6 DIY Halloween Treats For Your Dog Or Cat

Spooky season is well upon us, but if you’re not feeling the Halloween spirit yet, then we have just the recipe (or six!) to put you, your dog, and your cat in a frightfully festive mood!

While part of traditional Halloween activities involves over-indulging in unhealthy treats, we’re here to flip that paradigm with not only healthy treats for your dog or cat but healthy treats that taste so good they’ll be “screaming” for more!

So if you’re ready to treat your pet without tricks, then we’ve got all the nutritional tips to make your Halloween season healthy, tasty, and, most important of all, spooky!

If you’re going off-book with some of these recipes, remember to brush up on which fruits and vegetables dogs and cats can and can’t eat!

Getting Started: What You’ll Need

To make these scary-tasty frozen paws or baked biscuits, you’ll need to go foraging in your kitchen for the appropriate supplies. Fortunately, you probably already have most of what you need to get your cauldron boiling.

Some of the more niche items—like themed cookie cutters and silicone molds—are easy, inexpensive finds at your local dollar store or online.

With these 8 items, you can make every treat on this list!

1. Ziploc or sandwich bags (for DIY piping bags to make your concoctions a little easier to put together)

2. Measuring cups

3. Mixing bowls and storage containers

4. Silcone molds (or ice cube trays!)

5. Blender or food processor

6. Cookie cutter (Is it even a Halloween treat if it’s not pumpkin-shaped?)

7. Baking tray

8. Halloween spirit!

Remember, you can make half a recipe or double it, depending on how many treats you need—just don’t ask your pet because they’ll tell you you should probably triple your recipes!

1. Candy Corn Paws

A low-sugar rendition of a classic candy, but pet-friendly and just as delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain non-fat yogurt or kefir

• 1/2 cup organic pumpkin purée (make sure it’s not pumpkin pie filling!)

• 1–2 bananas

Instructions:

1. Blend each ingredient separately, placing each into their own bowl

2. Spoon each ingredient into its own bag

3. Cut a small corner of the sandwich bags to create piping bags

4. Pipe a short layer of the yogurt into your mold and freeze before adding a layer of pumpkin. Freeze again before adding the final layer of banana on top.

5. Freeze for 4–5 hours

Health Benefits:

• Yogurt or raw kefir: A great source of gut-boosting probiotics, vitamins and minerals.

• Pumpkin: Pumpkin is high in fibre and a great way to regulate your dog or cat’s digestive systems. It’s even known to relieve gastrointestinal upsets such as diarrhea and constipation!

• Bananas: A great low-calorie treat that should be fed in moderation due to its sugar content. Bananas are high in potassium, vitamins, biotin, fibre, and copper.

2. Jack O’Lantern FroYo

Because a pumpkin a day keeps the witches away with this fantastic gut-health boost!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup local honey

• 1/2 cup organic pumpkin purée

• 1 cup raw goat milk, kefir or plain non-fat yogurt

• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger (optional)

Instructions:

1. Blend together all ingredients

2. Spoon mixture into a sandwich bag and seal

3. Cut a corner off the bag to create a piping bag

4. Pipe mixture into molds

5. Freeze for 4–5 hours

Pet Health Benefits:

• Honey: Local honey can boost your pet’s immune system and help control allergy symptoms, skin issues and maintain a healthy weight. The closer the honey is produced to your home, the better its effects will be! Due to its sugar content, we recommend using honey in moderation. For a gut-soothing boost, substitute local honey for Manuka honey with a UMF of at least 20+!

• Raw goat milk: Goat milk provides naturally-occurring probiotic support for the gut.

• Pumpkin: Pumpkin provides a great prebiotic to support a healthy microbiome.

• Ginger: An anti-inflammatory that can support pets with gastrointestinal problems.

3. Zombie Gut-sicle

This green superfood smoothie can raise your pet’s gut, bones, and joints from the grave!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup diced apple

• 1/2 cup dark leafy greens (Kale, broccoli, or spinach)

• 1 cup pet-friendly bone broth

Instructions:

1. Blend together all ingredients

2. Spoon mixture into a sandwich bag

3. Cut a corner off the bag and pipe the mixture into molds

4. Freeze for 4–5 hours

Pet Health Benefits:

• Apples: Apples are a great source of vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, and antioxidants. They're filled with fibre too, which is great for assisting with digestion.

• Dark leafy greens: Leafy greens are considered a superfood since they’re bursting with rich nutrients essential for pet health. Greens like kale are high in beta-carotene, calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron, which help to support healthy bones, and a healthy heart.

• Bone broth: Bone broth doesn’t just provide great hydration—it’s also packed with vitamins and minerals and is a good source of protein, glycine, collagen, and glucosamine! All of these are great for joints and soothing for the GI tract.

