Wondering what to stuff inside of your dog’s Kong toy? (We have 16 of ’em, so we do a lot of Kong stuffing around here!)
Well, have I got the perfect Kong recipes for you!…
The following dog recipes make delicious treats — whether you decide to stuff them inside a Kong toy, or just serve them up as special homemade treats for your dog… anytime!
Truth be told… the list of things you can stuff inside of your dog’s Kong toy is virtually endless!
You can either make up your own Kong recipes (based on your dog’s personal tastes) using a combination of 2 or more pet-friendly foods, or you can rely on pre-tested fillings that have worked well for others.
Dog-Friendly Treats To Stuff Inside A Kong Toy
Following are some great Kong recipes that have worked well for lots of dog owners.
That said, use your own judgment in deciding whether or not to fill your dog’s Kong toy with human foods.
Keep in mind… depending on how much food your dog obtains from “working” a Kong toy, you may need to adjust your dog’s diet appropriately, so they’re not getting too many calories from fat, sugar, etc.
For starters, see why it’s important to use different kinds of treats each time you stuff your dog’s Kong Toy.
And here’s the secret to stuffing a dog Kong toy: use a variety of sticky, ooey, gooey substances!
Finally, pay close attention to this list of human foods that you should NOT include in homemade dog recipes or in your dog’s Kong toy. (You’ll also find lots of great human foods that ARE safe for dogs there too.)
Kong Fillings: My Personal Favorites
- Smear some peanut butter on a slice of bread. Fold up the bread and cram it into the Kong. Freeze & serve.
- Use your finger to coat the inside of the Kong with something sticky (like peanut butter or honey) then toss medium-sized dog treats inside — the kind that barely fit inside the hole and are hard to get out.
- Try microwaving some peanut butter or cheese first — this makes it runny and easy to pour into the KONG and leaves very little to waste. Then layer with another food item. Then freeze. The microwaved peanut butter & cheese fills every crack and crevice inside the Kong acting as a glue around the other ingredients making it much more challenging for your dog.
- For the simplest Kong treat of all, just smear a little peanut butter or honey around the inside of the Kong. You’d be surprised how long your dog will work at this simple little treat.
Food you can stuff Inside Kongs
In addition to your pet’s regular dry dog food and dog biscuits, as well as canned versions of dog food, following are some human foods that you might consider stuffing inside your dog’s Kong toy. (Each of these food items appears in one or more of the Kong Recipes which follow.)
| Apples | Applesauce | Apricots | Baby Food (bananas, carrots) |
| Bananas | Beef (cooked) | Beef Jerky | Black Olives |
| Bouillon | Bran Cereal | Bread | Broccoli (raw) |
| Carrots | Cashews | Cauliflower (raw) | Celery |
| Cheerios | Cheese (American, Cheddar) | Cheese Whiz | Chicken Broth |
| Cream Cheese | Croutons (plain) | Dried Fruit (bananas, apricots, apples) | Eggs (cooked) |
| Honey | Liver (Freeze dried) | Macaroni & Cheese (leftovers) | Nectarines |
| Nut Butter | Oatmeal | Orange Slices | Pasta Noodles (cooked) |
| Peaches | Peanut Butter | Potatoes (instant mashed, no skins) | Pumpkin (canned) |
| Ravioli | Rice | Rice Cakes | Steak (scraps) |
| Tomatoes (no greens or stems) | Tortellini | Tuna | Turkey (leftovers) |
| Velveeta | Wheat Germ | Yogurt (plain, lowfat, unsweetened, unflavored) |
Dog-Friendly Kong Recipes
These Kong stuffing recipes feature unique combinations of your dog’s own food and regular dog treats:
- Put some Kong Stuff ‘n product (or Cheese Whiz) in the small hole first — you just need a tiny bit. Then toss in some dry dog food and/or small dog treats — broken in pieces — next. (We use BilJac liver treats for this.) Top with some canned dog food mixed with dry dog food and/or peanut butter smeared around the entire inside of the larger hole. Place a dog biscuit into the large opening, and leave about 1/3 of it sticking out. Freeze. (Or not.)
- Moisten your dog’s dry kibble (either with water, or with some much more flavorful low-salt broth). Then spoon it into the Kong toy. Freeze & serve.
- Cram a small piece of dog biscuit (or a dog liver treat) into the small hole of the Kong. Smear a little honey (or Kong Stuff ‘n product) around the inside. Fill it up with dry dog food. Then block the big hole with dog biscuits placed sideways inside. (Make sure they’re not impossible for your dog to get out, though.)
- Combine your dog’s favorite treat with some moistened dry dog food. Fill the Kong toy, then freeze it… or not.
Other Tasty Kong Recipes To Try
The following Kong stuffings are made with one or more human food (or baby food) ingredients:
CHEESY ELVIS: Combine a ripe banana, 3 spoonfuls of peanut butter, and a slice of cheese. Mix until blended well. Fill the Kong and freeze.
MONSTER MASH: Instant mashed potatoes (without the salt) — or leftover mashed potatoes from dinner — mixed with crushed dog biscuits.
DOGGIE OMELET: Combine a scrambled egg, some beef, yogurt, cheese and mashed potatoes all together
FIBER CRUNCH: Combine bran cereal with some peanut butter.
KONGSICLE JERKY POPS: The equivalent of a popsicle… Seal the small hole of the Kong toy with peanut butter. Fill to the rim with water and a pinch of bouillon (or just use chicken broth instead). Place a stick or two of beef jerky inside. Freeze. (This one gets messy in a hurry, so it’s recommended only for outdoor use.)
GOOEY CHEERIOS: Combine cheerios and peanut butter. Freeze.
FRUIT KITTY NOODLES: Mix together some dried fruit, cooked pasta, banana and dry cat food.
BANANA YOGURT: Plain yogurt and mashed bananas. (You can also add a little peanut butter or other fruits.) Then freeze it.
PEANUT BUTTER GLUE: Fill Kong 1/3rd full of dog food. Pour in melted peanut butter (after it has cooled from microwaving). Add more dog food, followed by more melted peanut butter until the Kong toy is full. Freeze until solid.
ROCK-HARD KIBBLE: Combine some of your dog’s regular food with cream cheese, which acts as a cement, keeping everything inside.
STICKY BREAD: Smear peanut butter on a piece of bread. Fold it over and stuff inside the Kong. Mix together plain yogurt with some fruits or vegetables (carrots, celery) and pour inside. Freeze. The yogurt sticks to the bread holding everything together.
APPLE PIE: Squeeze a small piece of apple into the tiny hole. Fill the Kong with a small amount of plain yogurt. Add a few slices of mashed banana, more apple, yogurt, banana. End with a slice of banana and chunk of peanut butter on the top.
CRUNCH ‘N MUNCH: Combine crumbled rice cakes and dried fruit with some cream cheese and plain croutons.
PUMPKIN PIECES: Combine some plain yogurt, canned pumpkin, and cooked rice in a small baggie. Mix well inside the bag, then snip off a corner of the bag and squeeze it into the Kong toy. Freeze.
KIBBLE-SICLE: Put a glob of peanut butter into the Kong first. Then add some dry dog food. Pour in some chicken broth. Add some more peanut butter, followed by more dry dog food. End with another glob of peanut butter at the very top. Freeze until solid.
OLD STANDBY: Soak some of your dog’s regular food in water (or chicken broth) for a brief time before placing it inside a Kong, then freeze.
MUTT & CHEESE: Melt a cube of Velveeta cheese in the microwave, until it’s gooey — not runny. Fill the Kong toy with cooked noodles. Pour cheese over noodles.
FROZEN BONZ: Mix up some bananas, unsweetened applesauce, oatmeal, peanut butter, and plain yogurt. Freeze.
CHEEZY DELIGHT: Combine small chunks of cheese (or cheese spread) with some dry dog food and microwave until the cheese melts. Let it cool completely, then pour into the Kong toy. Freeze thoroughly.
CARB DELIGHT: Combine some canned dog food with pasta noodles, rice, mashed potatoes, and some of your dog’s dry dog food. Freeze.
