Baking treats or even chews for your dog is not only a great way to cherish your pooch, but it’s also a way to spend some time with your little helper in the kitchen.
Okay, maybe the little helper is more like an impatient child wanting to stuff the cookie dough into his mouth.
Bright side: At the very least you’ll get to see your dog drool while trying to transfer the cheese we’re going to make from your pot into his mouth through sheer mental power.
Plus, you can actually make this 3-ingredient chew recipe pretty cheaply and quickly once you’ve got the details down.
Let’s dive into what makes homemade Himalaya chews so great.
Disclaimer: Many recipes for this type of chew use lime juice, but since it may pose a health risk for dogs, I’ve decided to include vinegar. I’ve used very small amounts of lime juice in the past without issues but would advise against it. If you’re unsure, consult your vet.
Are Homemade Himalayan Chews Good for Dogs?
I’m actually going so far as to say that making Himalaya chews at home for your dog is one of the best chews out there.
Why?
Well, maybe you’ve heard about the chemicals that come with other chewy treats like rawhide.
While rawhide is the go-to treat for many dog owners around the world, it can actually be toxic.
Depending on the origin of the rawhide, there may be no regulations in terms of food safety and to survive the long transport, they often contain unnatural chemicals.
Did you know rawhide also poses a choking hazard?
Apart from these two facts, the rawhide itself is a byproduct of the leather industry, not the meat industry.
So we’ll delete rawhide from our shopping list, but what’s the alternative?
Deer antlers? Puppies, smaller dogs, senior dogs, and even healthy large-breed adults can chip their teeth when chewing on these things.
Chews from major pet store chains? More stuff that just isn’t made for dogs to provide a cheap low-quality product.
Chicken feet? Many things that are dried and from actual animals (without additives) might be a great fit for your dog.
But what makes Himalayan dog chews better?
Here are all the benefits:
- You control how hard your dog’s chew is
- You control the chew’s size, shape, and quantity
- You know exactly what goes into your dog’s body
Even though there might be a little learning curve in the beginning, once you’ve got this recipe down, it’s pretty quick and fun.
How much it’ll cost compared to stuff from your local shop depends heavily on how the ingredients are priced in your area.
How to Make Himalayan Dog Chews Safe
That’s the great thing about these Himalaya chews, they’re safe if done right.
When shopping for the ingredients, look for ethically sourced products and try buying stuff with recycled packaging to leave the smallest carbon footprint possible.
So apart from having a healthy dog chew, we just have to make sure that it’s the right texture for your dog.
If you have a small-breed dog, a puppy, senior, you’ll probably want to go with a softer version of this chew.
If you have an aggressive chewer, provide them with a treat that they can chew on for some time (but make sure it’s the right size to avoid them gulping it down).
After you’ve extracted the cheese (that’s right, we’re essentially making cheese), you have to squeeze it inside a cheesecloth or towel to get out the remaining moisture.
The harder you squeeze the cheesecloth or towel, the harder your chew will be after drying.
When it comes to the ingredients, it’s important that you’re using skim milk and not just regular milk because the recipe might not work.
To get the best possible result, you should make sure to stir and pause correctly in order for the cheese crusts to form.
In my first attempt, it was actually quite hard to get the cheese to form and definitely took longer than intended.
However, you can check out my Himalayan dog chews below.
No worries, your chews might not turn out in the perfect color or shape either and that’s okay. Your dog won’t complain as long as it tastes awesome.
Make sure to supervise your dog the first time you’re giving him these chews.
If everything goes well, these chews are perfect to keep your dog occupied when guests are around, to reward him after a good training session, or to provide him with something to do when you’re gone which can actually prevent stuff like separation anxiety.
In any case, you can sleep soundly knowing that you’re fully controlling your dog’s diet and banning any of the toxic chemicals that go into some dog treats and chews out there.
Himalayan Dog Chews
Super chewy Himalayan dog treats that will be savoured by your dog.
Ingredients
- 1 gallon skim milk
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1 tsp Himalaya salt
Instructions
- Start by pouring the skim milk into a large pot on low to medium heat.
- Bring to a boil while stirring continuously.
- Turn off the heat and add the vinegar as well as the Himalayan salt.
- Stir gently for about 1-2 minutes or until the whey begins to separate from the curd.
- Let the milk sit for 10-15 minutes without stirring.
