Lick Mat Recipes for Dogs: 25 Easy Ideas to Calm and Enrich Your Dog

A quick note: we're dog lovers, not vets. This is general guidance from the Pawmate team to help you get more out of your lick mat — please read the foods-to-avoid section, and check with your own vet about what's right for your dog.

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If your dog inhales their food, paces during a thunderstorm, or turns the house upside down the moment they get bored, a lick mat is one of the simplest tools you can reach for. It does something most toys can't: it turns a few spoonfuls of food into five, ten, sometimes twenty minutes of slow, focused activity.

The catch is that a lick mat is only as good as what you put on it. So below you'll find 25 easy ideas — from thirty-second everyday spreads to frozen "settle" recipes for big, stressful moments — plus the foods you should never use, and a few honest notes on portions. No gimmicks, just the things dog parents reach for again and again.

Why dog parents love lick mats

The obvious benefit is pace. A textured mat encourages your dog to work food out of tiny grooves instead of swallowing it in three bites, which is gentler on digestion and far less likely to end in that post-dinner gulp.

The less obvious benefit is the licking itself. Repetitive licking is widely regarded as a self-soothing behaviour, and many owners and trainers find it helps their dog settle. That's why a lick mat is such a popular companion for the moments dogs can find hard: vet visits, car trips, fireworks and storms, nail trims, time alone, or settling into a crate. You're not just feeding your dog; you're giving them a calm, absorbing job to do.

That combination — slower eating plus a settling routine — is why lick mats have become a staple in the modern dog-parent toolkit.

How to use a lick mat (the 60-second version)

1. Spread thin. A thin layer worked into the grooves lasts much longer than a thick blob on top.
2. Freeze for a longer session. Pop the loaded mat in the freezer for 1–3 hours. Frozen mats can easily triple the licking time and are brilliant on hot Australian afternoons.
3. Match the difficulty to your dog. New to it? Start with something soft and smelly at room temperature so they get the idea. Seasoned licker? Freeze it solid.
4. Supervise, especially with chewers. Lick mats are for licking, not chewing. If your dog tries to bite chunks off, take it away and choose a tougher option.
5. Wash after every use. Most silicone mats are dishwasher-safe or wipe clean in seconds.

A flat textured mat like the Pawmate Lickmate Pro is ideal for mealtimes and quick settles, while a freezable design like the Pawmate Chill'n Lick Ball holds frozen recipes for longer and doubles as a hot-weather cool-down. For meal-sized portions, the Pawmate Feastmate Pro gives you more surface to work with.

25 lick mat recipe ideas

Mix and match freely — the best recipe is usually whatever your dog finds most interesting that day. Use plain, unsweetened ingredients, and check the foods-to-avoid list further down before you get creative.

Everyday quick spreads (30 seconds, no recipe required)

1. Plain Greek yoghurt (unsweetened, full or low fat)
2. Xylitol-free peanut butter, thinned with a splash of water
3. Plain pumpkin purée (the pure kind, not spiced pie filling)
4. Mashed banana
5. Your dog's usual wet food, smeared in
6. Soaked kibble, mashed into a paste
7. Mashed cooked sweet potato
8. Low-sodium, onion-free bone broth, spooned over and frozen

High-value "special occasion" combos

9. Peanut Butter & Banana — xylitol-free PB swirled with mashed banana
10. Pumpkin Pie (the safe version) — pumpkin purée, a spoon of yoghurt, a tiny pinch of cinnamon
11. Berry Yoghurt — Greek yoghurt with a few mashed blueberries
12. Chicken & Broth — shredded plain cooked chicken spread thin, then frozen with a little bone broth
13. Cottage Cheese & Carrot — a small amount of cottage cheese with finely grated cooked carrot
14. Sweet Potato Mash — cooked, cooled and mashed, with a dot of PB to finish
15. Apple & Yoghurt — yoghurt with finely grated apple (no seeds or core)

Calming "settle" recipes (for storms, vet visits and alone-time)

16. Yoghurt base + a smear of PB, frozen solid — long-lasting and absorbing
17. Wet food + bone broth, frozen — familiar and reassuring
18. Pumpkin + a little plain cooked chicken, frozen — simple and mild
19. Mashed banana + yoghurt, frozen — soft and easy for nervous dogs
20. Soaked kibble + broth, frozen into the grooves — turns the regular dinner into a settle session

Summer cool-down ideas (perfect for hot days)

21. Frozen watermelon mash (seedless, no rind)
22. Blended cucumber + yoghurt, frozen
23. Coconut yoghurt (plain, unsweetened), frozen
24. Frozen berry + banana purée
25. Diluted bone broth ice layer over a thin yoghurt base

Tip: Loaded a few mats at once? Freeze the spares. A drawer of ready-to-go frozen lick mats is the easiest way to stay one step ahead of boredom, storms and unexpected Zoom calls.

Foods to never put on a lick mat

Some everyday human foods are commonly recognised as toxic or dangerous to dogs. Keep these well away from the mat:

• Xylitol / birch sugar — toxic to dogs, and hidden in many "sugar-free" and some "natural" peanut butters. Always read the label.
• Chocolate, cocoa, caffeine
• Grapes, raisins and sultanas
• Onion, garlic, chives and leeks (including powders and many stocks/broths — choose onion-free)
• Macadamia nuts
• Avocado
• Alcohol and raw bread dough
• Cooked bones (splinter risk) and very salty, fatty or heavily seasoned foods

When in doubt, leave it out. A short list of plain, familiar ingredients will always beat a clever recipe that upsets your dog's stomach. If you ever think your dog has eaten something toxic, contact your vet or an emergency animal hospital straight away.

A quick word on portions

Lick mat fillings still count as food. A common rule of thumb is that treats and extras should make up no more than around 10% of a dog's daily calories — the rest coming from balanced meals. The easy approach: build many of your recipes from your dog's normal food (wet food, soaked kibble, a little broth) so the mat becomes part of dinner rather than an extra on top. If your dog is on a special diet, is overweight, or has a sensitive stomach, check with your vet before introducing new ingredients.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a lick mat session last? Most dogs settle happily for 5–20 minutes. Spreading thin and freezing the mat are the two easiest ways to make it last longer.

Can puppies use lick mats? Yes — many people use them for early calm-and-settle routines. Start with soft, room-temperature recipes like mashed banana or plain yoghurt, keep portions small, and always supervise.

Can lick mats help with anxiety? Lots of owners use them during storms, fireworks, vet visits and alone-time because the licking routine can help some dogs settle. They're a helpful everyday aid, not a treatment — if your dog struggles with serious anxiety, speak to your vet or a qualified behaviourist for a proper plan.

How often can my dog use one? Daily is fine, as long as the contents fit within their overall diet. Many dog parents use one at dinner and keep a frozen spare for stressful moments.

How do I clean a lick mat? Most silicone mats are dishwasher-safe or rinse clean in seconds. Wash after every use to keep things hygienic.

Turn dinner into something calmer

A lick mat is one of those rare tools that helps with several everyday problems at once: slower eating, less boredom, and a more settled dog. Keep a couple loaded in the freezer, rotate the recipes so mealtime stays interesting, and you'll have an easy answer ready for almost any restless moment.

Ready to get started? Explore the Pawmate Lickmate Pro and the freezable Chill'n Lick Ball, or browse the full Feeding & Drinking range. Looking for the next step in enrichment? Our enrichment toys and snuffle mats are a natural pairing.

This article is general information from the Pawmate team and is not veterinary advice. We're dog owners, not veterinary professionals. Every dog is different — introduce new foods gradually, watch for any reaction, and check with your vet if your dog has allergies, a sensitive stomach, a medical condition, or specific dietary needs.