Treats for My Pup: Valentine's Day Baking

From the iconic sweetheart candies to the aluminum wrapped Kisses, Valentine's Day is but one of the sweetest days of the year. What better way to spend this holiday than by making sweet treats with our poms! Here you will find some fun ideas to make your pup’s sweet treats for them to enjoy on this day. 

1. Frozen Peanut Butter Cups

These sweet treats are the easiest to make.

Ingredients: Greek yogurt, peanut butter, and a mold of your choice.

Directions: To your mold, you layer the peanut butter on the bottom and then yogurt over. Pop them in the freezer for at least 4 hours and then your pup's fresh sweet treat will be ready to enjoy!

*These are intended to be sweet treats for our Pomeranians, and like anything we give them, it should always be in moderation.

1. Puparita

The Iconic puparitas made a huge impact on social media this past year, so here's our take on one with a Valentine's Day spin!

Ingredients: kibble to rim a cup, bone broth to wet the rim of a cup, 1/2 cup strawberries, 1/4 cup raspberries, 1/4 cup greek yogurt, splash of water

Directions: Let's get our cup ready to rim with kibble. Mash up some kibble to a powder consistency and wet the rim in bone broth. Once the rim is wet, we can now dip the cup in the crushed kibble. To a blender, add the frozen strawberries, frozen raspberries, greek yogurt, and a splash of water. Once it is well blended into a creamy consistency, pour the mixture in the cup and add some strawberries for garnish and serve!

*Strawberries are a great source of fiber and vitamin C. Raspberries contain antioxidants which are great for our senior pups. These antioxidants have anti-inflammatory properties which help in alleviating joint pain. 

1. Heart-Shaped Cookies 

You can't beat a classic with cookies made with and in the shape of love!

Ingredients: 3 cups of almond flour, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, 1 cup of water, ¼ cup of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of honey, and 1 cup of yogurt.

Directions: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour and cinnamon. Add the water, olive oil, and honey to the dry ingredients, and stir until the mixture forms a dough. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown and firm. Allow the cookies to cool completely before serving them to your dog.

*Enjoy in moderation!

4. Frozen Strawberry Smoothie

Ingredients: 6 strawberries, thoroughly washed, 1 banana, a splash of water

Directions: Start by washing the strawberries thoroughly. Chop the strawberries and bananas into quarters. Add both the chopped strawberries and banana to a blender. Pour in a splash of water. Blend the mixture until it reaches your desired consistency. Pour the blended mixture into heart-shaped ice molds. Freeze the molds for about 3-4 hours until the mixture is solid. Once frozen, these can be served to your Pomeranian as a refreshing ice treat or used as a cute, festive food topper.

*This recipe is a great way to ensure your Pomeranian gets some extra vitamins, and it's especially fun for a Valentine's Day treat. Always serve in moderation according to your pet's size and dietary needs.

1. Heart Shaped Treats

Ingredients: 2 cups of almond flour, about 2 jars of baby food (preferably beet-flavored for a pink color), additional almond flour for rolling

Optional: Your pup's favorite berries or vegetables, finely chopped

Directions: Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a bowl, combine the 2 cups of almond flour with the baby food. Choose a beet-flavored baby food for a pink color, which will mix with the almond flour to create a lighter, possibly purple hue. Mix the ingredients until you achieve a dough-like consistency. If the mixture is too wet, add more almond flour; if it's too dry, add more baby food. Once the dough is at the right texture, sprinkle some flour on your counter. Roll out the dough to your desired thickness. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the treats, ensuring they fit the Valentine's theme. Place the cut-out treats on a baking sheet, making sure they are spaced apart as they will expand while baking. Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. After baking, let the treats cool completely before storing them in your dog’s treat jar. These treats should last a few weeks.

Optional: Add some of your pup's favorite finely chopped berries or vegetables to the dough for an extra special treat.

There are so many different fun and tasty treats we can make for our pups at home. Right now there are so many horrible things going into our pom’s treats so having them homemade is a great way to ensure that your pup's treats are safe and you know what is going into them. It is also a fun activity to do with them, they will enjoy spending time with you and licking the mixing spoon once all is done!