Homemade Dog Ice Cream with Banana and Yogurt
Homemade dog ice cream made from frozen banana and plain yogurt: creamy, with no added sugar. Serve it in molds or inside a Kong. Exact amounts.
- Time
- 10 min + 5 h resting
- Makes
- 16 pieces
- Type
- Treat
- Difficulty
- Easy
- 61 % banana
- 32 % plain yogurt, no sugar or sweeteners
- 8 % blueberries
Follows THE RULE. All 3 ingredients are on our safe list: nothing that could harm your dog.
This homemade dog ice cream is the canine version of "nice cream": frozen banana blended with plain yogurt until it turns creamy, with no sugar and no cream. You can serve it right away as soft-serve, or spoon it into molds or a Kong and freeze it again.
The texture is a surprise: frozen banana turns silky when blended, almost like ice cream from a shop. Stuffed in a Kong, it keeps a medium dog busy for a good while on hot afternoons, and leaves your kitchen without a single puddle.
Why it works
Frozen banana is what gives the creaminess and sweetness, with nothing else added. Plain yogurt brings protein, calcium and a slight tang that balances the flavor. The blueberries, which are optional, add color and antioxidants. These are two base ingredients that almost every dog tolerates well.
Step by step
Freeze the banana
Slice the bananas into 3/8-inch (1 cm) rounds, spread them out on a plate lined with parchment paper so they don't touch, and freeze for at least 3 hours.
Blend with the yogurt
Put the frozen banana and the yogurt in a powerful food processor or blender and pulse, stopping to scrape down the sides, until you have a smooth cream, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the blueberries
If you are using them, cut the blueberries in half and stir them in with a spoon so they stay in pieces in the ice cream.
Fill molds or a Kong
Fill small silicone molds (bonbon or large ice cube size) or stuff a Kong. With a Kong, plug the small hole with a banana slice first so the filling doesn't leak out.
Freeze again
Freeze for 2 more hours so it firms up. If you are serving it right away, give it straight as soft-serve.
How many a day?
As a treat, keeping under 10% of what they eat each day.
— pieces a day at most
| Weight | 3 kg | 5 kg | 10 kg | 15 kg | 20 kg | 30 kg | 40 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pieces/day | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 9 |
Puppy, senior, very active or on a diet? Calculate the exact portion.
- Energy
- 19.2 kcal/piece
- Protein
- 11 % dry matter
- Fat
- 7 % dry matter
Values estimated from the ingredients (BEDCA/USDA data). A treat: keep treats under 10% of what they eat each day.
Storage
Freezer: up to 1 month in molds or a tightly closed container; after that the banana develops ice crystals and loses its creaminess. Once thawed, don't refreeze it. It can't be kept in the fridge: it melts within minutes.
If you don't have…
- Yogurt doesn't agree with your dog
- Plain unsweetened kefir in the same amount
- You want to change up the fruit
- Replace one banana with 120 g (about 3/4 cup) peeled, pitted mango, also frozen
- You don't have blueberries
- Diced strawberries or raspberries in the same amount
Cooking tips
- The 10% rule: ice cream counts as a treat, and the day's treats shouldn't exceed 10% of your dog's calories. The table in the recipe tells you how many bites suit their weight; one stuffed Kong is roughly four.
- If your food processor struggles with rock-hard banana, leave the slices out of the freezer for 5 minutes before blending.
- For very eager dogs, the frozen Kong is the best option: it makes them lick slowly.
Safety
- Supervise your dog while they eat ice cream or chew a frozen Kong, especially the first few times.
- The Kong must be the right size: big enough that your dog can't swallow it.
- Never give your dog ice cream from an ice cream shop or the supermarket: it contains sugar, and some flavors contain chocolate, raisins or xylitol.
- Banana is fairly high in natural sugar: if your dog is diabetic or overweight, this isn't the treat for them.
Frequently asked questions
Can dogs eat ice cream?
Not ice cream made for people: it contains sugar and cream or whole milk that many dogs digest poorly, and some flavors contain chocolate, raisins, nuts or xylitol, which are toxic. What they can have is homemade ice cream made with dog-safe fruit and plain yogurt, like this banana one, always as a treat and in small amounts.
How do you make dog ice cream without an ice cream maker?
By freezing the fruit first and blending it afterward, as in this recipe. Frozen banana turns creamy when blended, so you don't need an ice cream maker or to stir it every half hour. A food processor or a blender is enough. Then spoon it into silicone molds or a Kong and freeze it again.
Can you freeze a stuffed Kong?
Yes, and it is one of the best ways to use one: a Kong stuffed with homemade ice cream and frozen keeps a dog entertained much longer. Use a Kong that is the right size for your dog, plug the small hole before filling it, and wash it well with hot water after each use so no residue is left.
What's in it, in detail
- Bananas Yes
- Yogurt In moderation
- Blueberries Yes
If they liked it, try
The fridge list
The foods your dog can eat, can have in moderation and must never eat, on a single printable page.