Frozen treats are some of the easiest homemade dog treats you can make. There is no oven, no rolling and no waiting for biscuits to dry; you just blend, pour and freeze. They are cooling on warm days, keep dogs busy longer than a quick biscuit, and are perfect for filling stuffable toys.
These 10 frozen dog treat recipes your pup will love use dog-safe ingredients like plain yogurt, seedless watermelon, banana, blueberries, pumpkin and plain cooked chicken. Each one lists exact measures, freezing time, yield and storage. No oven is needed for any of them.
Quick Facts
- Number of recipes: 10
- Oven: None needed
- Freeze time: 2–6 hours
- Equipment: Silicone molds, ice-cube trays or paper cups
- Best for: Hot days, enrichment, stuffable toys
Tips for Better Frozen Dog Treats
Silicone molds release frozen treats far more easily than rigid trays. Choose small cavities, about 1 tablespoon each, for most dogs; larger pupsicles are best served outside or on a mat. Always use plain unsweetened yogurt; flavored yogurts often contain sugar or sweeteners. Serve frozen treats under supervision, and give smaller pieces to dogs that tend to gulp.
Plain yogurt contains some lactose. Most dogs handle small amounts, but if your dog has a sensitive stomach, choose the fruit- or broth-based recipes below.
Dog-Safe Fruits and Add-Ins for Frozen Treats
Frozen treats are a great way to use small amounts of fresh fruit, but not every fruit is suitable. These are good choices in modest portions:
- Blueberries and strawberries: wash, hull and halve or mash for small dogs.
- Seedless watermelon and cantaloupe: remove all rind and seeds.
- Banana: very ripe bananas blend smoothly and add natural sweetness.
- Apple and pear: always remove the core, stem and seeds.
- Plain pumpkin puree: 100% pumpkin, never pie filling.
- Plain cooked chicken or turkey: skinless, boneless and unseasoned.
Leave out grapes, raisins and currants completely, along with cherries with pits, citrus peel, chocolate, sweetened yogurts, ice cream and any “sugar-free†product that might contain xylitol.
1. Yogurt Berry Bones
Pink-and-white bones swirled with mashed strawberries and blueberries.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 g) plain unsweetened Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup (50 g) strawberries, hulled and mashed
- 1/4 cup (35 g) blueberries, lightly crushed
Instructions
- Stir the fruit into the yogurt, leaving a few streaks.
- Spoon into a bone-shaped silicone mold and tap to level.
- Freeze until solid, then unmold into a freezer bag.
Storage: Freezer up to 2 months.
Tip: Use a bone mold with small cavities, or cut each frozen bone in half for toy breeds.
2. Seedless Watermelon Slush Cubes
Ultra-hydrating and very low in calories.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (300 g) seedless watermelon, rind and any seeds removed
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
Instructions
- Blend watermelon and water until smooth.
- Pour into an ice-cube tray.
- Freeze until solid.
Storage: Freezer up to 1 month.
Tip: Add a few blueberries to each cube for color and a little extra texture.
3. Frozen Banana Peanut Butter Bites
A creamy two-ingredient favorite.
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas
- 2 tbsp natural, unsalted peanut butter with no xylitol (check the label for “xylitol†or “birch sugarâ€)
Instructions
- Mash bananas with peanut butter until smooth.
- Spoon into a small silicone mold.
- Freeze until firm.
Storage: Freezer up to 2 months.
Tip: Roll frozen banana bites in a pinch of rolled oats before freezing for a less sticky finish.
4. Pumpkin Yogurt Pupsicles
Paper-cup pupsicles with a dog biscuit as the edible “stick.â€
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120 g) plain unsweetened pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 1 cup (240 g) plain unsweetened Greek yogurt
- 6 small homemade dog biscuits
Instructions
- Whisk pumpkin and yogurt together.
- Divide among six small paper cups.
- Freeze 1 hour, then push a biscuit into each center.
- Freeze until solid and peel off the cup to serve.
Storage: Freezer up to 1 month.
5. Blueberry Kefir Drops
Plain kefir makes a tangy, smooth drop.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) plain unsweetened kefir
- 1/2 cup (75 g) blueberries, mashed
Instructions
- Stir kefir and blueberries together.
- Pour into a small-cavity silicone mold.
- Freeze until solid.
Storage: Freezer up to 2 months.
6. Chicken and Carrot Ice Cubes
Savory cubes for dogs that aren’t into fruit.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) water or unsalted, onion- and garlic-free homemade chicken broth
- 1/2 cup (70 g) plain cooked chicken breast, finely shredded
- 1/4 cup (30 g) finely grated carrot
Instructions
- Divide chicken and carrot among an ice-cube tray.
- Pour broth or water over the top.
- Freeze until solid.
Storage: Freezer up to 1 month.
Tip: If you make broth at home, simmer plain chicken in water only, strain out every bone and chill to lift off the fat before freezing.
7. Apple Carrot Pupsicles
Crunchy bits of apple and carrot suspended in yogurt.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 g) plain unsweetened Greek yogurt
- 1/4 apple, cored, seeds removed, finely diced
- 2 tbsp finely grated carrot
Instructions
- Mix everything together.
