Primally Inspired Real food, Natural Remedies, Holistic Living
Homemade Grain Free Dog Treats
Today I am sharing my homemade grain free dog treats recipe with you! This is a treat that my picky dog actually likes. They are simple to make and filled with healthy ingredients that will help keep your furry friend flea free with a shiny coat.
I really think that my dog is the most picky eater in the world. Or as my husband says, maybe he’s just the biggest spoiled brat in the world 😉 But this face……..
Have you ever heard of a dog snubbing bacon? I mean, seriously, who does that?! Mine does. Not only does he snub bacon, but he turns his nose up to every treat out there. And these are not cheap treats I’m trying to feed him!
Grass-fed beef liver treats? Nope.
Wild caught fish jerky? He didn’t even give them the time of day.
Grain-free banana bites? Yeah right, nice try.
Alligator jerky that supposedly all dogs go crazy over? I swear he just laughed at me then looked at me like, “Really?”
I feed my dog a mostly raw diet of wild game and/or pasture raised meats and bones (spoiled brat). But when we had our flea infestation (read what I did to get rid of the fleas naturally), I wanted to give him a few extra nutrients that were recommended by my holistic vet. The holistic vet just told me to sprinkle these nutrients over his food. HAHAHA, yeah right. Clearly, she doesn’t know my spoiled brat sweet dog.
The one thing that he actually loves to eat are the crust scraps from my grain-free pizza. Which by the way, is getting rave reviews. If you haven’t tried that grain-free pizza recipe, do it – you won’t be sorry 🙂 When I realized how much he loved that crust, I had the idea to tweak the pizza crust recipe ever so slightly. And I came up with these healthy, grain-free treats.
And can you believe that he loves them?! Neither could I. I almost fainted when he asked for a second one.
But the coolest part is that I was able to hide some really great nutrients in these treats – you know, the ones my holistic vet recommended! This particular recipe has the added nutrients of nutritional yeast to help repel fleas and flaxseed to promote a shiny coat. But if your dog has a specific issue like bad breath, arthritis or gas, I have some holistic vet recommended add-in’s below that you can add to this treat recipe.
Grain Free Dog Treat Ingredient Benefits:
Bone broth
Anti-inflammatory, good for skin health, joint pain and arthritis.
Flaxseed
Fights inflammation, promotes silky coat and combats dry skin.
Healthy Fats and Oils
(Use Animal Fats or Healthy Oils like coconut and olive oil) Soothes skin, promotes a shiny coat, helps brain function and metabolism.
Nutritional Yeast
Filled with vitamins, minerals and amino acids. It’s an especially rich source of B Vitamins. Recommended as a nutritional supplement by holistic vets to keep fleas and mosquitos at bay. It also helps proper food metabolism.
Tapioca and Coconut flour
Grain Free flours that are easily digestible and allergy friendly.
Add-In Ingredients for Specific Needs:
Bad Breath?
Add in 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley.
Got gas or digestion troubles?
Only use 1/4 cup fat or oil and add in 1/4 cup pureed fresh or canned pumpkin.
Arthritis or joint pain?
Add in 1 teaspoon ground turmeric.
I hope your doggie loves these treats as much as mine does! Do you have a spoiled brat dog, too? Tell me what’s worked for you! Or just tell me about your furry friend! I am the biggest dog lover and would love to hear about your pets! 🙂
*Also, if you are interested in learning more about holistic care for dogs, HERE is my Pinterest board filled with holistic dog care articles from around the web.
Homemade Grain Free Dog Treats Recipe
- ½ cup chicken or beef broth
- ½ cup fat or oil of choice (bacon fat, coconut oil, olive oil, etc.)
- 1⅓ cup tapioca flour
- ⅓ cup coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons brewers or nutritional yeast (I use THIS)
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal (sometimes called ground flax or milled flax)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small pot over medium heat, bring the chicken broth and fat/oil to a boil.
- While that is coming to a boil, mix tapioca flour, coconut flour, sea salt, brewers yeast and flax meal in a medium bowl.
- Once the broth/fat mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat and add to the flour bowl. Mix well.
