Sticky and sweet, the beloved and refreshing fruit known as the Watermelon is paired with coconut for my latest frozen concoction. To say your dog will love it would be an understatement.
Watermelon has always been my favorite summertime treat. Everything else ranks in a distant second place. For a few months out of the year, I unabashedly gorge on this sweet melon until my insides could explode with pink n’ fruity deliciousness. My dog Oscar loves watermelon, too. The pup is a chip off the old watermelon-loving block, I suppose. The only problem is that dogs and watermelons tend to turn into a giant mess when mixed together (heck, even humans munching on watermelons tend to make a mess!). This got me thinking about creating a bite-sized watermelon treat that would cool him off without turning my floor into a sticky mess.
So, I stepped into my doggy treat laboratory (aka my kitchen) and started experimenting. It didn’t take long before I whipped up some magic. All it took was a little experimenting and then one day, ta-da! The Frosty Watermelon Dog Bones recipe was born. Now I can nom-nom on my watermelon undisturbed while Oscar is kept busy with his frozen treat. We can enjoy watermelon together with a minimal mess. Cooling off and enjoying our summertime indulgence with minimal stickiness. What could be better?! As a certain patron saint homemaker turned ex-con once said, “it’s a good thing.”
Now it’s time for you to join in the fun. I can’t keep a doggy treat recipe this irresistible to myself! So, my Frosty Watermelon Dog Treats belong to the world now. Keep your eyes locked on this article and scroll away to make some of these delightful treats yourself and keep your own pup cool and happy this summer.
Note: We’ve also included a how-to video, if you prefer to watch rather than read. You can find it below the complete recipe.
The Frosty Watermelon Dog Treat Recipe
This recipe makes 30 frozen treats.
Ingredients:
2 cups of seedless watermelon (should be pureed)
1 cup of coconut water or milk
1 tablespoon of honey (this is optional)
Directions:
- Start by scooping out the watermelon. It must be a seedless watermelon for this recipe to work. You could always remove the seeds yourself of course, but that’s a big time suck. So save yourself the trouble and buy a seedless watermelon instead. Then add it to a blender and puree until smooth.
- Next, add the coconut water or milk (I used milk in the treats pictured here) and honey to the blender with the pureed watermelon. Blend it all together well.
- Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and cover it with either plastic wrap or a bag to avoid spillage. If you’re using hard plastic ice cube trays, you will be safe from most spillage. But if you’re like me and used silicone bone molds, you’ll need something flat to lay them on to avoid any unfortunate spills. If you don’t, you’re looking at a sticky mess on your floors and freezer. Trust me, you don’t want that. Next, before you pour, put the silicone mold on something flat that you can move into your freezer (like a cutting tray or a piece of cardboard). That way, instead of lifting and placing the flexible silicone mold, you can pick up the stable surface area instead. This will save you some stress.
- Now it’s time to freeze the treats overnight.
- To remove the treats from the tray, sit it on counter for a few minutes to defrost and loosen the frozen treats. Then twist the tray to remove the treats from the mold.
Note: It is important that you remove any seeds that are in the watermelon and remove the rind completely from the watermelon that you are using to make this dog treat. If your dog were to eat too many of the seeds, they might end up causing an intestinal blockage. That is a serious health issue that could cause some painful problems for your pup. If your dog chews on the watermelon’s rind, it might result in gastrointestinal upset. That’s not good either! This is why I prefer just purchasing the seedless watermelons that are available, as doing so makes it a lot easier for me to prepare a safe and tasty treat for my pet.
The Benefits of Watermelon for Dogs
Not all human foods, including fruits, are appropriate and safe for dogs to consume. Thankfully watermelon is an exception to this rule. The fruit is a nice treat that you can give your dog every now and then, especially during the hot summer months.
What are the benefits of watermelon for dogs? Well, one nice thing about this fruit is the fact that it is mostly water—92% water, to be exact—so it is a yummy way to help ensure your dog remains hydrated when the temperature rises. Packing some of these watermelon treats in a little cooler whenever you are on the go with your pooch can be a quick and easy way to give him a refreshing, hydrating treat when he needs it. This is so much easier than bringing a bowl and water around with you during those sweaty summer months as well.
On top of that, watermelon is low in calories, with only around 50 calories in a cup of this delicious melon. Plus, there isn’t any fat in this fruit either. This means that adding it to your dog’s diet likely won’t have a negative impact on the number of calories that your dog should be consuming daily to stay in shape and maintain a healthy weight. There aren’t many dog treats that you can say that about, so this is a huge bonus.
It doesn’t stop there either. Despite being low in calories, watermelon is high in various nutrients that your dog’s body needs to thrive. These include vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, and vitamin A. This is another reason why we love this treat recipe so much, as there are a lot of dog treats on the market that contain some undesirable ingredients, so this is a nice homemade alternative for summertime that will actually help keep your dog healthy.
Let Your Dog Give These Treats a Try!
Sure, not all dogs are going to love frozen watermelon treats as much as Oscar. But who knows, maybe your dog will love these frosty watermelon treats as much as mine! You won’t know until you try! It won’t be difficult to find out either. After all, this recipe is super easy and has just a few simple steps to follow. So, you can whip it up in no time at all, even when you are busy! That’s certainly not true of all homemade dog treats, which are often as complicated as most human meals. Even better, these treats are perfect for backyard get-togethers and summer picnics at the park with your dog. In fact, you may find yourself passing these treats out to your friends at summertime gatherings and having your friends beg you for the recipe. It happened to me, which is why I couldn’t keep these wonderful, refreshing, and all-natural dog treats to myself any longer. All dogs deserve these tasty and chilly watermelon delights!
If your pooch is the type that loves eating watermelon every chance he gets, definitely let him try this homemade treat. It will allow him to reap all of the benefits of watermelon in a juicy, refreshing, and nutritious way. It will also help him stay cool this summer, even on the hottest and sweatiest days. So stop reading this article now, run out to your nearest grocer, and get ready for your dog to have a new favourite summertime treat! You’ll be amazed by how quickly these treats disappear once your pup develops a taste for them!
Watch the Dog Treat DIY video:
