July 10, 2026 · By Mark Delaney

Frozen Lick Mat Treats: Easy Ideas for Hot Summer Days

Somewhere in the middle of every July, my freezer becomes a dog freezer. A shelf of loaded mats waits between the ice packs, and on the worst afternoons of the summer they come out one at a time, to the great approval of everyone with a tail in this house. If you already own a lick mat, freezing costs nothing and roughly multiplies its usefulness. In my own kitchen-table testing across two dogs and many summers, the same yogurt layer that disappears fresh in about ten minutes reliably lasts two to three times longer frozen. Here is the whole technique.

Why freeze a lick mat at all?

Duration, mostly. A fresh topping rewards every lick instantly, which dogs love and finish quickly. A frozen topping releases the same food slowly, so the session stretches from minutes into a long, quiet stint of work. That extra staying power is exactly what you want ahead of a thunderstorm, a video call, or a houseful of guests, and it is why frozen mats feature so heavily in our calming routine guide.

Summer adds the second reason. On a hot day, a frozen mat is a cooling treat that also happens to be enrichment, a far better answer to the heat than one more round of fetch in the sun. And because the food is licked slowly rather than gulped, even an excited dog takes it at a sensible pace, the same principle behind our slow feeder bowl.

How to freeze a lick mat, step by step

1. Pick a freezer-friendly topping. Anything soft and dog-safe from our toppings guide works; the table below ranks the best candidates.
2. Spread thin. Press the food into the textured zones with the back of a spoon. A thin, even coat freezes solid and lasts; a thick pile freezes into a slab your dog will try to bite.
3. Freeze flat. Lay the mat level on a freezer shelf. A couple of hours produces a firm set; overnight makes it rock solid for maximum duration.
4. Temper before serving. Straight from a deep freeze, let the mat sit for a minute or two. It softens the very surface and makes those first licks rewarding instead of futile.
5. Serve, supervise, rinse. The usual rules apply: keep an eye on enthusiastic chewers, and rinse the silicone clean under warm water afterward.

What freezes best (and what to skip)

Full ingredient combinations, including the frozen broth and carrot mat and the watermelon slush, live in our lick mat recipes collection. Cats, for the record, are frequently unimpressed by frozen textures and mostly prefer their toppings at room temperature, one of several feline quirks covered in our lick mat for cats guide.

Summer safety notes

A frozen mat is a treat, not a cooling system. On genuinely hot days your dog still needs shade, rest, and constant fresh water, with the mat as a bonus rather than the plan. Serve frozen sessions in the shade or indoors, and remember that everything on the mat counts toward the day's food, exactly as it does fresh.

Timing helps as well. The sweet spot for a frozen session is the hottest stretch of the afternoon, when a sensible dog would rather lie in the shade with a project than chase anything. In our house the frozen mat replaced the midday walk entirely through the peak of summer, and both dogs were visibly happier for it. Save the real exercise for early morning and evening, and let the freezer carry the middle of the day.

Very cold food in a very fast mouth is rarely an issue with a thin frozen layer, which is one more argument for spreading thin rather than piling deep. For puppies, keep frozen sessions short and stick to the mild toppings from our puppy guide, and let a first-timer start with a chilled rather than fully frozen mat to learn the game. If you are still weighing whether this whole category of gear earns its keep, our honest overview of lick mat benefits and limits is the place to start.

Batch prep for busy weeks

The habit that makes frozen mats effortless is preparing more than one. On Sunday evening I load two mats, one yogurt and pumpkin, one banana and peanut butter, and slide them flat into the freezer. For the rest of the week, a long-lasting treat is ten seconds away at any moment: storm rolling in, guests at the door, a puppy who needs a project. The suction cups on the back of the LickJoy Mat mean a frozen session can even happen on the shower wall before a summer bath, and the silicone goes from freezer to warm-water rinse without complaint.

That is the entire art of it. Spread thin, freeze flat, temper briefly, supervise, rinse. Owners who have made it a ritual talk about it constantly in our verified reviews, and the mat built for it is on our homepage.

Mark Delaney · Canine enrichment writer

Mark has spent 12+ years living with high-energy dogs and has hand-tested dozens of lick mats and slow feeders to find what actually keeps dogs busy and calm.