- Drape a cheesecloth or clean dish towel over a large bowl and drain the liquid out of the cheese leaving only the curds.
- Twist the cheesecloth in your hand and squeeze to remove all the remaining moisture (the more you squeeze, the harder the treats will be).
- Place the cheese with the cheesecloth between books or other weights that will continue applying pressure for at least 4-6 hours.
- Remove the cheesecloth and cut it into desired-sized pieces.
- Preheat the oven at 150°F and bake for 40 minutes.
- Spread them out on a cooling rack and let them dry for at least 24 hours.
Notes
Vinegar: Recipe usually includes lime juice which can pose a health risk
Drying: If you have a dehydrator, you can speed up the drying process by placing the chews into the dehydrator at 150°F for 12-18 hours, turning them halfway through.
Storage: Store the chews in airtight containers in a cool, dry, dark place. If a lot of moisture is left in the chews, store them in the fridge for longer shelf life.
Shelf-life: The shelf-life completely depends on how much moisture is in the treats and they can last anywhere from 2 weeks to several years.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 68Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 431mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 0gSugar: 10gProtein: 7g
Are these appropriate for large breed dogs? I have a lab/pit mix with big teeth who chews through rawhide rolls in 5 minutes and another pit that follows suit. Are these somewhat of a treat or will they chew for a while?
Hi Tanya, I have a Rottweiler and these chews definitely last her quite a bit longer than a regular treat. It really depends on how much moisture you’re squeezing out in the process. The harder you squeeze, the harder the chew will be.
My dog is a heavy chewer but I still wanted to be careful to avoid the chew being steel so I moderately squeezed and it was relatively soft – a chew that lasts maybe 5 minutes (had small pieces though). So go heavy if you want something that lasts long.
I also used rawhide and they last incredibly long but I moved on due to it being a by-product of the leather industry. I’m now using mostly bully sticks, ears (I’m using rabbit, pig ears are also popular but bigger). I’ve also heard some people talk about deer antlers and beef knuckles, haven’t tried those yet :).
Cheers,
Danielle
Oh and also, why skim milk? Will 2% work? Thank you!
You can try 2% milk but the result might come out a bit different then. I know, it’s hard to find skim milk in some stores.
You have to separate the fat when making these chews so it’s best to buy milk with little or no fat. Raw goat/camel milk might also work but fat may need to be removed. Non-animal alternatives like almond milk don’t work (at least from what I’ve tried).
Hope that helps!
Danielle
@Tanya,
I’ve trled 99% and it works.
If my oven’s min temp is 170, should I bake them for the same amount of time (40 min?)
Hey Patty, I’d check them out after 30 minutes and go from there. If they don’t look ready, just pop them back in there for a couple of minutes :).
Cheers,
Danielle
The first time I tried this I didn’t think I got a lot of curds. I ended up reboiling everything and was happy with what I got after the second boil. Now I’ve done it again and I made sure to bring the milk to a rolling boil before removing from heat and adding the salt and lime juice. Worked great! Got more the second time. (I also used a far cheaper milk the second time, dunno if that makes a difference or not.) I’ve been trying to steep mint and parsley into it by lightly warming the milk before boiling and adding a cheesecloth ball of the herbs to the warm milk for 30 mins. The scent gets a little lost by the end, but that’s ok.
Hey Amanda, as mentioned in the post, same here. I still get varying results from time to time but reboiling definitely helped the first time around. Thanks for the other tips!
Cheers,
Danielle
Mine are in the dehydrator now. I only managed to get two out of the whole 1 gallon of milk I used, just wondering if did I do something wrong ? I feel like for how much milk I used I should of had a lot more curdle.
Hi Aimee, if you used 1 gallon as mentioned in the post, the amount I had should be your reference point. If you have two extremely long chews, then that sounds correct but if it’s just two short ones, you probably have to get more curds to build next time. Maybe temperature, amount of lime juice, drying, etc. were the problem?
I have been buying a very expensive cheese shew from pet store and it has a “smoky smell” to it. I am wondering if I could add a tad of liquid smoke? What are your thoughts?
Hey Amanda, that depends on the liquid smoke’s ingredients. Personally, I would stick to the natural ingredients and just try and see whether or not your dog still eats it :).
Cheers,
Danielle
Thanks for the recipe. A few quick questions;
How big should each chew be to yield 20 pieces from 1 gallon milk?
The amount of sodium seems quite high. Can I make it less salt?
