What Kind of Dog Treats Can I Make With Coconut Oil?

When I was recently researching coconut oil dog treats to add to my dog’s diet , I wondered how many different kinds of coconut oil dog treats I could make?  I not only wanted to make them as treats; at the time I also wanted to use them as a cake topper for my dog’s birthday cake.  So, I did some research and testing in the kitchen to find out.  So, what kind of coconut oil dog treats can you make ?

You can easily make frozen coconut oil and fruit dog treats using those two ingredients in the ratio of 2:1 coconut oil to fruit.  You can further boost it by adding ingredients such as rooibos tea, honey or kefir.  Watch the portions that your dog needs (1/2 teaspoon for every 10 pounds to start off with) and feed it every few days.

Variety is a key component to a balanced diet. Rotate up to five different fruit each month so that your dog can obtain maximum benefits from the variety of nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants different fruit has.  As for the portion to serve, the guideline recommended is no more than one teaspoon for every 10 pounds.  That said – I prefer to ease into coconut oil and recommend starting off with 1/2 teaspoon for every ten pounds.

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Select Your Ingredients

Every dog is going to be unique in what nutrients they need.  You can combine practically any ingredient to mix in with the coconut oil.  The way I approach it is by asking – what do I need to boost?  For example since I already home cook their food, they are already getting their protein, organs, and vegetable in their meal.

I prefer to feed whole food as opposed to supplementing as a first choice and only supplement where I have gaps.

Also I feel that everything the dogs eat need to serve a purpose.

That is why adding fruit to their diet was the next  way I could enhance their nutrition.

Select Quality 100% Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is the headliner in these treats.  I recommend making sure you start off with a quality product and brand.

Look for an all natural, 100% extra virgin coconut oil.

Your local pet stores carry various brands. I prefer shopping on Amazon and my coconut oil of choice is the one made by Stuart Pet Supply. They are a family owned business. Their products have great reviews on Amazon and best of all it arrived in two days via my prime account.

Prior to discovering Stuart Supply’s 100% Extra Virgin Coconut Oil I tried different varieties from Costco, Sprouts and our local pet store.  I found those brands to be chunky when I put the spoon in it.  This is one of the main reasons I love Stuart Supply because it seems to be more consistent in its texture and thus easier for me to handle.  I love the consistency of it – it’s rich and creamy.  It’s not hard and chunky like others I’ve tried. You can find it via our AMAZON LINK.

Coconut Oil is a clean source of medium-chain triglycerides (fatty acids), this superfood supports skin and coat health, along with digestive, cognitive, and immune system function.

Select Up To 5 Fruits

Fruit is a great source of vitamins and antioxidants.  Since my dogs are small fruit often can go bad fast.  Freezing it extends its shelf life.

I don’t like to feed my dog just one thing.  I like to rotate the different ingredients and add variety.  I selected the following five fruit ingredients:

• Strawberries: They are high in fiber and full of vitamin C. As an added bonus strawberries even contain and enzyme that help whiten your dog’s teeth.
• Blueberries: These are one of the superfoods. They contain antioxidants, fiber, and phytochemicals.
• Raspberries: Raspberries should be given in moderation. They contain antioxidants. They are also great for senior dogs due to anti-inflammatory property that can help alleviate joint pain.
• Ripe Bananas: Are packed with potassium and vitamin C, and they’re also good sources of vitamin B6 as well as manganese, biotin, and copper, all of which benefit your dog’s overall health
• Peaches: Are a great source of vitamin A and fiber.

Food Energetics

I like to look at food energetics to understand if the food I am feeding my dogs are going to enhance their wellness.

I got into learning about the energy in food because one of my dogs has allergy tendencies while the other has had yeast issues.  For the allergic dog, food is medicine.  Some food have warming or cooling properties.   Cooling can help bring down inflammation and decrease the excessive amounts of heat in the body from an allergic reaction.  While warming properties might add to your pet’s allergy symptoms and should be avoided when allergies are at their peak.

In traditional Chinese medicine blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries are considered “yin” fruits. They are able to clear intestinal “heat” adding moisture and eliminating toxins. Ripe bananas fall into this category as well.

Peaches on the other hand are a “warm” fruit and it can help reinforce energy, promote blood circulation, nourish yin, promote fluid production and help warm the body to develop and maintain warmth. Feed peaches in moderation and never feed the seed or pit.

Select The Right Size Molds For Your Dog’s Coconut Oil Treats

A conservative approach to feeding coconut oil is 1/2 teaspoon for every 10 pounds every few days.

The size of the mold you use should be in proportion to the serving size your dog needs.

If you have larger dogs you can easily take pieces of fruit, lay them in a standard frozen dog treat mold, combine with coconut oil and call it a done day.

