How to Make a Frozen Dog Treat Bowl

We love an easy dog enrichment hack, especially as the temperatures start to warm up and physical activity outdoors has to be kept to a minimum 🥵. Frozen dog treats are a fun and healthy way to help your dog cool off in the summer while providing some great mental benefits as well. Simply freezing dog treats, like a stuffed kong or a lickmat, is a great way to enrich your dog’s life when it’s too hot to go for a walk.

One of the best diy frozen dog treats you can make is an ice lick or frozen dog bowl treat. They last much longer than a frozen kong or lickmat, and they offer a healthy outlet for licking, which is a self-soothing behavior.

What is a Frozen Dog Treat Bowl?

A frozen dog lick bowl is just a frozen ice block with toys or treats. It can be as simple as kibble frozen in water or as complex as a layered lick using bone broth and peanut butter with your dog’s favorite chew frozen inside. Your dog can enjoy these frozen ice treats indoors (though some sort of bowl or pan is recommended to contain the inevitable mess), or, if you have a yard, your dog can enjoy it outside in the shade. It will even help cool your dog down while they play outside (within reason, obviously).

Benefits of ice treats for dogs are:

• They are long-lasting and mentally stimulating
• They are low calorie
• They are hydrating
• They help keep your dog cool

What Do You Need to Make a Frozen Dog Treat Bowl?

The first thing you need for these dog ice treats is a freezer (duh) and a container. You want to use a larger container so that the ice lick can’t be swallowed or easily chomped by your dog, but keep it small enough to fit into your freezer. I recommend a large yogurt container, a bundt or other cake pan, large tupperware, or a large bowl. You can even use your dog’s regular food dish (hence the name “frozen dog treat bowl”)! Because ice licks can be kept super low calorie (they are mostly water, after all), you don’t have to worry as much about portion control or upseting your furry friend’s stomach.

Next, you need your base. You can use plain water or dog friendly bone broth, as well as goat milk, kefir, and Greek yogurt (unflavored and unsweetened, of course). I recommend using a liquid for most of the lick (like water or bone broth) and then adding in a little bit of the dairy, since that will be richer and have more calories. If you want to get super fancy, you can use multiple bases and freeze in stages for a layered frozen treat!

Lastly, choose your add ins. This is where you can really have a lot of fun! You can use kibble, dog treats, dog-safe fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, and even chews/toys for your dog to find. Imagine your dog’s delight as they are licking their way through some beef bone broth only to discover their favorite rubber squeaky toy inside.

How to Make Your Frozen Dog Treat Bowl

When assembling your ingredients, remember that what you put into the bottom of the container will end up being the top of the ice lick (because you flip the container upside down to pop it out). I like to make sure there are some extra tasty bits here to really get your dog into it. A small layer of plain, unsweetened yogurt, peanut butter, or your dog’s favorite treats are perfect for this.

Next, arrange any larger add ins like toys, chews, or bigger slices of fruits and veggies. Gently pour your liquid over top and then pop into the freezer. If you want to create a layer of different colors/flavors, you can repeat this process. For example, start with a thin layer of greek yogurt and blueberries and freeze until firm. Then, add a handful of kibble and a few inches of bone broth and freeze until firm. Repeat this as many times as you need to create as many layers as you want, alternating between flavors and colors.

Once everything is assembled, you want to freeze it solid– a few hours at least or overnight. Once you are ready to serve, run some hot water over the outside of the container and the ice lick should slide right out. Place it into a bowl or on a platter and serve!

My Favorite Frozen Dog Bowl Recipes

The combinations are endless when it comes to these homemade dog ice treats, so feel free to experiment! Switch up the flavors based on what you have on hand; just remember to always double check your ingredients to ensure they are dog safe.

Here are a few of my favorite combinations to get you started:

CHUNKY MONKEY (pictured)

• Peanut Butter
• Banana
• Carob Powder
• Water

Smear a thin layer of peanut butter along the bottom of your dish. Thinly slice a banana and stick the slices to the peanut butter. Cover with water and freeze until firm. Blend about 1 cup of water with 1 tbsp of carob powder (not cocoa powder). Fill the container to the desired amount and freeze until firm. Repeat these layers until done.

FRESH AND FRUITY

• Fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, melon– anything dog friendly)
• Water

Slice your fruit into bite-sized pieces. You can alternate between thin slices and large chunks to give your dog a variety of frozen textures. I love using berries, which are high in antioxidants and low in calories, or melons, which are also low in calories and extra hydrating. Combine your fruit and water and freeze. You can freeze in layers if all the fruit is floating to the top. Feel free to choose a different fruit for each layer or just mix it up throughout.

LOW CALORIE

• Dog friendly bone broth
• Low calories fruits and vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, watermelon, blueberries, etc
• A waterproof toy
• Water

Dog ice licks are PERFECT for weight loss, because they are naturally really low calorie (assuming you aren’t adding a ton of rich ingredients). Mix about 50% bone broth with 50% water for your base, and use low calorie fruits and vegetables for your add ins. Hide a rubber toy in the middle for your dog to find, or mix in some of your dog’s kibble for extra flavor with zero impact on their daily caloric budget.

MEAT POP

• Bone broth
• Shredded chicken or your dog’s favorite meat-based training treats
• Sliced Carrots
• Fresh green beans

Use bone broth as your base and mix in shredded chicken (or other protein), sliced carrots, and green beans for a healthy, savory frozen dog treat. You can freeze in layers if the add ins are all floating to the top or if you just want to create a cool, layered look by alternating meat and veggies.

Other Delicious Frozen Treats You Can Give Your Dog

If you want to try one of my other recipes for frozen dog treats, check out my non dairy dog ice cream recipe. It’s only two ingredients, works great for a stuffed kong or lick mat, and best of all, you can enjoy a little yourself!

Don’t forget to pin this recipe for future reference, and let me know what “flavor” combination you are most excited for your dog to try!