These Easy Homemade Frozen Dog Treats are a budget-friendly way to keep your pup cool this summer. Made with all-natural ingredients, they’re a grain-free and gut-healthy treat your fur baby will love. Keep them in the freezer for special occasions!
Sit, Stay…Blend? The Best Frozen Treat for Dogs!
I’m a dog mom to a Vizsla named Oakley who, unfortunately, has a sensitive stomach. In fact, most Vizslas do! Luckily, I’ve learned that with the right foods, they’re super manageable. As a result, I’ve become somewhat of a pro at prepping dog food throughout the years.
Dog-Mom Tip: If you’re wondering if your pup has a sensitive stomach, read this article. Then go check their bowel movement. Yes, I just said that. 😉
While I frequently prepare everyday food for Oakley, I don’t often find myself making extra treats. Then, one day, while making Banana Coconut Milk Nice Cream to cool off from the heat in Utah, it occurred to me that my dog would probably like a sweet treat, too. So, using a few dog-friendly ingredients I had on hand, I created these Easy Homemade Frozen Dog Treats! They’re drool-worthy according to my taste-tester.
Safe Ingredients for Dog Treats
Of course, when it comes to making dog treats, it’s important to only use ingredients deemed safe for dogs. Luckily, the American Kennel Club has released a list of dog-safe human foods to ease any concerns, and I have double-checked that all of the ingredients for these frozen dog treats are listed. Even better, you likely already have them all waiting in your kitchen!
- Pumpkin Puree – If you don’t have pumpkin puree, you could use mashed sweet potato instead.
- Yogurt – Both regular yogurt and coconut yogurt are suitable for dogs. Just be sure to use a low-fat version if you opt for a dairy yogurt.
- Banana – Bananas are a great option for dogs and offer many health benefits such as potassium, vitamins, and fiber. However, due to their high sugar content, their consumption should be limited.
- Natural Peanut Butter – The healthy fats found in peanuts are super beneficial for your dog’s health. Just be sure to opt for unsalted peanut butter if possible, and never swap out peanuts or peanut butter for almond butter when it comes to making frozen peanut butter dog treats.
- Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk – While dairy milk is safe for most dogs in moderation, it is not a great option in large quantities and may cause gut issues for those who have symptoms of lactose intolerance. So, to avoid any potential issues, I recommend using oat milk or coconut milk instead.
- Honey – Honey is super beneficial for dogs and may even reduce allergy symptoms, but maple syrup works as well. You’ll want to limit the amount you use. Just 1 teaspoon is sufficient.
- Flax Seed – Full of healthy fats, flax is a great addition to any recipe for DIY frozen dog treats. Or, you can add a sprinkle of chia seeds in its place.
Extra Tasty Add-Ins & Flavors
To keep things as simple as possible for both myself and my dog, I stuck to very basic ingredients. However, that doesn’t mean you have to, too! If you want to make these treats extra tasty and nutritious for your dog, try adding in an extra ingredient or two.
Some of my dog’s favorites include: Apples, blueberries, pineapple, carrots, celery, and spinach.
How to Make Homemade Frozen Dog Treats
Once you see how easy it is to make your own frozen peanut butter dog treats, you’ll wonder why you ever bought them from the store!
- Place all the ingredients into a blender, and blend until creamy. You might need to scrape the edges of the blender to ensure all of the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Carefully pour the batter into molds of your choice. Silicone muffin pans, ice cube trays, or silicon molds all work!
- To finish, freeze the treats until firm then pop them out of the tray or mold.
- Store the treats in the freezer sealed in a ziplock bag or any light sealable container.
Pro-Tip: If you want to get super fancy, opt for a fun mold shaped as a paw print, dog bone, or more.
