These homemade Christmas Dog Treats are made with 5 (plus optional food coloring) simple, healthy, wholesome ingredients. This recipe creates cut-out, pup-approved cookie dough that tastes delicious and is the perfect Christmas puppy present.
Homemade Dog Treats for Christmas
It is so much fun to spoil your pet with these Christmas Dog Treats and stuff their stockings with healthy and nourishing snacks.
Unlike commercial dog treats that often contain nitrates and harmful additives, this Christmas Cookie recipe is made with wholesome, all-natural, puppy-approved, people-food that you can feel good about baking for your dog without upsetting his or her tummy.
Dogs are part of the family, after all, and deserve a dessert that looks just like they should be eaten by people because they’re beautifully decorated and shaped using Christmas cookie cutters but made specifically with simple pantry staples that are safe for canine consumption.
When it comes to the food that you feed our furry friends, you want to make sure that it is nutritious and filled with healthy ingredients.
Why We Love This Peanut Butter dog Treat Recipe
- Quick and easy to make using only 5 all-natural pantry staples (plus optional food coloring).
- Delicious dog snack filled with nutrient-dense ingredients.
- Healthy homemade treat for the holidays that won’t upset tummies.
- Fun doggie Christmas cookies to bake with kids and make cut-out shapes.
- Perfect puppy stocking stuffer!
- Great DIY Christmas gift to hand out at your puppy playgroup or give to your dog-parent friends.
Ingredients for Homemade Christmas Dog Treats
- Unsweetened applesauce: Feel free to substitute this with pumpkin puree or mashed bananas.
- Creamy peanut butter: Almond butter is an excellent option as well. Or, feel free to get a peanut butter that is specifically for dogs and add it to these cookies instead. (Important: See FAQ’s below)
- Egg
- All-purpose flour: Whole wheat flour is a great alternative for dogs with allergies.
- Rolled oats: Also known as Old Fashioned Oats. I haven’t used instant oats for this recipe.
- Red all-natural food coloring (optional): All-natural food coloring can be found at most health food stores or specialty food stores (such as Safeway and Frys). I used the Simple Truth brand of food coloring.
- Green all-natural food coloring (optional)
Substitutions and Additions
- Pet-Friendly Flavors: I made these Christmas Dog Treats with peanut butter, but you can substitute other pet-friendly flavors, such as sweet potato or pumpkin.
- Custom Cut-Outs: This recipe is not just for Christmas. Make dog treats all-year and create your own shapes and custom cut-outs. Any cookie cutter will work!
- Tasty Toppings: For more texture, you can add all-natural toppings to these dog treats, such as red cranberries and green pumpkin seeds.
Recommended Tools
- Large sheet pan (11×13 inches)
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowls (medium and large)
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Measuring tools
- Rolling pin
- Christmas cookie cutters
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How to Make Homemade Christmas Dog Treats
You should always check with your vet to make sure the ingredients are good for your dogs diet. I also recommend giving your dog a small sample to try first to make sure they don’t have a negative reaction or any allergies.
- Use a mixer to combine the applesauce, peanut butter, and egg.
Pro-Tip: Some peanut butter brands include xylitol to cut the sugar in their product. DO NOT USE any peanut butter containing xylitol because it is toxic for dogs. Check the ingredients prior to baking.
- Evenly divide the mixture into 3 separate bowls.
Pro Tip: You only need to divide the mixture if you choose to add food coloring. - Optional step: add red food coloring to one bowl, green food coloring to another bowl, and leave the last bowl uncolored.
- Mix the food coloring into the 2 wet mixtures until completely combined.
Pro Tip: The color will dilute when the flour mixture is added, so add a little more food coloring than you think it will need. It’s much easier to incorporate the food coloring into the wet ingredients as opposed to the dry ingredients. However, you can also add it into the recipe when both the wet and dry ingredients have been incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour and rolled oats.
- Divide and add the flour mixture equally between each of the 3 bowls (about 1 cup) and mix until just combined.
Pro Tip: The mixture should create a slightly dry but malleable dough. If it is too dry, add more applesauce, ½ tablespoon at a time. If it is too wet, add more flour, 1 teaspoon at a time. Mix these add-ins with your hands if possible in order to avoid overmixing the flour. - Roll the three different colored doughs (or single colored dough) onto a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin.
Pro Tip: The dough should be ¼ inch in thickness. - Cut out cookie shapes with cookie cutters, rerolling the dough until all the dough is used, and place the cookies on the sheet pan.
Pro Tip: See FAQs for decorating tips. - Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 13-18 minutes or until cookies turn golden brown.
Pro Tip: You can vary the bake times depending on preference. For a softer treat, cook for less time. If you don’t have any parchment paper, use cooking spray. It will work fine for these cookies since they don’t tend to stick to the sheet pan. You will need to bake two batches of cookies in order to use up all your dough for this recipe. You can either use two large sheet pans (11×13) or one large sheet pan but used twice. Make sure to cook your batches separately to avoid uneven cooking. - Cool completely before feeding your furry friends!
Is peanut butter safe for dogs to eat?
Peanut butter is safe for dogs in moderation. Natural peanut butter is a great source of protein, B and E vitamins, and healthy monounsaturated fats, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC).
However, it is important to always check the ingredients for xylitol (an artificial sweetener) which can be fatal to dogs, or added sugars/flavors. If you feel uncomfortable using peanut butter, other great alternatives would be pumpkin or sweet potato.
Are rolled oats safe for dogs to consume?
Oats are a great source of protein and soluble fiber, which can help older dogs with digestive issues. They also contain vitamin B6 and iron. Oats can help dogs maintain a healthy coat along with strong, supple skin.
