time for pupsicles
Recipe: banana peanut butter pupsicles
We’re back home in Nederland and it’s been ass hot here on the Front Range. Not only has it been ass hot, but pine pollen season is in full swing. We haven’t had any rain to wash away the pollen such that when the winds blow, giant clouds of thick yellow blegh go swirling into the air for miles. So of course the windows stay closed during the day and the house just gets plain old angry hot (or perhaps that’s me?).
i bet this fox was running for the nearest stream to cool off
Kaweah’s susceptibility to the heat has increased with her old age. After seeing how much she enjoyed the scoop dog frozen treat in Crested Butte, I decided to make some at home for her. I didn’t want to make it dairy-based as we try to keep her dairy intake to a minimum because it gives her gas. So I went with my favorite non-dairy ice cream recipe: single ingredient ice cream. The ice cream base is made entirely of bananas, which she loves, and I added some other goodies to sweeten the deal for her.
ripe bananas, peanut butter, bacon, carrot
slice the bananas
place them in a vessel and freeze them
Before you chide me for feeding my dog organic Sunday bacon, let me state that the bacon is for us (the people) and that I only chopped up 2 slices for her treats. All of the ingredients are things Kaweah loves. Maybe your dog is more of a cookies and cream type of pup? Crumble some dog biscuits and stir them in. Who doesn’t love mix-ins? Mmmmm, mix-ins….
peanut butter, crumbled cooked bacon, shredded carrots
frozen bananas get blitzed in the food processor
adding peanut butter to the silky “ice cream”
mix-ins: carrot and bacon
Because it was so dang hot in my house, the “ice cream” base was melting quickly. If you want to see what the whole process looks like, please go to this post. You can use a food processor or a blender, although the less powerful blenders may need a little liquid to coax the bananas along. Add whatever you feel comfortable giving your dog: water, milk, almond milk, beef broth (hey – the dog is eating it, not you). As for how to freeze the ice cream, I made a half dozen hemispheres in my silicone bombe molds and had enough leftover to fill two glass ramekins. Do whatever works for you in terms of dog safety (no popsicle sticks for Kaweah because she WILL eat them) and mess factor.
stir it together quickly
piping into the molds
popping them out while frozen
hemispherical frozen treats for the puppers
Kaweah was so excited when I made these that she was underfoot the entire time and panting like a maniac, because she pants in anticipation of two things: 1) beef and 2) anything that she’s pretty sure is for her. We gave the pup one of the ramekins on the deck after her half-dinner (we call them halfie meals). She ate that thing like it was her JOB. I actually like the ramekin because we let her eat a fraction at a time. When we take it away from her, we just pop it in a ziploc bag and chuck it back in the freezer. I’ll probably put the hemispherical bombes into a ramekin too for ease of slobber containment.
verdict: delicious!
that is one happy pup
Banana Peanut Butter Pupsicles
[print recipe]
6 ripe bananas
3 tbsps creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup carrot, shredded
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
Note: The add-ins and flavorings are entirely up to you, but bananas are the base of the “ice cream”. Please, don’t add things like chocolate, grapes, or other ingredients that are toxic or dangerous for dogs!
Peel the bananas and slice into 1/2-inch thick disks. Place the slices in a bowl or ziploc bag and freeze the slices solid (about 2 hours or more, depending on the enthusiasm of your freezer). Place the frozen slices of banana into a food processor or a blender and pulse to break down the fruit. This will require scraping down the sides of the bowl often, but keep doing it because the bananas will eventually become a soft-serve consistency. If using a blender that just spins its blades, you can add a little liquid (milk, almond milk, water, juice – no grape juice!, beef broth) to help it along. When the ice cream is smooth, add the peanut butter (if using) and blend for a few seconds to incorporate. Stir in the carrot and bacon (or other mix-ins). Divide the soft ice cream among ramekins or shallow vessels and freeze. Makes 3 cups of ice cream (about 6-8 ramekins).
more goodness from the use real butter archives
|
pumpkin peanut butter dog treats |
|
single-ingredient ice cream |
|
kaweah’s 11th birthday + taco seasoning |
|
kaweah’s birthday 2011 |
June 20th, 2013 at 3:43 am
Kaweah must be the happiest dog in the world. <3
June 20th, 2013 at 3:46 am
I never knew grapes are toxic to dogs…
Kaweah looks very pleased with her treat!
June 20th, 2013 at 4:14 am
Omysweetgoodness! I’m definitely making this for Simba. And yes, Kaweah looks very happy! :)
June 20th, 2013 at 5:47 am
Slobber containment….snicker. So how do you think she knows when you are cooking for her? Do you talk to her more? Give some sort of nonverbal signal? Or is it just that she’s really hoping those particular smells are going to be something for her? One of our cats gets super excited when we make toast because he’s hoping he can sneak his way into the butter. The other hangs around when we make sandwiches, hoping for some turkey or cheese.
June 20th, 2013 at 1:09 pm
Your dog is adorable! I cook/bake so much, but always seem to forget about making stuff for my dogs. They deserve a treat too! I’m definitely going to make them something like this this summer :)
(P.S. I LOVE that peanut butter)
June 20th, 2013 at 1:20 pm
Ooooh! I’m gonna make a variation on these.
Also fun, if you’re not already doing it, is to stuff a kong with treats, then immerse it in a slurry of broth/pb/yogurt, etc in a quart yogurt container and freeze it. Then turn the treat-embedded ice cube out onto the deck or in the yard and let her work it.
June 20th, 2013 at 1:23 pm
Kaweah does look very focused. I might just have to make this treat for the human beasts in my house (minus the carrots, but possibly with a swirl of chocolate) I do like the idea of using the silicone muffin tins for portion control.
