easy homemade dog treats that last a long time
Make snacks last: 3 great DIY dog treats that wont spoil quickly
Making your dogs treats from your own kitchen comes with a lot of benefits, from having control over your pets diet to saving a few dollars at the store. One of the downsides, however, is the short shelf life that most natural ingredients have. At some time or another, most pet parents have nearly given their pup a scratch-made treat before noticing the batch has gone bad. This inspires the question: What is the shelf life of homemade dog treats?
Freshly prepared dog treats last for about a week on average, though there are a few sneaky strategies you can use to your advantage in the kitchen. With just a little preparation, your pups snacks can stay fresh and yummy for twice as long at least! Here are a few ideas for preparing and storing homemade dog treats that will last a long time.
How to make dog treats last longer
When making and preserving dog treats, keep a few things in mind.
Step 1: The most common culprits of spoilage include heat, air, and light, so you wont want to leave these snacks sitting on the counter. Storing treats in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper or cloth will be your safest bet. For the biscuits, paper or cloth will not only keep these treats from sticking together but will also soak up any excess moisture that may develop in the container. Look for a secure, dark place to keep them until your pup is ready in your pantry or refrigerator works best.
Step 2: In general, the longer a treat is baked, the longer its shelf life will be. You can always add an extra minute or two to the baking time when preparing homemade treats. This will help them stay fresh and make them crunchy as well. Dehydrated snacks like jerky can last much longer than other snacks up to a month or so if refrigerated. That time will skyrocket to months without going bad if you splurge for a vacuum sealer, but this definitely isnt something most folks have in their kitchen.
Homemade dog jerky treats
Jerky is perhaps the easiest, longest-lasting treat to make for your pup, and its something you may want to make for yourself as well! All youll need is your meat of choice (pick the leanest cuts you can find, as they will keep even longer) and your method of cooking, whether you use a dehydrator or your oven. Remember not to prepare your meat you cant go wrong with beef, salmon, or chicken with any oils or spices, as these can do more harm than good for your pup.
Step 1: Slice your meat into thin strips.
Step 2: Lay pieces on a nonstick baking sheet. They should be in a single layer but don't need to be spread out.
Step 3: Cook your jerky. If using an oven, choose the lowest possible temperature and check your jerky after 3 hours. If you have a dehydrator, youll probably cook it a while longer.
Step 4: When the jerky is ready, it should be half its original size and dry all the way around.
Long-lasting DIY dog biscuits
Every pup will drool for these classic snacks. They dont take nearly as long to bake as the jerky-style treats, though storage is key for the longevity of these treats. Heres what youll need:* 1 beef or chicken bouillon cube* cup hot water* Up to 1 teaspoon salt* 1 egg* 2 cups whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, or oats
Step 1: To make these tasty treats, begin by heating your oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2: While it heats, dissolve the bouillon in a mixing bowl with the hot water.
Step 3: Then, mix/knead in the remaining ingredients one at a time (make sure to add the flour or oats last!) until you have a ball of dough.
Step 4: Roll out your dough with a rolling pin until its about inch thick.
Step 5: Use your favorite cookie cutters to make your favorite shapes.
Depending on the size of the cookie cutter, this recipe can give you a large number of treats, so plan carefully.
Step 6: Place your cookies on a greased baking sheet.
Step 7: Bake for half an hour. Easy as pie!
To keep them fresh as long as possible, freeze the treats as soon as theyre done cooling. This lets them stay fresh for up to six months, versus one month in the fridge and about a week on the counter.
Sweet potato dog chews
For a dehydrated treat with a lighter flavor, replace your meat with sweet potatoes instead.
Step 1: Thinly slice your sweet potatoes.
Step 2: Lie slices on a nonstick baking sheet.
Step 3: Bake them on a nonstick baking sheet for 3 hours at 250 degrees no salt or seasonings, please!
Youll want to flip the potatoes halfway through cooking for an even bake, but apart from that, these chews practically make themselves. Good luck keeping your pup out of the kitchen in the meantime!
With these nifty recipes and food storage hacks, you can keep your dogs treats fresh for longer than ever. Remember, not all ingredients stay their freshest in the same conditions, so read up on any produce or meats in your specific recipe. For example, some foods must be refrigerated to keep from spoiling, while others may turn faster due to the moisture in the fridge.
Dont fret if you cant figure out the best ways to preserve treats quite yet; sometimes trial and error are all you need. Besides, your four-legged sous-chef will happily help you sample a second batch. Bone appetit!
Editors' Recommendations
4 Super Long Lasting Dog Treats Recipes
Commercial dog treats use different artificial preservatives to increase their longevity. Consequently, the use of these products can be harmful to the health of your pup. Fortunately, there are many homemade dog treats recipes that are delicious and long lasting.
How to Make Long Lasting Dog Treats?
There are many methods to extend the shelf life of homemadedog treats. For instance, you can make a dog treat last longer by removing the excessmoisture from it. For this purpose, you may have to bake a little longer. Similarly,allowing treats to cool before storing is another way of preserving freshness.
