Frozen Recipes

7 Frozen Dog Treat Recipes Your Dog Will Beg For (Ready in 5 Minutes)

Seven 5-minute fills for a FreezBone, with freeze times, safe swaps and the ingredients to keep out.

By 5 min read
7 Frozen Dog Treat Recipes Your Dog Will Beg For (Ready in 5 Minutes) – Freezbone

All seven recipes below use ingredients you probably already have. Each one takes under five minutes to prep. Freeze overnight, hand it over in the morning.

Frozen treats have two things going for them that most dog snacks do not. They last: a dog working through a frozen treat is busy for twenty to forty minutes. And you control exactly what goes in, with no preservatives and no ingredient list you need a chemistry degree to read.

Mix something creamy (plain yogurt, pumpkin, cream cheese) with something chunky (fruit, kibble, cooked chicken), pack it into a FreezBone and freeze overnight. Keep xylitol, grapes, raisins, onion, garlic, macadamia nuts and chocolate out of every recipe.

20–40minutes of focused licking and chewing from one frozen fill, the same time it takes you to drink a coffee in peace.

Before you start: never use

  • Xylitol (in some peanut butters and sugar-free products)
  • Grapes and raisins
  • Onion and garlic
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Chocolate

Check your peanut butter label every time. Our xylitol guide lists the names it hides under.

What makes a good frozen dog treat?

The best fills freeze solid enough to last, but not so hard that your dog cannot get started. They smell good to dogs, which matters more than taste. And they do not leave a trail around the house for three hours.

Half creamy, half chunky. That one rule makes almost any fill last longer.

Pure liquid freezes into a solid block that small dogs struggle with. A 50/50 mix of a creamy base and chunkier pieces gives your dog something to work towards.

1. Peanut butter and banana

Prep: 3 min · Freeze: 4 hours minimum · Good for: all ages and sizes · Made in: Freezball

The one most dogs go completely mad for. Banana adds natural sweetness and makes the mix easier to work with than peanut butter alone.

You'll need

  • 3 tbsp natural peanut butter (no xylitol)
  • Half a ripe banana, mashed
  • 2 tbsp plain yogurt

Method

  • Mix until fairly smooth
  • Pack into your FreezBone
  • Freeze at least 4 hours, ideally overnight

2. Chicken broth and carrot

Prep: 2 min · Freeze: 5 hours · Good for: dogs with nut allergies, picky eaters · Made in: Freezball

Low effort, high appeal, and very low in calories, which makes it a good everyday option.

You'll need

  • 120ml low-sodium chicken broth, or homemade stock with no salt
  • A handful of grated carrot

Method

  • Drop the carrot into the toy
  • Pour broth over until just covered
  • Freeze upright for 5 hours or overnight

Freezbone tip

Push a piece of cooked chicken to the very bottom before adding the carrot. It gives your dog something to work towards and adds about fifteen minutes to the session.

3. Blueberry and yogurt "ice cream"

Prep: 3 min · Freeze: 4 hours · Good for: hot days, smaller breeds · Made in: Freezball

The one most owners end up making on repeat. Dogs love it and it looks the part.

You'll need

  • 4 tbsp plain full-fat yogurt (low-fat does not freeze as well)
  • A small handful of blueberries, fresh or frozen
  • 1 tsp honey, optional, adult dogs only

Method

  • Stir the yogurt and honey together
  • Drop the blueberries into the toy
  • Pour the yogurt over and freeze solid

Wondering about dairy? Our guide to yogurt for dogs covers lactose, sugar and what freezing changes.

4. Sweet potato and coconut oil

Prep: 10 min including cooking · Freeze: 5 hours · Good for: sensitive stomachs · Made in: Freezball

Sweet potato is one of the gentler things you can give a dog, which makes this a good rotation option for a week when their stomach is unsettled.

You'll need

  • 1 small sweet potato, cooked and mashed (about 5 minutes in the microwave)
  • 1 tsp coconut oil, melted
  • 2 tbsp plain yogurt

Method

  • Let the sweet potato cool
  • Mix in the oil and yogurt until smooth
  • Fill the toy and freeze solid

5. Sardines and cream cheese

Prep: 3 min · Freeze: 4 hours · Good for: dogs bored of the usual flavors · Made in: Freezball

It sounds terrible to humans and is irresistible to dogs. If your dog has started ignoring peanut butter, sardine is the reset button.

