Homemade Vegan Dog Treats - Spoiled Hounds (2024)

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Are you looking for homemade vegan dog treats? Check out this easy recipe for dog treats made with plant-based ingredients! These DIY treats are both delicious and healthy for your furry friend.

You may be on a vegan diet and enjoy healthy snacks while staying away from junk food. You want the same for your four-legged friend, so you’re always on the lookout for the best vegan dog food and treats. Well, you can’t get better than making them at home! All you need are a few simple ingredients and a cookie cutter and you can make treats your canine companion will love.

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Table Of Contents

  1. Why This Vegan Dog Treats Recipe is the Best
  2. Ingredients
  3. Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
  4. Equipment Needed
  5. How to Make Vegan Dog Treats
  6. Serving Size
  7. How to Store
  8. Can people eat these vegan dog treats?
  9. Popular Homemade Dog Treat Recipes
  10. Vegan Dog Treats

Why This Vegan Dog Treats Recipe is the Best

It just feels so good to bake homemade treats for your furry friend, doesn’t it? Well, this is one of the best ones out there cause it’s an easy recipe with simple ingredients.

You’ll know the quality of ingredients that go into them and feel good when giving them to your dog. In fact, you can use these healthy dog biscuits as training treats or as a special treat throughout the day.

There are so many good things to say about these vegan dog biscuits! For one thing, they are both eggless dog treats and meatless dog treats. For another, they fit perfectly in both a vegan and a vegetarian diet.

The best part about these natural dog treats is that they taste great and they are a great alternative to store-bought treats from pet stores or the grocery store.

Ingredients

The exact ingredient amounts and step-by-step directions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. First, I want to share some information about the ingredients I used in this plant based dog treats recipe.

Here’s a list of what you need to make vegan dog cookies – just a few simple ingredients! Use organic ingredients if you want to make organic vegan dog treats.

  • Rice Flour – Healthy gluten-free flour that’s easily digestible by dogs.
  • Ground Flaxseed – To make a vegan egg substitute for rising agents.
  • Water – Needed to make the flax egg substitute.
  • Unsweetened Applesauce – To moisten the dough and add a little sweetness.
  • Creamy Natural Peanut Butter – Be sure to use unsweetened peanut butter (without sugar or an artificial sweetener).
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Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

When making homemade vegan treats for dogs, there are a few things to know:

You can substitute peanut butter with almond butter or SunButter (sunflower seed butter).

Do not use peanut butter, almond butter, or SunButter which contains xylitol, an artificial sweetener toxic to dogs.

I used rice flour instead of wheat flour because it is naturally gluten-free, easy to digest, and unlikely to cause stomach upset.

Can’t find rice flour at the store? Just put uncooked rice in the bowl of a food processor or blender and process until it has the consistency of a fine powder.

You can use brown rice flour instead of white rice flour.

You can use oat flour instead of rice flour. You can also make your own oat flour by placing uncooked old-fashioned oats in a blender or food processor until the ground oats turn into fine flour.

You can use coconut flour, but you will need to add water or the dough will be too dry. Coconut flour absorbs much more liquid than other types of flour.

You can use all-purpose flour or a 50-50 combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flour for the brown rice flour. The amount will have to be adjusted since those flours will cause the dough to have a different consistency. It will take less of those flours than rice flour. Because whole wheat flour is denser, it’s not a good substitute to use by itself.

Equipment Needed

You probably have most of the kitchen items you need to make these dog biscuits. You can use any cookie shape cutter, but cookie cutters shaped like dog bones give these treats a cute shape.

You can use a biscuit cutter for round treats or a pizza cutter to cut the dough into small squares if you don’t have cookie cutters.

How to Make Vegan Dog Treats

These are the recipe steps and some photos of the process for making the treats. I hope they help you make this healthy dog treat recipe!

You can scroll down to the bottom of this article for a printable recipe card.

