Frozen Recipes

Festive Frozen Dog Treats: 5 Holiday Recipes Your Dog Can Safely Enjoy

Plain turkey, parsnip, apple and pumpkin, frozen into five calm treats for the busy holiday season.

By 5 min read
Freezflower Cup filled with yoghurt and blueberries

December across Europe is a feast. Christmas markets glow from Vienna to Copenhagen, St Nicholas brings chocolate to children in the Netherlands and Germany, and kitchens from Cork to Kraków fill with roasting smells for days. For your dog, that means a house full of food they cannot have and guests who keep stepping over them. A festive frozen treat gives them a holiday plate of their own, made only from ingredients that are safe.

Below are five festive frozen dog treats using plain turkey, root vegetables, apple and yoghurt, plus the Christmas foods that must stay well out of reach.

Festive frozen dog treats use plain, unseasoned holiday ingredients: roast turkey with no skin or bones, cooked carrot, parsnip, sweet potato or pumpkin, apple without core or seeds, and plain yoghurt. Set your dog's portion aside before anything is salted or sauced, pack it into a fillable toy and freeze overnight. Never use stuffing, gravy, chocolate or anything with raisins.

Which Christmas foods are dangerous for dogs?

Chocolate, dried vine fruit, onion, garlic, cooked bones and alcohol are the big ones, and the holidays are full of them.

Safe, if plain

  • Roast turkey or chicken breast, no skin or bones
  • Cooked carrot, parsnip, sweet potato, pumpkin or butternut squash
  • Green beans, plainly cooked
  • Apple, with core and seeds removed
  • Plain, unsweetened yoghurt

Never share

  • Stollen, panettone, mince pies and Christmas pudding, which contain raisins, sultanas or currants
  • Chocolate, including Advent calendars, St Nicholas chocolates and tree decorations
  • Stuffing and gravy, which usually contain onion or garlic
  • Cooked turkey, goose or chicken bones
  • Mulled wine, Glühwein and any alcohol
  • Macadamia nuts and sugar-free sweets with xylitol

Our full guide to Christmas dangers for dogs also covers plants and decorations. If your dog eats something on the "never" list, call your vet straight away.

1. Turkey dinner box

Prep: 10 min · Freeze: overnight · Good for: Christmas Day, strong chewers · Made in: Freezbox

Your dog's own Christmas dinner, minus the trimmings that make ours unsafe. Take the turkey and vegetables out before any salt, butter or gravy goes on.

You'll need

  • 80 g plain roast turkey breast, no skin, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons mashed plain carrot and parsnip
  • Water or salt-free stock to cover

Method

  • Spread the vegetable mash across the base of the box
  • Press the turkey pieces into the mash
  • Pour water or stock over the top and freeze overnight

2. Apple and yoghurt snowball

Prep: 5 min · Freeze: 4 hours · Good for: a light treat, smaller dogs · Made in: FreezBall

White, cold and lightly sweet. A good choice for the days when your dog has already had plenty of rich food.

You'll need

  • Half an apple, core and seeds removed, grated
  • 100 g plain, unsweetened yoghurt

Method

  • Stir the grated apple into the yoghurt
  • Spoon it into the ball and tap it on the worktop to settle
  • Freeze for at least 4 hours

3. Sweet potato and turkey cone

Prep: 10 min · Freeze: overnight · Good for: medium dogs, a long, calm session · Made in: FreezCone

The FreezCone has a spiral groove inside, so this layered fill takes a while to work through. Handy while guests are arriving.

You'll need

  • 3 tablespoons plain mashed sweet potato
  • A few small pieces of plain turkey
  • 2 tablespoons plain yoghurt

Method

  • Spoon in a layer of sweet potato, then a few turkey pieces
  • Repeat, finishing with a cap of yoghurt
  • Freeze overnight

4. St Stephen's Day leftovers wheel

Prep: 5 min · Freeze: 4 hours · Good for: using up plain leftovers · Made in: FreezWheel

On 26 December, the day after the big meal, use the plain vegetables you set aside. The FreezWheel's separate compartments let you put a different leftover in each one.

