Strawberry Heart Pup-Ornaut Freeze-Dried Dog Ice Cream

These Valentine's dog treats are small hearts made of plain Greek yogurt and strawberries, frozen in heart molds and then freeze-dried until they are light and crunchy.

The color deserves an explanation. Freeze-drying turns strawberry a paler pink than the fresh fruit, so these are pale pink hearts, not candy red ones. When a batch needs it we add beet powder, for color only. When it does not, the beet stays on standby.

The February edition of our dog ice cream

This is the February edition of the Pup-Ornaut we make all year. We start with plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt because we do not use any other kind. The hearts are a Valentine's season batch. Once it is gone the button here switches off, and we take no orders in advance.

One 1 ounce bag, and what goes with it

The hearts come in one size, a 1 ounce bag. For the rest of the month, our Valentine gifts guide covers the dog and the person, and the Valentine dog treats collection has the beef heart that started the theme.

We make the hearts in small batches in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and ship them ourselves, next to the freeze-dried treats we make all year.

Feeding and storage

Strawberry hearts are an occasional treat, not a complete diet. Keep them in the resealed bag.

Questions

Why are the hearts pale pink and not red?

Freeze-drying changes the shade. Strawberry dries to a paler pink than the fresh fruit.

Is there beet in every bag?

No. Beet powder goes in only when a batch needs the color, and color is its whole job.

Is this dog ice cream frozen?

No. It is freeze-dried, which is why the hearts are light and crunchy instead of cold.

What is in the strawberry hearts?

Plain Greek yogurt and strawberries, plus beet powder in the batches that need it. Yogurt is dairy, so the hearts are not a single ingredient treat.

When can I buy them?

In Valentine's season. The button turns on when the first batch of hearts is packed, and no date is promised before that.