Bring on the red and green everything … including dog treats. But, guess what?! These Christmas-colored dog treats, while festive looking, don’t call for any artificial food coloring. Instead, they rely on just a few fresh ingredients. So, these bites are as healthy as they are cute!
This Christmas-Inspired Gelatin Dog Treat recipe is a spin-off of my original Chicken Jello Dog Treat recipe, which has a pretty orange hue. In that recipe, I simply boil up and then puree some chicken breast, carrot, water, and plain/unflavored gelatin powder. Well, if you swap out the carrot for a different Fido-friendly veggie, you can easily transform this treat into any color your heart desires!
Before I share the recipes, let’s take a quick look at the benefit of gelatin for dogs.
A Glance at Gelatin
In case you didn’t know, plain, unflavored, and unsweetened gelatin isn’t only safe for our canine companions, it actually offers big benefits for their joints, bones, gut health, digestion, skin, nails, and the list goes on.
High in amino acids (the building blocks of protein), gelatin is a form of hydrolyzed collagen (AKA broken-down collagen) that’s taken from animal parts. I’m not talking about a plain chicken breast, though. Instead, gelatin is from areas like an animal’s skin, bone marrow, tissues, and tendons. It’s virtually colorless and tasteless.
When shopping for gelatin, you may notice it comes in a powder form. Once you mix it with some warm liquid, though, it becomes a jiggly jelly texture. Just think of Jell-O!
Note: Don’t feed your dog store-bought Jell-O or any other processed gelatin-based “human” treats. They include other added ingredients that aren’t good for canines. Instead, stick with a plain, unflavored, and unsweetened gelatin.
Gelatin Brands
If you’re looking for convenience, Knox is a popular brand that you can probably find at your local grocery store. But, if you’re looking to reap the biggest health reward, then look into brands like Great Lakes.
Molds
Christmas Color Chicken Gelatin Treats
Ingredients
Method
- Add chicken breast and veggie of choice (broccoli, if making green treats … or beet, if making red treats) to the saucepan. Fill with enough water to cover.
- On medium heat, let cook for about 20-30 minutes. When finished, the chicken breast will be fully cooked, the veggies will be soft, and the water will be infused with flavor.
- Transfer chicken, veggies, and 1/2 cup of the warm broth to a blender. Puree until smooth.
- Add gelatin powder and mix for several minutes, until the gelatin is fully dissolved. Mix well to ensure the gelatin powder is evenly spread.
- Place a silicone mold onto a baking sheet for support and spoon the mixture into each mold, filling to the top.
- Move to the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, or until fully set.
- Remove jello-like treats from the mold. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
Notes
- If your pup can’t have chicken, swap for 99% lean ground turkey.
- If broccoli makes your pup too gassy, swap for a kale leaf. Kale will give the treats the same green effect.
- Don’t feed your dog store-bought Jell-O, which is filled with extra additives that aren’t good for dogs. Knox is a pretty common brand and they offer a plain, unflavored, unsweetened gelatin option that is safe for dogs
