How to Make Kibble for Dogs

Do you know that you CAN make dog kibble at home? Yes, you read that right. Not only is it possible to make homemade dry kibble, but it also gives you control over the ingredients list. A lot of commercial kibbles use artificial ingredients that are NOT healthy for dogs. Therefore, it’s highly recommended that you make kibble (at home) for your canine friend.  

How to Make Dry Dog Food in Bulk?

In addition to the health benefits, homemade kibble is very easy to make. It is not a time-consuming process and the dog food you cook can be stored in the freezer. This gives you the liberty to make some extra-batches that can be used to feed your pet in the future. The following kibble recipe can also be used to treat a dog who is suffering from digestive issues.

NOTE: The mentioned quantities of ingredients are for 24 treats. However, they can be increased if you need a bulk quantity of this dry dog food.

Ingredients:

• 1 can pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup oats (optional)
• 3 cups whole wheat flour, brown rice flour or gluten-free flour
• 3 tablespoons of peanut butter (make sure it’s xylitol free)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, oats, and cinnamon.
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin and peanut butter until combined. Stir wet ingredients into dry.
4. Pour onto a floured surface and roll dough out to 1/2″ thick. Cut out using a cookie cutter.
5. The dough will be a little sticky, add a dusting of flour to your hands and the rolling pin to help. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown.
6. Place on cooling racks and let cool thoroughly. They will harden as they cool.

Thank you to Canine Journal for this recipe.

Dog Food Recipes that are Crunchy

Do you own a kibble-loving canine who is NOT fond of cooked rice, vegetables, and meat? If yes, then the following homemade crunchy dog foods are what you need.

Baked Kibble for Dogs

This basic kibble is generally added to cooked foods to complete a balanced meal for your dog. They provide the element of crunch that your pup needs in his/her food.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups of flour
• 1 cup of powdered milk
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup of oil
• 2 ½ cups of meat broth (or water)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Combine flour and powdered milk in a bowl.
3. In another bowl, combine eggs, oil, and meat broth.
4. Mix wet and dry ingredients to create a thick dough similar to bread.
5. Spread the dough onto a cookie sheet. The thickness (¼ to ½ inch) of the dough will depend on the size of your dog.
6. Using a pizza cutter or knife, lightly cut the desired kibble sizes into the dough but do not go all the way through. This will make it easier to break it into kibble pieces when cooking is complete.
7. Place in the oven for about one hour. The dough should be brown and beginning to harden.
8. Remove and allow cooling and hardening.
9. Break kibble into desired pieces. Place into an airtight container until feeding time.

Thank you to Daily Puppy for this recipe.

Homemade Dry Dog Kibble

This hypoallergenic recipe is excellent for dogs who have a history of food allergies. It is free from wheat and uses turkey that is digestible for canines that are allergic to usual protein sources. Likewise, this kibble has all the essential nutrients because it contains a range of vegetables, grains, and meat.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup and 1 tablespoon (200 g) brown rice
• ½ cup (100 g) lentils
• 5 cups (1¼ liters) water
• 3 medium carrots (200 g), peeled and chopped
• 1 medium sweet potato (200 g), scrubbed and chopped
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped, or ½ cup (100 g) unsweetened applesauce
• ¾ cup (100 g) steel-cut oats
• 1¼ tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 small sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 2¼ cups (500 g) ground turkey, about 18 ounces
• ¼ cup (50 ml) olive, sunflower or canola oil, plus additional oil for greasing

Directions

1. Put the rice and lentils into a saucepan and cover with the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes.
2. Once the rice and lentils are cooked, add the chopped carrots, sweet potato, and apple to the saucepan. Stir in the oats and chopped herbs and gently simmer for 20 minutes more. Add an extra cup of water if the mixture is too dry. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
3. Meanwhile, brown the ground turkey in a separate frying pan. You will need to keep stirring it while it is cooking to prevent it from sticking to the pan as it is very low in fat. It will take about 10 minutes to cook through.
4. Put half the cooked vegetable and grain mixture into a food processor with half the cooked turkey, add half the oil and pulse until the mixture resembles a thick purée.
5. Grease 2 cookie sheets and spread the mixture onto one of the sheets so that it is about ¼ inch (5 mm) thick. The mixture will spread slightly so leave a bit of room for this. The mixture mustn’t be too thick because it will prohibit the kibble from cooking through.
6. Repeat as above using the second cookie sheet and the remaining ingredients.
7. Place both cookie sheets into the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes. Turn the kibble over so that it dries through, and cook for another 30 to 45 minutes. You should have what looks like two very large cookies. Make sure the kibble is completely cooked through, as any moist bits will get moldy after a couple of days. If it is not fully dried out, leave it in the oven for 20 minutes more.
8. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F/160°C. Remove the “kibble cookies” from the oven, cool slightly and cut them into small pieces. Place the pieces back onto the cookie sheets and bake for an additional hour, or until the kibble is completely dried (but not burnt).
9. Remove the kibble from the oven and let cool completely. It should resemble pieces of broken pita bread. It will keep in the fridge for 10 days.

Thank you to The Bark for this recipe.

Homemade Recipe for Dry Dog Food

Making your dog food allows you to cater to your pet’s preferences. Similarly, you can substitute the ingredients that could be harmful to your pup. The following recipe will make tasty dry kibble for your dog in no time.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey, beef, chicken or pork
• 1 teaspoon oil for greasing pan
• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup dry milk powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 cups water or beef/chicken broth
• 2 cups cooked vegetables, finely chopped or pureed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In the skillet, cook the ground meat until browned. Grease a cookie sheet and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour and milk powder.
3. In a smaller bowl, beat together the eggs, vegetable oil, Worcestershire sauce, and broth.
4. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix well. Stir in the ground meat and vegetables.
5. Spread the dough mixture onto the cookie sheet at 1/2-inch thickness. If needed, use a second cookie sheet.
6. Using the knife or pizza cutter, score the dough into bite-sized pieces. Place in the oven and bake for one to two hours.
7. Turn off the oven and let cool for one to two hours. Remove from the oven and break on the score marks.
8. Store the food in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three days. Freeze for up to three months.

Thank you to The Nest for this recipe.