Your Pets Will Love These Vet-Approved Holiday Treats

As pet lovers, we’re all guilty of sneaking our pups a bite or two of our food. But pet parents must be diligent about restricting their pet's access to our favorite delicious foods every holiday season.

The holidays are about coming together to make memories with friends and family - so why should your favorite family member (shh, don't tell Grandma) and best friend be left behind?

Last year, we outlined some of our favorite pet-friendly ways to re-use Thanksgiving leftovers. Now it's time for some fresh takes on dog and cat-safe snacks that you can make any time during the holidays. Remember, these festive-themed treats are for occasional extra loving- not to replace balanced, everyday meals.

By the way, have you read Figo's 2024 Pet Parenting survey yet? Among other findings, we discovered that approximately one-third of Gen-Z pet moms and dads reportedly whip up home-cooked meals or snacks, mindful of the paw print they leave on the planet (and their pet's bowl).

1. "It's giving thanks" kebabs

Turkey meatballs with cranberry mustard dipping sauce

Ingredients:

Meatballs
• 1 Lb. ground Turkey Breast
• 1 Lb. ground Turkey Thigh
• ¼ Cup chopped fresh Parsley (or 4 tsp. dry)
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh Oregano (or 1 tsp. dry)
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh Sage (or 1 tsp. dry)
• 1 Clove garlic (optional)
• Dash of salt
• Dash of pepper
Topping
• 1 -2 Crisp granny smith apples
• 9 Oz of cheddar cheese
Dipping Sauce
• ½ c. Cranberry sauce (I like the chunky kind)
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard (I like the grainy kind)
*Note: If you are concerned about calories, you could use all turkey breast, but I find the meatballs a little dry. They turkey thigh adds just enough fat to add some moisture to the finished snack.

Let's get cooking:

Pre-heat oven to 375F. In a medium bowl, mix together turkey breast, turkey thigh, herbs and garlic. Line a baking tray with, parchment paper or aluminum foil (or nothing if you’re one of those people who like to scrub pans). Roll turkey mix into 1” balls (should yield about 6 dz.) and lay out evenly spaced on your tray.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, until no longer pink in the middle and slightly golden on the outside. Slice apples ¼” thick and chop into approximately 1” chunks. Slice cheese into thin bite sized pieces. Mix together cranberry sauce & Dijon mustard.

Once meatballs are cooked, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. On toothpicks, layer cheddar cheese, apple & meatball.

Your dogs will enjoy these flavorful treats without sauce, while humans will savor the sweet and zesty flavor of the cranberry mustard dipping sauce.

Recipe courtesy Two Little Cavaliers

2. Bow-wow-wow breakfast

Sweet potato dog waffles

Ingredients:

• ½ Baked sweet potato (about ½ cup puréed)

• 1 Small banana (about ¼ cup mashed)

• 1 Egg

• 2 Tbs coconut oil

• ½ Cup oat flour

• 1 Tsp cinnamon

Let's get cooking:

First, mash half of a baked sweet potato and a small, ripe banana together in a medium bowl. Beat an egg with a fork in a small bowl. Then, use a spoon to blend the egg with the sweet potato and banana mixture. Melt the coconut oil in the microwave. Then, add it to the wet mixture and use a spoon to blend well.

Combine the oat flour and cinnamon in a small bowl. Then, add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and blend with a spoon until well combined. The batter will be a little lumpy and have a cake-like consistency. Heat a waffle iron and spray coconut oil to grease the top and bottom metal plates.

Cook the waffles until golden brown. Remove the waffles from the heat and allow to thoroughly cool before serving to your dog. You can store the waffles in a Ziplock baggie in the refrigerator for up to a week. In addition, you can freeze them for up to two to three weeks.

Recipe courtesy Snoot and Toe Beans

3. Cat Crunchies

Crunchy tuna bites

Ingredients:

• 5 Oz can of chicken, with juice

• 1/3 Cup yellow corn meal

• 1 Egg

Let's get cooking:

We didn’t forget the kitties! These 3 ingredient homemade crackers can be made with tuna or chicken BUT the best part is adding your favorite topping- like a little cat nip or mint for your kitties or something else for you!

Put the canned chicken, liquid and all, in a medium bowl and mash it up as finely as you can. This is best done with your hands. Then add the corn meal and the egg. Mix it all together thoroughly. Press the mixture out on a parchment lined cast iron pan or baking sheet and score it with a sharp knife.

Bake it in the oven for 3-4 minutes at 350. Then pull it out to refresh the score marks and bake it an additional 3-4 minutes. Remove it from the oven and slide the treats, along with the parchment paper, onto a cooling rack. Once it has cooled completely, the parchment paper will peel right off the treats, and they will break apart along the score marks very easily.

Be sure your kitty gets a few while they are fresh from the oven, and then store the rest for future use. If your kitty isn’t a big fan of chicken, you can make these homemade cat treats with any canned meat that is safe for cats. It is best to keep these homemade cat treats cold, so they don’t go bad. You can place them in the refrigerator for 5-7 days with no problem.

Recipe courtesy of Sustainable Slow Living

4. Pup pretzels (with a twist)

Apple pretzel dog treats

Ingredients:

• 1 Free range egg

• 1 Cup unsweetened applesauce

• 2 Cups oat flour

• ¾ Cup old fashioned rolled oats

Let's get cooking:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Using a hand whisk, beat the egg and set it aside. Combine the applesauce, oat flour, and rolled oats in a large bowl. Pour all but 1 tablespoon of the egg over the mixture and set aside the remaining 1 tablespoon of egg.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until a dough forms. The dough should be tacky but not overly sticky. Add a bit more or less flour if necessary. Take a 2-tablespoon-sized piece of dough (approximate) and roll it into a tube. It should be about 10 inches long and about the width of a pencil. Take each tube and make into a U shape, then twist the ends together and fold back to the top. This makes the pretzel shape. Pinch the ends in to make sure they’re secure.

Place the pretzels onto the baking tray. Brush the top of each pretzel with the remaining egg. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, until they're slightly browned and become crispy. The pretzels should be pretty hard, just like pups love them!

Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe courtesy The Cookie Rookie

Pro tip: After cooking any pet-friendly dish to share, you may want to add extra seasoning, sauces, or flavors to your own portion. Keep in mind that pets have much more sensitive noses, which influences their taste, so they won’t need as much flavor to enjoy their food!

If you decide to try one of these tasty holiday treats, let us know how it turns out! Tag us @figopet on Instagram and show us you and your furry family enjoying a meal together!

Ebony R is the founder of Atlanta Dog Mom, a community founded to bring together diverse dog moms to connect, learn, and encourage each other to be the best dog moms we can be. In real life, she enjoys deep-diving of various topics, studying veterinary nursing, and doing queer things in the streets of Atlanta with a small group of friends.