I was in the kitchen the other day whipping up a gluten- and dairy-free meal for my family when it occurred to me: Shouldn’t I also be cooking up some healthy treats for our dog, Mystic? After all, the dog snacks you buy in stores have the same problems as the prepackaged foods we humans often buy for ourselves: dyes, preservatives and unpronounceable ingredients.
Homemade dog treats, on the other hand, are healthier, made from wholesome ingredients, and I’m guessing they taste better, too! (I admit, I haven’t tasted her dog treats myself—but who can argue that fresh ingredients are going to taste better than processed ones? Which do you prefer: fresh brownies or store-bought? … Hm, I rest my case.)
But for me, easy is best. Otherwise, it may not realistically happen. So I was so excited to find this no-bake recipe for Puppy Peanut Butter Balls, which uses just three simple ingredients:
yogurt
oats
peanut butter
If fancier, gourmet treats are more your style, the possibilities are endless. Here are 17 mouth-watering recipes from Huffington Post (with inspiring pictures, too!); an adorable dog-bone cookie cutter; a special tray for making your healthy treats in the shape of dog bones; and a bunch of recipes so simple your kids can do all the work. And for the true enthusiast: the Bow Wow Bistro, a waffle maker-esque appliance, which lets you cook up 10 special dog-bone-shaped treats at a time.
Do you make your own wholesome dog treats? Share your favorite recipes here!