NUT CRUNCH: Take 2-3 dog biscuits and crunch them a bit into very tiny bite-sized pieces. Add a couple spoonfuls of peanut butter. Then add a couple spoonfuls of plain yogurt. Mix in bowl until soft, but not runny. Stuff inside Kong.
BABYLICIOUS: Mix together some fat-free cream cheese, peanut butter, and either sugar-free applesauce or a jar of baby food (like bananas, carrots). Cram a solid food item into the small hole at the end of the Kong, then fill with the mixture. Seal the large hole with either more cream cheese or peanut butter.
FRUITOPIA: Combine applesauce with chunks of fruit. Freeze.
PUPPY TRAIL: Fill the Kong with some cashews (unsalted) and freeze-dried liver bits. Add some dry dog food and/or dog crushed dog biscuits and some Cheerios. Drop in a spoonful of peanut butter, followed by some dried fruit. Finally, top it off by using a piece of ravioli or tortellini to close the large opening.
RED ROVER: Smear the inside of the Kong toy with peanut butter. Put a tiny piece of apple into the small hole, then drop some more apple pieces in next. Drop in a scoop of peanut butter (or cream cheese), then drop in some dog food or broken dog treats. Add another scoop of peanut butter (or cream cheese), then more apples. Plug the large opening with a final scoop of peanut butter (or cream cheese) and freeze.
FROZEN TUNA SALAD: Mix together well: 1 6oz can of light tuna, 2 T. plain yogurt, and 1/4 C. grated carrot. Spoon into KONG toy. Freeze. According to Linda G. of Mendham, NJ (as printed in the Aug ’07 Kong Newsletter), “This treat is healthy and high in Omega-3 fatty acids which contribute to healthy skin and a glistening coat.”
ICEBERG KONG: Kolchak’s mommy says: “Mix some dry and wet food together and stuff into enough Kongs to hold your dog’s supper (use different sizes & strengths to make it fun). Put them into an ice cream bucket. Mix a few squirts of dog gravy (from the pet store) with enough water to cover the Kongs. (If you really want to spoil your dog, toss in a small handful of dog treats!) Freeze the whole thing — usually takes overnight. Great for dogs who don’t eat much, especially during those hot summer months. When it is frozen, run it under hot water to loosen it from the bucket and serve — outside, because it’s messy.”
More Ideas For Stuffing Kong Toys
- Healthy Human Foods For Dogs
- How To Clean The Inside Of Dog Kong Toys
- All About Kong Toys & Why Our Dogs Love Them
- How To Stuff Kongs To Make It More Challenging For Your Dog
- Frozen Dog Treat Recipes For Stuffing Kongs Or Marrow Bones
- Homemade Dog Treat Recipes & Kong Stuffing Ideas On Pinterest
- How To Stuff A Kong Toy – For Beginners
IMPORTANT: While it’s perfectly fine to give your dog a Kong toy that just came out of the freezer, it’s NOT okay to give your dog any food item that just came out of the microwave! Make sure any heated items have completely cooled to room temperature before serving to your dog.
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I like to help Dog Parents find unique ways to do things that will save time & money — so I write about “outside the box” Dog Tips and Dog Hacks that most wouldn’t think of.
I’m a lifelong dog owner — currently have 2 mixed breed Golden Aussies that we found abandoned on the side of the road as puppies. I’ve always trained my own dogs and help friends train theirs, as well. Professionally, I worked at a vet and have several friends who are veterinarians — whom I consult with regularly. (And just because I love animals so much, I also worked at a Zoo for awhile!) I’ve been sharing my best ideas with others by blogging full-time since 1998 (the same year that Google started… and before the days of Facebook and YouTube).
My daily motivation is to help first-time dog owners be better prepared from the first day your new puppy enters your home. I like to help dog owners understand what’s ‘normal’ and what you can expect in terms of living with and training your dog — how to get through the ups & downs of potty training, chewing, teaching commands, getting your dog to listen, and everything else that takes place during that hectic first year!
When I’m not training, walking, grooming, or making homemade treats for my dogs, you will find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites). To date, I’ve written over 600 articles for dog owners on this site! Many of them have upwards of 200K shares.
