10. Peanut Butter Bacon Donuts

These doggie donuts look sweet and good enough to eat but dont be fooled! Theyre savory treats made with oats, peanut butter, and a sprinkling of bacon bits. Guaranteed to be a hit!

Homemade Dog Treats: Conclusion

Now you know how to make homemade dog treats with these 10 delicious recipes! Whether youre looking for soft dog treats or homemade dog biscuits, these recipes will turn you into a doggie chef before you know it. What you feed your dog is important, and this way you can control every ingredient. Just remember these are still treats and as such, they should only be fed in moderation since they are not a complete and balanced diet and they do add up the calories. Gone are the days of having to buy expensive dog treats!

Prefer to skip the cooking? Choose from our favorite dog treat brands!

Featured Image Credit: The team at Hepper

How to Make Homemade Dog Treats

When your dog is a picky eater or has a restrictive diet,it can be tough finding yummy treats that are inexpensive. Thankfully, almost anyone can make homemade dog treats from the comforts of their kitchens, including the popular pyramid dog treats that make lots of tiny treats in one batch.

Homemade dog treats have benefits beyond being budget-friendly. With DIY treats, you know exactly what foods your dog is eating. Along with being free from harmful ingredients, homemade dog snacks can make great training treats, especially when made in smaller sizes.But before whipping out your cookie sheet and mixer, be sure to check with your veterinarian to make sure your dog has no allergies to any ingredients.

For owners interested in making homemade dog treats, weve put together some of our favorite baking accessories, tips, and must-try recipes.

Homemade Pyramid Dog Treats

Pyramid dog treats are homemade dog treats that are made with asilicone pyramid baking sheet. While these easy-to-clean silicone baking sheets werent originally made for dog treats, theyve become popular among dog lovers because they can make big batches of small treats appropriate for training sessions. The recipes for these kinds of treats usually call for tapioca flour, which helps the treats stay together without crumbling. Tapioca flour is an ingredient that agrees with most dogs.

When you flip over the baking sheet, you can fill it with a range of recipes that will easily pop out from the silicone sheet once youre finished. Some molds can make up to 500 treats in one batch! Along with the basic pyramid mold, there are also a lot of fun different shapes of silicone sheet molds to try. Here are some baking sheets to try out.

This simple, pyramid-shaped mat will make treats that pop out easily and clean up quickly.

If youre looking for something a little more traditional, these mini dog bones are perfect for DIY dog treats.

These paw molds are safe to use in the oven, refrigerator, freezer, and dishwasher. Plus, the silicone material means wet ingredients wont stick to the mold.

Want to have a lot of fun shapes and sizes? This pack comes with a range of molds, including hearts, bears, stars, and shells.

Key Ingredients for Homemade Dog Treats

Another great thing about making homemade dog treats is that you probably already have most of the key ingredients in your house. Many recipes require things such as oatmeal, eggs, flour, water, or broth. Add some flavor as well as vitamins, protein, and fiber with peanut butter (free of artificial sweeteners likexylitol), pureed pumpkin, apples, carrots, sweet potato, and cheese to create delicious cookies any dog would love.

Homemade Dog Treat Recipes

Once you order a pan, try out some of these popular recipes. From bacon treats to peanut butter, here are some popular pyramid dog treat recipes for beginners to try.

Bacon Pyramid Pan Treats

Does your dog love bacon? Try this simple bacon dog treats recipe by Michelle Taylor. With just four ingredients, this is a great homemade treat for beginners, one that your dog is sure to love.

Ingredients:

• package of bacon
• 2 eggs
• 150 grams ofgluten-free flour
• Water (to thin)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Blend the bacon and eggs.
3. Add flour. Stir in water if the batter needs to thin.
4. Smooth the batter over the baking mat and bake for 8 minutes.
5. Once cooled, cut the treats into bite-sized pieces or dump out.

Baked Chicken Treats

For an easy, no-fuss recipe, try these baked chicken homemade dog treats from Eileen Anderson. Once baked, you can refrigerate or freeze the treats.

Ingredients:

• 110-ounce can of chicken, including liquid
• 2 eggs
• 1 cuptapioca flour
• cup of white flour
• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Blend chicken and eggs in a food processor.
3. Pour the mixture into a bowl, and stir in flour and oil. This batter should be a little thicker than pancake batter but still pourable.
4. Spread the batter onto the silicone mold on a cookie sheet, making sure its in the holes, and then scrape it off the dividers.
5. Bake for 12 minutes.
6. Once cooled, turn over the mold and dump the treats out.
7. You can bag up the treats and refrigerate or freeze.