Hi Mat,
the way I cut them in the picture, it yielded around 20 pieces. You can cut them any way you want but I prefer long and slim chews for optimal chewing time. Every time I make them, the amount of cheese is slightly different anyway and you just need to roll with what you have :).
In regards to salt; it’s only 1 teaspoon, not sure how you want to lower that even more.
And sodium, you need to adjust it to your dog’s size and health, it may not be the ideal choice to give all of them at once to a smaller dog, that’s for sure. That being said, if you buy anything with cheese commercially, chances are it’ll be the same amount of sodium + additives you don’t want.
Hope that helps,
Danielle
Some Dogs are lactose intolerant. I was wondering if skim milk is lactose free if now after you Boil and add lime & salt. Does this remove lactose and alter the Nutrients as per the Carton it comes in or is it the same value
Hi Tracey, no the lactose is not entirely removed during boiling. If your dog is lactose-intolerant, you may have to look out for alternatives not sure if this recipe would still work.
@Danielle, Goat milk may be a good alternative.
Hi,
This is the first time I’ve come across this recipe that called for 1 tbsp of salt instead of 1 tsp. Does adding more salt give you more curds? I actually just made them yesterday for the first time, using a recipe that only called for 1 tsp, and I barely got any curds…..enough to get 4, but definitely not what you showed in your picture. I wish, considering I have 4 dogs! 🙂
Also, when I squeezed mine out before trying to reshape them into a flat rectangle, some of it started to crumble and not stick together. Any suggestions?
Thanks ahead of time for answering my questions! 🙂
Hi Erika, I was experimenting around a bit and found this to be the best try. That being said, every time I’m making them they do come out differently. I’d suggest you try it again and make sure it’s the right heat and go looking for curds from there :). Usually it doesn’t crumble, have you used the milk as described? Maybe heated too long?
Cheers,
Danielle
While I cannot attest to the tastes of all canine breeds and their particular behaviors, my Cane Corso mix LOVES this recipe, but smoked as opposed to baked or dehydrated. Obviously an aggressive chewer, one 8″ stick usually lasts her just short of a week. Appropriate for aggressive chewers of any breed and age as long as their teeth and gums are healthy. Or if they need a little help and don’t have sensitive teeth and gums.
@PapaSaid, I’m going to do mine on the smoker too! What type of wood did you use for your pellets? What temperature did you smoke them at? How long? Sorry lots of questions. Thank you!
What is the shelf life on these if stored as directed?
Hey!
What can I do with the remaining liquid? I’d love to repurpose it.
Thanks!
@Andréanne, did you find something to do with the excess? Hate to throw it away!
@Andréanne, look up ways to use “sour whey” or “acid whey” We use small amount to make ricotta for us (you have to do this within about 4 hours of making your dog chews as the whey has to be fresh), add it to the dog’s food in small amounts, use it in smoothies (we don’t mind the flavour), use it in sour dough recipes instead of water or milk, use it to ferment and we also use it for much or our baking, cakes, pancakes, pizza dough etc. We add some to soup stock when making soups. If you like homemade beans and stuff like that you can also soak your beans, lentils, oats, etc in whey. Lots of uses here https://www.thespruceeats.com/many-uses-for-whey-1327494
@Andréanne, you can use the whey as a replacement in your baking – bread, biscuits, pancakes, waffles, etc. Or you can use it in smoothies. If you have chickens or livestock it’s a great protein source for them as well.
Will bottles lemon juice also work?
Hey Barb, sure I’ve used both fresh lemons and bottles. Of course, bottled juice is more convenient but depending on your location, it could be more expensive too.
Cheers,
Danielle
Hello! How long is the shelf life for there chews? Thank you
Hi Hannah,
in an airtight container, the chews lasted about 3 weeks in the fridge as I did not completely dry them so they wouldn’t become too hard. If you use a dehydrator, the chews stay fresh for many months.
Cheers,
Danielle
I just bought a food dehydrator and I’m very interested in making these because my dog loves the Himalayan chews that we’ve purchased in the past, but they’re so expensive. My one concern is, the lime juice. I have read that limes and lime juice are highly toxic to dogs. Is it really safe to use lime juice to make these?
Hi Annie, it definitely depends on how much is used and how much your dog weighs but as a general guideline, I haven’t seen any studies that describe the amounts used in most recipes as seriously dangerous. Would not feed that amount raw and in one sitting for a small dog but for a recipe, it should be fine. If you’re unsure, check in with your vet. My dog never had any issues but that doesn’t mean others won’t.