  1. The first step is to preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a baking tray or line it with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
  2. Combine the ground flaxseed and water in a bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
  3. Place the flax egg in a large bowl and add the applesauce and peanut butter.
  4. Combine the wet ingredients with a large spoon or mixer.
  5. Add the rice flour.
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  1. Stir to combine the flour with the wet ingredients and make a dough.
  2. Place the raw dough ball on a lightly floured surface.
  3. Press or roll the dough out with a rolling pin to about ¼ to ½ inch thick, according to your preference for the thickness of the biscuit.
  4. Cut out the dog treats with cookie cutters.
  5. Place the cutouts on the prepared baking sheet.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and done. Baking time can vary depending on the thickness and size of the treats.
  7. Transfer the baked treats to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
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This recipe made 15 treats using the 3-inch dog bone cutter. Cutters of different shapes and sizes will yield more or fewer treats.

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Serving Size

How many homemade dog treats should you give your dog at once? That depends on what else you gave your pet to eat that day. This might be a healthier treat, but it is still a treat.

Treats should not make up the bulk of your dog’s calorie intake. They should be something eaten on rare occasions, along with healthy dog food.

Dogs shouldn’t eat too many carbs – even healthy vegan treats made with rice flour and applesauce. For this reason, I suggest only giving your spoiled hound one treat per day.

You can use large or small cookie cutters to make the perfect size treat for your dog. Larger dogs can have larger treats and vice versa for small dogs.

How to Store

To preserve freshness, store these baked dog treats in an airtight container or plastic bag at room temperature. They will last up to 7 days.

You can freeze them for up to 4 months for extended storage.

Storage Tip: Adog treat jaris best to use as a container for dog treats, so they are not mistaken for human treats. Here are some cute ones on Amazon:

Can people eat these vegan dog treats?

Yep, people can eat these homemade dog treats. All of the ingredients are safe for human consumption. However, I doubt folks would enjoy them since they are not sweet.

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Popular Homemade Dog Treat Recipes

Want to make more treats for your dog? Here are some tasty dog treats to make:

  • 3-Ingredient Homemade Dog Treats
  • Baby Food Dog Treats
  • Banana Dog Treats
  • Peanut Butter Dog Treats
  • Sweet Potato Dog Treats

Find more easy dog treat recipes here on Spoiled Hounds!

Want to get the best store-bought dog treats instead of making homemade ones? Check out these favorite dog treats on my Amazon dog treats ideas list.

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Print Pin

5 from 1 vote

Vegan Dog Treats

Homemade vegan dog treats are a healthy snack for your furry friend.

Course Dog Treats

Cuisine Pet

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 15

Calories 118kcal

Author Renee Dobbs

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon Ground Flaxseed
  • tablespoons Water
  • ½ cup Unsweetened Applesauce
  • cup Natural Unsweetened Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 2 cups Rice Flour

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a baking sheet or line it with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

  • Make a flax egg by combining flaxseed and water in a small bowl. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes.

  • Place the flax egg, applesauce, and peanut butter in a medium bowl.

  • Use a hand mixer or a large spoon to combine the wet ingredients.

  • Add the rice flour and combine well to form a dough.

  • Turn the dough out onto a smooth surface.

  • Using your hands, squeeze and combine the ingredients until you have a flat, smooth dough. Flatten the dough evenly with your hands or a rolling pin to about ¼ to ½-inch thickness.

  • Using a cookie cutter, cut out the dog treats and place them on the prepared baking sheet.

  • Bake for 12 to 16 minutes.

  • Transfer the baked treats to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.

Notes

You can substitute peanut butter with SunButter (sunflower seed butter).

Do not use peanut butter or SunButter which contains xylitol, an artificial sweetener toxic to dogs.

Nutrition

Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Homemade Vegan Dog Treats - Spoiled Hounds (2024)

FAQs

Are vegan dog treats healthy? ›

Vegan dog treats can be a valuable tool for weight management for your dog. Many vegan dog treats are lower in calories and fat compared to meat-based options, making them a suitable choice for dogs on a weight loss or maintenance diet.

Do homemade dog treats go bad? ›

If you have homemade treats with meat in them, it's important to note that 3-4 days are all they're good for when stored in the fridge. Baked dog treats with peanut butter can last a bit longer when chilled – about a week is good for these.

How much can you make selling homemade dog treats? ›

If you just want to run a fun-but-profitable hobby, you can easily earn $500 to $1,000 a month with a dog treat bakery as a side hustle. At this level, you can do all of the work yourself in just a few hours a week. If you have kids, you can also have them pitch in. A dog treat bakery is a great family business!