June 20th, 2013 at 2:34 pm
Genius! That’s about all of my dogs favorite things in one delicious treat, I’ll be giving this a try soon, thanks for the idea!
June 20th, 2013 at 6:44 pm
Totally making these for my neighbor’s dog…..he bit a guy trying to break into my house and deserves a good treat!
June 21st, 2013 at 6:59 am
What a lucky dog! I wonder if my puppy would like these? At least they would be better than dirt clods and rocks he seems to fancy.
June 21st, 2013 at 9:23 am
That’s one beautiful doggy… I’m in love w/her paws…. my mom’s maltese will turn 15 this year, and there are days we can hardly believe it because she still has her moments where she is pure puppy! We treasure every moment w/her, and now I must make her some of this ice cream! get cool.
June 21st, 2013 at 10:34 am
What a lucky dog. I’m making these for me! Have a great weekend everyone!
June 21st, 2013 at 10:37 am
[…] one isn’t actually for me and Brandon – it’s an ice cream recipe for the puppies! Jen at Use Real Butter created this recipe for her dog, and I have a feeling that ours would […]
June 21st, 2013 at 12:02 pm
One lucky dog!
June 21st, 2013 at 12:40 pm
What a sweetie. She deserves those delicious treats! I’d make them for my dog if 1)it ever got hot here and 2)we had some outdoor space where she could eat it. Oh well. My dog will have to live vicariously through your dog.
June 21st, 2013 at 12:49 pm
ahhh…you are such a good mom!~
I’ll bet they just love that…
June 21st, 2013 at 9:49 pm
What perfect coincidence….today is Oscar’s birthday! He passed away last year at 14. He was a fine, old dog…half german shepherd/lab mix. Bad when he was a puppy but a graceful old soul in his later years of life. We should celebrate and enjoy our furry kiddos when they are still with us….cheers!
June 22nd, 2013 at 10:04 am
I’m sure my sister will be making these for her geriatric chocolate lab!
June 24th, 2013 at 12:27 am
These look scrumptious for my K-9 Kompanion! I am a mom to a 3 month old Beagle / Rottie mix. She certainly enjoys her treats. I think this would be a great treat to cool her off during our hot summers at the Jersey Shore! Can’t wait to try!!!
June 25th, 2013 at 3:19 am
[…] e de pe userealbutter, blogul meu culinar favorit si, poate singurul care are poze asa cum imi place mie, clare, vezi […]
June 25th, 2013 at 1:13 pm
I’d totally eat those! :)
June 26th, 2013 at 10:40 am
I think my fav posts are the ones with K in there. ;)
July 8th, 2013 at 9:33 am
Susanne – She may very well be, but I think it’s because she’s so simple-minded :)
Magda – yeah… I was surprised to learn of it, but the results can be pretty awful for the puppy. And yes, Kaweah LOVES these frozen pupsicles!
Cindi – Yay!!! :)
Kristin – I’m guessing it’s the peanut butter since we don’t use it that often for our own food. The moment she smells it, she appears in the kitchen and hangs out until she gets something. Your cats are hilarious.
Ruta – I forget sometimes too! That’s why I love these simple recipes that make her so happy :)
Kim – I’ve seen this before!! I would love to do something like this, but Kaweah is not to be trusted outside for several reasons (flight risk, eats anything on the ground, overheats in the sun but doesn’t have sense enough to step into the shade, etc.)
m – yes, the single-ingredient ice cream is a HUGE hit with people too.
Mai-Lis – hope they liked them!
Mia – awwww, that’s a GOOD dog <3
Kurt - ha ha!!
angelitacarmelita - so sweet. Elderly pets deserve extra lovin'.
Chef V - that's awesome! I have been known to "taste" the pupsicles, for quality control purposes only ;)
Natasha - yes! :)
hungry dog - Kaweah will do her utmost to eat her share for your dog too.
Rocky Mountain Woman - she definitely does. She still points at the freezer even after she eats one!
Pey-Lih - I'm sorry about Oscar. But 14 is a nice long life for a large breed dog. The important thing is that you enriched one another's lives. xo
jill - awww, I didn't know she had a chocolate lab! <3
Mary - yes, it's so nice to give them something cool to enjoy. I would give Kaweah ice, but she completely ignores it.
Tiffany - they are totally okay for people to eat :)
Vicky - you would be amazed at how many times people tell me that ;)
July 18th, 2013 at 2:35 pm
[…] Banana Peanut Butter Pupsicles […]
September 7th, 2013 at 11:27 am
So I have read your blog for a LONG time. But I never stopped to ponder how you pronounce your dogs name until now. Can you phonetically spell it out for me?
And I was about to chide you for amazing bacon being fed to the dog. How did you guess I might say that? Then I read that she only got a little and then I was okay with that. Ha! not that you should give a rats behind what I think… Just thought it was funny.
May 30th, 2014 at 12:35 pm
[…] Butter Bacon Dog Treats 2. Simple Peanut Butter Cookie Treats 3. Peanut Butter Oatmeal Treats 4. Banana Pupsicles 5. Baked Zucchini Biscuits 6. Chicken Dog Treats – These look good and they are for […]
December 28th, 2016 at 3:20 am
[…] e de pe userealbutter, blogul meu culinar favorit si, poate singurul care are poze asa cum imi place mie, clare, vezi […]
July 13th, 2023 at 4:49 pm
Hello. I just came across this blog via a posting of your pupsicle recipe elsewhere. Kaweah is a beautiful pup.
It is going to be very hot here in CA very soon. My standard poodle and boxer pups (both 15 months now) do not have a high tolerance for the heat so these pupsicles will be a real hit in our house. Thank you so much! We will be making these tomorrow!