Kong Stuffing Recipes: What to Use Besides Peanut Butter (10+ Easy Recipes!)
Gone are the times when solely peanut butter was used inside a Kong. More and more, pet parents are looking for alternatives for their pups when it comes to Kong stuffing; whether it be for health reasons or for keeping things interesting, the good news is that the possibilities are endless!
We've shared some of our favourite recipes with some amazing blogs like Boogie The Pug and the KONG Blog in the past, and after popular demand, I'm dropping a bunch here for our hungry readers.
TIP: If you're new to enrichment stuffing, I highly recommend you check out our article Enrichment Stuffing: A Beginner's Guide to Stuffing Dog Toys. I've covered a lot of the basic questions and concerns in regards to enrichment stuffing, and this article should give you a better understanding when it comes to stuffing ingredients for your dogs.
In this post, we'll cover:
Classic Kong Recipes
Alternate recipes featuring different stuffable toys
CLASSIC KONG RECIPES
Pupper-Mint
Ingredients
Cucumber (chopped in quarters or halves)
Plain Greek yogurt (ensure no xylitol)
2-3 Fresh Mint leaves (stem removed)
Shredded Chicken or kibble (optional)
Instructions
Place the Kong upside down in an empty egg carton or shot glass.
Add chopped cucumber into the opening of the Kong, pressing into the bottom. Set some aside for later.
If using kibble or chicken, add this as the next layer, again saving some of each to add to the top.
Press 1-2 mint leaves into the Kong.
Using a small spoon or squeeze bottle, slowly fill the Kong with yogurt.
Add another small layer of chopped cucumber, followed by more yogurt. Gently tap your Kong on your counter top to ensure the yogurt gets in all the crevices.
Once the Kong is filled, add a slice of cucumber, chicken (optional), a sprinkling of kibble (optional) and the remaining mint leaf. Having this at the opening of your Kong should immediately intrigue your pup.
Place the Kong upside down in the egg carton and leave it in the freezer overnight.
Remove Kong from the freezer and enjoy!
Apple Crunch
Ingredients
Dog treat of your choosing
Homemade dog friendly applesauce*
Parsley
Instructions
Place the Kong upside down in an empty egg carton or shot glass.
Shred the parsley and mix with your applesauce. Save a portion of parsley for the top.
Once full, stick the treat so that it's standing upright outside of your Kong. Place a small portion of parsley on top.
Serve fresh or frozen.
*Our ridiculously easy dog safe applesauce recipe can be found here.
Bindi's Breakfast
Ingredients
1 hardboiled egg, shell removed and halved
1-2 sprigs Fresh Parsley
Bone Broth*
1-2 dog treats of choice
1 piece cooked bacon (optional)
Instructions
Place the Kong upside down in an empty egg carton or shot glass.
Add one dog treat to Kong, pressing into the bottom. Set one aside to add later to the top.
If using bacon, cut into small pieces and sprinkle a small amount of bacon into the bottom.
Press a small sprig of parsley into the Kong.
Take one half of the hardboiled egg and squeeze it into the opening. (This can be a bit messy, as the egg will crumble, but that’s okay!). You can pat it down firmly or have a bit sticking out of the top.
Using a small spoon, squeeze bottle, or measuring cup, add some bone broth into the Kong. It may begin to run out the bottom, but that’s okay. The objective here is to just get the ingredients inside wet enough to stick together while in the freezer.
Once the Kong is filled, add the remaining parsley and dog treat so that they’re sticking out of the top. Having this at the opening of your Kong should immediately intrigue your pup.
Place the Kong upside down in the egg carton and leave it in the freezer overnight.
Remove Kong from the freezer and enjoy!
* For an easy bone broth recipe, click here.
Yogurt Medley
Ingredients
Plain Greek Yogurt
Kibble (if feeding raw, use a portion of your protein of choice)
Carrot (chopped)
Apple (chopped).
Instructions
Place the Kong upside down in an empty egg carton or shot glass.
Chop the apple and carrot finely and place inside your Kong. Then, sprinkle a portion of your kibble or raw food. Cup your hand over the end of the Kong, and shake to mix (kind of like you're making a fancy drink at a bar!).
Next, using a squeeze bottle or spoon, add a portion of yogurt. Tap the tip of the Kong on the counter a few times to ensure the yogurt gets into the crevices.
Place the Kong upside down in the egg carton and leave it in the freezer overnight.
Remove Kong from the freezer and serve.
