recipe for greenies dog treats
Homemade Dog Greenies for Fresh Breath and Clean Teeth
Pour the yogurt in a medium bowl with mashed or melted coconut oilMix and add in half the water or brothChop up the mint, parsley, mint , and ham Add them in with the yogurtMix and add in half the cup of flourAfter you have mixed the flour, add in all the water Mix throughly and add in the last of the flourKnead the doughMake the treats into whatever shape you want I prefer sticks Since I wanted to make sticks, I added in a little more water to scoop it into a ziplock bag and cut a holeI piped out sticks of dough on a greased sheet of wax paper and baked it for 20 minutes or until nice and crunchy
Homemade Dog Breath Mints Recipe
Does your dogs breath smell a little less than pleasant? Not to worry! These homemade dog breath mints are super easy to make at home and loved by all the pups!
At our house we have Greenie Friday. Every Friday, the the pup gets a Greenie as her treat. She loves them, her breath smells better, and they help clean her teeth. But they are expensive!
Enter these homemade dog breath mints. These are only 4 ingredients, super easy to make, and made with human friendly ingredients. This means that any ingredients not used for the mini dog treats can be used in your own meal.
You can keep these treats in the freezer and serve as needed to keep that breath smelling fresh as daisies!
Ingredients for Homemade Dog Breath Mints
These only require 4 ingredients and you may already have them in the fridge from breakfast or a tasty mojito!
- Spinach: Spinach is safe for dogs and is a great way to naturally color these treats, plus it adds vitamins and fiber to the treats.
- Curly Parsley: It is super important to make sure you are using curly parsley for these breath mints for dogs. Parsley can be found in curly or flat leafed, BUT flat parsley (or Italian parsley) can be toxic to dogs so it cannot be used for these treats. If you are unsure, simply leave the parsley out of the recipe.
- Plain Yogurt: Yogurt makes the base of these treats. Just be sure to use plain, low fat because dogs should not have any flavor add ins or additional fat. For a boost of probiotics, you could use dog-friendly kefir instead!
- Mint Leaves: Of course we need mint for homemade dog breath mints! You could use spearmint or peppermint leaves that are found in the produce section of the store. (There are some mint leaves you need to avoid when feeding your dog! Grab our guide to dog-friendly mint leaves here.)
Does your dogs breath seem exceptionally bad? It could require more than just breath mints. Often times the vet will find small amount of plaque build up at routine exams. If that is the case, you can carefully give your dog tougher bones or antlers to wear off any build up or try brushing their teeth with dog safe tooth paste.
How to Make Breath Mints for Dogs
These treats actually are probably easier than getting in the car, driving to the store, and buying commercial fresh breath dog treats. Heres how to make breath mints for dogs:
Step 1: BlendCombine all ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth, adding a splash of water as needed to get things moving. I try to limit the amount of water I add to keep the treats from becoming icy.
Step 2: PourPlace silicone dog treat molds onto a flat plate or baking sheet for easier transfer to the freezer. Pour mixture into silicone molds, leaving a little room at the top for them to expand while freezing. Freeze until solid, about 4 hours. Check out our favorites molds on Amazon here!
Step 3: ServePop them out and serve as occasional treats for your pup!
Recipe tips
Storage: These treats are kept in the freezer. You can either keep them directly in the molds and cover with plastic wrap or beeswax wrap (they are more likely to get freezer burnt this way, however). Or, you can pop them out and store in a freezer safe container lined up next to each other. If storing in multiple layers, I like to place a layer of parchment paper horizontally to keep them from sticking to each other.
Mix-Ins: The great thing about a blended treat is that you can add just about anything in for added/hidden nutrients. Some favorites of ours are flaxseed, green-lipped mussels,eggshell powder, orzucchini! Just be mindful that adding something like zucchini will also add moisture so add a little at a time and omit the splash of water.
More Frozen Dog Treats
I love to keep a stack of frozen dog treats in the freezer for Rhubarb and her friends. They keep for quite a while and are easy to take out and serve on a whim. Here are some favorites we almost always have on hand.
- Salmon Dog Treats only use 1 ingredient! They are favorite among dogs and offer lots of nutrients from the salmon.
- Frozen Dog Treats (5 ways!) is a great way to mix up the type of treats you have while only using one blended base.
- Dog Ice Cream is maybe a little more for special occasions but, lets be honest there are a lot of reasons to have special occasions for our pups!
- 1 cup spinach
- cup curly parsley*
- cup plain low fat yogurt
- 6 fresh mint leaves
*Only use curly parsley here! Do not use Italian (flat) parsley, which can be toxic to dogs. If in doubt about which is the right one, just omit the parsley from this recipe.
How to Make Homemade Dog Treats
When your dog is a picky eater or has a restrictive diet,it can be tough finding yummy treats that are inexpensive. Thankfully, almost anyone can make homemade dog treats from the comforts of their kitchens, including the popular pyramid dog treats that make lots of tiny treats in one batch.
Homemade dog treats have benefits beyond being budget-friendly. With DIY treats, you know exactly what foods your dog is eating. Along with being free from harmful ingredients, homemade dog snacks can make great training treats, especially when made in smaller sizes.But before whipping out your cookie sheet and mixer, be sure to check with your veterinarian to make sure your dog has no allergies to any ingredients.
