Dog Ice Cream is the perfect sweet treat for your pup on a hot day or for a special celebration. Just 5 ingredients needed for these dog-friendly frozen treats.
Have you ever been eating a bowl of vanilla ice cream while your pup stares at you with jealous eyes? Well, now you can have a special treat for them, that’s safe and delicious.
Ice Cream for Dogs
I interrupt all my human baking recipes to bring you this sweet treat I shared on Instagram not too long ago.
Dogs enjoy frozen treats in summer, but regular no-churn ice cream isn’t good for them. The sugar and milk can upset their stomachs, so it’s better to find a dog-friendly alternative for a safe and tasty treat.
We’ve bought our dogs Frosty Paws in the past, but it’s so pricy for just a few treats.
So instead, I’m making dog-friendly ice cream that uses Greek yogurt and no added sugar for an all-natural treat!
- Just 5 ingredients needed
- Only 10 minutes to prep
- Safe for dogs – no added sugar and low lactose
- The perfect way to treat your doggy!
This makes a lot of treats! We make a batch at the start of summer, and they last us all summer long for the occasional hot summer day treat.
Next time your pup looks at you while you’re enjoying some chocolate ice cream, make your dog a batch of these homemade frosty paws instead.
Ingredient Notes
- Banana – A ripe banana works great here to add some sweetness without using any added sugar in the recipe.
- Peanut Butter – Be sure to choose a sugar-free peanut butter, and especially use one that doesn’t have any artificial sweeteners, which can cause tummy troubles and be bad for dogs.
- Pumpkin – Use 100% pure pumpkin from a can, NOT pumpkin pie filling. Canned or fresh will work.
- Greek Yogurt – This helps reduce the amount of dairy and lactose in the frozen treats. Use a plain Greek yogurt, not a flavored one. You can also substitute a lactose-free yogurt if you prefer.
- Milk Bones – These are a fun way to serve this treat, but you can leave them out if you prefer and just make and freeze the creamy mixture.
Do not use sugar free sweeteners as they are toxic for dogs!
How to Make Dog Ice Cream
This dog ice cream recipe is so easy and versatile. You can put it in an ice cube tray and press a treat, or keep plain!
Step 1 & 2. Blend the yogurt mix. Beat the banana, peanut butter, pumpkin and Greek yogurt together until well blended and smooth.
Step 3. Assemble the frozen treats. Spoon about a tablespoon of the yogurt mix into each cavity of the ice cube tray. It should be about 2/3 full.
Press a dog bone into each cavity. Tap the ice cube tray on a counter so the creamy mixture fills in over the bones.
Step 4. Freeze and enjoy. Freeze the dog ice cream for at least 2 hours. Allow your dog to give it a go!
Tips and Tricks
- Ice Cube Trays – We love using these silicone ice cube trays. They come in a 4-pack, which will be enough for today’s recipe. The treats pop right out, one at a time. They also come with lids, so if you skip the milkbones, you can just stack the ice cube tray treats in your freezer.
- Milk Bones – Choose a small or medium size milk bone, based on your dog’s size as well as the size of your ice cube trays.
- Serving – We recommend only giving your pups one treat per day, or several times a week, unless they are on a special diet. Similar to humans, feed your dog treats in moderation!
Recipe FAQs
Traditional ice cream should not be given to dogs. Sugar and lactose can cause digestive problems, including diarrhea, vomiting and/or gas. Our recipe uses Greek yogurt or lactose free yogurt to reduce these issues.
This ice cream will keep in the freezer for about 3 months. After they have frozen, you can remove the dog treats from the silicone molds and pop into freezer-safe bags or containers to store.
Sure! They are a fun way to serve these treats, but you can omit them if you like.
Basic Recipes
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Dog Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 banana (about 1/2 cup mashed)
- ½ cup peanut butter, see notes
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 32 ounce plain Greek yogurt
- 40 dog treats
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat banana with peanut butter, pumpkin, and yogurt until creamy and combined.
- Using a 1 Tablespoon cookie scoop, spoon mixture into ice cube trays. (about 2/3 full).
- Place a dog treat in each slot, then tap the tray on the counter so the filling surrounds the treats. You may need to "re-stand" the treats vertically.
- Freeze treats for about 2 hours.
Notes
- Ice Cube Trays- we love using these silicone ice cube trays. They come in a 4-pack (which is perfect for today’s recipe). The treats pop right out, one at a time.
- Peanut Butter- be sure to choose a sugar free peanut butter, especially one that has no artificial sweeteners.
- Yogurt- Dogs can get GI issues if they take in too much dairy/lactose. Using Greek yogurt helps reduce these issues, but you could also use lactose free yogurt if you prefer. Be sure to choose plain (unflavored) and NO SUGAR, as the artificial sweeteners can be harmful to your pups.
- Pumpkin- canned or fresh pumpkin is perfect. Don’t use pumpkin pie filling (just the 100% pumpkin).
- Please note: do not give traditional vanilla ice cream to dogs. Sugar and lactose can cause problems, including diarrhea, vomiting, and gas. Our recipe uses Greek yogurt or lactose free yogurt to reduce these issues. All natural treat for pups!
- We recommend only giving your pups one treat per day, or several times a week, unless they are on a special diet. Just like humans, eat in moderation! Ask your veterinarian if you are concerned.
- Storage: These treats will last about 3 months in the freezer. You can keep the dog treat out of them if you prefer, and pop the ice cube tray lid on to keep them fresh longer. The milkbone treat is just a fun way to serve.
- Milkbones- depending on the size of your dog/ice cube tray will determine what size treat you’ll want to use. We prefer the small or medium treats!
- Thanks to Smart School House for this fun doggy treat idea!
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
Oh my, how cute are these!! What a great idea, thank you!! My daughter just got a puppy and I am going to surprise her with these.