15 Simple Puppy Treat Recipes (Healthy Tips)

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Recently, I got an email from a reader, Sonya, who loves cooking for her dog and wanted me to know that she enjoyed reading 5 Awesome Pupcake Recipes and 7 Great Homemade Dog Food Recipes. She was wondering, though, if I’d consider doing a post offering really easy recipes, with very few ingredients.

Well, I’m always up for a challenge, so I got to work, and I’ve assembled 15 simple puppy treat recipes that no more than 5 ingredients and are incredibly easy to make.

The cooking temperature for each recipe is the same – 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooking times vary, but don’t sweat it – they’re approximate, and besides, your dog probably isn’t going to mind if the treats are a bit overcooked.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should probably let you know that I haven’t tested any of these recipes – I don’t usually cook for Janice and Leroy. I’ve just chosen them because they sound good.

1. Yummy Chicken Treats

This is a great way to use up leftovers. You need a cup of cooked, diced chicken, half a cup of cooked rice, an egg, about a tablespoon of dried parsley (or 4 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley) and three tablespoons of any type of flour (if your dog doesn’t tolerate gluten well, use rice flour). Mix it all up, roll it out and use cookie cutters or a small glass dipped in flour to cut out the treats. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

2. Easy Peanut Butter Puppy Treats

Most dogs love peanut butter, and they’ll appreciate this simple puppy treat recipe. Start with 2 cups of flour, and mix in half a cup of peanut butter and two eggs. If the mixture seems a bit stiff, just add a bit of water until it gets to the point where it will be easy to roll out. Then cut out the treats and bake for about 20 minutes.

3. Cheesy Bones

This is a really simple puppy treat recipe, and a great alternative to commercial treats like MilkBones. Take four cups of flour, two cups of any type of shredded cheese (nothing with jalapenos in it, though) and about ¼ cup of coconut oil. Mix in enough water to create a stiff dough. Roll out, cut, and bake for about 3 hours.

4. Baby Bites

You can actually make tasty dog treats with just two ingredients! Take two cups of flour, and add two jars of baby food. You can use pureed peaches, blueberries, applesauce, sweet potato, or strained beef. Mix together, cut and bake for about 20 minutes.

5. Vegan Vittles

While I’d never advocate an all-vegan diet for a dog, if you like, you can make vegan treats with just three ingredients. Take two cups of quinoa flour, and add some mashed sweet potato. Mix in enough coconut oil to create a stiff dough. Cut and bake for about 25 minutes.

6. Cinnamon Apple Treats

Here’s another simple puppy treat recipe that requires only three ingredients. Take a cup of quick-cooking oatmeal, and add an egg and half a cup of applesauce. Roll out and cut, and bake for about 20 minutes.

7. Ginger Apple Treats

Here’s a great treat for dogs that have allergies to grain. Take a cup of brown rice flour and a cup of diced apple (any variety). Add half a teaspoon of ginger, a tablespoon of coconut oil, and about 2/3 of acup of plain yogurt. Roll out, cut and bake for 25 minutes.

8. Carrot Apple Treats

If it sounds like I’m on a trend here with the apples, I am, because dogs love apples. Take a cup of whole wheat flour, and add a cup of grated carrots, half a cup of applesauce, and an egg. Roll out, cut and bake for about 40 minutes.

9. Banana Almond Drops

This simple puppy treat recipe smells so good when baking, you might want to try them yourself, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t! Take about a third of a banana, add an egg and ¾ of a cup of almond butter (unsalted). Mix together, and use a soup spoon to drop the mixture onto a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes.

10. Pumpkin Carrot Goodies

Take about ¾ of a cup of canned pumpkin (the pure pumpkin; not the spiced kind that you’d use in a pie). Add ¼ cup of shredded carrots, a cup of whole wheat flour, and an egg. Roll out, cut and bake for about 30 minutes.

11. Sweet Potato Salmon Treats

This is another soft treat that’s great for dogs since it contains two ingredients that dogs love, and that are very good for them. Take a medium sweet potato, cook it and mash it up. Add a can of salmon (leave the bones in), a third of a cup of coconut flour and two eggs. Mix it all together, roll it out and cut it. Then use some more coconut oil to grease the baking sheet. Bake the treats for about an hour.

12. Cornmeal Cookies

Take half a cup of cornmeal, and add 2 cups of whole wheat flour. Blend together. In a separate bowl, mix half a cup of plain yogurt and about 2/3 of a cup of water or salt-free broth. Add to the dry ingredients and mix together, adding a bit more water or broth if needed in order to make a stiff dough. Roll out, cut and bake for about 40 minutes.

13. Cranberry Hearts

Mix together a cup and a half of whole wheat flour, 3 tablespoons of coconut flour, 2 eggs and half a cup of dried, chopped cranberries. Roll out, and cut with a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Bake for about 20 minutes. Of course, the heart-shaped cookie cutter is optional, and your dog probably won’t care either way, but I kind of like the idea. It also makes for a nice homemade gift for a friend’s dog!

14. Fun Bones

If you have different shaped cookie cutters, use them to make these treats. Take two cups of whole wheat flour, a cup of unsalted peanut butter, a cup of milk, and a tablespoon of baking powder. Mix together, cut out and bake for about 30 minutes.

15. Diabetic Dog Treats

If your dog has diabetes, it can be difficult to find treats that are suitable and that don’t cost an arm and a leg. This simple puppy treat recipe takes very little time to make and is perfect for diabetic dogs. Take a half cup of whole wheat flour, and add a couple of eggs and about a pound and a half of beef or calf liver, cut into small pieces. Mix together, roll out, cut and bake for about 15 minutes.

There you go – 15 amazingly simple puppy treats with just 5 ingredients or less!

The Final Word

These simple puppy treats are so easy to make, anyone can do it – even people who’ve never baked before. Try a few, and as you get used to how the ingredients work together, you can experiment a bit – substitute beef for the chicken in the first recipe, for instance, or use pureed blueberry instead of applesauce in the recipes calling for applesauce. Your dog is probably going to love anything that you make for him, so don’t worry if sometimes the results aren’t quite as good as you expected.

There’s a lot to be said for homemade dog treats, not the least of which is that you’ll know exactly what’s in your dog’s treats. You’ll feel good, too, knowing that you’re doing something special for your dog. Don’t stop with my suggestions, though – with a bit of Googling, you’ll find tons of websites that offer delicious recipes for homemade dog treats.

Do you have any favorite recipes for dog treats? Share them in the comments section – I’m sure Sonya and other readers would appreciate it.

15 Simple Puppy Treat Recipes