Icy treats are perfect to keep on hand for anytime you want to spoil your dog, but they are particularly nice during warm weather. Not sure how to make ones that are dog-friendly? Not to worry, these easy-to-make pupsicles by Chef Gus of Rover.com are perfectly simple and are sure to have your dog drooling.
Made with just a few ingredients, they don’t take long to whip up. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped strawberries
- 1/2 cup whole blueberries
- 1/2 banana, thinly sliced
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 pretzel stick per pupsicle
*Editor’s note: you will also need a mold of some kind to pour the mixture into. Don’t have any? Small paper cups works great – you can simply peel them away once the pop is frozen and ready to serve.
Direction
- Combine all ingredients until mixed.
- Add pretzel stick and pour mixture into molds.
- Freeze for at least 4 to 5 hours before serving.
Watch Chef Gus prepare these easy frozen dog treats in the video below:
Remember, while your dog is sure to adore these treats, give in moderation.
“As general rule of thumb, pets should not be getting more than about 10% of their daily calories from treats,” the representative for Rover.com told iHeartDogs. “These frozen treats would fall into the category of “nice to have every once in a while.”
Does your dog have some allergies? Since you are making these sweet dog treats at home, it’s easy to substitute! Rover.com suggests using any fruit or veggie that is fresh or in season. Their top choices are:
Fruit Substitutes
- Raspberries
- Mango
- Pears
- Apples
Vegetable Substitutes
- Cooked sweet potatoes
- Cucumber
- Carrots
Non-dairy? No worries! You can easily swap the yogurt out for peanut butter. Rover.com also suggests low sodium organic chicken or beef broth or pumpkin puree.
Non-gluten? Pretzel sticks are definitely not necessary for this yummy dog treat! You can just leave them out altogether, or replace with a carrot stick, piece of freeze dried jerky — anything you can think of that your dog likes!
Is your dog allergic to everything?
Substituting one thing is easy, but if your dog can’t have dairy, gluten, corn, chicken or beef, peanut butter, etc., then you start running out of options. Never fear, you can still make an allergy-friendly frozen dog treat using a Yonanas. This nifty kitchen appliance purées iced fruits and veggies into a limited-ingredient sorbet that’s ready to serve to your dog or can be frozen further in your molds. All it takes is frozen fruits or veggies. This really cuts down prep time and your fruit will last longer since you can use frozen. http://yonanas.com/