Kong Soother
Ingredients
Hardboiled egg (halved)
Low fat cottage cheese
Instructions
Place the Kong upside down in an empty egg carton or shot glass.
In a spare bowl, mash the hardboiled egg and a portion of low fat cottage cheese together. Spoon into the Kong.
Serve fresh or frozen.
Tip: Served fresh, this option is great for elderly dogs who may not have the patience to sit through an entire frozen KONG, or dogs who have lost teeth and struggle with crunchy ingredients.
Optional: You could always add a little bit of bone broth or even a splash of water to cement these ingredients together further if you’re looking to freeze this variation. If you decide to go this route, balance your KONG upside down in a recycled egg carton to catch any drips.
Peach of My Heart
Ingredients
Plain Greek yogurt
Dehydrated chicken hearts
Peaches (fresh or frozen)
Supplements (enrichment toys are a great way to sneak in any needed supplements!)
Instructions
Place the Kong upside down in an empty egg carton or shot glass.
Add a peach slice and a portion of the chicken hearts to the base of the Kong.
Mix your supplements with your Greek yogurt.
Using a squeeze bottle or spoon, add a portion of yogurt/supplement mix. Tap the tip of the Kong on the counter a few times to ensure the yogurt gets in the crevices.
Place the Kong upside down in the egg carton and leave it in the freezer overnight.
Remove Kong from the freezer and enjoy!
Something's Fishy
Ingredients
Shredded carrot
Cucumber
Sardine
Parsley
Bone broth and/or water
Instructions
Place the Kong upside down in an empty egg carton or shot glass.
Mix the shredded carrot, parsley, and cucumber in a small bowl.
Place a small sardine portion at the base of the Kong.
Fill remainder of the kong with the veggie mix, adding a little bone broth into the Kong itself. It's okay if a bit of bone broth runs out; we just want the ingredients to dampen up in order to stick together in the freezer.
Add the remaining portion of the sardine to the top.
Place the Kong upside down in the egg carton and leave it in the freezer overnight.
Remove Kong from the freezer and serve.
KONG CLASSIC ALTERNATIVES
West Paw Qwizl "Lick Sticks"
For these next two variations, you'll need a Water Bottle Ice Cube Tray.
Ingredients:
Parsley
Raspberry
Bone broth/water
Instructions
Using a Water Bottle Ice Cube Tray, mash the ingredients and fill the tray accordingly.
Freeze ingredients inside the water bottle ice cube tray over night.
Remove from freezer and run the thin ice cube under tap water for a quick second (this will make it easier to slide into the Qwizl!)
Place inside the Qwizl and serve!
KONG Goodie Bone "Lick Sticks"
Ingredients in each stick:
Pure Pumpkin Puree
Kibble & Greek Yogurt (raw feeders, feel free to use a raw protein of choice)
Instructions
Using a Water Bottle Ice Cube Tray, mash the ingredients and fill.
Freeze ingredients inside the water bottle ice cube tray over night.
Remove from freezer and run the thin ice cube under tap water for a quick second (this will make it easier to slide into the Goodie Bone)
Place the lick sticks into the Goodie Bone and serve.
Planet Dog Snoop "Party Mix"
Ingredients
Frozen Raspberries
Pumpkin Seeds
Dry treats of choice
Dehydrated cranberries or blueberries (I like to dehydrate them myself - they're super easy!)
Instructions
Pop open the snoop and place all ingredients inside.
Serve and enjoy!
Tip: The Snoop works best with loose, dry, rolling treats like the ones included above. Anything wet/sticky will be incredibly hard for your dog to remove.
Planet Dog Gobbler "Thanksgiving Feast"
Ingredients
Cooked Turkey or Chicken (raw feeders, feel free to use raw portions)
Pure Pumpkin Puree
Thyme
Green beans (I used steamed, but you can use raw or canned in water as well)
Instructions
Place a portion of turkey at the base, setting some aside for the top.
Layer: Turkey, pumpkin, green bean and repeat until the toy is filled.
Place a portion of each ingredient sticking out of the end (pictured below) to ignite your dog's interest.
Serve fresh or frozen.
Further Reading:
Enrichment for Raw Feeders: Tips, Recommendations, and More
Toy Stuffing Time Savers: 6 Ways to Make Stuffing Your Dog's Toys A Breeze
The Ultimate Dog Safe Grocery List (Featuring Over 25 Ingredients that You Can Use at Home)
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