Bone broth is one of the easiest, most effective ingredients you can add to your pet’s bowl. To learn more, check out our blog on 5 ways bone broth improves your pet’s health!

4. Monster Mash

A juicy, antioxidant smash!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup organic blueberries or blackberries

• 1 cup coconut water or filtered water

• 2 tablespoons of ground chia or flaxseed

Instructions:

1. Blend all ingredients together

2. Spoon mixture into a sandwich bag

3. Cut a corner off of a sandwich bag and pipe it into molds

4. Freeze for 4–5 hours

Pet Health Benefits:

• Blueberries: Blueberries are a refreshing, low-calorie treat for dogs and cats. They’re high in antioxidants, vitamins C, vitamin K, and fibre, all of which support the immune system and contribute to overall health.

• Coconut water: Full of nutrients like potassium, magnesium, calcium, and vitamins B & C, coconut water is filled with electrolytes that keep your pet hydrated with an added boost of energy.

• Flaxseed: Flaxseed contains omega fatty acids and is especially high in omega 3 and omega 6’s, which are great for keeping your pet's skin and coat healthy.

5. Pumpkin Spice Puppuccino

A dairy-free crowd favourite!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 cup coconut whipped cream or whipped coconut milk

• 1 cup organic pumpkin purée

• Honey (as syrup topper) (optional)

• Halloween sprinkles (optional), or dunk your pet's favourite treats!

Instructions:

1. Pour pumpkin puree into a cup or bowl and mix with cinnamon

2. Add a layer of whipped coconut cream

3. Top with a dash of honey or Halloween sprinkles

Pet Health Benefits:

• Cinnamon: This spice is abundant in anti-inflammatory properties which is great for aging pups with arthritis or muscle soreness. It also has antioxidant properties that can also help regulate blood sugar and may even reduce bacteria and yeast growth in the body.

• Honey: Local honey can boost your pet’s immune system, help control allergy symptoms, skin issues and maintain a healthy weight. The closer the honey is produced to your home, the better its effects will be! Due to its sugar content, we recommend using honey in moderation. For a gut-soothing boost substitute local honey for Manuka honey with a UMF of at least 20+!

• Pumpkin: Pumpkin is high in fibre and a great way to regulate your dog or cat’s digestive systems. It’s even known to relieve gastrointestinal upsets such as diarrhea and constipation!

• Coconut milk: This dairy-free, pet-friendly alternative to traditional whip cream is said to strengthen the immune system and improve the appearance and condition of your pet’s coat.

6. Pumpkin Cookies

Feel good, crunchy goodness that will have your pet screaming for more!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup mashed banana

• 1/4 cup pumpkin purée

• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter (check the ingredients to ensure there is NO xylitol)

• 1/4 cup pet-friendly bone broth

• 1.5 cup whole wheat flour

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit

2. Combine the mashed banana, pumpkin purée, peanut butter and flour in a mixing bowl

3. Gradually add bone broth while mixing continually

4. Form the mixture into a dough using your hands. (If it becomes sticky, add small amounts of flour as needed)

5. Once formed into a dough ball, roll it out using a rolling pin and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes.

6. Place shapes on a parchment-lined baking tray and bake in the oven for 18–20 minutes until golden

7. Let cool for 5 minutes

Pro Tip: Don’t have a rolling pin? Use a long, flat wine bottle instead!

Pet Health Benefits:

• Banana: While bananas are a great low-calorie treat for dogs, they should be fed in moderation due to their sugar content. Bananas are high in potassium, vitamins, biotin, fibre, and copper.

• Pumpkin: Pumpkin provides a great prebiotic to support a healthy microbiome.

• Natural peanut butter: When fed in moderation, peanut butter can be a great source of protein and healthy fats, vitamins B and E, and niacin.

Bone broth: A fantastic source of hydration, bone broth is also packed with vitamins and minerals and is a good source of protein, glycine, collagen, and glucosamine. It’s great for your pet’s joints and soothing for their GI tract.

Witch Way to the Treats?

For more homemade frozen treat ideas for dogs, visit our blog 10 Easy and Healthy Frozen Treat Recipes For Dogs! Remember, as much as you (and your dog or cat!) may love the indulgence of these treats, they should be fed in moderation and your pet’s regular meals adjusted accordingly when they’ve been binging on their Halloween candy!

If you make any of these DIY Halloween treats, we’d love to see them! You can post your spooky concoctions with your pet on Instagram or Facebook using the hashtag #RedDogBlueKat or #RDBKFamily for a chance to be featured!

** Disclaimer: These treats should be fed in moderation and as beneficial extras as they have not been evaluated for total nutrition. We recommend that they are used to further diversify a varied fresh food diet.**