- On a piece of parchment paper, press out the dough into a ¼" thick rectangle. Either cut into squares with a pizza cutter or use cookie cutters in desired shape.
- Bake for 15 minutes on a parchment lined cookie sheet. When the timer goes off, shut off the oven, crack the door and leave in the oven until cool (about 10-15 more minutes).
Optional Add-Ins for specific issues:
Bad Breath?
Add in 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley.
Got gas or digestion troubles?
Only use ¼ cup fat or oil and add in ¼ cup pureed fresh or canned pumpkin.
Arthritis or joint pain?
Add in 1 teaspoon ground turmeric.
Pin Grain Free Dog Treats Recipe HERE:
Your dog is adorable! My bichon is entirely grain free and also picky. Can’t wait to try these! I know you are in Central PA…where is your holistic vet located?
Aww, thanks Elizabeth! There is a great holistic vet in Lancaster! I love bichons!
What a brat your dog is! Not even our CATS turn down bacon! Well, one does, she’s a dairy cat. Our Waldo is the opposite of your Bently- he’ll gladly lick up flour off the floor if I spill it. Ooooh pasty, bland floor-flour… Silly dog.
I do normally make our dog treats, but with oat flour since we all tolerate that well. Yours sound like an extra nutritious treat! Saving to my pinterest! 🙂
Happy Holidays!
Hahaha! Made me laugh 🙂
I just made this as a Christmas present for my sister’s dog. I hope he likes them as much as your cutie!! Any recommendation on how to store these, and how long they stay fresh?
Hi Joy! I’ve been keeping them out for a few days and then refrigerating after about 3 or 4 days. They still seem fine and smell fine (and Bently will still eat them and you know how picky he is lol) after a few days out, but I’ve been putting them in the fridge after a few days just to be on the safe side. Hope your sister’s dog liked them!
Approximately how long are they good for in the refrigerator? My little guy does not go through them very fast. I may have to make 1/2 a batch at a time.
About 3 weeks, Pat!
First of all…LOVE your dog’s name! Of course I’m partial because we have a huge German-bred Golden Retriever named Bentlee (spelled differently). Secondly, I can hardly wait to try these biscuits! During the summer our poor dogs gets fleas so bad and we have tried everything out there, at least I feel like we have. Thanks for the recipe!
Awww, I love the spelling of your Bentlee 🙂 I hope your pups like the treats!!
I made these today and both my dogs were begging for more than the 2 I allowed them! 🙂 I will definitely be making these weekly for their treats. Thank you so much for the recipe!!
Woo!! 🙂
Hello, I am going to try your recipe soon but I was wondering if I could make it with just water? I know the broth is so good for you but I just found out my pup is allergic to beef among everything else 🙁 I haven’t tried chicken yet but after her allergies calm down I will try it. 🙂
Yes, definitely! I don’t always have chicken broth and sometimes make it with just water 🙂 I hope your pup’s allergies get better!
Thanks for your reply 🙂 I just put some in the oven and they smelled really yummy, I may just have to try one myself. One other question though. How much should I feed my 35 pound dog these treats to make them an effective flea repellant?
Hi Diane! My holistic vet recommended 1 teaspoon of Brewer’s or Nutritional Yeast per day for a dog that size. You could give a few treats a day and you could also add a sprinkle or two of the yeast on top of your dog’s food to help with fleas.
Thank you so much. My dog loves these treats. The first time I gave her one she took it outside, she never does that. It was like she was sneaking something outside she shouldn’t have lol. I can’t wait to try your pizza crust if it’s as good as these it will definitely be a hit 🙂
Our Golden Retriever was allergic to any meat other than lamb. No beef, chicken, turkey, duck… I found that she could tolerate salmon as well. Try the lamb in food, as treats, and with rice. Seems there are more lamb foods with rice than anything else but land is often hard to find. I had to pester my Wal-Mart and Safeway to carry more lamb, an salmon dog food. There are greater numbers of those in the better quality food companies. Hope this helps!
These are SO adorable and nutritious. I can’t wait to try them. Can you tell me, which ingredients make them “flea free”?
