Christmas treats for dogs

December 5, 2022

It is that time of the year!

Christmas dog treats are a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday season. These easy-to-make, delicious treats make a great gift for the pets in your life and are sure to please the pet owner and your pet. DIY Christmas dog treats are easy to make, and you will be able to find all the ingredients in your kitchen cupboard.

Why give your dog homemade Christmas dog treats?

Homemade dog treats are less expensive than store-bought treats.

They are natural with no artificial ingredients or preservatives. Instead, they have simple ingredients that are easy to find or that you will already have in your home.

It is also an excellent family activity to do during the holidays.

12 Christmas dog treat recipes

1. Simple Christmas cookies

Ingredients

2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 cup of plain non-fat Greek yogurt
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 cup of all-natural peanut butter
Water

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Mix the ingredients, adding water if needed to create a rollable dough. Roll the dough out, cut the cookies out, then bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Then, take them out and let your furry friend enjoy them.

2. Christmas morning nut treats

Start your dog’s morning with a bacon nut treat—a great way to start Christmas day for your little furry friend.

ingredients

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup soy flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/3 cup all-natural peanut butter
1 tbsp. natural maple syrup
3 tbsp. water
1 egg
3 rashers of bacon chopped

directions

First, preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Then you can line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Skillet fry until done and put the fat to the side.

Mix the peanut butter, maple syrup, egg, water, and slightly cooled bacon fat and stir well. Then roll out the dough and cut the cookies out.

Bake for 15 minutes until they are golden.

3. Applesauce and oatmeal cut-out cookies

ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups rolled oat flour
2 eggs
2 tbsp. melted coconut oil
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tbsp vanilla extract

directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Then combine all the ingredients in a food processor or stand mixer. Add the flour until necessary; stop once the dough is no longer sticky and is ready to roll out.

If you want different colored dough, divide them into separate bowls and add food coloring.

Keep enough dough to prevent drying between batches. You can hydrate the dough with a little coconut oil if needed.

You can refrigerate this dough for up to a week and freeze it for 3 months.

4. Spinach holiday dog treat

ingredients

1 package of frozen spinach thawed, drained, and any excess water squeezed out
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups rolled oat flour
6 capsules chlorophyll
2 tbsp. dried parsley
1 cup applesauce
A few drops of peppermint extract
2 eggs

directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Thaw a package of spinach in the microwave. Drain the spinach as much as you possibly can. Then, press the spinach into a colander, squeeze with your hands, or press it into a tea towel; this will ensure your cookies cook crisp and do not go soggy.

Place the dried spinach into a bowl of a food processor and pulse until the spinach is thoroughly pureed. Doing this will make it easier for you to cut out the cookies.

Add the flour, chlorophyll, and parsley and pulse to mix well.

Move dough to a board, add flour, and work until it is easy for cookie cutting.

Keep the dough covered to prevent any dryness between the batches.

5. Elfin’ peanut butter pumpkin dog treats

ingredients

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbsp. natural peanut butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. salt

directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Then line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, salt, peanut butter, eggs, cinnamon, and pumpkin. You can add water if needed. Bake for 30 minutes until hard.

6. Peppermint apple reindeer doggy cookies

ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup all-natural applesauce
1/3 oat bran
1 1/2 tbsp. dry baking yeast
2 tbsp. dry milk
2 tbsp. chopped spearmint leaves
7/8 cup water

directions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Cover your baking tray with parchment paper. Use a bread hook on a mixer and mix everything thoroughly.

Roll out the dough and cut the cookies.

7. Gingerbread dogs

ingredients

4 tbsp. raw honey
1 cup molasses
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. baking soda
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. fresh shaved ginger

directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix honey, molasses oil, and water in one bowl and the flour, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger in another.

Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ones and mix to form a dough. Separate the dough into quarters, then wrap and refrigerate each ball for 5 hours. Roll out the dough and cut it into small pieces. Bake for 25 minutes until they are brown.

8. Cranberry sauce cookies for dogs

ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 cup plain no fat Greek yogurt
2/3 + 1/4 cup oats
1 tbsp. raw honey
3 tbsp. water

directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cover your baking tray with parchment paper.

Grind 2/3 cup of oats in the food processor until fine. Set that aside then puree the cranberries.

Mix all the ingredients adding just enough water to moisten the dough. Roll out the dough and cut the cookies with a cookie cutter—Bake for 18 minutes.

9. Coconut shortbread cookies for a dog treat

ingredients

1 cup unsweetened dried coconut
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup coconut flour
1 cup oat flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 egg

directions

For the egg wash: 1 egg + 2 tbsp cool water whisked together

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the coconut oil in a stand mixer or until it is fluffy.

Add 1/2 the coconut, flour, and baking powder, and continue to mix.

Add the egg and vanilla and mix until a nice dough ball is formed.

Roll the dough about 1/4″. It will be delicate to work with until it is baked and cooled down.

Cut into shapes, coat with the egg wash, then sprinkle with coconut flakes.