Peanut Butter Treats

Peanut butter is a favorite for many dogs, and a common, tasty ingredient in homemade dog treats. If your dog loves that nutty flavor, give these peanut butter treats from Eileen Anderson a try.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• cup peanut butter powder
• cup white flour
• cup tapioca flour
• cup water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Mix the ingredients until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into the pan.
4. Bake for 12 minutes or until the treats are soft but still drawing away from the side of the pan.
5. Once cooled, stretch the pan and dump the treats out.

Apple-Cheddar Dog Biscuits

To make something a little different and mix in some unique ingredients, take a look at this recipe for apple-cheddar dog biscuits from Martha Stewart.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups barley flour
• cup old-fashioned oatmeal
• cup shredded cheddar cheese
• cup grated Parmesan cheese
• cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients and about 3 tablespoons water to form a dough. Roll out mixture between two sheets of plastic wrap to -inch thick. Remove plastic wrap and cut out biscuits with a 3-inch bone-shaped cookie cutter. Re-roll scraps and continue cutting out biscuits.
3. Space biscuits 1 inch apart on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until nicely browned and firm.
4. Transfer biscuits to a wire rack. Turn off the oven and place biscuits on a wire rack in the oven overnight. Remove from oven and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Cheese and Sardine Pyramid Pan Dog Treats

These tasty dog treats by Michelle Taylor only have a handful of ingredients and are easy to make. Sardines are a great single-ingredient source of protein, and many dogs cant resist cheese. Its a win-win.

Ingredients:

1 can of sardines 2 eggs 150 grams of grated Parmesan cheese Handful of roasted vegetables 75 grams of tapioca flour (or plain flour) Water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 320F.2. Blend all the ingredients in a blender to make a thick batter. Add water as needed to make thicker.3. Smooth the mixture over the baking mat and bake for about 15 minutes or until crispy.4. Once cooled, cut into small pieces.

Remember, you should always check with your vet before giving your dog anything other than dog food, commercial dog treats, and prescribed medication. Once youre in the clear, purchase a fun baking sheet, try a recipe, and rest easy knowing exactly what youre feeding your dog.

20 Most Healthy Homemade Dog Food Recipes

When done right, healthy homemade dog food can offer your pet well-rounded nutrition. It's particularly beneficial for special needs dogs, like those with kidney or heart disease, obese dogs, and liver issues.

Try some of these most healthy homemade dog food recipes below to spice up your pet's diet.

Discuss These Healthy Homemade Dog Food Recipes with a Vet

Before changing a dogs diet, particularly if your pet has serious health conditions, always discuss this change with your vet.

Show them this list of recipes, let them know what you plan to feed your dog, and ask for their input on healthy variations.

There's no healthy homemade dog food recipe that's a perfect fit for every dog.

While these recipes can sometimes be a better choice than commercial diets.

Feeding this way can also be detrimental to your pet's health if you're not paying attention to the nutritional content of these meals and comparing them with nutritional requirements.

Well-balanced meals are key. For example, if your homemade dog food meal contains too many vitamins, it could cause vitamin toxicity.

On the other hand, if it doesn't provide the dog with enough nutrients, it will cause nutrient deficiency or malnutrition.

You must also know how much to feed your dog and what portions of these healthy homemade dog food recipes are appropriate.

Know also what supplements you'll need to include to make up for the lack of nutrients that your pet requires.

MORE RECIPES: 50 Best Homemade Dog Food Recipes

20 Most Healthy Homemade Dog Food Recipes

1. Turkey, Rice, and Greens Dog Food

Ingredients:

• 3 lb. ground turkey
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 shredded carrots
• 3 cups chopped spinach
• cup peas
• 1 cups rice
• 1 shredded zucchini

Directions:

Cook the rice according to package directions, as you have to do with a few of the other healthy homemade dog food recipes on this list. Heat the oil in a large pot and brown the turkey. Crumble the cooked turkey, then stir all ingredients together. Cook the food until the spinach is wilted and the mixture is heated through. Cool before serving.

SIMILAR: Ground Turkey and Lentil Dry Dog Food

2. Tapioca and Egg Dog Food

Ingredients:

• 3 whole chicken eggs
• Calcium carbonate dosed as directed.
• 1 Tbsp. chicken fat
• 2 cups cooked tapioca
• Multi-vitamin and mineral tab. dosed as directed.

Directions:

Hard boil the eggs and allow them to cool completely. Add the chicken fat to a skillet and combine all ingredients while heating. Dice the hard-boiled eggs, and add them to the pan. Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Allow cooling completely before serving.

