If you have a dog or a puppy that you're (constantly, never-ending, always) training, you go through a LOT of treats. And a lot of money. You can make 750 of these soft training treats with 1 can of dog food.

I am the treat lady. I always have a pocketful of treats and a handful of standard poodle. Sometimes he is perfectly behaved. And sometimes he has a wet toot on my sheets.
That actually only happened once but it's the kind of thing that stays with you.
Philip might not have the body of a puppy but he still has the brain of one which delights everyone to no end when all 62 pounds of him shoot straight up in the air at the sighting of a friend. Or a garden statuary. Or Halloween decoration.
I've made dog treats before but these are the easiest and I like that they're soft. I also like that there are 750 of them from one standard can of dog food.
Table of Contents
Video
Note: This was a fun video to make.
Ingredients
In addition to the can of dog food, you'll need either an egg or Cream of Wheat. Which of those you need depends on the consistency of the canned food.
I had never used this particular canned dog food before so I didn't know if I would need an egg or Cream of Wheat so I had both out and ready. You could also use flour in place of the Cream of Wheat.

- Dog Food (paté)
- Egg or
- Cream of Wheat or flour
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350F (175C).
Would you like to save this stuff?

- Grab a can of wet dog food that's a paté. (if it isn't paté, mash it up until it is)

- Splat that into a bowl. Now you need a binder. If the mixture is stiff add an egg. If the mixture is loose (like the one in the photo) add Cream of Wheat.

- Place molds onto baking sheet. Press mixture into treat molds using a cake spatula (any silicone mold will work fine.)

- Place into oven at 350 F and bake for 30 minutes.
Hint: I use the pyramid mats you see above for making treats because you can make 1000 treats in the pack of 2 mats.
Food Topper
Instead of just using these as training treats, I also crumble a few on top of Philips breakfast and dinner.
If you have a dog that needs food toppers to entice them to eat (as I do with Philip) these work wonders. They're so heavy with scent and taste that he immediately digs into his food instead of looking at it, looking at me, and then walking away.
Equipment
- Bowl
- Rubber spatula
- Offset cake spatula
- Silicone molds
- Baking sheet

Storage
Store these in the fridge for up to a week.
Treat Tip
To store them for longer, bake them longer. The less moisture and more crunchy the treats are, the longer they'll last. If they're baked until completely dry and crispy, you can store them in a jar on the counter.

Easy Soft Training Treats
You can easily make 750 training treats in half an hour with a can of dog food!
Ingredients
- 1 can dog food
- 1 egg or
- ¼ cup Cream of Wheat (or flour)
Instructions
- Dump the can of dog food into a bowl. If it maintains its can shape it is stiff, and you can add a beaten egg as the binder. If it is loose and falls apart, you can add Cream of Wheat or flour as a binder. Mix together.
- Place silicone mats onto your baking sheet.
- Using an offset baking spatula spread the mixture onto the mats making sure to press it into each hole.
- Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.
- When done, flip the silicone mats over and all the treats will fall out.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 750 Serving Size 10Amount Per Serving Calories 0Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 1mgCarbohydrates 0gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 0g
This trick is especially helpful if you have a training class coming up and are sick of cutting up your $10 blocks of cheese for them. Save your cheese for your macaroni, and make these instead.

My treats came out baked on top but mushy on the bottom half. That half did not come out of the silicone mold. Any suggestions?
Hi Kelly! Sorry for the late reply. They just needed to be cooked a little longer. If they don't come out of the mold they aren't cooked enough. The cooking time depends on your oven and the kind of baking sheet you have your mats on. ~ karen!
HELP - I'm ready to make the treats, silcone mat ready, beef/bison canned meat. The problem - HOW IN $*#% does your dog eat 750 in less than a week? I get that you said to dry them longer if we needed them drier to last longer or do I just open a dog treat stand outside to get over the price of the beef/buffalo "treat" or just feed him treats exclusively for a week then send him to doggie dry-out center? (I didn't even know they had dog food like this.- you're invited to supper anytime. (our supposed 6 pound Chorky grew into a 30 pound Jack kinda Russell and knows who is king here.
Hey Mary W! I train Philip during the day a lot, so he gets lots of treats throughout the day. Plus more on walks. To accommodate for the treats, I feed him less. I keep the treats in the fridge regardless (unless the treats are crispy, crispy) and I'll usually keep them for up to 2 weeks. But I generally go through them in about a week. ~ karen!
I've been making your other recipe for my little girl, Maisie. She's our new silver standard puppy (like Sterling!). I'll try these this weekend, but of course she LOVES her pumpkin peanut butter ones!
I love her! She's beautiful! ~ karen
I use the freeze-dried liver treats recommended by my trainer. The trouble with them is they invariably crumble, and you end up with at least of a cup full of dried liver powder. This strikes me as a great addition--paying attention to consistency.
Stand by for results.
What a timely article. I just adopted a young terrier mix-mix. We both need training. Thx.
I like his pet chipmunk! Congratulations dog mom. :) ~ karen
great idea. if i had a dog. wonder if my cats would eat them using cat food. they are the most picky felines around i believe. ha
Mats should be here soon and my great grand dog will be very happy. Thanks for thinking of the dog people's needs.
The treats are gross to make because canned pet food is universally gross. BUT they're smelly and delicious so dogs love them. ~ karen!
Two questions. #1- Are you actually going through 100 training treats a day? - based on the 750 treats lasting in the fridge for a week. #2 - Are you finding these better/more effective than your other pumpkin/peanut butter ones? Just wonderin' before I head off to bed.
I probably do go through that many. I train throughout the day with him and then he gets extra treats when we go for walks and I'm training him. To compensate he gets less breakfast and dinner than a dog who doesn't get as many treats would. It's also why I like making the treats from wet food, because I give him sooo many treats for training that I feel better about it when it's actual dog food he's getting.And yes, I think these are probably his favourite treats. Aside from pillows. ~ karen!
These look great and easy, but Is that pyramid thing not a nightmare to clean? Thanks!
We don't have any animals but use these mats to heat up food in the oven or microwave - the food stays the same consistency and not soggy. I just put them into the dishwasher and they clean easily. I've cut mine into the right size pieces for our needs. Hope this info helps...
Thanks for confirming!
Hi Kirsten! Not at all! I was worried about that too when I first bought it! Everything just slips right out of it. So to clean it you really just need to run some hot soapy water over it. ~ karen!
great news, thanks!
Phillip is almost as cute as Ruby, my red toy poodle. Dogs are incredible.