Dog Food Recipes: Kaptin's Crunchy Kibble

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Dog Food Recipes: Kaptin's Crunchy Kibble

Makes 20 to 30 servings for a 25 lb. dog

By Wendy Nan Rees

Cooking for your dog is not only healthy and affordable but rewarding too. From stews, stir-fries and other one-pot delectables recipes abound that make it easy—but have you ever thought about making your own kibble? We were happy to find a great kibble recipe from Wendy Nan Rees’s cookbook, The Natural Pet Food Cookbook: Healthful Recipes for Dogs and Cats. Try it out—it’s delicious and nutritious!

This is my basic kibble recipe. I keep 8 cups in a sealed container in the refrigerator and freeze the rest in vacuum-sealed food storage bags. The kibble will keep in an airtight container for two weeks in the refrigerator, or three months in the freezer.

4 cups whole-wheat flour
2 cups rye flour
2 cups nonfat milk powder
2 teaspoons bone meal
1 cup plain wheat germ
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, or 2 1/2 tablespoons parsley flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 eggs
1 cup safflower, olive or corn oil
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 cups water
4 cups cooked ground beef, pork, lamb, duck, chicken or turkey
2 cups cooked and puréed sweet potatoes
1 1/2 cups chopped dried apples
2 cups frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Spray two large cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, milk powder, bone meal, wheat germ, parsley and salt.
3. In a smaller bowl, beat the eggs and blend them with the oil. Add the Worcestershire sauce.
4. Add the water to the flour mixture and mix well.
5. Fold in the egg mixture and combine it all evenly.
6. Add the meat, sweet potatoes, dried apples and spinach and press them into the dough.
7. Spread the dough on cookie sheets (18" x 13" work best), making it very flat and thin. Use a knife to cut it into small squares.
8. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the kibble is golden brown and not doughy when you break a piece open. During the baking process, take a wood spoon or spatula and move the kibble around on the cookie sheet so it bakes evenly. Then turn off your oven, keeping the door closed, and let it dry out in the off oven for at least 4 to 6 hours, or overnight.
9. When you remove the kibble from the oven, it will still be slightly warm and moist. Let it sit on cooling racks for another hour or two until it is completely dry and cool.

Variations: Here are some other ingredients I like to add for flavor and nutrients: alfalfa leaf, barley, basil leaf, beets, broccoli, brown rice, carrots, flaxseed meal, green beans, kamut, nutritional yeast flakes, peas, potatoes, rolled oats, rosemary leaf and zucchini.

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This article first appeared in The Bark, Issue 59, 2010

Wendy Nan Rees, author of four pet cookbooks, has served as lifestyle advisor on Animal Planet’s Petsburg, USA, and hosts an Internet radio show, Wendy’s Animal Talk.

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Submitted by Kella on April 20, 2012.

My Viszla-mix, Sam, has a very sensitive stomach and most treats don't agree with him, but we need treats for his obedience training and I was really at a loss. This recipe is great! No junk (I couldn't believe what goes into most commercial treats...), and I can choose what goes into them..

Thanks once again. If anyone is looking for more Homemade Dog Food Recipes ideas and other info there are tons of healthy recipes here also.

Submitted by Mochi on January 2, 2012.

This sounds like a delicious recipe. Thank you for posting it here. I do have a question about the milk powder, though. What is its purpose? I am concerned about the lactose in it which dogs cannot digest. As to the comment about the bone meal; it is not a source of protein but an important source of calcium. My holistic vet recommends it, especially for dogs that eat homemade meals as most of us do not include bones or enough calcium in their food.

Submitted by Lisa on December 25, 2011.

I don't think BONE MEAL should be included. If a human would not normally eat something, I'm sure as heck not going to put it in my pet's diet. Alot of dog treats (including Milkbone) I am surprised use this cheap questionable source for protein and I've changed dog treats because of this. The more and more I read the top main ingredients posted on dog food bags(even the high end high priced ones) the more I wish to go to making my own dog food. In the meantime I look online for personal recipes and you should be ashamed of adding this cheap-o product to your recipe.

Submitted by Anonymous on December 11, 2011.

I feel like this recipe is terrible for dogs. Far to much processed grain material, not enough calcium/phosphorous sources (ie 2tsp bonemeal), and the spinach should definately be cooked to increase digestibilty. I applaud the desire to make your dogs a healthy homemade meal, however, we need to be more realistic about the nature of their digestive tracts. The best case scenario for this food is an overweight dog with wet green diarrhea.

Submitted by Dustin on April 11, 2011.

Thanks, great recipe! My dogs always love the recipes I find on your site. If anyone is looking for more homemade dog food ideas and other info there are tons of healthy recipes here also.

Submitted by Heather Crotsley on July 15, 2010.

Calories 7,605
Calories from Fat 2613

Total Fat 290.3g
Saturated Fat 47.9g
Trans Fat 0.6g
Cholesterol 1218mg
Sodium 5159mg215%
Total Carbohydrates 862.2g
Dietary Fiber 107.0g
Sugars 170.1g
Protein 401.2g

Vitamin A 194% • Vitamin C 231%
Calcium 370% • Iron 388%

From http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php

It didn't include the calcium from the bone meal. From the research I did it could use some more protein, less carbs, but that will probably alter the texture of the food.

Submitted by Anonymous on April 17, 2010.

Any one have a good vegan recipe for kibble?

Submitted by Dr. What on September 24, 2011.

Dogs are not herbivores. Nature made them to require meat in their diet.

Submitted by Anonymous on March 28, 2010.

What is the protein/fat/moisture/etc content for this recipe?

Submitted by Anonymous on March 24, 2010.

I like this recipe. However, for dogs who have issues with gluten, I might substitute brown rice flour, teff, quinoa or other non gluten grains ground finely for the flours and wheat germ. And for variety, I'd change out pumpkin for the sweet potato once in a while. Thanks for this.

Submitted by Kristen on March 24, 2010.

How much are you supposed to feed of this?

Submitted by Anonymous on January 13, 2011.

use a smaller amount than regular kibble + add fresh veggies and fruit

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