Thanks so much!
Hi Patricia! It’s the brewer’s or nutritional yeast! Many holistic vets recommend 1 teaspoon – 1 tablespoon (depending on pets weight) a day as a flea repellant. It’s important to know that the brewer’s or nutritional yeast does not kill fleas directly, but it will make your pet better able to resist a flea infestation 🙂
Kelly,Thank you so much for posting such great dog treats !! I have just made my fourth batch. My dogs absoulty love them. Had to laugh as my husband and I tasted them and are convinced if people didn’t know they were treats for your dogs and served them with a gourmet meal no one would ever know. LOL I also just printed out your grain free pizza crust and will try it this week. Looks delicious. I think if people knew how much GMO’s were hurting them and also their pets they would look for more recipes like yours. Your the best Thanks.
Hi Kim! Thanks for such a nice comment! You made me laugh when you said you and your husband tasted them — we did, too lol 🙂 Hope you love the pizza crust, too!
I eat them, too, and agree they could be passed off as gourmet “human” crackers! Delicious! My husband won’t try them,though. Just because the recipe says they’re for dogs! ? Oh, and my dogs love them as well! ?
haha! That’s funny because my husband is the same way!!
I made these treats for a bake sale benefit for a local rescue org. They were snapped up quickly by people who feed their pets a grain free diet, and messages are continuing to flow in from people with satisfied pets!
I now have preorders for two more batches, and I can see them going into my regular rotation for my grain free pet so here’s my question: I used every add-in you suggested as I had no way of knowing what issues any pet getting these might have. The treats were VERY RUBBERY! I don’t necessarily see this as a bad thing– it slows my “sheprador” down in a really fabulous way, actually. But the texture is unique AND I have been telling people to refrigerate them because they contain no preservatives. The fridge might be making them even more rubbery.
Did I do something weird to get rubbery treats, or is that just how they are? And would they benefit from a longer bake time or some time in a dehydrator to make them more ‘snappy?’
Thanks again for a recipe that’s full of win!
Jen
So cool, Jen!! It sounds to me like the treats didn’t dry out enough in the oven. When thoroughly dried out, they should be crisp – I can easily snap mine in half like a hard cookie. Maybe try cooking them longer or letting them sit in the oven longer after the cook time to dry out more (or yes, your dehydrator idea is great!). Keep me posted so we can get to the bottom of it if that doesn’t work!
Hello! I made these treats today and had a question. The dough turned out crumbly and I wasn’t able to get it to stick together to roll it out. It turned out fine, I just formed them into round cookies by pinching off the dough. Do you know why the dough seemed to not have the correct consistency? I used coconut oil for the fat. Thanks!
I just tried a second batch and substituted pumpkin for half of the fat. The dough was perfect! Perhaps I did something wrong in my first attempt. Thank you for this recipe! I’ve been searching awhile for a good grain free scoobie!
Oh good, Teena! So glad it worked out!
Teena, I had the very same problem you did with my dough turning out crumbly. I just kept adding water until I got it to a consistency I could work with. I like the idea of using the canned pumpkin and will give that a try on my next batch.
Hi Teena! It sounds like you probably needed more fat or liquid. (Update: Just saw your 2nd comment – so glad it worked out for you!)
I have a little Morkie that has a yeast problem, and am looking for a treat that I can give a dog with yeast issues. Can you help me?
Shannon, you can just leave the yeast out!
Great to see some tasty treats that are also healthy!! We have a Bentley as well who is our chief treat tester.
Got to love spoiled Bentley’s and yummy, healthy treats 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Lucas!
I can’t wait to make these. Freeze the extras. I have companion, show beagles. Just read how Milk Bone biscuits, and other dog treats, have BTH, & BHA in them. As humans, we have food produced with those carcinogens in them. Its banned in Europe, yet FDA approves it’s use here in the USA. Well, I will make my dogs biscuits from scratch. Makes sense. And I will be more diligent about what I’m cooking for my family. Those carcinogenic chemicals are in most of our foods. Will be reading food labels more intensely.
