A quick trip to the pet store for treats can easily set you back $8 to $15 for a single bag. If you have a dog who inhales treats during training sessions or a cat who expects a snack every time you walk into the kitchen, those costs pile up fast. Over a year, many pet owners spend $200 or more on treats alone.
Here’s the thing — you can make treats at home for a fraction of the price, using ingredients that are probably already in your pantry. Homemade treats are cheaper, healthier (you control what goes in them), and they take surprisingly little time to prepare. Your pet won’t know the difference, except that these might taste even better than the store-bought version.
Why Homemade Treats Make Financial Sense
Let’s do some quick math. A popular brand of natural dog biscuits costs about $10 for a 16-ounce bag — roughly 30 to 40 treats. A batch of homemade peanut butter oat treats uses about $1 worth of ingredients and yields 40 to 50 treats. That’s a savings of nearly 90 percent per treat.
Beyond cost, homemade treats give you complete control over ingredients. No artificial preservatives, no mysterious fillers, no added sugars or salt. If your pet has food sensitivities, you can customize recipes to avoid trigger ingredients — something that’s much harder (and more expensive) to find in commercial options.
Simple Dog Treat Recipes
Three-Ingredient Peanut Butter Oat Bites
This is the easiest recipe to start with. Mash one ripe banana in a bowl, mix in a half cup of natural peanut butter (make sure it doesn’t contain xylitol, which is toxic to dogs), and stir in one cup of rolled oats. Form small balls or drop spoonfuls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Done. Total cost: about $0.80 per batch.
Sweet Potato Chews
Slice sweet potatoes into quarter-inch rounds or strips. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 250 degrees for about three hours, flipping halfway through. They’ll dehydrate into chewy treats that dogs go crazy for. One sweet potato costs less than a dollar and makes a dozen or more treats.
Frozen Broth Pops
Perfect for hot weather. Pour low-sodium chicken or beef broth (make sure it doesn’t contain onion or garlic) into ice cube trays or silicone molds. Freeze for a few hours. These cost practically nothing and keep your dog cool and entertained.
Chicken Jerky Strips
Slice boneless, skinless chicken breasts into thin strips. Lay them on a baking sheet and bake at 200 degrees for two to three hours until they’re dried out and slightly crispy. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. A pound of chicken breast on sale makes a huge batch of jerky for a few dollars.
Simple Cat Treat Recipes
Tuna Crunchies
Drain a can of tuna (in water, not oil) and mix it with one beaten egg and about a half cup of flour. Roll the mixture into pea-sized balls and flatten them slightly on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Cats typically love these, and one batch lasts a while since cats eat much smaller portions.
Pumpkin Tuna Bites
Combine half a can of tuna with two tablespoons of canned pumpkin (plain, not pie filling) and a quarter cup of oat flour. Shape into tiny treats and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Pumpkin is great for cats’ digestion, and the tuna provides the flavor they crave.
Important Safety Notes
Not all human food is safe for pets, so keep these guidelines in mind when making homemade treats.
Always use natural peanut butter — the kind with just peanuts (and maybe salt) in the ingredients. Many conventional peanut butters contain xylitol, an artificial sweetener that’s extremely toxic to dogs. The ASPCA maintains a comprehensive list of foods to avoid.
Never use chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, or macadamia nuts in pet treats. Even small amounts of these can be harmful.
Keep treats to no more than 10 percent of your pet’s daily calorie intake. According to the AKC, overfeeding treats — even healthy ones — can contribute to weight gain and nutritional imbalance.
Store homemade treats in airtight containers. Most baked treats last about a week at room temperature and two weeks in the refrigerator. Frozen treats can be stored for up to three months.
More Ways to Save on Treats
If you’d rather not bake, there are still ways to cut treat costs. Many dogs are perfectly happy with simple whole-food snacks: baby carrots, apple slices (without seeds), frozen green beans, or small pieces of watermelon. These cost pennies per serving and are packed with vitamins.
For cats, a few bonito flakes (dried fish flakes available at Asian grocery stores for a couple of dollars) make an irresistible and healthy treat.
Buying commercial treats in bulk during sales and storing them properly also helps. Warehouse stores like Costco often carry large bags of quality treats at much lower per-unit prices than pet specialty stores.
The Bottom Line
Making pet treats at home is one of those rare situations where the cheaper option is also the healthier one. You save money, you know exactly what your pet is eating, and you get the satisfaction of watching them devour something you made. Start with one simple recipe, see how your pet responds, and build from there. Your wallet — and your pet — will both appreciate it.
