No matter the temperature outside, frozen dog treats are always a hit! Use items you already have in your kitchen to whip up some homemade, budget-friendly goodies for your working or Service Dog.
Frozen dog treats are far more simple to make than most people would imagine. Commercial varieties often cost $3 or more per treat, which makes them unaffordable for many teams. All you need are a few simple ingredients and an ice cube tray, and you’ll be on your way to a happy dog!
Silicone ice cube trays or baking molds work really well for frozen dog treats. They’re easy to find, inexpensive, and simple to clean. You can get 2oz pawprint molds on Amazon for under $5. Here’s another dog themed mold eligible for Amazon PRIME shipping. Finally, here’s a two pack of bones and pawprints for making large treats.
Ingredients for Frozen Dog Treats
Frozen dog treats use a simple premise. Take a base that will freeze solid enough to handle with ease and then add accents like fruit, cheese, shredded meats, nuts, kibble, peanut butter, etc — possibilities are endless! Use ingredients your dog will like and add tidbits with some health benefits. Some ideas for the base include plain yogurt, pumpkin, wet dog food, applesauce, avocado, and parmesan cheese mixed into water to form a paste. You need something dog-friendly with high moisture content that’s soft when not frozen.
These paw-shaped frozen dog treats use a blend of pumpkin and plain Greek yogurt with chunks of apple and shredded turkey as the accents.
You can also blend bases. Yogurt mixes really well with pumpkin, peanut butter, or both. Applesauce is great with pumpkin or mashed bananas and peanut butter. Don’t be afraid to get creative – your dog will love trying new treats! Texture will vary depending on your ingredients and how you mix them. If you blend everything in a blender, they’ll be much smoother than if you mix them with a spoon or swirl them. Different dogs like different things, so go ahead and experiment.
Accent ideas for frozen dog treats are endless. Berries, bananas, shredded carrot or sweet potato, chunks of meat or cheese, kibble, green beans . . . . the list is limited only by safety and things your dog likes! Any ingredients you add should be low-sodium, chemical or additive free, and free of artificial sweeteners of all kinds. Avoid grapes, raisins, onions, and other unsafe foods.
Frozen Dog Treats Instructions
Once you’ve selected your ingredients, grab a mixing bowl and a spoon. Mix or blend your bases. Spoon enough of the mixture into the mold to cover the bottom of each section. Next, add your accent foods to the bowl. Stir thoroughly to evenly distribute them throughout the remaining mixture. Use your spoon to fill each mold section to the top, making sure to smooth the treats across and scrape excess mixture away from the edges.
Finally, consider any additional add-ins. Does your dog take a daily pill? Put the pill in the center of the treat. How about powdered joint supplements, like Nature Farmacy’s PhytoFlex? Stir a day’s worth or half a day’s worth into each section with a toothpick. As long as your add-in isn’t bitter, your dog probably won’t even notice it’s there.
Freeze your treats until solid, which is about 4 hours for most bases. Pop them out of the mold once they’re finished, and label a baggie with “DOGS” and any medicinal ingredients in the mix. Even if there isn’t medicine in the treats, label the baggie with “DOGS” – lots of these treats look good enough for people to consider trying! Place all the treats in the baggie and store in the freezer. Share one or two a day with your pet, depending on size.