You'll need

  • Small amounts of plain cooked carrot, parsnip and green beans
  • A little of your dog's usual kibble, soaked
  • Salt-free stock or water

Method

  • Fill each compartment with a different vegetable or with kibble
  • Pour a little stock or water over the top
  • Freeze for 4 hours or more

5. Winter pumpkin doughnut

Prep: 5 min · Freeze: 4 hours · Good for: small to medium dogs · Made in: Freez Doughnut

Pumpkin and butternut squash are in season across Europe all winter. Roast or steam them plainly, with no oil, salt or spice.

You'll need

  • 3 tablespoons plain cooked pumpkin or butternut squash, mashed
  • 1 tablespoon plain yoghurt

Method

  • Swirl the yoghurt loosely through the mash
  • Fill the doughnut on a flat surface
  • Freeze until firm

How can a frozen treat help on a busy holiday?

It gives your dog a calm job in a quiet spot while the house is noisy and full.

Visitors, wrapping paper, children, the doorbell and a kitchen full of smells can be a lot for any dog. Set up a quiet corner with their bed and water, and hand over a frozen treat when the busiest moment arrives. It keeps their nose out of the oven and away from plates left on the coffee table.

“My dogs love these! Super easy to fill. They keep them busy when I need a minute.”
Rebecca B., verified buyer

The season does not end on 26 December. New Year's Eve brings fireworks across much of Europe, especially in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. A frozen toy can be one part of a calm New Year's Eve plan for your dog, alongside a safe den and closed curtains.

Can I give a Freezbone as a Christmas present for a dog?

Yes. A fillable toy makes a practical gift for a dog-owning friend, and it lasts long after the holidays.

If you are buying for a dog you do not know well, choose by weight and chewing style. A bundle with a few different shapes gives the owner options to find what their dog likes best.

“Bought this pack and gave one each to coworkers for their dogs for Christmas. Everyone is thrilled with them!!!”
Terri H., verified buyer

How do I plan festive fills ahead?

Make them a day or two early, so there is one less job on the busiest days.

Freezbone tip

On 23 December, cook a small tray of plain vegetables and a little turkey or chicken just for your dog. Fill two or three toys, label them, and store them in a lidded box in the freezer. Christmas morning is then as simple as opening the freezer door.

Count the fills as part of your dog's daily food, and give slightly smaller meals on days with rich treats. On cold, dark afternoons, a frozen toy also pairs well with our ideas for indoor enrichment on short winter days. For more inspiration, watch the Freezbone recipe videos.

General information, not veterinary advice. If you're worried about your dog, talk to your vet.

Frequently asked questions

  • Plain roast turkey breast, with no skin, bones, seasoning or gravy, is fine for most dogs in small amounts. The skin is fatty and the cooked bones can splinter. Keep the portion small and count it as part of your dog's daily food.

  • No. Panettone, stollen, mince pies and Christmas pudding usually contain raisins, sultanas or currants, which are dangerous for dogs. Many also contain alcohol or chocolate. If your dog eats some, call your vet straight away.

  • A small piece of plain cooked sprout is fine for many dogs, though too many can cause wind. Roast potatoes are usually cooked with salt and fat, so they are best avoided. Always set your dog's vegetables aside before anything is seasoned.

  • You can make them a few days ahead and keep them in a lidded box in the freezer. Label each toy with the date and the fill. Do not refreeze a treat that has melted.

  • Call your vet or an emergency vet straight away, even if your dog seems fine. Have the wrapper ready so you can say what type of chocolate it was and roughly how much your dog ate. Do not wait for symptoms to appear.

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Written by Freezbone Team

We design freezable, refillable natural-rubber chew toys and test every fill and routine on our own dogs before we write about it. Freezbone Limited ships across the European Union from Ireland.

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