These beetroot gelatin gummy homemade dog treats are naturally red thanks to the addition of delicious nutritious beetroot powder. It’s a great simple recipe for making homemade Valentine’s day dog treats, like these cute little red heart gummies. Here’s how they’re made.
Love Comes in All Shapes and Sizes
These mini hearts are way smaller than my usual gummy treats, but are a great example of how easy it is to scale any recipe to suit the size of your pet. No complaints from the taste testers here as the smaller the treat the more guilt-free giving. Haha! The mould was a present for Momma from Santa Paws, and makes the cutest little hearts. I couldn’t resist trying it out. Our pictured treats are often larger as our dogs are big boys, but you can make most baked treats smaller or break larger treats into little bite-sized pieces. Hard-set treats and wiggly jiggly gummies are harder to break. It can be easier to buy a mould that suits your pet, or make them as set-and-slice gummies instead.
Naturally Red Beetroot Gelatin Gummy Heart Dog Treats
Homemade Gelatin Gummy Dog Treats Naturally Tinted with Beetroot Powder
Beetroot powder is one of my favourite colourings for homemade dog treats. With a clear liquid like water or pale stock, it makes gorgeous red gelatin gummies. Perfect for our hearts! With a white base, it’s a pretty pink like our naturally hot pink Valentine’s Day gummy dog treats. These gummies were made in shaped moulds (affiliate link) as individual heart shaped treats, but gummies can also be made as set-and-slice treats in a pan. The process is the same for either method, other than slicing of course.
Treat Ingredients:
- 1 cup cool water, chicken stock, or transparent pale dog-friendly liquid
- 3 tbsp quality powdered gelatin
- 1/2 tsp beetroot powder
Making the Treats:
- Measure the water into a small pan.
- Sprinkle the surface with gelatin powder.
- Wait and let sit for approximately five minutes or longer for the gelatin powder to bloom / gel.
- Gently stir the mixture over low heat until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Take care not to shortcut with high temperatures or overheat. Heat can reduce the setting strength of gelatin.
- Remove from heat.
- Measure your beetroot powder into a suitable container for mixing and pouring. I’ve tried a variety of methods over the years, but I like using a coffee milk jug when I make gummies. They’re stain resistant, heat safe, easy pour, and dishwasher-friendly. Awesome!
- Mix a small spoonful of the prepared liquefied gelatin with the powders to dissolve/mix with minimal lumps and clumps. Once mixed, add in the rest of your gelatin and stir to thoroughly combine.
- Pour into a glass pan (cut and slice) or silicone moulds (shapes). Chill to set.
As you can see in the collaged photos above, when these treats were first made and posted, I added the beetroot powder first, then prepared the gelatin. It works fine either way, but in the years since this post was shared, I’ve come to prefer a different mixing method for powders that works well for add-ins that are trickier to mix without lumping or clumping. I’ve updated the recipe instructions above to the new method, with the gelatin added to the powder after prep.
Gummy Dog Treat Making Tips and Tricks
- See our comprehensive post on making and storing homemade gelatin gummy dog treats for additional information.
- These treats should be kept refrigerated and can be frozen for longer storage, although freezing can affect consistency.
Recipe and Ingredient Tips and Tricks
- My dogs like the smell of plain gelatin, but a little tasty boost of chicken stock never goes astray. Adding clear or strained stock works best to keep the gummies transparent, if you want them to be clear. Cloudy is fine as well, just a bit different than the pictured treats. Light stocks work better than dark stocks for tinting, as the stock can have a significant affect the colour. You can read more in our FAQ post on stock for making homemade dog treats.
- In my experience, 3 tbsp of gelatin powder per cup of liquid makes firm gummies. If you prefer, you can use more gelatin for added supplementation or less for a jigglier jelly treat with lower gelatin content. Individual gelatin powders may be a little stronger / weaker. Find a ratio that works for your preferences and, of course, your dog.
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.
