Homemade Dog Treat Recipes for Your Canine BFF

Combine three cups of almond flour and one cup of plain, unsweetened applesauce in a large bowl. Beat one egg, but set aside one tablespoon to brush over the top of pretzels before baking. Mix the remaining egg with the flour/applesauce mixture to form a dough. Roll out two-inch spoonfuls of dough and form them into a "U" shape. Twist the ends together and fold back to make a pretzel shape or any other shape you choose. Brush with the egg. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until brown and firm.

Canines are big fans of both carrots and chicken. Along with those classic ingredients, these no-bake treats also call for just a bit of yogurt to make them even tastier. Think of them as pup-friendly, bite-sized yogurt pops. All you need are two cups of grilled boneless, skinless chicken, ¾ cup of xylitol-free, low or fat-free yogurt, one diced carrot, and three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Stir ingredients together. Fill ice tray compartments with the mixture and allow it to freeze.

Although blackberries naturally contain trace amounts of xylitol, your dog would need to ingest a huge quantity of them to cause issues. To create these delicious, healthy treats, combine four cups of almond flour, ¾ cup of flax meal, ½ cup of washed blueberries, ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil, and 1 egg. Add one cup of water to create a dough. Roll the prepared dough out into a ¼ inch thickness. Cut out biscuits with the cookie cutter of your choice. Place the cut biscuits onto a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes in a 350-degree preheated oven. They should be browned and firm when they're done.

No question about it. Dogs love peanut butter and pumpkin. When making these treats for your dog, be sure to use natural peanut butter that contains no xylitol and pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mixes, which often have high salt content and other additives that aren't good for your pet. Mix the pumpkin, two cups of flour, 1 cup of canned pumpkin, and ½ cup of peanut butter. Form a dough and cut it into shapes. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 12 minutes.

High water content and healthy doses of vitamins A and C make watermelon a tasty treat that's not only good for you but good for your dog, too. For a delicious treat that you can share with your pet, blend seedless watermelon flesh with some coconut milk or low or nonfat, sugar- and xylitol-free yogurt or water. Pour the mixture into ice cube tray compartments and freeze.

With nutrients like potassium, vitamins C and B6, and fiber, bananas are a healthy snack for dogs in moderation. Mix two cups of oat flour, 1 ½ ripe banana, one teaspoon of baking powder, and one teaspoon of vanilla to make a dough. Roll it out and cut it into shapes. Etch your pet's name into each one before baking for an added personal touch. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Once the treats are firm, reduce heat to 170 degrees and bake until they're dry.

While bacon isn't the healthiest treat for dogs due to the fat and salt content, a little bit added into an occasional homemade treat isn't harmful. Combine one cup of natural creamy peanut butter, ¾ cup of nonfat milk, and one large egg or ¼ cup of applesauce, two cups of whole wheat flour, and one tablespoon of baking powder, and work into a dough. Mix in ⅓ cup of oats and two to three strips of chopped, cooked bacon. Roll out, cut into shapes, and bake at 325 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes until the bottoms turn a light brown. Flip and bake for an additional 10 to 12 minutes.

Blend 1 ½ cup of blueberries with ⅔ cup of lite coconut milk for one to two minutes to a smoothie-like consistency. Pour the mixture into ice trays, about ¾ full. Freeze for four hours. For an additional treat, insert a homemade dog biscuit into each, like a popsicle stick. Store in an airtight, freezer-safe bag or container for up to four months.

Blend one overripe banana, one cup of plain Greek yogurt, and ¼ cup of flaxseed meal on high speed. Fill molds — silicone versions work best — with the mixture. Freeze for at least three hours. Remove from molds and store in airtight containers in the freezer. These healthy snacks are a perfect summer treat for your dog.

Celebrating your pet's birthday? Why not create a special cake just for them? This recipe calls for one cup of almond flour, ½ cup of sweet potato puree, ½ cup of shredded carrots, two tablespoons of honey, three tablespoons of melted coconut oil, one teaspoon of baking powder, and ¼ cup of water. Combine the ingredients and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Top with a mixture of ¼ cup of plain, nonfat yogurt, ¼ cup of sweet potato puree, and shredded carrots to give your dog a special gift.