3. Salmon and Broccoli Dog Food

Ingredients:

• 2 portions salmon with skin
• 1 head broccoli
• 3 potatoes
• 2 carrots
• 1 squash
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions:

Chop your broccoli, squash, and carrots and steam until cooked. Shave potatoes and bake in the oven until cooked through. Cook salmon in 1 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet. Once everything is cooked, allow it to cool and mix together well before feeding.

4. Beef, Beans and Veggies Dog Food

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 cups rice
• 1 cups squashed diced
• 15 oz. drained/rinsed canned kidney beans
• cup peas
• 1 cups carrots chopped

Directions:

Add all ingredients and 4 cups of water to a slow cooker. Stir. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 hours, stirring periodically. Turn off the heat and stir. Let cool completely before serving.

5. Meat Muttfins for Dogs

Ingredients:

• 1lb ground beef
• 1 cups rice
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 8 eggs
• 2 grated potatoes
• 2 chopped celery stalks
• 4 grated carrots
• cup olive oil
• 3 cups water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 F and grease 36 muffin cups.Add rice and water to a saucepan and cook according to package directions. Let rice cool completely. Mix together carrots, potatoes, beef, celery, and eggs and stir well. Add the other ingredients and mix. Spoon mixture into muffin cups and cook for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Allow to cool before serving.

WATCH:Grain Free Homemade Dog Food

Healthy Homemade Dog Food Recipes

6. Muttloaf Dog Food Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef (lean is best)
• cup cottage cheese
• 1 cups rolled oats
• 2 eggs
• 1 cups shredded mixed vegetables

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F.Using your hands, combine all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Grease a loaf pan and gently press the ingredients into the pan. Bake for 40 minutes. Cool then slice before serving.

7. Chicken Cake for Dogs

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. minced chicken
• 1 cup rice
• 1 egg
• 1 apple
• cup corn
• cup peas
• cup carrots

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 340F. Cook the peas, carrots, and corn on the stove until tender. Peel the apple and chop. Cook rice according to package directions. Use a potato masher to mash the vegetables. Add the egg to the vegetables WITH shell and mash completely.

Mix the chicken apple together in a clean bowl and combine thoroughly. Add cooked rice to the vegetable mix. Grease the cake pan and layer half the chicken mix in the bottom of the pan.

Layer 2/3 of the vegetable mixture over the chicken. Use the leftover chicken to make another layer. Top the cake with the leftover vegetable mix. Cook for 35 min or until cooked through. Cool before slicing and serving.

SIMILAR: Best Homemade Dog Food Recipe with Chicken and Rice

8. Salmon Scramble for Dogs

Ingredients:

• 3 oz. cooked skinless, boneless salmon
• 2 eggs
• cup chopped spinach
• 1 tsp olive oil

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Cook salmon and spinach in the skillet until heated. Break eggs into the skillet and stir while cooking for 2 mins. Mix together, remove from heat and allow to cool before serving.

9. Chicken and Greens Skillet Dog Food

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. chicken breast sliced.
• 1 cup quinoa
• 3 handfuls green beans
• 3 cups chopped kale
• 2 zucchinis chopped

Directions:

Cook the quinoa according to package directions then set it aside to cool. Add chicken slices to a skillet and cook until browned. Add vegetables to the skillet and stir. Mix in the cooked quinoa. Allow cooling completely before serving. This is one of the simplest healthy homemade dog food recipes to prepare.

10. Turkey Egg Meatloaf for Dogs

Ingredients:

• ground turkey
• cup rolled oats
• 3 hard-boiled eggs
• 2 raw eggs
• cup peas
• cup chopped carrots

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine the carrots, turkey, and peas in a bowl and mix well. Stir in the raw egg and oats and mix with your hands to get a loaf-like mixture. Grease a loaf pan and spoon half the ingredients into the pan. Add the hard-boiled eggs to the center-line of the pan then cover with remaining ingredients. Cook for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Cool completely before slicing.

Healthy Homemade Dog Food Recipes

11. Chicken and Rice for Tummy Aches

Ingredients:

• 2lb. ground chicken
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 3 peeled, diced carrots
• cup canned butternut squash
• 1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed

Directions:

Cook chicken thoroughly in a skillet. Drain chicken fat and set aside. Blend eggs in a blender with a shell then stir into the chicken. Cook chicken and egg mix until cooked through.