For owners interested in making homemade dog treats, weve put together some of our favorite baking accessories, tips, and must-try recipes.
Homemade Pyramid Dog Treats
Pyramid dog treats are homemade dog treats that are made with asilicone pyramid baking sheet. While these easy-to-clean silicone baking sheets werent originally made for dog treats, theyve become popular among dog lovers because they can make big batches of small treats appropriate for training sessions. The recipes for these kinds of treats usually call for tapioca flour, which helps the treats stay together without crumbling. Tapioca flour is an ingredient that agrees with most dogs.
When you flip over the baking sheet, you can fill it with a range of recipes that will easily pop out from the silicone sheet once youre finished. Some molds can make up to 500 treats in one batch! Along with the basic pyramid mold, there are also a lot of fun different shapes of silicone sheet molds to try. Here are some baking sheets to try out.
This simple, pyramid-shaped mat will make treats that pop out easily and clean up quickly.
If youre looking for something a little more traditional, these mini dog bones are perfect for DIY dog treats.
These paw molds are safe to use in the oven, refrigerator, freezer, and dishwasher. Plus, the silicone material means wet ingredients wont stick to the mold.
Want to have a lot of fun shapes and sizes? This pack comes with a range of molds, including hearts, bears, stars, and shells.
Key Ingredients for Homemade Dog Treats
Another great thing about making homemade dog treats is that you probably already have most of the key ingredients in your house. Many recipes require things such as oatmeal, eggs, flour, water, or broth. Add some flavor as well as vitamins, protein, and fiber with peanut butter (free of artificial sweeteners likexylitol), pureed pumpkin, apples, carrots, sweet potato, and cheese to create delicious cookies any dog would love.
Homemade Dog Treat Recipes
Once you order a pan, try out some of these popular recipes. From bacon treats to peanut butter, here are some popular pyramid dog treat recipes for beginners to try.
Bacon Pyramid Pan Treats
Does your dog love bacon? Try this simple bacon dog treats recipe by Michelle Taylor. With just four ingredients, this is a great homemade treat for beginners, one that your dog is sure to love.
Ingredients:
- package of bacon
- 2 eggs
- 150 grams ofgluten-free flour
- Water (to thin)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Blend the bacon and eggs.
- Add flour. Stir in water if the batter needs to thin.
- Smooth the batter over the baking mat and bake for 8 minutes.
- Once cooled, cut the treats into bite-sized pieces or dump out.
Baked Chicken Treats
For an easy, no-fuss recipe, try these baked chicken homemade dog treats from Eileen Anderson. Once baked, you can refrigerate or freeze the treats.
Ingredients:
- 110-ounce can of chicken, including liquid
- 2 eggs
- 1 cuptapioca flour
- cup of white flour
- 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Blend chicken and eggs in a food processor.
- Pour the mixture into a bowl, and stir in flour and oil. This batter should be a little thicker than pancake batter but still pourable.
- Spread the batter onto the silicone mold on a cookie sheet, making sure its in the holes, and then scrape it off the dividers.
- Bake for 12 minutes.
- Once cooled, turn over the mold and dump the treats out.
- You can bag up the treats and refrigerate or freeze.
Peanut Butter Treats
Peanut butter is a favorite for many dogs, and a common, tasty ingredient in homemade dog treats. If your dog loves that nutty flavor, give these peanut butter treats from Eileen Anderson a try.
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- cup peanut butter powder
- cup white flour
- cup tapioca flour
- cup water
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Mix the ingredients until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into the pan.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until the treats are soft but still drawing away from the side of the pan.
- Once cooled, stretch the pan and dump the treats out.
Apple-Cheddar Dog Biscuits
To make something a little different and mix in some unique ingredients, take a look at this recipe for apple-cheddar dog biscuits from Martha Stewart.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups barley flour
- cup old-fashioned oatmeal
- cup shredded cheddar cheese
- cup grated Parmesan cheese
- cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients and about 3 tablespoons water to form a dough. Roll out mixture between two sheets of plastic wrap to -inch thick. Remove plastic wrap and cut out biscuits with a 3-inch bone-shaped cookie cutter. Re-roll scraps and continue cutting out biscuits.
- Space biscuits 1 inch apart on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until nicely browned and firm.
- Transfer biscuits to a wire rack. Turn off the oven and place biscuits on a wire rack in the oven overnight. Remove from oven and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Cheese and Sardine Pyramid Pan Dog Treats
These tasty dog treats by Michelle Taylor only have a handful of ingredients and are easy to make. Sardines are a great single-ingredient source of protein, and many dogs cant resist cheese. Its a win-win.
Ingredients:
1 can of sardines 2 eggs 150 grams of grated Parmesan cheese Handful of roasted vegetables 75 grams of tapioca flour (or plain flour) Water
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 320F.2. Blend all the ingredients in a blender to make a thick batter. Add water as needed to make thicker.3. Smooth the mixture over the baking mat and bake for about 15 minutes or until crispy.4. Once cooled, cut into small pieces.
Remember, you should always check with your vet before giving your dog anything other than dog food, commercial dog treats, and prescribed medication. Once youre in the clear, purchase a fun baking sheet, try a recipe, and rest easy knowing exactly what youre feeding your dog.
