Never fear! Your monster protecting dogs will be more than happy to save you from these Frankenbones and monster treats. Here’s how to make cute but simple homemade Halloween monster dog treats. Tricks optional. Woofs!
Making Monsters
Halloween isn’t really a done thing down here in New Zealand (although it’s catching on), but we’ll take any excuse for a treat or two! Last year’s mummy bone dog treats were one of my favourite treats to create and decorate, and are definitely something I’d make again. These Frankenbones simplify Halloween monster dog treat decorating. They’re a fast way to make a fun batch of monster dog treats. It’s also an easy idea for the kids to help with making special Howl-oween dog treats for their furry friends. Into the monster making lab we go!
Going for Green
But Ending Up Green-ish…
My Frankenbones were tinted with spirulina as part of my ongoing experimental ingredients. It makes sensational looking gummy treats, like these simple spirulina gummies. Unfortunately, the base dough used in these treats was too brown and my gorgeous green monster dough lost some of that ummph when baked, like many natural colourings and tints tend to do. So, there’s no dough recipe with this Halloween monster dog treat post, but I wanted to share the Frankenbone instructions all the same. After all, monsters come in all colours!
Choosing a Base Dough for Making Monster Dog Treats
Dog treats using tints can be made using any pale neutral coloured dog treat dough, and you’ll need a rollable dough for these monsters. The lighter the dough, the easier it will be to tint true colours. Alternatively, you can use a dough that’s already a monsterously great colour from the base ingredients without needing extra tints. Or not care too much about the colour – the dogs won’t either! Yum is the important factor.
Choosing Monsterous Tinting Colours and Ingredients
Any dog-friendly tints can be used to make coloured treats, but don’t forget about the important elements of flavours and smells when choosing and mixing colours. Spirulina, wheatgrass, and kale powders are all nice natural greens and can be blended together or with other colours. You can read more about tinting treats in our post on using natural food colourings for dog treats.
Making the Frankenbone Halloween Monster Dog Treats
Preparing and cutting the dough:
- Preheat the oven and mix the dough according to your chosen recipe.
- Roll the dough, then cut to shape and place on a prepared baking sheet. I used a bone cookie cutter and a small round biscuit cutter.
Decorating the Frankenbone dog treats:
- Use a small hollow round food-safe object to create an indentation outline for the eyes. I used my mini circle plunger cutter.
- Press with a round tip to add a round indentation for pupils. I used the end of a chopstick.
Decorating the round monster face dog treats:
- Use a small hollow round food-safe object to create an indentation outline for the eyes. I used my mini circle plunger cutters, and two sizes for a more monstrous Frankenstein face.
- Press with a round tip to add a round indentation for pupils. I used the end of a chopstick.
- Add angry eyebrows with the tip of a knife and an angry mouth with a knife or the curve of a spoon. As you can see, my monster treats and squeaky Frankenstein dog toy share a similar grizzle! It’s my go-to grumpy face. Hehehe…
Hungry for more tasty treats? There are all sorts of homemade dog treat ideas in our blog archives. You can use the category and tag labels to find other recipes that might be of interest or use our internal search tools to find something specific. Remember, treats (bought or homemade) are for spoiling your pup in moderation. We share ideas from treats that we’ve made ourselves for our pets, but different animals have different preferences (likes/dislikes), just like people. Some pets may have special dietary requirements and/or food allergies/intolerances. If you are ever in doubt or have questions about what’s suitable for your pet, have a chat with your trusted vet.
