If you supplement your dog’s diet with coconut oil, it’s easy to turn that doggy diet add-in into homemade treats. We made these layered coconut oil and carob dog treats for Easter, but they’re an easy homemade treat (or supplement) for any occasion or just because you feel like jazzing up your coconut oil. Here’s the easy treat recipe and DIY instructions for these simple but cute coconut oil dog treats.
Coconut Oil in the Dog Diet
Coconut oil is what makes these simple melt, pour, and set treats possible. Although it’s considered beneficial by many, coconut oil is almost exclusively fat and requires careful consideration of suitability and moderation for pet (or human) diets. When this post was first shared, coconut oil was recommended as a dietary supplement for dogs by many holistic vets and dog nutritionists. However, it has recently come under debate. See our post on super simple coconut oil dog treats for more information as well as links on the benefits of coconut oil and potential issues to consider. If coconut oil is still part of your dog’s diet, read on for recipe below. If it isn’t, there are tons of other recipes you can explore here on the blog instead. Check out our guilt-free healthy carob gummy treats for an easy shaped Easter treat alternative. Woofs!
Using Carob in Dog-Friendly "Chocolates"
Carob vs. Chocolate
In terms of dog-friendly treats, carob is hands-down the way to go. Sharing actual chocolate is a doggy no-no. Make sure the Easter bunny knows to be extra cautious about eggs and that Easter baskets are kept safe from any four-legged chocolate snatchers. The high sugar and/or fat content of many human treats are bad for dogs, and chocolate presents the extra risk of theobromine, which is toxic to dogs. The quantity of theobromine varies and the effect on a dog will depend on quantity consumes, size of the dog, and pre-existing health issues. Contact your trusted vet for emergency advice if you are ever in doubt about something your pet has consumed.
Homemade Carob Dog Treat Recipes
There are lots of ways to create carob treats for your pet, from baked treats to frozen pupsicles and everything in between. The simple coconut oil treats in this post have all of the looks of a fancy treat, but are actually super easy to make.
Using Carob Powder to Create Dog-Friendly “Chocolates”
Ready-made carob drops, chips, and melts are easy to use for dog-friendly special treats like our easy Easter dogolates, but these treats use carob powder in coconut oil. You can use melted carob instead, if you prefer. Be aware that carob drops are often a combination of sugars and oils with carob powder, some are unsweetened carob and oil mixtures. Yogurt drops are much the same. There’s nothing wrong with an occasional special treat, but always read your ingredients to know what you’re buying and eating/sharing.
Pure carob powder is a healthy option, but it needs the coconut oil as the carrier to make melt and set treats. Unlike carob drops, coconut oil treats need to be kept chilled to avoid remelting. When I use carob powder instead of carob melts that the cooled treats can sometimes look a bit cloudy or mottled, especially with lower carob concentrations. Keeping the top of these layered treats plain white coconut oil takes care of any issues with clouding. Layering also makes them look extra special. Like white chocolate and dark chocolate, but without chocolate!
Carob and Coconut Oil Dog Treat Recipe
Homemade Dog Treats with Layered Carob and Coconut Oil
These melt, pour, and set treats were made using shaped silicone moulds (affiliate link), just like making human chocolates. They’re cute and inexpensive, and versatile for making pupsicles, gummies, and other set treats too. Ingredients can be easily scaled to suit your own mould and you can adjust the flavouring add-ins to suit your preferences. Measurements are indicative only.
Treat Ingredients:
- 1 cup coconut oil, divided to create the separate plain and carob layers
- Approximately 1-2 tbsp carob powder (or melted carob drops, if you prefer)
Making the Treats:
Working incrementally so the first layer sets to the touch before the next is applied:
- Melt together the divided portion of your coconut oil for the plain layer (bottom of the mould, top of the treat).
- Pour the liquid into the mould.
- Tap lightly if needed to even out the mixture in the mould.
- Refrigerate until set to the touch before adding the next layer.
- When ready, melt the remaining coconut oil and mix with the carob powder.
- Layer the liquid into the mould.
- Tap lightly if needed to even out the mixture in the mould.
- Refrigerate until thoroughly set before removing from the mould.
- Store cool or refrigerated as coconut oil will soften or melt at ambient temperatures.
Treat Making Tips and Tricks
- See our pet chef post on making and storing chilled dog treats for additional information on frozen and chilled homemade treats.
- Unlike many treats that are easily broken into smaller sizes, set coconut oil is rather firm. It’s important to ensure that your mould size suits your pet. As always, be mindful of treat size and consumption relative to your pet’s size and any other individual factors.
- See our post on super simple coconut oil dog treats for more information on the coconut oil diet debate, including links on potential benefits and issues to consider before including it in your dog’s diet.
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.
