My Greyhound's Favourite homemade Christmas Dog Treats
I wanted to share with you my three go-to homemade Christmas Dog Treat Recipes.
All three of these homemade Christmas Dog Treats not only satisfy the needs of my Greyhound Sabrina’s palette but they are also Greyhound tummy friendly.
And she tells me they are her favourites because they are all really yummy!
All three recipes are dog friendly, heathy and are easy for humans to prepare.
Especially, if you are not an experienced baker.
Peanut Butter Dog Cookie Recipe
Carob Dog Cookies with optional Frosting Recipe
Banana Brownies to Bark For Recipe
This Christmas I will be making up a few batches for Sabrina (as these days pet store purchased Christmas cookies and treats are far too expensive) but I will also be giving some as gifts and will show you a cute and inexpensive way to package them that is also environmentally friendly.
Yummy Peanut Butter Christmas Dog Treats
Peanut Butter Dog Cookie Recipe
This is my go-to cookie recipe due to the fact I always have these simple ingredients on hand.
I don’t usually ice them as I bake some for the counter cookie jar and some for the freezer and I find it easier to freeze without the fuss of icing.
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour (you can also use oat flour for gluten-free dogs)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (no added sugar or xylitol)
1/4 cup softened peanut butter (make sure it's xylitol-free)
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional, for a festive flavor)
1 tablespoon honey (optional, as a sweetener)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Mix wet ingredients in a large bowl, combine the peanut butter, applesauce, egg, and honey (if using).
Stir until smooth.
Combine dry ingredients in another bowl, mix the whole wheat flour, oats, and cinnamon (if using).
Form the dough and gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
Stir until fully combined.
If the dough feels too sticky, add a little more flour until it reaches a workable consistency.
If it's too dry, add a small amount of water or more applesauce.
Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness.
Use Christmas-themed cookie cutters (like stars, trees, or stockings) to cut out shapes.
If you don’t have cookie cutters, you can roll the dough into small balls and flatten them with a fork.
Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.
Allow the cookies to cool completely before serving them to your dog.
Storage:
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
For longer storage, you can freeze the cookies and thaw them as needed.
These homemade dog cookies are a great way to include your dog or puppy in the holiday fun, and they’re much healthier than store-bought treats!
Fun and Frosted Christmas Carob Dog Treats
Carob Dog Cookie Treat Recipe ( with Optional Frosting)
Carob is a great dog-friendly alternative to chocolate, as it's safe for dogs and has a mild, sweet flavor that they love.
Here's a simple recipe to make both carob-flavored cookies and a dog-safe icing to decorate them:
Ingredients for the Cookies:
1 cup whole wheat flour (or oat flour for gluten-free)
1/4 cup carob powder (make sure it’s plain, no added sugar or sweeteners)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup peanut butter (xylitol-free)
1 large egg
1 tablespoon honey (optional, for a touch of sweetness)
Ingredients for the Frosting:
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (unsweetened, no artificial sweeteners)
1-2 tablespoons carob powder (for color and flavor)
A small drizzle of honey (optional, for a little sweetness)
Instructions:
Prepare the Cookie Dough
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, carob powder, and oats.
Mix wet ingredients in another bowl, whisk together the applesauce, peanut butter, egg, and honey (if using) until smooth and well combined.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until everything is incorporated into a dough.
If the dough feels too dry, add a little water or extra applesauce, a teaspoon at a time, until it holds together. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour.
To roll and cut shapes lightly flour your surface and roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness.
Use cookie cutters to create fun shapes (like Christmas trees, bones, or stars) or roll into small balls and flatten them with a fork.
If you’re feeling cheeky it is fun to us a cat or a squirrel cookie cutter.
Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges.
Let the cookies cool completely before decorating.
Prepare the Icing:
Mix the Frosting in a small bowl, mix the Greek yogurt and carob powder until smooth.
If you’d like the icing a bit sweeter, add a small drizzle of honey.
You can also adjust the consistency by adding more yogurt if it’s too thick, or a bit more carob powder if it’s too runny.
Once the cookies are completely cool, use a spoon or piping bag to drizzle or pipe the icing onto the cookies in fun patterns.
You can get creative with stripes, dots, or even writing your dog’s name!
Allow the icing to firm up at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or place the cookies in the fridge for a quicker setting time.
If you are going to give as a gift I would skip the icing or make up a cute little jar of the icing to go along with the cookies.
If you can find carob chips they are really nice to add to make the cookies more fun!
Lately, they have been impossible to find so I left them out of the recipe.
Storage:
Store any cookies you haven’t iced in an airtight container at room temperature for about 1 week.
For longer storage, place them in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freeze them for up to 3 months.
If you are storing for any length of time, I would skip the icing as it may get a little messy.
Banana Brownies your dog will Bark For
Banana Brownies To Bark For Recipe
These brownies are made with wholesome, dog-friendly ingredients and are super easy to prepare.
They have a nice, moist texture from the banana, and they’re sure to be a hit with your furry friend! I love that these freeze really well too!
These banana brownies are a great healthy treat to add to your dog’s snack rotation.
Plus, the banana provides a natural sweetness and a boost of vitamins and fiber. Your dog will be wagging their tail in anticipation!
I’ve often turned this into a Birthday Cake for Sabrina and her friends with some fun coloured icing (recipe above) and dog-friendly decorations.
Ingredients:
1 ripe banana (the riper, the better for sweetness!)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or oat flour for gluten-free)
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup natural peanut butter (make sure it's xylitol-free)
1 egg
1 tablespoon honey (optional, for extra sweetness)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional, for flavor)
Optional Add-ins:
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (for extra moisture)
1/4 cup finely shredded carrots (for added nutrition)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease or line a small baking dish (an 8x8-inch dish works well) with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, mash the ripe banana until smooth.
Then, add the peanut butter, egg, honey (if using), and cinnamon (if using).
Mix well until everything is fully combined.
Add the whole wheat flour and oats to the wet mixture. Stir until the dough comes together.
If you’d like to add shredded carrots or applesauce, fold them into the batter at this stage.
Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish, smoothing it into an even layer.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (it might have a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter).
Allow the brownies to cool completely before serving them to your dog. You can cut them into small, bite-sized pieces depending on the size of your dog.
Storage:
Store the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, you can refrigerate them for up to 1 week, or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Just thaw them before serving!
How to Gift your Homemade Christmas Dog Treats
Let’s make a gift of your homemade christmas dog treats!
These days we are watching our budget closely as many of us are – so if you are looking for a cute inexpensive edible gift to have under the tree on Christmas morning for your dog, any visiting dogs, your pet sitter’s dog or your bestie’s new puppy here are some fun ideas on how to make this.
You will need:
A middle or large size Mason jar.
An alternative to the Mason jar is to just wrap the cookies in parchment paper.
If you have some left over cellophane you can also use this to wrap a few treats too.
Some twine or festive ribbon.
Or anything you already have in your holiday decorating kit.
A cute tag (recycled Christmas card works great) to put the dog’s name on and/or the key ingredients in the cookies or treats.
You don’t need fancy parchment paper, you can just use what you have on hand or pick some up at the market.