Treat? Supplement? Both? If you give your dogs coconut oil as a dietary supplement, here are two of the doggone easiest ways to turn that supplement into homemade dog treats. Setting coconut oil into treats is super simple to do and makes sharing easy and fun. We got two easy ways to make set coconut oil dog treats: straight up as plain supplemental coconut oil or with a boost of irresistible peanut butter!
Coconut Oil for Dogs
Considerations for Coconut Oil in the Dog Diet
Coconut oil is almost exclusively fat, so it requires careful consideration of suitability and moderation for pet (or human) diets. Coconut oil can potentially be beneficial for energy, metabolism, digestion, mobility, skin/coat, and other health factors. I also use it topically on the dogs to sooth dry or sore spots. 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 increasing debate.
I’ve decided to put that note into this post with some links for your exploration. This coconut oil treat recipe (and other coconut oil dog treat recipes) are available if you decided that coconut oil is right for you and your dog. If you feel it isn’t, there are lots of other dog treat recipes you can explore here on the blog instead. Woofs!
Additional Information:
- How Coconut Oil Benefits Your Dog’s Health (Whole Dog Journal)
- Coconut Oil for Dogs: Understanding the Benefits and Risks (PetMD)
- Coconut Oil for Dogs: Is it Really Good for Them? (AKC)
- Is Coconut Oil Good or Bad for Dogs? (Healthline)
I also like the amount of thought and research that Kimberley from Keep the Tail Wagging put into the coconut oil question before deciding that coconut oil did have a moderated place in her dogs’ feeding program. You can read her full post at Stop Feeding Your Dog Coconut Oil? Her self questioning and doubts resonated with my own, as does her decision to keep moderated amount of coconut oil in the dogs’ diets.
Using Coconut Oil in Homemade Dog Treats
Coconut Oil as a Dog Treat Ingredient
Coconut oil is used as an ingredient in some of our dog treat recipes. It’s particularly helpful for chill and set treats, like making truffle treats that hold firm when refrigerated or allowing us to create fancy special occasion dog “chocolates” with less reliance on ready-made carob or yogurt melts. It’s also great for pairing with turmeric.
Coconut Oil as a Supplemental Dog Treat
For a super simple option, our dogs enjoy coconut oil plain. Sure, you can spoon a little on their food, but why waste an opportunity for a treat? If you want to consolidate feeding, you can give one back-to-back. Mouth cleansing dessert? Yes, please! Our dogs seem to like the scent and will lick coconut oil straight from a spoon, but setting it in moulded treats makes sharing easy and fun. Our dogs enjoy their extra “treats”. Shhh… It can be our secret. Although I use this method all year round, refrigerated coconut oil treats are particularly handy in summer when coconut oil melts at cupboard temperature in many homes, ours included. They’re also stable stored long term. Pawfect.
Single Ingredient Simple Coconut Oil Dog Treats
Treat making doesn’t get much simpler than pour-and-set single ingredient treats. To make your own plain coconut oil treats:
- Melt coconut oil to room temperature.
- Pour into moulds.
- Refrigerate until completely set before removing from moulds.
- Store refrigerated as coconut oil will soften or melt at ambient temperatures.
Peanut Butter and Coconut Oil Dog Treats
For a little extra scent and flavour in a coconut oil dog treat, using a fat soluble add-in is the simplest option for mixing. A small quantity of peanut butter melted into the coconut oil is an easy upgrade on the single ingredient treats above. And doggone irresistible, too. Not too much peanut butter though, or your coconut oil treat won’t set firm. A little goes a long way for scent and flavour. See our other coconut oil dog treat recipes for more ideas on combining flavours or layering treats.
Treat Ingredients:
- Peanut butter
- Coconut oil
Making the Treats:
- Melt coconut oil and peanut butter. If melting separately, mix the prepared liquids together well.
- Pour into moulds.
- Refrigerate until completely set before removing from moulds.
- Store refrigerated as coconut oil will soften or melt at ambient temperatures.
Treat Making Tips and Tricks
- See our comprehensive pet chef post on making and storing chilled dog treats for additional information.
- Unlike many treats that are easily broken into smaller sizes, set coconut oil is rather firm so 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.
- Take care when shopping for your dogs and always check your ingredient labels to avoid unwanted or dangerous ingredients, like artificial sweeteners. Xylitol (E967) is particularly dangerous for dogs. I like using a peanut butter without any added salt or sugar.
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 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.
