5 delicious recipes for making your own dog ice cream
On a hot summer day, most people enjoy a refreshing ice cream. Our canine friends can also appreciate a delicious treat to cool down when it's hot outside. Unfortunately, many ice creams intended for humans are not suitable for our four-legged friends. But did you know that you can easily make ice cream for your dog yourself? In this blog, we share 5 delicious recipes for dog ice cream with you!
Photo: @Yoshi_doglife on Instagram with a homemade Riverwood dog ice cream
Can dogs eat ice cream?
We understand: it's very tempting to give your dog the last bit of your ice cream when he watches you enjoy your refreshing treat with such longing. Unfortunately, this is not a good idea; ice cream intended for humans is not suitable for dogs. This is because “human ice cream” often contains lactose, chocolate and lots of sugar. Dogs are lactose intolerant and can therefore develop gastrointestinal problems from products that contain lactose. Chocolate is even toxic to dogs. Large amounts of sugar can also lead to all kinds of health problems in dogs, both in the short and long term. Finally, sugar is bad for their teeth. It is therefore better to keep your ice cream for yourself and choose special dog ice cream for your four-legged friend, or make your own healthy dog ice cream.
How much ice cream can I give my dog?
It's actually very simple. Anything with “too” in front of it is not good. Eating too much ice cream is therefore not recommended, for both humans and animals. In general, the rule is that a dog can eat one ice cream per day. This is because a dog's daily snack menu should only consist of a maximum of 10% of its daily calorie intake. If you give your dog a maximum of one ice cream per day, this corresponds to the rule of thumb for most dog ice creams.
What ingredients can you use to make dog ice cream?
The nice thing about making your own dog ice cream is that you can let your creativity run wild. Of course, it is important to take into account which products dogs can and cannot eat. Are you curious about exactly which products these are? Then read our blog “What can and cannot a dog eat?”. Depending on what your dog likes and dislikes and what you may already have at home, there are many different ways to make dog ice cream. Of course, you can make dog ice cream from water with wet food, dog kibble and snacks, but you can also jazz up the ice cream with some less obvious products such as fruit, vegetables, pure peanut butter (without xylitol), tinned fish (in water) and lactose-free yoghurt or quark. You can even make dog ice cream from stock! So there's plenty of choice.
How do you make dog ice cream?
Regardless of which recipe you use, there are always a few basic essentials when making your own dog ice cream. Make sure you have the following items at home when you start making a refreshing snack for your four-legged friend:
- A bowl
- A mixer
- An ice cream mold or plastic cup
- An elongated chew snack (as a stick)
Making dog ice cream starts with the basics: the mold. Then the fun can begin by filling the mold with all kinds of treats! The easiest way is to alternate the topping (e.g., kibble, reward snacks, fruit, or vegetables) with a liquid ingredient (water, wet food, or lactose-free yogurt). When the mold is completely filled, insert a chew snack, such as a piece of deer hide. This serves as a stick. With an edible stick, your dog has a snack after a snack! Then place the ice cream in the freezer for at least 4 hours.
Is this your first time making homemade ice cream for your dog? Then start with a smaller mold. This way, you can assess how your four-legged friend reacts to a cold treat. Another good tip is to start by mixing/pureeing the ingredients when making dog ice cream for the first time. Ground food makes it easier for your dog to eat ice cream. Does your dog like it? Then next time, you can make the ice cream a little more challenging by cutting the ingredients into small pieces instead of pureeing them. Your dog will then have to work harder to get the treats out of the ice cream.
5 delicious recipes for making dog ice cream
Has reading this blog inspired you to make your own ice cream for your dog? We are happy to share our 5 favorite recipes for making dog ice cream!
Recipe 1: Riverwood dog ice cream
Of course, this is our favorite recipe 😉 The ingredients are as follows:
- Riverwood Mono Protein wet food in a flavor of your choice
- Riverwood dry food, to give the ice cream an extra ‘bite’
- Butcher Series Chew Snack as a stick, for example deer skin
Step 1: Put a few Riverwood kibbles in an ice cream mold
Step 2: Add some Mono Protein wet food
Step 3: Place an elongated Butcher Series chew snack in the middle of the mold
Step 4: Place the ice cream mold in the freezer for at least 4 hours
Recipe 2: Dog ice cream with peanut butter and banana
Ingredients:
- Lactose-free yogurt
- Pure peanut butter (without xylitol)
- Banana
- Treat of your choice
- Long chew of your choice
Step 1: Coat an ice cream mold with pure peanut butter
Step 2: Place a few treats in the ice cream mold
Step 3: Mash a banana and mix it with lactose-free yogurt in a bowl until smooth
Step 4: Pour this mixture into the ice cream mold
Step 5: Place an elongated chew snack in the middle of the mold
Step 6: Place the ice cream mold in the freezer for at least 4 hours
Recipe 3: Dog ice cream with strawberry and raspberry
Ingredients:
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Water
Step 1: Cut the strawberries and raspberries into small pieces
Step 2: Put the pieces of fruit in an ice cream mold
Step 3: Fill the ice cube tray with water
Step 4: Place the ice cube tray in the freezer for at least 4 hours
Recipe 4: Dog ice cream with tuna
Ingredients:
- Can of tuna in water
- Lactose-free yogurt
- Long chew snack of your choice
Step 1: Put the yogurt and tuna in a bowl
Step 2: Mix the ingredients until smooth
Step 3: Pour the mixture into an ice cube tray
Step 4: Place an elongated chew toy in the middle of the tray
Step 5: Place the ice cube tray in the freezer for at least 4 hours
Recipe 5: Dog ice cream made from broth
Ingredients:
- Beef or chicken broth (preferably unsalted)
- Reward snack of your choice
Step 1: Put a few reward biscuits in an ice cream mold
Step 2: Pour the broth into the ice cream mold
Step 3: Place the ice cream mold in the freezer for at least 4 hours
Making your own dog ice cream: what should you keep in mind?
Okay, now you know what you need to make your own dog ice cream. You might think you're all set. However, we'd like to share a few extra tips with you. That way, you'll be fully prepared and ready to enjoy!
Rinse the dog ice cream
To ensure that your four-legged friend's tongue doesn't stick to the ice cream when he enthusiastically starts eating, it's best to rinse the ice cream briefly under the tap before giving it to your dog. This is much more pleasant!
Give the ice cream outside
Want to avoid a mess on your beautiful wooden floor or brand new carpet? Then a good tip is to let your dog enjoy his ice cream outside in the garden.
Haste makes waste
Let your dog enjoy the ice cream in a controlled manner and not too quickly. Is your dog getting too excited? Then take the ice cream away in time and give it to them again later. If a dog eats too much ice cream at once, it can cause headaches (similar to the ‘brain freeze’ we humans experience) or gastrointestinal problems.
With the above tips and recipes, you can spend the whole summer making delicious homemade dog ice cream for your tail-wagging four-legged friend. We wish you lots of ice cream and eating pleasure!
Many dogs already enjoy Riverwood every day. Would you like your dog to enjoy our delicious food too, and are you curious about which variety would suit your dog best? Answer a few questions here and order an affordable trial pack right away.