What do vets say about vegan dogs? ›

I do not recommend vegan/vegetarian diets for dogs,” veterinarian Dr. Kaite Pagan of Heart + Paw told Outward Hound. “Dogs are omnivores and thrive on both plant and animal diets. We risk our furry friends becoming nutritionally deficient on vegan or vegetarian diets.”

What do vets think of vegan dog food? ›

From the veterinary profession's perspective, there just isn't enough scientific evidence currently to safely promote a vegan diet for dogs and cats.

What is the safest and longest lasting dog chew? ›

25 Best Long Lasting Dog Chew Sticks
  1. Bully Sticks. Probably one of the best among the safe chews for dogs, bully sticks are perfect for dogs of any age, size, or breed. ...
  2. Beef Tendons.
  3. (NOT) Rawhide. ...
  4. Lamb Horns. ...
  5. Raw Bones. ...
  6. Beef Ribs. ...
  7. Elk Antlers. ...
  8. Beef Hooves.
Apr 2, 2023

Will apple cider vinegar stop dog chewing? ›

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) features a strong scent and an unpleasant bitter/sour taste, so it should stop your dog from chewing whatever you spray it on. It also won't hurt them if they give it a little lick. It's my top choice for natural pest control, too.

Does vinegar stop a dog from chewing? ›

Dogs do not like the taste of it and it keeps their mouth off of everything. There are commercial sprays, such as Grannick's Bitter Apple, that is completely safe for your dog to ingest. You can also make your own with 2 parts apple cider vinegar, 1 part white vinegar, and water in a spray bottle.

What if my dog eats spoiled treats? ›

What to Do if You Think Your Dog Has Food Poisoning. Call your vet if you think your dog has food poisoning. They can direct you to the best place/resource. You may need to go to an animal hospital right away if their symptoms are getting worse or haven't improved in a few hours.

Why do my homemade dog treats get moldy? ›

To begin with, any dog treats you make at home need to be completely dry before you store them. So bake them thoroughly and then allow them to cool before adding them to any storage medium. (Any remaining moisture will result in the growth of mould.

What is the best flour to use for dog treats? ›

Best Flour for Dog Treats
  • Almond flour. At The Dog Chef I'm very fond of almond flour. ...
  • Tapioca flour. Like almond flour, tapioca flour is both grain and gluten-free. ...
  • Buckwheat flour. Buckwheat is a pseudograin. ...
  • Oat flour. ...
  • Coconut flour. ...
  • Best flour for dog treats.

How much should I charge for homemade dog treats? ›

So, how much should I charge for homemade dog treats? Homemade dog treats sell for between $15 and $25. They should be priced based on how much it costs you to produce them including the ingredients, packaging, and other selling fees. There should be a minimum of 30% profit margin on homemade dog treats.

Do you need FDA approval to sell dog treats? ›

There is no requirement that pet food products have premarket approval by the FDA. However, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) requires that pet foods, like human foods, be safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances, and be truthfully labeled.

Can I sell homemade dog treats on Amazon? ›

To sell pet products on Amazon, you must meet certain requirements. You must have a professional seller account, comply with Amazon's policies and guidelines, and ensure that your products meet safety and quality standards.

Are vegan products safe for dogs? ›

A growing body of research has shown that dogs can thrive on a plant-based diet—mainly because dogs are technically omnivores, so it all comes down to meeting their nutritional needs.

Should dogs be made vegan? ›

In theory a vegan diet is also nutritionally adequate for dogs if properly formulated and balanced. The American Kennel Club highlights risks factors of a vegan diet such as ensuring adequate protein intake, imbalance of certain amino acids, such as taurine and L-carnitine and potential vitamin or mineral deficiency.

What are the benefits of a vegan dog? ›

Why do vegan diets cause less allergies and irritation? Because plant-based foods are easily digestible, hypoallergenic and naturally anti-inflammatory, which can bolster our dogs' immune systems, reduce the risk of infection and relieve the need to scratch and lick.

Are vegan snacks healthier? ›

Vegan snacks naturally contain lots of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. So, by eating vegan snacks, you'll likely consume higher amounts of vitamins and minerals, including potassium, folate, fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, and vitamin E.

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