That’s awesome, Barb! And you are so right – it’s crazy how many chemicals and additives are in our food these days!
I have a huge long haired German Shepherd with yeast overgrowth and he itches all. The. Time!!! But I know that nutritional yeast is different from yeast overgrowth. Anyways he’s on a grain free dog food and always has been…not exactly sure why he keeps itching all the time. Anyways this recipe sounds awesome! Definitely want to try it! I wonder if I can add other things in like dried blueberries etc? How long do these treats last? Should I freeze them?
Hi Melanie! Yes, feel free to add anything you wish – Dried blueberries sound awesome! Since these treats are dried thoroughly in the oven, I found that they do last for quite awhile without spoiling. I keep them out for about 2-3 weeks (if they last that long haha!) and if I have any left after that, I pop them in the fridge just in case. You could freeze them for sure.
What kind of chicken broth did you use, specifically what brand? Most contain salt (which my dog has to limit).
Hi Sunny! I generally make my own, but when I’m pressed for time (which has been a lot lately!), I buy a brand called Cadia – it’s organic, free-range chicken broth and I believe it also comes in a no salt version.
OMG – can’t wait to try these. Um, for my dog of course. LOL.
haha!
Hi! I just found your site and this recipe. My gorgeous chocolate lab is on a gluten free diet and is also prone to yeast infections. ??. Seems to have allergic reactions to both chicken and beef but ok with turkey. So I can make my own turkey broth. Any idea what I can substitute the yeast with? I would really like to make these treats for him. Thank you.
Hi Leigh! You can just leave the nutritional or brewers yeast out of the recipe and it will work just fine! I hope your gorgeous pup loves these as much as mine does 🙂
Kelly & Leigh, Just FYI, Brewer’s yeast/nutritional yeast is deactivated, not alive, so it will have no effect on yeast infections! Even humans that have candida can use Brewer’s yeast without any problems. Technically, it’s not a “yeast” at all, it’s the by-product of the brewing process. It is just chocked full of nutrition, thus the name, “nutritional yeast”. There is a great article at Livestrong.com if you want to read more about it. 🙂 Hope that helps.
Yes! Thank you, Lisa!
I have arrowroot powder. Can I sub that for the tapioca flour?
Yes!
I made these treats for my Boston. He has allergies and since they are grain free I decided to give them a try. They were easy to make and did not take a lot of time. My Oscar loves them! And it makes me happy to know he is eating a treat that is good for him in many ways! Thank you for the recipe ?
Woohoo, Starr! Makes me happy to hear that your Oscar is loving them 🙂
Is flax not indeed a grain?
These are NOT grain free, they are reduced grain
Hi Gill, flax is considered a seed.
The grain free recipe for dog treats looks great. Can you tell me, do the treats come out crunchy? I have tried a few that are more soft. Thank you!
These are crunchy!
What grain free flour can I substitute tapioca flour with? I don’t really want to use tapioca flour as there is sooo many carbs in it.
Hi Hope, you could use a grain free all purpose flour mix or arrowroot flour.
Is Ground flax seed ok or will it effect the taste too much because nutrition a sorbs better ground then in seed form
Ground flax seed will be perfect for this recipe!
Our French Bulldog is an odd cookie…she’s so not food motivated LOL! However, thanks to your recipe, we found her cash. She will do anything for a treat. And I’m happy to be feeding her good-for-her treats as opposed to the store-bought pre-packaged stuff. Our cats love the treats too so bonus. 🙂
Oh, this is wonderful! So happy Coco is happy 🙂 Thanks for your comment!!
MY picky Shihtzu Millie recently lost a lot of weight and also a lot of teeth. I’ve been trying to put weight back on her but will only eat cooked chicken and beef. I’ve tried so many snacks, treats and alternative dog foods but she turns her nose up at all of it! I thought I’d give these grain free treats a try since I have all the ingredients on hand. Well, straight out of the oven she devoured a handful!! In fact I withheld giving her too many so she wouldn’t gorge and get sick. But now I know she loves these and will eat them! Thank you!
Oh wonderful!!