I’m currently in the middle of my second time making this recipe and have questions:
1. How long does it normally take to boil? I halve the recipe and it still takes FOREVER (like 30+ minutes) to start boiling if I leave it on medium-low and stir constantly. This time I alternated between stirring and covering the pot, and increased the temperature to medium, which helped, but there were some darker skin pieces in the curds. Do you have any other suggestions?
2. What do you mean by “stir and pause correctly”? What counts as correct and incorrect?
3. After you drain the cheese, do you let it sit for a while before squeezing? Even if you remove the pot from heat, it’s still a huge amount of liquid that was boiling just 10-15 minutes ago. It’s too hot for me to squeeze.
#1 and #3 are pretty big obstacles that I didn’t see mentioned in the article, so I’m wondering if I’m doing something wrong.
I got 5 smallish sticks out of the first batch, and this time it looks like I have a slightly higher volume of curds. But they were more easily broken than the kind I’ve bought in the store, so I felt they weren’t safe – maybe I need to play with the intensity of squeezing. Anyway, I microwaved them to make them puffy and just use them as a high-value treat now. This time I’m planning to cut the cheese into small pieces rather than sticks before drying.
My dog is of course delighted but if I can’t figure out how to mitigate the above issues, I might just go back to buying them, as expensive as they are. 🙁
@Mimi, I had the same question about #3. I struggled to squeeze out the cheese cloth because it was so hot.
Anyway to flavor these with peanut butter?
Hi Elsa, you can always try to add them in the process but it could change the consistency.
If your dog isn’t strongly into choose but peanut butter instead, why not make a peanut butter treat in the first place?
Another option would be spreading peanut butter on the surface to make it even more appealing.
Cheers,
Danielle
I’m interested in making my own, $13 for one stick is nuts but I was wondering, what about added flavors? I’ve seen some chews sold with natural strawberry flv. My dog loves carrots. I was thinking I could steam and puree the carrots into the mixture, but I’m not sure if that should be mixed in after the seperation of curds and whey?
Hey Hannah, most dogs love the plain Himalayan chew, my dog certainly does. However, if acceptance is low or your dog really loves carrots, definitely mix it in after the separation. You can either puree it and work it into the chews or just embed thinly cut pieces. Not sure how it influences the chew’s consistency though and if it’ll taste the same after going into the oven.
Most (not all) store-bought chews probably have additives and/or artificial flavoring.
Cheers,
Danielle
How long do these last for your dog(s)? I have a 5 1/2 month old lab mix and they last 10 minutes. Am I doing something wrong?
Hi Lisa, I assume you mean one piece? If it doesn’t last long enough, you can just cut them into longer/thicker pieces or squeeze more moisture out, this way they’ll be harder and require more chewing.
The way I make them (cut relatively thin and soft), they last far less than 10 minutes per piece. If I really want her to chew, I’ll make them harder but then I’d also adjust the recipe to make a bit less because it’s too much product otherwise.
10 minutes is pretty good for chewing though. If my dog chews for 15-20 minutes constantly, she’ll start panting afterward, it’s a lot of work for the jaw muscles and that’s despite her being fed raw meaty bones occasionally.
Hope your Lab mix likes ’em either way!
Danielle
How long do they typically last when moisture is really removed? My 5 month old lab mix puppy got through my batch in about 15 minutes.
Hi Lisa, I’ve responded to your other comment, maybe you haven’t received the notification? I thought you meant he’s through one piece in 10 minutes. The whole batch in 15 is quite the achievement.
As I said, I give my dog a handful of pieces and they last maybe 5-10 minutes, but I make them pretty soft. If I make them harder, a handful of pieces definitely last 15-20 minutes, wouldn’t recommend more.
So either you need to make them in a shape that requires more chewing instead of gulping (if that’s what your dog does) or you just need to make them a bit harder and limit the pieces per chewing session.
Hope that helps,
Danielle
@Danielle, can I add turmeric. If so how much and should I add it b4 or after curd
Hi Mike, I haven’t tried adding tumeric but in small doses it should be fine. I’d say it’s best to add solids like this after the curds.
