Everyone loves ice cream – even dogs! While you shouldn’t feed your dog the ice cream you get for yourself, there are dog-friendly options for him. The next time you want to give your pup a delicious chilly treat, check out some of the great products and recipes out there.

DIY Ice Cream for Dogs

If you’re a make-it-yourself kind of person, you can experiment with different recipes. You can try to craft your own version that suits your dog’s tastes, dietary needs, and sensitivities. For example, if your dog has a hard time digesting dairy, you can avoid the yogurt-based recipes.

Here are a few ideas to get you started on DIY ice cream for your pup:

Using Greek Yogurt as a Base

You don’t need an ice cream maker to whip up this delicious doggie ice cream. All you need is Greek yogurt, a little peanut butter, some canned pumpkin, and silicone cupcake molds. This recipe calls for little treats as well, like mashed banana, bacon pieces, or chopped apple.

This recipe may suit your dog if they don’t have a dairy sensitivity. With its high levels of protein and calcium, yogurt is healthy for dogs. You’ll want to make sure you choose plain, unsweetened yogurt because your pup doesn’t need the extra sugar.

Pumpkin is high in nutrients like Vitamin A and can help with diarrhea and constipation. And peanut butter is high in protein and healthy fats. Just make sure you are using plain pumpkin and not pumpkin pie mix or filling. Pumpkin pie mix/filling often has extra ingredients that are toxic to dogs. Raw, unsalted peanut butter is healthier for dogs, so try using that!

Other recipes include treats like carob chips, bananas, and, of course, more peanut butter!

Using Bananas as a Base

If your pup can’t handle dairy, there are plenty of lactose-free options. For example, you can use bananas instead of dairy as your base. Then, add delicious treats your dog will love, like blueberries, strawberries, or peanut butter.

One of the advantages of making your own doggie ice cream is finding recipes that suit your palate, too! Then, you and your doggie can enjoy this treat together.

Dog-Friendly Ice Cream to Buy

If you’d rather just buy your pup an ice cream treat, there are certainly some tasty and healthy options out there.

Prized Pet sells “Puppy Scoops” ice cream, which comes in a powder that you must add hot water to and then freeze. It comes in several flavors, including Maple Bacon, Carob, and Vanilla. The company describes its product as being smooth and creamy, like ice cream for humans, but with a “fraction” of the calories and fat.

You can also buy Purina’s popular “Frosty Paws” frozen dog treats. These come in original or peanut butter flavors and keep for a long time in the freezer.

Whether you throw caution to the wind and make your own doggie ice cream or buy it for your pup, they will be so grateful to join in! This is particularly true if you are throwing a dog birthday party or letting them join in on a celebration. Have fun and use moderation when feeding your pup ice cream, especially if it’s of a sweeter variety!