With Cupid’s special day just around the corner, it’s important to think ahead when it comes to sweets and treats. You might have cards and candy ready for your coworkers, or even your kid’s school — but have you thought of anything for your furry friend? That’s right — there are plenty of ways to spoil your dog this Valentine’s Day, though almost any pup will appreciate a special something to eat.
Valentine’s Day treats for dogs come in all flavors and textures, but these DIY recipes are some of our favorites. You can make these dog treats from the comfort of your own kitchen — and your four-legged sous chef can be ready to do the sampling. After a little bit of cooking, your dog will be in for a delicious surprise!
Conversation heart biscuits for your four-legged Valentine
Nothing screams “Valentine’s Day” quite like conversation heart candies, and now you can make some for your dog, too. Rover’s The Dog People has a great recipe for “conversation heart biscuits” that uses only six ingredients and takes only an hour of your time. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
For this recipe, you’ll need:
- 2 cups of oat flour
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil
- 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce
- Natural food coloring
If you thought the ingredients were simple, wait until you see the directions! According to The Dog People, you’ll start by preheating your oven to 35o degrees Fahrenheit and combining all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Once your dough forms, you can divide it and add the food colorings you like, or simply move on to rolling it out for the next step. Then, just cut out your hearts with your favorite cookie cutter, and bake for 20 minutes.
To add the “conversation” to the heart, The Dog People suggest using food-safe dye pens or canine-safe icing. This is the time to get creative!
Strawberry and apple ‘jerky’ is a sweet, vitamin-packed treat for anyone in your home
Dried fruit isn’t just delicious — it’s also a healthy treat for anyone in your home. Any dog-safe fruit can be dried in your oven to create a fruit “leather” or “jerky,” though you may want to consider strawberries, apples, and raspberries for a Valentine’s Day theme.
According to cuisine queen Martha Stewart, oven-dried fruit should be baked at 225 degrees Fahrenheit. She recommends lining a baking pan with parchment paper and placing each piece of fruit 1/2 to 1 inch apart. Remember not to add any sugar to your fruit like she does, as extra sugar isn’t healthy for our furry friend.
The fruit dries in the oven for about 2 to 4 hours, though you’ll know it’s ready when the fruit has shriveled and the edges have dried.
Fruity frozen yogurt dog treats are just as easy to make as they are to eat
This fruity frozen yogurt recipe from Stylish Paws is another easy one that will take just a few minutes to put together. The hard part is waiting for them to freeze! All you’ll need to do is gather your ingredients, blend them in your blender, and then pour the mixture into ice cube trays or silicone molds. Why not choose a heart shape to make it festive?
The ingredients you’ll need include:
- 1 banana
- A handful of strawberries
- 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt
That’s it! Of course, you can swap the fruits to include anything your dog likes, but a strawberry banana flavor is perfect for Valentine’s Day.
Heart-shaped cookie cutters can make any biscuit — like this peanut butter treat — perfect for Valentine’s Day
If you’re short on time this February, you can use a heart-shaped mold or cookie cutter to customize just about any recipe or snack. Anything from frozen chicken broth cubes to basic dog biscuits could work!
One of our favorite classic biscuit recipes is the American Kennel Club’s peanut butter dog treat. They’re as simple to make as a batch of cookies!
You’ll need:
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons of canola oil
- 1/2 cup of peanut butter or peanut butter powder
- 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup of tapioca flour
- 1/2 cup of water
After preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, combine all your ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Transfer your dough mixture to any baking pan or mold, and then bake for 12 minutes — or until the edges begin to brown.
Sounds easy, right? None of these homemade treats for dogs are hard to cook up; it’s all a matter of finding what works for you and your pup. Try our frozen yogurt idea if you have spare room in your freezer, but if your pup prefers the taste of peanut butter, try the biscuits. The fruit jerky is great for whenever you have time to kill, and you can never go wrong with good-old conversation heart treats.
Which of these recipes is your favorite? More importantly — which of these will be your dog’s favorite this Valentine’s Day?
