Hepper is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more.

4 Homemade Grain-Free Cat Treat Recipes (Vet Approved)

Kristin Hitchcock

By Kristin Hitchcock

woman hang giving treat to a cat

Vet approved

Dr. Paola Cuevas Photo

Reviewed & Fact-Checked By

Dr. Paola Cuevas

MVZ (Veterinarian)

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

Learn more »

You would be surprised by the number of grain-inclusive cat treats that are on the market. In fact, most cat treats on the market have some sort of grain in them.

While you can find treats without any grain, these tend to be quite expensive and are often out of many people’s budgets. Plus, cats don’t always like the flavor or texture, as many grain-free treats are simply freeze-dried meats.

Luckily, you can create your own with the straightforward recipes that we’ve included below. With so many different options to choose from, you should be able to find a recipe that your feline likes with ease.

hepper cat paw divider

 

The Top 4 Homemade Grain-free Cat Treats Recipes

1. Tuna and Pumpkin Cat Treats

cat eating meat balls

Tuna and Pumpkin Cat Treats

These simple treats are tasty and full of many great ingredients for your feline. The pumpkin is said to be good for digestive problems, and most cats can’t get enough of the tuna flavor.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine Cats
Servings 100 treats
Calories 5 kcal

Equipment

  • Baking sheet
  • Food processor
  • oven
  • Parchment paper

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cans of low-sodium tuna (tuna in water) not drained
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons sea meal mineral powder
  • ½ cup cooked pumpkin
  • ½ cup coconut flour

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  • Place all the ingredients into your food processor and blend until it is very fine-grained. You want it almost paste-like.
  • Use a ¼ teaspoon to drop spoonfuls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Make a firm disc by pressing with your finger.
  • Bake until the treats become golden brown, which should take about 12 minutes. Then, flip the treats over with a spatula and cook for another 3-5 minutes to brown the opposite side.
  • Allow the treats to cool thoroughly and then store them in an airtight container. This makes many treats, so you should be good for a few weeks.

Notes

Our favorite: Solid Gold SeaMeal Mineral Powder
Image Credit: Nalaphotos, Shutterstock

Nutrition

Calories: 5kcal
Keyword cat treats, grain-free, homemade, tuna and pumpkin

2. Two-Ingredient Tuna Cat Treats

Homemade Tuna Cat Treats Your Cat Will Go Crazy For
Image Credit: supakit

This recipe includes only tuna and eggs, making it a good option for cats with allergies. While it doesn’t require many ingredients, you do have to utilize a lot of equipment, including a piping bag. As long as you have all of the equipment handy, this recipe should be extremely inexpensive.

Servings: 50
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Equipment:
  • Parchment paper
  • Oven
  • Baking sheet
  • Whisk (hand or electric)
  • Blender
  • Piping bag
Ingredients:
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tin of low-sodium (in water) tuna (drained)
Directions:
  • Preheat your oven to 330 F.
  • Separate the egg white from the yolk, placing the white in a mixing bowl. You can discard the yolk.
  • Beat the egg until stiff peaks form.
  • Place the tuna into your blender. Then add a small amount of the egg to the tuna (about two tablespoons). Blend thoroughly to make a smooth paste.
  • Remove the mixture and place it into the bowl with the egg whites. Fold them in together, being careful not to knock the air out of the mixture.
  • Use a piping bag to place the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Keep the swirls small for easy eating. However, you can adjust based on your cat’s size.
  • Put the sheet in the oven for 20-25 minutes. The treats should come off of the tray easily.
  • Allow them to cool completely and then store them in an airtight container. They typically last for 2 weeks.

3. Chicken Cat Treats

an orange domestic cat tries to get treats out of a glass
Image Credit: absolutimages, Shutterstock

You can easily adjust this recipe to feature other sorts of meat as well, including turkey and beef. Sardines and nutritional yeast add flavor, but you could technically leave those out if you wish. The catnip is a great option for most cats, though you can leave it out too if your cat doesn’t care for it.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Equipment:
  • Parchment paper
  • Piping bag
  • Oven
  • Baking sheet
  • Food processor
Ingredients:
  • 1 pound of chicken
  • 75-ounce can of Sardines (no salt added)
  • 2 egg yolks
  • â…“ cup of nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon catnip
  • ¼ cup water
Directions:
  • Set your oven to 350 F.
  • Place all ingredients into the food processor and blend into a well-mixed, thick paste.
  • Place the mixture into a piping bag.
  • Pipe small, treat-sized dollops onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. You may want to use scissors or a knife to cut the treats as they come out of the piping bag. The mixture can be quite thick.
  • Cook for 20 minutes. The treats should no longer be bubbling.
  • Let them cool, and then store them in an airtight container.

4. Coconut and Tuna Cat treats

Quick And Healthy Homemade Cat Treats with Coconut Oil
Image Credit: cradiori

Out of all the treat recipes we’ve included, these have a unique flavor. They are also full of quality nutrients for your cats, such as gelatin powder and coconut oil. These treats are healthy and tasty.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Equipment:
  • Food processor
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • Oven
Ingredients:
  • 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, mashed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 can (drained) tuna or sardines
  • ½ cup coconut flour
  • ½ cup coconut oil
  • ¼ cup gelatin powder
Directions:
  • Prepare your oven by preheating to 350 F.
  • Mix all the ingredients together in a properly sized bowl.
  • Mash everything together with the fork and then mix everything together evenly. Feel free to add extra coconut flour to thicken the mixture if necessary. You want it to be about the consistency of Play-doh.
  • Roll about 1-inch balls with your hands, and then mash them to form little cookies.
  • Bake them for 20 minutes. They should be lightly browned.
  • Remove them from the heat and let them cool completely. Then, store them in an airtight container. These treats can last for several weeks.

hepper cat paw divider

 

Making Your Own Recipes

It is surprisingly easy to make your own cat treat recipes. If you read through those that we’ve provided, you’ll notice that they all follow the same format.

By following this format, you can design treats that match your cat’s needs:
  • Select a kind of meat. You can use one type of meat (like a pound of chicken) or a few different types of meat. Either way, aim for about a pound of whatever meat you’re using. If you add veggies as well, use less meat.
  • Add eggs. Most recipes call for egg whites, which are then whipped. You’ll need one egg white per pound of meat. Alternatively, you can use a whole egg, oil, and half a cup of flour.
  • Put the mixture in a piping bag. You can also form the treats with your hands if you don’t have a bag handy. It just makes it easier to use a piping bag.
  • Place the treats on a parchment-covered baking sheet. The parchment keeps the treats from sticking to the paper. You’ll likely need to cook them at about 350 F. The time depends on the size of the treats.

Overall, you’ll want to cook the treats similarly to cookies. You can add other ingredients if you like, such as catnip.

While most cats love treats, consider showing your love and appreciation in a different way by treating your feline companion to our Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl! Keeping our cats healthy and happy is key and this bowl was designed to do just that.

Hepper 360 Cat Feeder, Stainless Steel, Anti-Chew...
  • NO MESS - The 360° tray on this cat food and water bowl set has a raised design to catch and...
  • WHISKER FRIENDLY - Shallow and wide metal containers with flat bottoms ensure your kitty can enjoy...

hepper cat paw divider

Final Thoughts

There are surprisingly very few grain-free cat treat recipes out there. Luckily, we’ve included four to get you started, as well as directions on creating your own recipes. Generally, the process is very similar, no matter what the ingredients are.

Related Reads:


Featured Image Credit: StockSnap, Pixabay

Related Articles

Further Reading

Vet Articles

Latest Vet Answers

The latest veterinarians' answers to questions from our database