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It's that time of year again and I'm stunned that the year has flown by so quickly. Thanksgiving Day is right around the corner and last year, I began doing something new – I cook for the dogs, a lot. The web is full of DIY dog treat recipes and I've started bringing home the turkey carcass for bone broth. Bone broth is an easy recipe and I love to use it as a meal topper for my dogs' raw meals during cold winter months.
This year, I decided to see what other leftovers I can pilfer from the family dinner to make treats for the dogs. Here are 10 dog treat recipes I found online.
1 – Homemade Carrot Cake Dog Treats
Dog Treat Ingredients:
- 1 cup plain/unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup natural almond butter or peanut butter
- 2 large eggs
- 4-1/2 cups oat flour (see alternatives below)
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 1/2 cup coconut flakes
Click to get the full recipe for Homemade Carrot Cake Dog Treats.
2 – Peanut Butter Dog Treats Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 cups oats
- 2/3 cup 100% natural pumpkin
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
Click to get the full recipe for Peanut Butter Dog Treats.
3 – Easy Pumpkin Dog Treat Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of flour (see alternatives below)
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup of 100% natural pumpkin
- 1/3 cup of peanut butter
Click to get the full recipe for Easy Pumpkin Dog Treats.
4 – Sweet Potato and Leftover Turkey Homemade Dog Treats
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup plain mashed, cooked sweet potatoes
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 cups finely chopped, cooked turkey or chicken
- 2 cups whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour (see alternatives below)
Click to get the full recipe for Sweet Potato and Leftover Turkey Dog Treats.
5 – Easy DIY Turkey Sausage Dehydrated Dog Treats
Ingredients:
- Plain, unseasoned turkey or chicken sausages
- Food dehydrator
Click to get the full recipe for Easy DIY Turkey Sausage Dehydrated Dog Treats
6 – Turkey, Sage & Cranberry Dog Biscuits
Ingredients:
- 1 cup raw or cooked ground turkey (or chopped turkey)
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries finely choppped
- 2 tsp dried sage
- 1 cup of flour (see alternatives below)
- 2-3 tbsp yogurt
Click to get the full recipe for Turkey, Sage, and Cranberry Dog Biscuits
7 – Mini Turkey Loaf Muffin Dog Treats
Ingredients:
- Coconut oil
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup finely ground almond flour
- 1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots
- 1 large egg
Click to get the full recipe for Mini Turkey Loaf Muffin Dog Treats
8 – Turkey and Cranberry Dog Treat Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup whole cranberries
- 1 cup cooked turkey (no bones)
- 3-1/2 cups whole wheat flour (see alternatives below)
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup water or broth as needed
Click to get the full recipe for Turkey and Cranberry Dog Treats
9 – Brie's Turkey and Cranberry Dog Bones
Ingredients:
- 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (see alternatives below)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup shredded cooked turkey
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, or as needed
Click to get the full recipe for Brie's Turkey and Cranberry Dog Bones
10 – Leftover Turkey Dinner Dog Treats
Ingredients:
- 2 cups chopped turkey, veggies
- chicken or turkey stock or water
- 1 egg
- 2-3 cups whole wheat, barley or oat flour (see alternatives below)
This recipe also calls for gravy, which I wouldn't add because many gravy recipes call for flour and/or onions.
Click to get the full recipe for Leftover Turkey Dinner Dog Treats
Alternatives to Flour for Dog Treats
Many people don't recommend using white flour when making dog treats because it's not viewed as healthy, dogs may have an intolerance to this ingredient, and there are healthier alternatives.
If you are looking for an alternative to white flour, try one of the following:
- cricket flour
- almond flour
- coconut flour (soaks up a lot of water; combine with almond flour))
- quinoa flour
- gluten-free oat flour (organic if you can find it)
- gluten-free chickpea flour
Keep in mind that the texture of your treats are going to be different, so make a small test batch first when using these alternatives.
