Try these natural recipes and see if your dog likes the homemade touch.
Looking for some recipes for homemade dog treats? A little scouting around will yield some results that your furry friend will likely love. Plus since you’re making them yourself, you’ll know exactly what your dog is eating.
We recently found some recipes that look tasty from the “17 Apart” blog, founded by Mary Andrews and Tim Vidra. Try these two and let us know what your pal thinks!
1. Carrot and Banana Natural Dog Treat Recipe
You can double or triple the recipe if you want to stock up, as these will last.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 bunch fresh carrots, finely chopped or grated
2-3 fresh bananas, peeled and mashed
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar (*optional, we went without)
1/2-cup cold water
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheets. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then add in carrots, bananas, egg, oil, and water until well blended into a workable dough. (Chopping both the carrots and the bananas up first in a food processor will save time and create a mash that will blend better into the rest of the base ingredients.)
Flour your workspace and roll out dough to desired thickness. (About ½ inch.) Cut treats into desired shape and size, place on baking sheet and bake 35 minutes. After baking, turn the oven off and leave cookies inside for another 30-45 minutes until crisp. Remove and let cool. Transfer to zipper bags or airtight containers and freeze to preserve freshness. Thaw completely before serving.
Find more information along with pictures here.
2. Sweet Potato Dog Chew Treats
Looking for a gluten-free and grain-free treat option? Try this one, also from 17 Apart. Sweet potatoes are healthy and nutritious for dogs, contain healthy fiber to regulate the digestive system, and when dehydrated, take dogs awhile to chew, keeping them busy and happy.
What You’ll Need
- Large sweet potatoes
- Mandoline or sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Baking sheets
- Aid of your choosing for greasing the pans
- Oven
Directions
Preheat oven to lowest setting; ideally, down to 175 degrees. (Or, use your dehydrator.) Meanwhile, slice one top off sweet potatoes to make for easier balancing when slicing. Carefully cut thick lengthwise slices of the sweet potato using a sharp knife or mandoline, about 1/3-inch thick for larger chews (you can use the crinkle cut setting on your mandoline and leave the skins on). Make the slices thick. When dehydrating, the slices are going to lose the majority of their thickness.
Grease your baking sheets and arrange slices on flat surface of pans. Place pans on top racks inside oven and let them do their thing…for a looooong time. Slowly cook and dehydrate over a period of about 8 hours, give or take. The higher your heat setting, the less amount of time you will need, though the lower the setting and longer the time, the better the overall outcome.
You can take your dehydrated chips out of the oven when they have reached your desired doneness; less amount of time for softer/chewier treats and a longer amount of time for dryer and tougher treats.
Find more information and pictures on 17 Apart.
Do you have other natural dog treat recipes? Please share.
ideally you should not feed grains to your dog. for treats i like to give bully sticks or dehydrated liver.
Since wheat and corn are unfit foods for both humans and animals (animals fed on wheat and corn live half the lifespan of one fed on natural diet) and are known factors in all disease and especially cancer I think it is time for Kevin to go back to his research and withdraw this posting until how knows a little more.
We feed/eat as close to nature as possible. (I don’t know what a “bully stick is) and I do feed certain grains (all organic and only after they’ve been soaked) but never, ever corn or soy. (They’re apparently major allergens for dogs/cats–Maybe ’cause of the prevalence of GMOs in those crops!) Also, best to make sure that you’re feeding a “vegetable oil” that is not soy, corn or canola.
Easy, pet-smart and yummy: We mix dessicated liver powder and shredded carrots into peanut butter, form into small balls and keep in the fridge. ‘Makes it easy to add other things too (herbs, medicine, raw meat/eggs, etc.) with this as your base…
Thanks for sharing/encouraging!
wow; carrot banana treats!! these are a very good idea because with a baby around – baby wants to feed dog treats & then some for baby, too!! (as long as there’s enough to go around!) and low on sugar – good thinking for busy moms and dads. i think i’ll try substituting the wheat flour for spelt flour, though.
Neither humans or animals shoul injest GMO corn products. I have one without cornmeal that has sweet potato and hamburger in it.
way to go Kevin !!! I am proud to have the same name!