But some dog parents like me have smaller dogs. I knew I had to feed smaller portions. So I found smaller candy molds at my local Michael’s store. But since the molds are so small simply cutting them up and inserting them into the molds didn’t form as well.

I have bought molds from Michaels and Amazon. I found that certain brands hold up better. I love the molds by Wilton. They wash better and the treats come out much more easily. They are available at your local Michaels or on Amazon has the ones shaped like hearts.  As well as the one shaped like roses.

Mix Your Ingredients in a Bowl Before Placing Them In the Molds

I noticed that if I cut up the fruit and placed them into the molds the coconut oil didn’t always properly form and therefore it didn’t freeze as well.  When I did it that way I would have some air gaps between the slices of fruit and the oil

After I experimented in the kitchen I found crushing the fruit in a bowl first yielded the best results.

I then heated the coconut oil in the microwave before adding it to the fruit in the bowl.  This can be anywhere from 20 to 30 seconds depending on the strength of your microwave.  Take your fork and mix the oil and the fruit together.

I used two tablespoons of crushed fruit to 4 tablespoons of coconut oil.

Keep in mind my dogs are 17 pounds and my molds are very small. You can adjust the amount depending on the size of your dog and your molds.

Once that was all mixed together I gently spooned the fruit and coconut oil mixture into my molds..

How to Serve Coconut Oil Treats To Your Dog

By now you should have all of your coconut oil treats frozen in a container in the freezer.

• Start off feeding a coconut oil treat in your dog’s meal every three days.
• Start off with smaller portions and feed 1/2 teaspoon for every ten pounds.
• If you have made treats with different fruit, rotate the fruit you give your dog so that they have variety in their diet.

What Other Ingredients Can I Add To These Treats?

I was curious to find out if there was a third ingredient I could add to the treats to level up the nutritional benefits and found three ingredients I will be adding to the next batch.

Rooibos Tea

One of my dogs have allergies so I’m always looking for additional ingredient to enhance and strengthen her immune system.

Rooibos has anti-allergy properties and can aid in treating allergies and related skin problems.

Rooibos is also:

• anti-inflammatory
• anti viral
• anxiety calming
• cancer fighting
• circulation enhancing
• heart health supporting
• immune system supporting
• slows again

When adding rooibos, brew a cup and add a small amount to the bowl and mix, before placing in the molds.

Honey

Honey has antimicrobial and antifungal properties. It also:

• reduces inflammation
• soothes stomach ulcers
• helps with allergies
• reduced sore throats

When adding honey a small amount goes a long way. Add the honey directly to the bowl before you place them into the molds.

Kefir

Kefir is great for digestive health and gives the immune system a boost.

A great source to learn more about Kefir is from Keep the Tail Wagging.  She summarizes the benefits as:

• kefir kills yeast quickly
• kefir relieves gas
• kefir promotes healing in the body
• kefir is a natural probiotic
• kefir alleviates allergy symptoms
• kefir is a natural antibiotic and antifungal

Kefir typically comes cold while your coconut oil is going to be warm. Wait for the coconut oil to cool before you add a small amount of kefir into your bowl. Mix and pour into the molds.

Benefits in Feeding Coconut Oil

Dogs Naturally has an in-depth article to the benefits to coconut oil.  You can read that article by visiting this link.

Kibble feeders: Kibble is dry and processed. Adding this to your dog’s diet will improve the quality of their skin and coat. It will also give your dog a higher level of energy and improve their digestion.

Home cooked feeders: I feed a home cooked meal. I prefer to feed a high protein meal without starchy vegetables, grains or legumes. Coconut oil is an important source of fat to their diet. It helps provide energy as well as helps with all of the other benefits such as improved skin and coat.

Raw feeders: Those that feed raw most likely do not feed any carbs. Coconut oil becomes a source of additional energy for raw fed dogs.

Can I Feed Too Much Coconut Oil?

Yes. Please follow the guidelines. Too much can cause a stomach upset. If you find that your dog has soft stools you should stop feeding the coconut oil until they have stabilized.

In Summary

Making coconut oil and fruit dog treats can easily be done by combining a ratio of 2:1 coconut oil to fruit.  You can further boost it by adding ingredients such as rooibos tea, honey or kefir.  Watch the portions that your dog needs (1/2 teaspoon for every 10 pounds to start off with) and feed it every few days.

Resources:

Food Charts – Herbsmith

Rooibos Tea for Dogs – Immune System Health, Cancer Inhibitor, Allergy Mediator

Should We Give Kefir or Goats Milk to Dogs? | Keep the Tail Wagging]

About the Author:

Hannah Zulueta is Dog Mom to Maggie and Orbit.  They want to inspire other dog families to live a healthier, happier and long life with their dogs.  They live in San Diego, CA.