In addition to these techniques, you can also use naturalpreservatives (as ingredients) to make long lasting dog treats. Nutrients, likeVitamin C and Vitamin E, are quite effective for keeping things fresh.Likewise, you can use spices, such as cinnamon, rosemary, and sage, for preservingbaked goods. The following is a list of long lasting recipes that can be cookedat home.
Long Lasting Dog Treats Recipe
This homemade dog treat recipe is extremely simple to makeas it only requires a bowl and 5 ingredients. The use of cinnamon or pumpkinspice makes it long lasting while peanut butter provides a delicious flavor.The mentioned quantities of ingredients are for 48 servings.
Ingredients:
- 1cuppumpkinpuree
- 2eggs
- 1/3cuppeanutbutternatural, NO Xylitol or sugar substitutes
- 2cupswholewheat flourall-purpose can be used instead
- tsppumpkin pie spiceor cinnamon (NO nutmeg in your pumpkin piespice because it can be toxic to some dogs)
Directions
- Preheatoven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchmentpaper.
- Ina large bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, and peanut butter. Stir until completelycombined.
- Addin flour and pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon) stirring just until combined.
- Lightlyflour a flat surface and roll out dough to one-quarter inch, using flour asneeded to keep the dough from sticking.
- Cutshapes out of dough and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bakefor 20 to 40 minutes depending on the desired level of crunchiness.
- Removetreats from oven and let cool on a cooling rack. Store in an airtight containerfor up to 1 month in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.
Thank you to Mom on Timeout for this recipe.
Long Lasting Dog Biscuits
These homemade biscuits are a perfect treat for your furrycompanion. Baking at home guarantees that your pet is consuming natural andhealthy ingredients. Therefore, you can avoid a lot of health issues that canaffect your canine. The stated quantities of ingredients make 31 dog biscuits.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups wholewheat flour
- 1 cup toastedwheat germ
- teaspoonground cinnamon
- cup water
- cup creamypeanut butter
- 1 large egg,room temperature
- 2 tablespoonscanola oil
Directions
- Preheatoven to 350. Combine flour, wheat germ, and cinnamon. Stir in remainingingredients.
- Ona floured surface, roll dough to -inch thickness. Cut with a 3-inchbone-shaped cookie cutter.
- Place2 inches apart on ungreasedbaking sheets. Bake until bottoms are lightlybrowned (tops may crack), 30-35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Store in anairtight container.
Thank you to Taste of Home for this recipe.
DIY Long Lasting Dog Chews
Looking to make some long lasting chews for your caninecompanion? This homemade recipe is ideal to keep your dog busy. The statedingredients are enough to make 30-35 chews.
Ingredients:
- 2cupswholewheat flouror any flour your pet can have.
- 2teaspoonsbakingpowder
- cupapplesauce
- cupfinely shredded carrot
- 1cupoatmeal(oldfashioned)
- 1egglightlybeaten
- cupmilk
Directions
- Preheatoven to 325 degrees F.
- Line2 baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray.
- Ina medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder.
- Ina mixer bowl, add applesauce, carrot, oatmeal, and half of the flour mixture.
- Mixon low speed and gradually add the remaining flour mixture.
- Drizzlein the egg and milk.
- Mixon medium speed until well combined.
- Scoop2 tablespoon portions onto the prepared baking sheet. (They do not spread muchduring baking, they stay in the scooped shape.)
- Bakefor about 15 minutes or until lightly browned on the outside but still soft onthe inside.
- Removeand allow to cool.
- Keepin an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze.
Thank you to Epicuricloud for this recipe.
Long Lasting Dog Snacks
Dogs are extremely fond of snacks but the regularconsumption of commercial dog treats can be problematic. These healthy cookiesserve as a perfect alternative because they are made from natural ingredients. Notonly are these snacks nutritious, but they also have a long shelf life.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- cup oat bran
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed
- 4 tablespoons safflower oil
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 medium eggs (including shells)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Crack the eggs into a large bowl. Wash the empty eggshellsin warm water until all of the egg white is removed, leaving the membrane inplace. Air-dry the shells on a piece of paper towel, then break them into smallpieces. After that, grind them in a coffee grinder or nut mill. Alternatively,you can also place them in a plastic zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to grindthem.
- Combine the oats, buckwheat flour, whole wheat flour, driedparsley, dried rosemary, and ground eggshells in the large mixing bowl and mixwell. Add the boiling water, safflower oil, molasses, and honey. Mix to form asticky dough.
- Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about -inchthick. Place the dough on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and bake forabout 30 to 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn off the oven.
- Score the dough into squares with a knife or pizza cutter. Placethe snacks back in the oven and leave them overnight (to make them harder).
Thank you to Daily Puppy for this recipe.
Please keep in mind that we may receive a small commission when you click our links and make purchases and as an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you.
