Wonder what to do with that dust that winds up at the bottom of your kibble sack? Or the kibble that’s perfectly fine…but your dog won’t eat it? Turn it into homemade kibble dog treats!
What Kind of Kibble to Use?
You can use any kind of kibble–the “kibble dust” at the bottom of the bag or the kibble varieties your dog doesn’t enjoy but you don’t want to waste.
Don’t use kibble that’s become rancid (a quick sniff and you’ll know you have to toss that food).
Kibble and Cheese Dog Treats
Ingredients
- 2 cups kibble or kibble dust
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and assemble your materials, greasing your muffin tins or cookie sheets. I have some cute mini-muffin pans I bought a while back at the thrift store that were just the perfect size for these treats. You could also use cookie sheets and prepare the treats like cookies. (The dough is a little heavy and sticky for cookie cutters, though.)
If you have plenty of kibble dust, you can jump right on into mixing your ingredients; if, like me, you’ve got a mix of dust and kibble, you’ll need to break it all up a little first. A coffee bean grinder is great for this or try your blender or food processor. (Or put the kibble in a zippered bag and break up the kibble a little with a hammer. The kibble doesn’t have to be a fine dust…a few chunks won’t hurt anything.)
Once your kibble is broken up, mix all the ingredients. As I mentioned, the dough is heavy and sticky. I broke off little bits of dough and popped them in the muffin pans. You can fill each muffin nearly to the top (these cupcakes won’t rise when baked).
Pop the muffin pans into the oven for about half an hour or until the muffins are slightly browned on top (and a little browner on the bottom). Cool the treats completely before serving and before refrigerating.
Our dogs loved these (even Tiki, who didn’t like the original kibble…the secret must be in the cheese!)
Chicken and Kibble Cupcakes
Chicken and Kibble Cupcakes are an easy treat that uses dry dog food, adds some chicken and broth, and produces a tasty treat!
You’ll notice that my ingredients photo has no eggs…and only 1 cup of chicken broth.
After a little trial and error (and I found out the cupcakes bake just fine without the egg, too, although they’re a little crumblier), I decided this was the best ingredients list.
You might not need 1-1/2 cups of chicken broth if your chicken isn’t very dry but I found that I couldn’t get the ingredients mixed without that extra half cup.
To make these very simple cupcakes, first grind the kibble. I used the blender, grinding just a cup of dog food at a time. (If you have a clean coffee grinder, that will work, too.)
Once the kibble is crushed (and don’t worry if there are some larger bits mixed in), pour all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Next, put the chicken and the chicken broth in the blender and mix.
Add the chicken and chicken broth mixture to the dry ingredients and mix. The mix is heavy; you won’t be able to pour it in the cupcake pans.
I used three mini-cupcake pans for this recipe (it will make 36 treats). Grease the cupcake pans (I used a no-stick spray) and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Using a teaspoon, scoop a large spoonful of mixture into your hands, compressing and shaping it like you would to make meatballs. Drop the “meatball” into the cupcake tray, slightly press it into position, and repeat until you’re done.
Pop the cupcakes in the top tray of your oven and bake for 20 minutes. Allow the treats to cool completely before you either serve some to your dog or you refrigerate (or freeze). Our dogs loved these!!
Chicken and Kibble Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked chicken
- 3 cups dry dog food (kibble) of your choice
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease cupcake pans.
- Grind the kibble in a food processor or blender.
- Add chicken and chicken broth. Blend.
- Scoop mixture into cupcake tins.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Allow treats to cool completely before serving.
Pin it to remember these recipes for leftover dog kibble dog treats!
Cooks: Don’t miss our My Dog Says I’m a Great Cook™ cookbook with over 100 dog treat recipes from the publishers, readers and fans of DogTipper! This paperback book is available in our YUCKY PUPPY gift store!
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