Tips to Keep Your Dog Cool for the Summer
In the hot summer months it can be difficult for your dog to stay hydrated, and with the intense heat, going outside to play isn’t always a great option as it could lead to overheating and burnt paws. Therefore, frozen treats like this recipe, kongs, ice cubes, and even frozen watermelon are fantastic ways to keep your pup hydrated and occupied! They also help regulate internal temperatures effectively cooling your dog down as they eat.
If you’re looking for more ways to keep your dog hydrated in warm weather, try implementing a few of these easy solutions:
- Keep multiple water bowls around.
- Add moisture to your dog’s meals with dog-friendly broths and gravies.
- Brush out any shedding hair.
- Limit your dog’s time in the sun using umbrellas when possible and altering walking times to avoid the heat.
- Invest in a kiddie pool for your dog to play.
Dog-Mom Tip: Don’t forget to monitor your dog as they eat as they don’t know how to avoid brain freeze, and limit their consumption to prevent overeating!
Common Questions
For the best results, I recommend storing these treats in a ziploc bag or any airtight container.
I would not advise storing these dog treats in the fridge as they may not hold their shape and definitely will not stay fresh for as long. Plus, keeping them frozen helps stimulate your dog’s mind as they work through how to eat the treat!
Not only is it okay to give your dog frozen treats, it’s actually good for them, especially in the summer!
Yes, all of the ingredients in this recipe are whole foods found in countless human recipes. If you wanted to get a little adventurous, you could make them as no-bake cookies for yourself, too!
More dog-friendly recipes for your pup
Easy Homemade Frozen Dog Treats
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 24 mini treats or 12 large 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These Easy Homemade Frozen Dog Treats are a budget-friendly way to keep your pup cool this summer. Made with all-natural ingredients, they’re a grain-free and gut healthy friendly treat your fur baby will love. Keep them in the freezer for special occasions!
Ingredients
- 1 cup oat or coconut milk
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
- ½ cup yogurt or coconut yogurt (not too high fat)
- 1 small banana
- 1–½ to 2 Tablespoons natural peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon raw honey
- 1 teaspoon flaxseed or flax meal
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients into the blender and blend on medium speed until creamy.
- Carefully pour the batter into the molds of your choice. Silicone muffin pan, ice cube tray, or silicon molds all work!
- Freeze for 2 hours or more. Then, pop the treat out of the mold/tray.
Notes
Storage Tip: For storage, use zip lock bags or any light sealing container. This will help the treats be stored for up to two months.
Nutrition Tip: You could use other specific types of fruits such. Use only fruits that are safe for your dog
- Prep Time: 5
- chill time: 2 hours
- Category: dog treats
- Method: freezer
- Cuisine: treat
If you make these treats, I would love to see a picture of your pup enjoying them in the comments below!
There are no quantity listed for the ingredients?
Hi Roxanne! What browser are you viewing the recipe on? I can see the amounts just fine. So it could be your cache or browser. If you push print, can you see it? Happy to email you the recipe too!
Hi, just wanted to note that ground flax (flax meal) contains very small amounts of cyanide. A human would have to consume quite a lot of flax meal to reach fatal blood toxicity levels, but lower doses can cause mild poisoning symptoms like headache, nausea, elevated heart rate and difficulty breathing. The EFSA recommends limiting daily consumption of flax meal to one tablespoon for humans. I’m not sure how much is safe for dogs but I imagine it depends on body size. I personally would swap the flax meal for whole flax seeds, which are completely safe for consumption as long as the hull remains intact. Anyway, just food for thought.
Thanks for the information! I’ll update that recipe.
love treats recipes
And so do our fur babies. 😉
I made these for my grand puppy, she loves them. She paws at the freezer letting me know she she wants more. Great recipe, thank you!
Yay! That sweet pup knows good treats when she tastes them. 😉 Thanks for sharing your recipe experience with us, Kim!
The dog went crazy for these treats, they turned out perfect!
Brilliant! I just made these for my friend’s dog who just had surgery. Such a cute gift idea!
Oh poor pup! Hope he heals fast. <3