Going on outdoor adventures with your dog is an excellent way to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle while having fun and creating memories together. Engaging in outdoor activities expends a lot of energy, so it’s important to pack nutritious snacks to help you refuel.
Dog trail mixes are healthier alternatives to a bag of dog treats because they contain nutritious foods that will give your dog a boost of energy. Fortunately, most dog trail mixes are pretty quick and easy to make, and they’re easy to store. Here are some ideas to help you prepare a tasty batch of dog trail mix that you can bring on your next outdoor adventure with your dog.
The 5 Dog Trail Mix Recipes
1. Dogster Trail Mix Recipe
Dogster Trail Mix Recipe
Equipment
- Plastic bag or mason jar
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- Dog kibble
- Dehydrated fruit
- Dehydrated vegetables
- Dehydrated meat
- Unsweetened breakfast cereal
- Unsalted pretzels
- Dry dog treats
Instructions
- Break apart any pieces of dehydrated fruit, vegetables, or meat that may be too big for your dog to eat.
- Add equal parts of each ingredient into a mixing bowl.
- Mix thoroughly and store in a plastic bag or mason jar.
Notes
Image Credit: Samantha Meyers | Dogster
2. Ollie Tropical Trail Mix
This tropical trail mix is the perfect snack for fruit lovers. It also contains chicken treats for protein. You can replace the fruit in this recipe with any of your dog’s favorite fruits just make sure they are safe for dogs and have no added sugar.
| Prep Time: | 5 minutes |
| Refrigerator Time: | 0 minutes |
| Total Time: | 3 hours |
| Servings: | 8 servings |
- 1 cup pineapple
- 1 cup strawberries
- 1 cup bananas
- 1 cup Ollie Tasty Chicken strips
- Baking sheet
- Aluminum foil
- Plastic baggy or airtight container
- Preheat the oven to 200°F.
- Chop all the fruit into ½-inch pieces.
- Line the baking sheet with foil and place the chopped fruit in it. Make sure that the fruits aren’t on top of each other.
- Dry the fruit in the oven for at least 3 hours or until completely dried out.
- Tear the chicken treats into bite-sized pieces.
- Remove the fruit from the oven, and let it cool completely.
- Toss the chicken treats with the fruit.
- Store in an airtight container or plastic bag.
3. DIY Dog Trail Mix
This dog trail mix recipe is super fast and easy to make. As with any recipe using dried fruit, make sure to choose fruits that don’t have any added sugars in them. You can also replace the Superfood Treats with any of your dog’s favorite treats.
| Prep Time: | 5 minutes |
| Refrigerator Time: | 0 minutes |
| Total Time: | 5 minutes |
| Servings: | 4 servings |
- ¼ cup dried blueberries
- ¼ cup dried bananas
- 2–3 dog-friendly jerky strips
- ¼ cup Superfood Treats
- Plastic baggy or airtight container
- Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Store in a plastic baggy or an airtight food container.
4. Liver & Sweet Potato Trail Mix
This dog trail mix does take some time to make, but it’s highly nutritious and an excellent energy source for dogs. If you don’t have enough prep time, you can always purchase dehydrated fruits and vegetables and sub the chicken liver with dog-friendly jerky treats.
| Prep Time: | 3–4 hours |
| Refrigerator Time: | 0 hours |
| Total Time: | 3–4 hours |
| Servings: | 6 servings |
- 1 carrot
- 1 banana
- 1 sweet potato
- ½ to 1 pound chicken liver
- Baking sheet
- Aluminum foil
- Plastic baggy or airtight container
- Preheat the oven to 180°F.
- Slice the fruit and vegetables to your desired size and thickness.
- Clean the chicken livers and slice them into thin slices. Make sure to remove all the fat.
- Place the fruit, vegetables, and chicken liver on a foil-lined baking sheet. Make sure none of the pieces are on top of each other.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven until dry. Leave the oven door slightly open to let out moisture.
- Let the fruit, vegetables, and chicken liver cool completely before placing them in a plastic baggy or airtight container.
5. No-Bake Trail Mix Bar for Dogs
This convenient trail mix bar eliminates worrying about spills and crumbs. It also contains a wide variety of nutritious foods that will give your dog a boost of energy while they spend time outdoors. Best of all, it’s a no-bake recipe and doesn’t require any fancy equipment to make.
| Prep Time: | 25 minutes |
| Refrigerator Time: | 20 minutes |
| Total Time: | 45 minutes |
| Servings: | 12 treats |
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup all-natural peanut butter
- 2 tablespoon chia seeds
- 4 tablespoon cold water
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ¼ cup all-natural unsweetened dried cranberries
- ¼ cup all-natural unsweetened banana chips
- ¼ cup all-natural unsweetened freeze-dried blueberries
- Mixing bowls
- Spatula
- Baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Plastic wrap
- Mix chia seeds with cold water and set for 10 minutes.
- Crush banana chips into smaller, bite-sized pieces.
- Combine rolled oats, peanut butter, coconut, dried cranberries, blueberries, and chia seeds in a large mixing bowl.
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper and transfer the mixture to the baking pan.
- Spread the mixture evenly.
- Spread an even layer of banana chips to the top of the mixture and press down to set the banana chips.
- Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
- Cut into 12 even pieces and store individually in plastic wrap.
Conclusion
We hope these dog trail mix recipes have inspired you to make your own bag of trail mix for your dog. Most dog trail mixes are easy to make, and you can always buy dehydrated fruit or vegetables from your local grocery store if you don’t have time to dehydrate your own. Just make sure to purchase varieties that don’t contain extra sugar or artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.
You’ll have a batch of nutritious dog trail mix in no time that you can bring on the next adventure with your dog. Your dog will love and appreciate taking a snack break and refueling with the special trail mix you’ve prepared for them.
Featured Image Credit: Gorodenkoff, Shutterstock