Add 2/3 cup chicken mixture, 2 tbsp. carrots, 1/3 cup rice, and 1/3 cup chicken broth to blender and puree. Mix leftover chicken with carrots and rice in a large bowl. Stir in puree until combined thoroughly. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and spoon out round portions. Allow cooling completely before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

12. Beef and Liver Homemade Dog Food

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. ground beef
• 3 oz. finely chopped liver
• 4 cups rice
• 2 beaten eggs
• 2 cups chopped mixed vegetables
• 9 cups water
• cup rolled oats
• 2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
• cup milk
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions:

Add the water, rice, and oats to a large saucepan and bring to boil. Stir in the remaining ingredients and reduce heat to low. Cook 20 mins or until water has absorbed completely. Spread the mixture in a container to cool. Once cool, cut into servings and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

SIMILAR: Homemade Ground Beef Dog Food Recipe

13. Healthy Thanksgiving Dinner for Dogs

Ingredients:

• cup cooked diced white meat turkey (NEVER use deli meats)
• cup plain mashed potato
• 2 whole eggs
• cup steamed vegetables of your choice

Directions:

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a saucepan. Whisk the egg into the mashed potatoes. Stir potatoes, veggies, and turkey together to mix. Cook in the pan while stirring until eggs are cooked thoroughly. Cool thoroughly before serving.

14. Homemade Winter Stew for Dogs

Ingredients:

• l beef stew meat
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 potato
• cup chopped carrots
• cup flour
• cup water
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions:

Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks. Bake the potato chunks until firm but tender. Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook beef through. Set cooked beef aside and add the water and flour to the skillet. Stir while heating until you get a gravy. Mix in the rest of your ingredients into your gravy and cook until heated through. Allow cooling before serving.

SIMILAR: Beef Stew Homemade Dog Food

15. Turkey Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 25lb. ground turkey
• 1 cup rice
• 2 cored/seeded apples chopped
• carrots peeled, chopped
• peas

Directions:

Another of the most healthy homemade dog food recipes, this Turkey Chicken Casserole is easy to prepare. Add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker and cover with water. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours. Turn off heat and stir thoroughly. Allow to cool and mash slightly before serving.

Healthy Homemade Dog Food Recipes

16. Homemade Doggy Omelette

Ingredients:

• cup cooked salmon fillet sliced
• 2 eggs
• diced green pepper

Directions:

Add a little olive oil to a skillet and heat on medium. Whisk the eggs before adding to the heated skillet. Cook slightly before adding the salmon and peppers. Fold the egg in half and cook until cooked through. Remove from heat and cool before serving.

RELATED: 20 Pros and Cons of Homemade Dog Food Recipes

17. Doggy Meatballs Recipe

Ingredients:

• ground beef
• cup cored, seeded apples grated
• cup honey
• 2 Tbsp. Omega oil
• 1 Tbsp. parsley flakes

Directions:

One of the easiest healthy homemade dog food recipes to prepare, you simply use your hands to combine all of the ingredients together thoroughly for this one. Break ingredients into small pieces and roll into meatballs. Cook through in a skillet or bake in the oven until cooked. Allow the meatballs to cool completely before serving.

18. Healthy Sardine Cakes for Dogs

Ingredients:

• 2 x 3.75oz. cans sardines in water
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 cups plain mashed potatoes
• 1 egg
• 1 Tsp. dill seed
• Tsp. ground eggshell
• 1 Tsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. parsley

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain the sardines completely and chop. Add all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Use your hands to make cakes out of the ingredients. Place the cakes on the baking sheet and bake for 10 mins on each side or until golden brown. Allow cooling before serving.

SIMILAR: Egg and Rice Homemade Dog Food

19. Healthy Chicken and Turnip Greens

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken leg quarters
• 1 cup low sodium chicken stock
• 12 oz. pureed carrots
• 8 oz. pureed peas
• 8 oz. pureed squash
• 18 oz. chopped turnip greens
• Tsp. ground eggshell
• Tsp. turmeric

Directions:

This is one of the healthy homemade dog food recipes that takes a little work to prepare, but it will pay off when you see Fido enjoying it. First, boil the chicken in a large soup pot until cooked through. Set the liquid aside and let the chicken cool slightly. Remove chicken meat from the skin and bones. Shred the chicken meat, throw out the skin and bones.

Combine all ingredients together in the soup pot including leftover chicken stock and stir. Cook on low until everything has cooked through. Cool before serving.

20. Low-Fat Shepherds Pie Bites for Dogs

Ingredients:

• ground beef
• 1 1/3 cup plain mashed potatoes
• cup peas
• cup peeled, chopped carrots
• cup breadcrumbs
• Tsp. ground eggshell
• 1 Tsp. parsley
• cup shredded low-fat

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375.Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until well mixed. Divide mixture between 12 muffin cups. Bake for 15 to 30 minutes or until cooked through. Cool before serving.

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