5 Pantry Dog Treats You Can Bake Tonight
Every dog owner knows the moment. The oven door opens, the kitchen smells like peanut butter and pumpkin, and your dog is suddenly sitting perfectly still with their tail going like a metronome. You do not need a special trip to the pet store to get there. Most dog treats start with things already in your cupboard.
Start with what you already have
A good homemade dog treat is simple: a grain, a binder, something tasty, and heat. Rolled oats, plain pumpkin puree (the plain kind, not pie filling), natural peanut butter, ripe bananas, carrots and sweet potatoes cover most of it. Parsley, chicken, salmon and tuna handle the rest.
If you have oats and a jar of dog-safe peanut butter, you are about ten minutes from a tray of treats.
Five treats that start in the pantry
1. Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bites. The classic first bake. Pumpkin keeps them soft and peanut butter does the convincing, which makes them a good choice for older dogs who prefer a softer bite.
2. Banana Oat Buttons. Ripe bananas and oats pressed into little rounds. Sweet, chewy and quick, which is why this one is part of the free pair.
3. Carrot Oat Nibbles. Grated carrot adds a bit of crunch and turns a handful of oats into proper little biscuits. They hold their shape, so they travel well in a pocket on a walk.
4. Sweet Potato Chews. Long, slow-baked slices with nothing else added. A chew and a treat in one, and just about the closest thing to a single-ingredient treat.
5. Blueberry Yogurt Drops. A cold treat for warm afternoons or a small sweet bite straight from the fridge.
The one rule that matters most
Read the peanut butter label before you bake. Xylitol, sometimes listed as birch sugar, is highly toxic to dogs, and some nut butters include it. Chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions and garlic are also off the table. If your dog has allergies or a sensitive stomach, check with your vet before trying something new, and keep treats a small part of the day's food.
Bake once, treat for weeks
One Sunday batch usually lasts longer than people expect when it is stored well. Keep soft treats in a sealed container in the fridge, and freeze extras in a single layer first so they do not clump together. Freezer cubes of plain pumpkin or yogurt make an easy hot-weather treat and a nice way to use up the last spoonfuls in the tin.
Want the whole set?
The treats above are five of the twelve recipes in Homemade Dog Treat Recipes. The rest of the book covers Apple Cinnamon Crunchers, Chicken and Rice Training Bites, Salmon Parsley Squares, Beefy Mini Meatballs, Pumpkin Freezer Cubes, Cheesy Herb Biscuits and Tuna Tiny Trainers.
It is a digital recipe book, $5.99 CAD, and it downloads right after checkout so you can bake the same evening.
Get Homemade Dog Treat Recipes
Not ready to buy yet? Join our email list and we will send you two recipes free: Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bites and Banana Oat Buttons. Look for "Get 2 free dog treat recipes" on our homepage.
Warm oven, wagging tail, and a dog who thinks you are a genius. That is the whole idea.