Bake for 18 minutes or until they turn golden brown on the edges.

10. Santa’s nutritious Christmas dog treats

ingredients

3 cups whole wheat flour
2 eggs
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 cup oats
1 cup natural pumpkin puree
1 shredded zucchini
1 peeled, shredded carrot
1 cup chopped baby spinach

directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Then cover the baking tray with parchment paper. Use a mixer to combine the peanut butter, pumpkin puree, and eggs.

Beat in the oats and 2 1/2 cups flour. Add more flour if needed to create a rollable dough.

Mix the spinach, carrots, and zucchini.

Roll out your dough, cut the cookies with a cookie cutter, and bake for 20 minutes.

11. Christmas dessert cookies for dog treat

ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbsp. raw honey
1 egg separated
3/4 cup natural unsweetened applesauce
1/2 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. cinnamon

directions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and cover the baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine applesauce, honey, egg yolk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Mix the flour in.

Roll out the dough and cut the cookies. Then you will brush the cookies with egg whites.

Bake for 20 minutes or until browned.

12. Mrs. Claus Molasses Carob Chip dog cookies

ingredients

6 cups white rice flour
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup no fat powdered milk
1/8 cup peanut butter oil
1/8 cup margarine
2 oz. melted carob chips
1 cup water

directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Combine the dry ingredients and mix well.

Add the wet ingredients, then stir.

Refrigerate the dough until chilled. Roll the dough and cut the cookies.

Bake for 1 hour or until they are golden.

Serving size

How many treats you give your pet on Christmas depends on the rest of their daily food intake. They probably only need a few Christmas treats if they have eaten a lot. Therefore, you need to consider their entire calorie intake. It will also depend on your dog’s size. If your dog is small, they require fewer calories than if you have a large dog.

Maintaining a dog’s healthy weight is very important. So always keep that in mind when feeding your dog Christmas dog treats in addition to their normal diet.

Dogs should eat only a few carbs, even healthy carbs from oatmeal and whole wheat flour. It is suggested only to give your dog one treat a day.

Equipment needed

You will most likely have all the equipment required already in your kitchen, but here is a list just in case.

Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Mixing bowls
Hand mixer
Mixing spoon or whisk
Rolling pin
Dog paw-print cookie cutters
Christmas cookie cutter
Parchment paper or silicone baking mat

How to store decorated Christmas dog treats

It would be best to store these Christmas dog treats in an airtight container in the refrigerator because the icing is made out of yogurt. Place wax paper between the treats to help prevent the icing from melting.

The icing will not harden, so be careful when packing the treats, especially if you give them as a homemade gift. Please place them in individual plastic bags.

Dog treats for Christmas gifts

Homemade Christmas dog treats make an excellent gift for dog owners.

You can put them in an advent calendar or under the Christmas tree. You can put them in a little box wrapped with a cute ribbon.

Keep the box in the fridge until you give it to someone. Tell them how to store it so the icing will not melt and the cookies stay fresh.

How long do homemade Christmas dog treats last?

These baked goods can last between a couple of days to a week if stored correctly in a sealed container in the fridge. But, of course, it will also depend on how many you give to your dogs, how many dogs you have, and how often you give them to your dogs.

Can humans eat dog Christmas treats?

Humans can eat these Christmas treats too.

Every recipe for these cookies contains human-grade ingredients

Although some humans may like them, making your own Christmas treats is best.

Is peanut butter safe for dogs?

Peanut butter is healthy for dogs, it contains vitamins and healthy fats. Moderation is key though.

Dogs can be allergic to things, just like humans.

If you do not feel comfortable using peanut butter, there are alternatives like sweet potato or pumpkin.

Can you use all-purpose flour in peanut butter recipe treats?

Yes, you can use all-purpose flour, but keep in mind that dogs can be allergic to things like gluten in regular flour.

Whole wheat flour can have more nutrients that are better for your dogs. However, you can use alternatives like coconut flour.

Let your dog sample it before giving it a treat. That way, you can see if they take a reaction to it, and you know then not to use it and find an alternative.

Tips

Flour: Some dogs are allergic to flour/wheat, as previously stated. If you want to make sure your treats are wheat free, you can use rice flour or coconut flour as a replacement. However, these may change the consistency, so keep that in mind.

Peanut butter: Some peanut butter brands include xylitol to lessen the amount of sugar in their peanut butter. Do not buy brands with xylitol, as it is very toxic to dogs. Instead, make sure to buy natural peanut butter and check the ingredients.

When using royal frosting for cookies, you will make two different types of frosting consistency. A thicker consistency is for the outline, and a thinner frosting to flood the inside. You only have to do this if you want to go that little extra mile for your furry friend.

For thicker frosting, you should create the outline of your design and wait 10 minutes for it to dry. When you make the thicker frosting, you need around 2-3 tablespoons of water.

Fill the outline with the thinner frosting and smooth it with your finger. When making the thin frosting, you will need 3-4 tablespoons of water and maybe even more, depending on how smooth you want the finish.