Are eggs safe for dogs to eat?
Cooked eggs are known to be a reliable source of digestible (and complete) protein for dogs. They also have essential fatty and amino acids, making them a good food to feed your pet. Eggs should always be cooked prior to feeding them to your dog.
How to store homemade dog treats
- To Store: You can leave these treats on the countertop for up to one day, but after that, keep them in the refrigerator in an airtight container or plastic bag. They will last for 1-2 weeks if properly packaged.
- To Freeze: To freeze these cookies, place them in a freezer-safe airtight container for 3-4 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
All-natural food coloring is often not as pigmented as regular gel food coloring, so you may need to use a little more food coloring to get the color that you want. Because the red food coloring is often made from fruits such as beets or raspberries, it tends to take on a slight pink hue.
These cookies are meant to be on the drier side in order to make them more biscuit-like treats for the doggies. However, they might dry out too much if you add too much flour to your surface. If your dough gets too dry, add little teaspoons of extra applesauce and knead it into the dough before you roll it out.
It is so easy to make cut-out shapes for Christmas!
To make candy cane cookies: Roll out the uncolored dough and red-colored dough into strips. Lay them out side by side, alternating between the red and uncolored strips. Roll them out again with a rolling pin to help them stick together. Cut out candy cane shapes.
To make Christmas Tree Cookies: Roll out green dough until it reaches ¼ inch thick. Cut small circles of uncolored and red dough using a straw. Place circles on top of the green dough to form ornaments. Cut out Christmas Tree shapes with a cookie cutter.
To make Gingerbread Men: Roll out uncolored dough until it reaches ¼ inch thick. Cut small circles of red dough using a straw. Place circles on top of the dough to form buttons on the gingerbread men. Cut out Gingerbread Men shapes with a cookie cutter.
You can make these dog treats flour or wheat free by using coconut flour or rice flour in its place.
Whenever we swap out ingredients, it may change the consistency a bit, but these are good alternatives.
More Dog Friendly Recipes
Christmas Dog Treats
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- Red all-natural food coloring optional
- Green all-natural food coloring optional
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cups rolled oats
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Mix the applesauce, creamy peanut butter, and egg together in a medium sized bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer.
- Divide the mixture as evenly as possible into three medium sized mixing bowls (a little more than ⅓ cup per bowl).
- Add all-natural red food coloring to one bowl, and all-natural green food coloring to another bowl, optional. Leave the last bowl uncolored.
- Mix the food coloring into each wet mixture until completely combined. Keep in mind that the color will dilute when the flour mixture is added, so add a little more food coloring than you think it will need.
- In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and rolled oats and stir until well mixed.
- Divide the flour mixture into three (1 cup each) and add to each of the three bowls.
- Use a hand or stand mixer to stir the flour into each wet mixture until just combined.
- The mixture should create a slightly dry but malleable dough. If it is too dry, add more applesauce, ½ Tablespoon at a time. If it is too wet, add more flour, 1 teaspoon at a time. Mix these add-ins with your hands if possible in order to avoid overmixing the flour.
- Roll the three different colored doughs (or single colored dough) onto a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin until the dough is ¼ inch in thickness.
- Use Christmas shaped cookie cutters to cut out cookie shapes–rerolling the dough until all the dough is used. Place the cookies on the sheet pan.
- Bake in the oven for 13-18 minutes or until they turn golden brown. You can vary the bake times depending on preference. For a softer treat, cook for less time.
- Let cool completely before serving as treats to your precious canines.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: You can leave these treats on the countertop for up to one day, but after that, keep them in the refrigerator in an airtight container or plastic bag. They will last for 1-2 weeks if properly packaged.
- To Freeze: To freeze these cookies, place them in a freezer-safe airtight container for 3-4 months.
- Some peanut butter brands include xylitol to cut the sugar in their product. DO NOT USE any peanut butter containing xylitol because it is toxic for dogs. Check the ingredients prior to baking.
- If you don’t want to make different colored cookies, you do not have to worry about dividing your dough.
- It’s much easier to incorporate the food coloring into the wet ingredients as opposed to the dry ingredients. However, you can also add it into the recipe when both the wet and dry ingredients have been incorporated.
- You will need to bake two batches of cookies in order to use up all your dough for this recipe. You can either use two large sheet pans (11×13) or one large sheet pan but used twice. Make sure to cook your batches separately to avoid uneven cooking.
- If you don’t have any parchment paper, use cooking spray. It will work fine for these cookies since they don’t tend to stick to the sheet pan.
- Because these cookies are on the drier side in order to make more biscuit-like treats for the doggies, they might dry out too much if you add too much flour to your surface. If your dough gets too dry, add little teaspoons of extra applesauce and knead it into the dough before you roll it out.
Nutrition Info
Originally published November 20, 2021
I made these cookies as a Christmas gift for my friends and family’s dogs. Even the pickiest dog loved them. I did make one alteration I added shredded carrots.
Love the addition of the carrots! So glad they were a hit!
dogs love them
It’s exactly what I’ve been looking for. Thanks!!
Hi Lori! Hope your pups enjoy them!
some really ideas
some really neat recipes..
cool my dog will love these
THANK YOU!!!!!
❤️🌹❤️
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I just made these cookies and all 3 of my dogs loved them !
Do you think it is possible to make the dough a day in advance and keep it in the fridge until ready to roll and cut into shapes ??
I haven’t tried this, but it should be fine. If you find it too dry, just add a little bit of applesauce
Can you use wheat flour instead of white! Wheat flour is better for dogs!
I used whole wheat flour and they turned out great. My friend has a very picky eater and he loved rhem