Dog-Safe Ingredients for Homemade Treats

Slices of fresh apple are a classic treat. Remove the core and seeds first.

Mashed or frozen, banana binds doughs and sweetens treats naturally. Keep portions small, it's sugary.

Fresh or frozen, whole or mashed. A favorite in pupsicles and lick mats.

Fresh, plain berries in small handfuls. Rinse well.

Plain, fresh berries in small amounts. Skip jams and pie fillings.

A few fresh berries at a time. They naturally contain a tiny amount of xylitol, so keep portions small.

Fresh, hulled and sliced. Great blended into frozen treats.

Plain fresh or unsweetened dried cranberries in small amounts. Skip sauces and sweetened mixes.

Seedless flesh only. Remove the rind and any seeds.

Ripe flesh in small cubes. Remove the rind and seeds.

Peeled flesh only. Remove the pit, which is a choking risk.

Ripe flesh in small amounts. Remove the skin and seeds.

Fresh slices with the core and seeds removed. Skip canned pears in syrup.

Fresh flesh in small slices is fine. The pit, stem and leaves are not, so cut around them carefully.

Fresh, peeled chunks in small amounts. Skip canned pineapple in syrup.

Tough and fibrous, and a choking and blockage risk. Use the soft flesh instead.

Peeled and cut into small pieces. A little goes a long way.

A segment or two of peeled orange is the most to share. Skip the peel and seeds.

The pit is a risk, so most people skip plums. If sharing, offer a small piece of flesh only.

Pits, stems and leaves are unsafe for dogs, and pitting every one is hard to get right. Leave them out of treats.

The seeds can upset some dogs' stomachs. Best left out, or offered only in a tiny amount.

A small piece of fresh fig is the most to share. The fig plant itself is not safe, so keep dogs away from leaves.

Peeled flesh only, with the pit removed, in a tiny amount.

Ripe flesh in small amounts. Remove the seeds and pit first.

Cooked, peeled flesh in small amounts. Remove the seeds.

The rind and seeds aren't suitable for dogs. Leave it out of treats.

Dried currants are a type of raisin, and grapes and raisins are unsafe for dogs.

Unsafe for dogs in any amount. Watch for them in baked goods, trail mix and fruitcake.

The pit is a choking risk, the skin and leaves contain persin, and the flesh is very rich. Leave it out of treats.

A little ripe red tomato is fine. The green parts, stems and leaves are not.

Plain canned pumpkin or 100% pumpkin puree, never pie filling. A homemade treat staple.

Cooked, baked or dried, never raw. Slices dried low in the oven make simple chews.

Raw or cooked. Cut into sizes that suit your dog to avoid choking.

Plain, fresh or frozen, raw or steamed. Skip canned beans with added salt.

Fresh or frozen green peas. Skip canned peas with added salt.

Raw or cooked, plain, cut small. Easy to grate into doughs.

Plain slices or cubes. Popular frozen on hot days.

Chop into small pieces, since the strings can be hard to chew.

Plain, seeded bell peppers, raw or cooked. Never spicy peppers.

Small amounts only, chopped. Large amounts can upset the stomach.

Plain, cooked or raw, in small pieces. Too much can cause gas.

Small amounts of plain, cooked cabbage. Too much can cause gas.

A sprout or two, cooked and plain. Known for causing gas.

Small amounts only. It's high in oxalates, so it's used sparingly in treats.

Small amounts, chopped or cooked. Used sparingly rather than as a main ingredient.

A few plain leaves, chopped. Not most dogs' favorite flavor.

Cooked and cut into small pieces. Raw stalks are tough to chew.

Plain, cooked beets in small amounts. Expect bright pink everything.

Plain radish in small slices. Some dogs dislike the bite.

Cooked and plain, in small amounts.

Cooked and mashed, plain, in small amounts.

Peeled and cooked, in small amounts.

Only the peeled root. The skin, leaves, stems and seeds are not suitable for dogs.

A little plain fennel bulb, chopped.

Plain cooked artichoke hearts in small amounts. Skip marinated or canned hearts in oil.

Small amounts of plain, cooked eggplant. Some dogs don't tolerate it well.

Only plain, cooked shoots in small amounts. Raw shoots aren't suitable.

A few plain, shelled, cooked beans. Skip salted edamame.

Plain kernels off the cob are fine. The cob itself is a serious blockage risk.

Plain, fully cooked potato only. Never raw or green potatoes.

Plain, cooked store-bought mushrooms are the only kind to consider. Never wild mushrooms.

Unsafe for dogs raw, cooked or powdered. Check broths and baby food labels for onion.

Unsafe for dogs, including garlic powder. Watch for it in broths and seasonings.

Part of the onion family, and unsafe for dogs.

Very salty and pickled. Leave them out of treats.

A little fresh curly parsley, chopped. Skip spring parsley.

A few fresh leaves, chopped.

A small pinch of Ceylon cinnamon is common in baked treats. Never let dogs eat it straight.

Leave it out. Watch for it in pumpkin pie spice and holiday baking.

Plain rolled oats or oat flour. Blend rolled oats for a simple flour.

Plain cooked white or brown rice.

Rinsed and cooked, plain, in small amounts.

Plain cooked pasta with no sauce, in small amounts.

A small piece of plain bread is fine. Never raw yeast dough, and skip breads with raisins, garlic or seeds.

Cooked and plain, in small amounts.

Cooked, plain chickpeas or chickpea flour. Skip hummus, which usually has garlic.

A small sprinkle, ideally soaked first so they don't swell in the stomach.

Only shelled, unsalted seeds in small amounts.

A little plain tofu now and then. Not a main ingredient.

Plain peanut butter with no xylitol (also called birch sugar). Always check the label.

A few plain, unsalted, shelled peanuts. Rich, so keep it small.

One or two plain, unsalted cashews at most. Rich in fat.

Hard to chew and digest, and a choking risk. Leave them out.

Unsafe for dogs. Watch for them in cookies.

A small drizzle at most. It's pure sugar.

Unsafe for dogs. Use carob powder instead for a chocolate look.

A sweetener that is unsafe for dogs. Found in some peanut butters, gum and sugar-free products.

Plain, unsweetened yogurt with no xylitol. Some dogs don't handle dairy well, so start small.

Plain, low-fat cottage cheese in small amounts.

Small amounts of plain, mild cheese. Skip cheeses with garlic, onion or herbs.

Very rich. Most recipes use a little coconut oil or nothing at all instead.

Fully cooked eggs, or eggs baked into treats. Avoid raw eggs.

Plain, cooked meat with no skin, bones or seasoning.

Plain, cooked and boneless, with no seasoning.

Fully cooked and boneless. Never raw salmon.

Cooked, peeled, plain shrimp in small amounts. Remove shells and tails.

Plain, fully cooked lean pork only. No bones, fat trimmings or seasoning.

Very fatty and salty. Leave it out of treats.

A few plain, air-popped kernels. No butter, salt or unpopped kernels.

Far too salty for dogs.