I found this recipe late last night and immediately went to the store to get milk to try it. I left it sitting under the pressure of a gallon water jug, but left it wrapped in a towel and the cheese cloth. After ~8 hours, the cheese is still mostly white with a little bit of yellow. Sound like not enough pressure and too much moisture being retained with the towel?
I have removed the towel and reapplied pressure. Is there a risk of the cheese going bad while getting the pressure right?
Hi Chelsea, so I wouldn’t worry about the color too much. As you can see in the picture, mine were pretty white too and turned a bit more yellow once out of the oven. If you can’t squeeze out more moisture, I’d personally pop them into the oven instead of letting them sit even longer. A dehydrator would also work if you have one.
Cheers,
Danielle
Hi there! I just tried these for the first time and I ended up with super dried out crusty clumps. I put them in the dehydrator for 14 hours like your note suggested but I think that dried them out too much. Upon re-reading the instructions, I’m confused about the fact that they are meant to be baked at 150 F and you’ve suggested putting them in the dehydrator at 150 F for 12-18 hours prior to that. If I want to use the dehydrator should I not have squeezed out the liquid first? I’m trying to make very hard treats so I squeezed everything I could out and then dehydrated. I will try these again because I’m excited about their potential so any suggestions you have for me would be appreciated. Thanks!
Do you need to bake them first if you use a dehydrator?
I just finished squeezing the liquid out with a cheese cloth and the cheese is extremely crumbly. I tried to shape it in the cheese cloth and have it in between two cutting boards with books piled on too. First question
Is it normal to be crumbly? Should I continue? Or is this an epic fail so far? Secondly I have a dehydrator and was wondering when it goes into the dehydrator? After the 4-6 hours between the books?
Thanks
Monica
Hi Monica, it’s normal for the cheese to be crumbly after you have squeezed out all the moisture. The pressure from the heavy objects will cause it to firm up. If you have a dehydrator, you can use it after baking the chews instead of letting them air dry for 24-36 hours.
Please don’t use lemon juice or lime juice when making treats. Both are toxic to dogs & can poison them. It’s just not worth the risk.
Vinegar does the same thing the lemon/lime juice does by curdling the milk, and original yak cheese (chhurpi) recipes use vinegar.
I don’t know why people and brands switched to using citrus juice/lemon/lime juice when white vinegar is a safe alternative that does the same thing.
I tried 2 various chew recipes before this one and they were ultimately smaller amounts of chews and too much moisture. This one was far superior using vinegar rather than lemon juice! Poured thru cheesecloth rubber-banded over a strainer. Worked great. Twice the volume, no burnt pan, and not alot of squeezing was required as the curd was solid curd. Wrapped up tightly in the cheesecloth and put on a cookie sheet with foil and two heavy paving stones for 5 hours. Cut and baked. This reciters the best! Thanks.
Hi Susan, I’m glad you liked the recipe, hope your furry friend enjoyed it!
Cheers,
Danielle
Can I leave applying pressure overnight? I started making these a bit late, so I will probably be sleeping when it’s ready for the next step.
Hi Kenia, if you mean that you let them sit with pressure on them for longer, that shouldn’t be a problem, it’ll just squeeze out more moisture.
Hi, this is fantastic, thank you. I’ve just got my cheesecloth and am going to try it tomorrow. My dog loves the strawberry flavour yak chews we get from our pet shop. How would I go about giving the homemade yaks strawberry flavour? would I purée fresh strawberries and add them into the curd or would I flavour the milk do you think? Many thanks again.
Hi Vic, I’d add the strawberries after the curds have formed and before you put it into the cheesecloth. Definitely wouldn’t add it to the milk as it could affect the consistency. You might get away with infusing the milk if you use (freeze-)dried strawberries.
I might try strawberry flavor too, definitely sounds interesting!
Danielle
My batch only yielded three 4″ chews. Did I do something wrong? It took forever for the milk to eventually boil as well.
How would you get these not to crumble? All mine do is crumble apart.
Thank you for the clear cut explanation! I made Himalayan chews yesterday (using a different recipe with whole milk), and basically ended up with slightly harder dog treats than what I usually make. The dogs loved them, but for the time it took, I was hoping they’d last longer.
Now that I understand how the ingredients work together, it makes more sense to me. My next batch will be using this recipe! 🙂
Hi Jodi, thank you so much for your comment! I’m glad the explanation helped things click into place. I hope the next batch with this recipe gives you those longer-lasting chews you’re aiming for (and keeps the pups happy too!). Let me know how it turns out!