Butternut Box review: Cost, experience and discount code

Fresh food delivered by subscription, for dogs. Just like for humans, except the recipient has four paws and no idea what a subscription even is. When the first Butternut Box arrived, Flicky sniffed the packaging, glanced at me for a second, then inhaled the first portion like it was the most normal thing in the world. Skeptical as always about anything with a glossy website and a heart logo, I took a closer look anyway.

In this review you'll find out what's in the recipes, how much it costs, how ordering and delivery work, whether you can order without a subscription and how to cancel. All facts were checked on the Butternut Box website and help centre for Germany in September 2026.

What is Butternut Box?

Butternut Box cooks dog food from human-grade ingredients, portions it for your dog, freezes it and delivers it to your door. Instead of a big can or a bag of kibble, you get individual fresh pouches, usually one per dog per day. Butternut works out the amount from a short questionnaire about your dog's weight, age, activity level and body shape.

The difference to classic wet food: the meals are gently cooked and frozen straight away instead of being preserved in cans. You can see that in the bowl, the meat, vegetables and pulses still look like what they are. For dog noses, that's clearly a selling point.

The recipes

Butternut Box currently offers 11 recipes, “from game to veggie” as they put it: meals with beef, chicken, fish such as salmon and white fish, game and even a vegetarian option. Each recipe combines the protein with vegetables and other ingredients and is a complete, balanced meal. You choose which recipes go into your box and can change them anytime.

There's also a small extras range: Golden Oaties, oat biscuits made with just five ingredients, Daily Dental chews for oral care, and supplements. Handy, but definitely not a must.

Ordering, delivery and switching food

1. 1Fill in the questionnaireEnter your dog's name, weight, age, activity and body shape. Butternut calculates the energy needs and suggests portions and recipes, and you see the price before committing.
2. 2Get the starter boxMeals for 7 or 14 days, most dogs get 14. It can't be cancelled once it's paid.
3. 3Subscription startsAfter that you choose boxes for 21 or 28 days and a delivery interval between 7 and 56 days.
4. 4Freeze and thawThe box arrives frozen with ice packs. Pouches go straight into the freezer, and you thaw the next day's pouch in the fridge.
5. 5Switch graduallyMix a small amount into the usual food and increase it over about 7 to 10 days.

According to Butternut, a thawed, unopened pouch keeps in the fridge for up to a week, an opened one should be used within two days. If a box arrives partly thawed, that's fine as long as the pouches still feel cold. Plan for some freezer space, especially with big dogs and big boxes.

During the switch, watch stool, appetite and energy. Slightly softer stool in the first days is normal, just slow down. In case of vomiting, persistent diarrhoea or a very sensitive stomach, ask your vet before and during the switch.

How much does Butternut Box cost?

According to Butternut, prices in Germany start at €2.61 per day. For a small, calm dog that's around €80 a month. The bigger and more active your dog, the higher the price, because every box is calculated from daily energy needs. The price calculator on the Butternut website shows the exact amount without signing up. Butternut adjusted its prices on 16 April 2026, so older prices you find online are often too low.

Larger boxes are more cost-effective according to Butternut, because packaging and shipping weigh less per day. If your freezer allows it, the 28-day box is the most economical choice. With the code FLICKY you get 40% off your first two boxes, and the code has no expiry date. Example: for a small dog, the 14-day starter box costs around €36.50 at €2.61 per day. With 40% off you save around €14.60 and pay only around €21.90, more for bigger dogs. The code only applies to active subscriptions, so if you cancel right after the first delivery, it won't apply to the next box. Current codes from our Butternut Box coupon page:

Now at Butternut BoxAll codes

40%Get 40% off of your first two Butternut BoxesRedeem

Ordering without a subscription and cancelling

New customers always start with the starter box, and the subscription then starts automatically. After that, there's an official way that feels almost like no subscription: once you've cancelled, you can order a one-off box in your account at any time, under “Einmalige Box bestellen”. Boxes are packed in steps of 7 pouches, with 7 as the minimum for most sizes and 14 for the smallest portion sizes. A one-off box does not reactivate your subscription.

There's no minimum term, and pausing, changing or cancelling is free. To cancel, log in, click your profile icon, open “Kontodetails” and scroll down to the red “Abonnement kündigen” button, then answer a short survey and confirm. If a payment is outstanding, cancelling only works once it's settled. The exact steps are in the official help article on cancelling (in German).

Pros, cons and verdict

If your dog is a picky eater, has a sensitive stomach, or you simply want fresh food without the cooking, Butternut Box is worth it. If price is your main concern or your freezer is tiny, do the maths carefully first. Flicky's verdict was settled after the very first bowl.

Butternut Box only cooks for dogs. For quality cat food, take a look at Pets Deli, which also has a range for cats. And how much food does your dog really need? Our pet food calculator works it out in seconds, and you'll find more tools on our calculators page.

Frequently asked questions