You'll need

  • 1 can sardines in spring water, drained (not brine or oil)
  • 2 tbsp plain cream cheese

Method

  • Mash the sardines into the cream cheese
  • Pack into the toy and freeze solid
  • Rinse the toy straight after the session

6. Apple, peanut butter and oat

Prep: 4 min · Freeze: 5 hours · Good for: all sizes, works on a lick mat too · Made in: Freezball

The oats add texture and make the fill take longer to work through, which is the whole point.

You'll need

  • 3 tbsp natural peanut butter
  • Half an apple, cored and finely diced
  • 1 tbsp rolled oats
  • Up to 2 tbsp water to loosen

Method

  • Mix peanut butter, oats and water into a paste
  • Fold in the apple
  • Pack in and freeze overnight

7. Turkey and pumpkin (the calming one)

Prep: 5 min · Freeze: 5 hours · Good for: anxious dogs, before fireworks or car trips · Made in: Freezball

Plain canned pumpkin (not pie filling) is easy on the stomach and high in fiber. Licking is a self-soothing behavior for many dogs, so twenty focused minutes before a stressful event can make a real difference.

You'll need

  • 3 tbsp plain canned pumpkin
  • 50g cooked turkey or chicken, shredded
  • 1 tbsp plain yogurt

Method

  • Mix the pumpkin and yogurt
  • Layer with the turkey in the middle
  • Freeze overnight; give it 30 minutes before the event

More on pumpkin in our guide to pumpkin for dogs, and for big nights see keeping your dog calm during fireworks.

Which ingredients are safe in frozen dog treats?

Safe to use

  • Plain full-fat yogurt, no sweeteners
  • Natural peanut butter, no xylitol
  • Banana, blueberries, apple, strawberries, seedless watermelon
  • Plain cooked chicken, turkey or beef
  • Sweet potato and plain pumpkin
  • Low-sodium broth
  • Carrot, cucumber, green beans
  • Plain cream cheese, in moderation
  • Small amounts of coconut oil
  • Rolled oats; sardines in spring water

Keep out

  • Xylitol
  • Grapes and raisins
  • Onion and garlic
  • Avocado, especially skin and pit
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Chocolate
  • Fruit with seeds or pits still in

Lactose intolerant dog? Swap the yogurt for a little coconut cream.

How do I make frozen treats last longer?

  • Freeze overnight. A fully set freeze lasts noticeably longer than a half-set one.
  • Mix textures. Chunks buried in a creamy base take longer to reach than a straight purée.
  • Give it two minutes in hot weather. Straight from the freezer, some dogs struggle to get started.
  • Batch it. Fill five or six on a Sunday and keep them in a freezer bag for the week.

Our batch prep guide shows a full week of fills in one hour, and the calorie table helps if your dog is watching their weight.

Prefer to watch? The Freezbone recipe videos show each fill step by step.

Frequently asked questions

  • Technically yes, but it does not freeze as well. Low-fat yogurt stays softer and melts faster, which shortens the session. Full-fat plain yogurt freezes firmer and lasts longer.

  • Once a day is fine for most dogs when the treats are made from whole-food ingredients. If your dog is on a calorie-controlled diet, count the treat in their daily intake. Most of these recipes are roughly 50 to 100 calories per serving, depending on the size of the toy.

  • Start with the strongest smell: sardine or chicken broth wins over most reluctant dogs. Let the treat thaw for two to three minutes first, since some dogs find a solid block off-putting. You can also hold it and let your dog lick it from your hand before leaving them with it.

  • Yes, with two caveats. Skip honey and other high-sugar ingredients for puppies under twelve months, and let the treat soften slightly before giving it to a young puppy, as very cold food can hurt sensitive teeth.

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Written by Freezbone Team

We make freezable, refillable chew toys in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and test every fill and routine on our own dogs before we write about it.

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