If you're worried about the fillers, artificial ingredients and potentially harmful chemicals in commercial dog treats, making your own doggy snacks is a great option. You can use top quality ingredients to make treats that are tasty and safe. These easy DIY dog treats are suitable for almost every pup, and you can make substitutions to meet your pet's needs.
It's true that it takes time to prep and cook homemade dog treats, but the benefits far outweigh this drawback. Not only can you cater the treats to your pet's needs, you also have full control over the ingredients used to make them. Do your best to purchase the healthiest ingredients – look for all-natural, organic products to include your recipes.
These easy DIY dog treats are made with peanut butter, but you could use almond butter, hazelnut butter or cashew butter instead. You could also substitute soy, coconut or oat flour for the whole wheat flour.
Easy DIY Dog Treats
These are limited ingredient treats made with just four ingredients. They're healthy for most dogs, but as I mentioned, you can make ingredient substitutions if your dog has food allergies or sensitivities.
Recipe: Easy DIY Dog Treats
Choosing the best ingredients is obviously the most important part of making homemade dog treats. You should buy the best ingredients that you can afford. The higher the quality of ingredients, the healthier the treats will be for your dog.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 48 treats 1x
- Category: Biscuit Treats
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Dog Treats
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup skim milk
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375˚F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter and milk. I use a whisk to mix them together until it's smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl, combine the baking powder and flour.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the peanut butter mixture. Fold them together until they're thoroughly combined. I roll the dough out to about 1/4″ thick and use cookie cutters to cut small treats.
You could also drop spoonfuls of the dough onto a well greased baking sheet and press the cookies down with a fork. One of the easiest ways to make treats with this dough is by putting spoonfuls into a well-greased mini muffin tray.
No matter what shape you make them, bake the treats for about 20 minutes or until they're browned and begin to crack on the top. Once they have cooled completely, you can serve them to your dog sparingly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 biscuit
- Calories: 53
- Sugar: .8 g
- Sodium: 28 mg
- Fat: 2.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 5.4 g
- Fiber: .5 g
- Protein: 2.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keep in mind that the nutrition information above is calculated on the basis that you use peanut butter, skim milk and whole wheat flour. If you substitute different ingredients, you'll have to use an online recipe calculator to get accurate nutrition information.
How to store: Store leftover treats in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 12-14 days. Remember that easy DIY dog treats do not have the preservatives that store bought products do. They will not last as long. If you'd like, you can freeze these treats in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
For More Information
We publish many homemade dog food and treats recipes every month. For more recipes, pet food cooking tips and advice, see our “Recipes” section. If you're new to home cooked dog food subject, I recommend you read more about “How Much To Feed” to understand serving sizes, “What Supplements To Use” to create well-balanced meals, and “How To Store” for tips on simple and easy homemade dog food storing in a fridge or a freezer.