- Spoon into a silicone mold or ice-cube tray.
- Freeze until solid.
Storage: Freezer up to 2 months.
8. Strawberry Banana Smoothie Pops
Blended until smooth for a creamy, sorbet-like texture.
Ingredients
- 1 ripe banana
- 1/2 cup (75 g) strawberries, hulled
- 1/2 cup (120 g) plain unsweetened Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Blend everything until smooth.
- Pour into a small silicone mold.
- Freeze until solid.
Storage: Freezer up to 2 months.
Tip: Swap the strawberries for blueberries or seedless watermelon to make a different color each week.
9. Frozen Toy Stuffer
Turns a rubber stuffable toy into a long-lasting enrichment challenge.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp plain unsweetened Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp plain unsweetened pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 5–6 pieces of your dog’s regular kibble or small treats
Instructions
- Mix yogurt and pumpkin.
- Drop a few kibble pieces into the toy, then spoon in the mixture, layering until full.
- Stand the toy upright in a cup and freeze.
Storage: Prepare up to 3 days ahead and keep frozen.
10. Cantaloupe Yogurt Bites
Sweet, fragrant melon in a cooling bite.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (80 g) cantaloupe, seeds and rind removed, finely diced
- 1/2 cup (120 g) plain unsweetened Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Stir melon into the yogurt.
- Spoon into a small silicone mold.
- Freeze until solid.
Storage: Freezer up to 1 month.
How Often Can Dogs Have Frozen Treats?
Frozen treats count toward your dog’s daily treat allowance like any other snack. One or two small cubes or bites a day is plenty for most dogs, and a stuffed toy should replace other treats that day. Fruit-based treats are naturally sweet, so rotate them with the savory chicken cubes.
Freeze-and-serve treats also make great summer party favors. For more cool ideas see easy no-bake dog treat recipes, and for pumpkin-based pops try 10 easy pumpkin dog treat recipes.
A Simple Freezer Batch Plan
You don’t need to make all ten recipes at once. A practical routine is to prepare two or three each weekend: one fruity yogurt option, one savory option and one stuffed toy. Most take under ten minutes of hands-on time. Once frozen, pop the treats out of their molds and store them in labeled freezer bags so the molds are free for the next batch. Write the date and the main ingredients on each bag, which makes it easy to rotate flavors and spot anything your dog doesn’t tolerate well.
If you have more than one dog, give each dog its treat in a separate space. Frozen treats are high-value, and even friendly dogs can guard them.
Frozen Treats for Enrichment
Beyond cooling down, frozen treats are a simple way to add mental stimulation to your dog’s day. Licking and working at a frozen toy can help some dogs settle during thunderstorms, when guests arrive or while you are working from home. Spread a thin layer of the yogurt-pumpkin mixture on a lick mat and freeze it for a flat, slower treat, or freeze a stuffed toy in stages so each layer takes a little longer to reach. Adjust dinner portions on days with bigger enrichment treats.
Serving Frozen Treats Safely
Very hard frozen treats can be tough on teeth for some dogs. Let large pupsicles soften for 3–5 minutes before serving, and choose smaller cubes for small breeds and seniors. Serve on a washable mat or outdoors, pick up any leftovers before they melt, and never leave a dog alone with a stuffed toy it might try to swallow.
Dog Safety Notes
- Peanut butter: use only natural, unsalted peanut butter with no xylitol (check the label for “xylitol†or “birch sugarâ€). Choose unsalted and unsweetened.
- Never add: chocolate or cocoa, grapes, raisins or currants, onion, garlic, chives or leeks, macadamia nuts, nutmeg, alcohol, raw yeast dough, cooked bones, added salt or sugar, or artificial sweeteners.
- Fruit and veg prep: remove apple cores and seeds, use seedless watermelon without rind, and use plain unsweetened pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) and plain unsweetened yogurt.
- Portions: treats should make up no more than about 10% of your dog’s daily calories. Cut pieces to suit your dog’s size and supervise chewing.
- Check with your vet before introducing new foods if your dog has allergies, a sensitive stomach, diabetes, pancreatitis, kidney disease or is on a prescription diet. Introduce one new treat at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is frozen yogurt safe for dogs?
Plain unsweetened yogurt frozen at home is fine for most dogs in small amounts. Store-bought frozen yogurt is not suitable because it contains sugar and sometimes xylitol or chocolate.
Can puppies have frozen dog treats?
Many puppies enjoy small frozen treats, and they can be soothing during teething. Keep pieces small, supervise, and ask your vet first.
How long do homemade frozen dog treats last?
Most keep 1–2 months in a sealed freezer bag. Treats with meat or broth are best used within 1 month.
What molds are best for frozen dog treats?
Food-grade silicone molds and standard ice-cube trays work best. Choose small cavities so each treat is a sensible size.
More Homemade Dog Treat Recipes
- 10 Easy Pumpkin Dog Treat Recipes
- Easy No-Bake Dog Treat Recipes
- 15 Healthy Homemade Dog Treat Ideas
- 15 Easy Three-Ingredient Dog Treat Recipes
This article is for general information and is not a substitute for advice from your veterinarian.