4 Christmas Dog Treat Recipes That Are Totally Pawsome

Fancy yourself as crafty in the kitchen? Feel like rustling up something amazing for you pup this festive season? We’ve rounded up Christmas dog treats recipes that are easy to make and will have their tails wagging all the way to the tree! These are all baked goodies — dog Christmas cookies recipes you’ll be sure to return to year after year.

One of the best parts of the festive season is sharing it with our loved ones, and our pets are totally a part of that circle. Instead of buying them their usual treats, why not bake them something special and unique? Without further ado…

#1 Christmas dog treats recipe – Pudding cookies

These deliciously named cookies from Barkingmad.com are decorated with dried cranberries, which are safe and nutritionally beneficial for your pup when eaten in moderation. Not only that, they’re quintessentially Christmas! The white icing (made from Greek yoghurt), just adds to the festive feel.

It’s a Christmas dog treats recipe you’re sure to return to year after year.

Ingredients

For the cookies

• 140g self raising wholegrain flour
• 25g rolled oats
• 100g peanut butter
• 1 tbsp honey (runny)
• 1 medium egg
• 40ml water (cold)

For the decoration

• 50g Greek yoghurt (low fat)
• 1/2 tsp honey (runny)
• 30 dried cranberries

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Then line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.
2. Mix the flour and oats in a bowl.
3. In a jug, whisk together the peanut butter, honey, egg and water.
4. Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture and pour in the wet mixture. Using a palette knife, bring them together to form a stiff dough.
5. Lightly dust a surface with flour. Now roll out the dough to 1/2cm thickness. Cut out 30 rounds using a 5cm plain round cutter.
6. Place the cookies onto the baking sheets, slightly spaced apart.
7. Bake them for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the trays from the oven and leave the cookies to cool slightly.
8. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. To decorate, mix together the yoghurt and honey in a small bowl. Place the mixture in a small piping bag and snip off the end. Pipe a small amount of icing onto each cookie to resemble the sauce on top of a Christmas pudding. Add a dried cranberry on top, and voila!

#2 Christmas dog treats recipe – Gingerbread cookies

Cranberries, cinnamon … ginger! These are all the flavours of Christmas. We love this YouTube dog Christmas cookies recipe for delicious ginger cookies. It’s not usually recommended to give your dogs spices as too much of it can upset their tummies, but these cookies contain such a small amount that it shouldn’t affect them.

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
• 1/2 cup molasses or honey

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C.
2. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
3.  Create a well in the centre and add the remaining ingredients. Mix together until you form a firm dough. If it’s too crumbly, add a bit of water. 
4. Place the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.
5. Roll the dough out to 1/2cm thick. You can now use your cookie cutters to cut them into shapes. You can use classic gingerbread men shapes, like below. Or dog bone shapes, if you have them!
6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. If you want your cookies to be extra crunchy, leave them inside for a few hours after you turn off the oven.
7. Once the cookies are cooled, you can decorate them as you choose. Just make sure to check our list of things that can poison your pet before choosing your decorations. Remember, chocolate and xylitol are both no-nos!

#3 Christmas dog treats recipe – Doughnuts!

We’ve had dog Christmas cookies recipe ideas – now how about some doughnuts? These look absolutely gorgeous and are safe for your pup to eat. As always, keep moderation in mind lest you end up with a festively fat dog on your hands (sorry, Fido).

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp melted coconut oil or vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp non-dairy milk (oat or coconut) OR goat milk
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp molasses (or you can double the honey)
• 3/4 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder

Icing

• 1 tub softened cream cheese
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp powdered carob
• 1 tsp water
• 1 strawberry
• A sprinkling of unsweetened coconut flakes

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C.
2. In a medium to large mixing bowl, add together egg, oil, non-dairy milk, honey and molasses.
3. Add all the dry ingredients and mix together.
4. Spray your donut pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle with flour to further prevent sticking.
5. Pour your mixture into your mould. Bake it for 18 to 20 minutes.
6. For the icing, mix the cream cheese and honey together. Now add some water to the carob powder and mix until the powder is dissolved. Now mix all the ingredients together.
7. Get two piping bags. Scoop some of the white mixture into one, and the brown mixture into the other.
8. Ice your doughnuts with the cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle with coconut flakes.
9. Get creative on this Christmas dog treats recipe! Use the strawberry to make noses and Santa hats. Use your brown and white piping bags to add detail.
10. Give them to your pup to enjoy – simple.

#4 Christmas dog treats recipe – Snow bones

We loved this iced Christmas dog treats recipe that we’re calling SNOW BONES! There are three variants, and we particularly like the Christmassy colours for the yogurt and berry and chicken and raspberry kind. These are just perfect for the Australian heat over the festive season.

You’ll need a silicone mould for this one, preferably bone shaped.

Peanut butter and banana

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain yogurt (no sweetness or flavours)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter, smooth (again, make sure there’s no xylitol)
• 1 ripe banana, mashed with a fork

Yogurt and berries

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 10 strawberries, diced
• 20 blueberries

Chicken and raspberry (this one is great for cats, too!)

Ingredients

• 1 cup chicken stock, cooled
• 1 cup fresh or frozen defrosted raspberries

Method (this method applies to all three):

• Mix your ingredients together.
• Spoon into your dog bone moulds (or ice cube trays). Fill evenly and smooth the top.
• Tap on the counter to ensure there are no air bubbles and the mixture is evenly distributed.
• Freeze for a minimum of 5 hours.
• To remove them, tap your mould on the counter to loosen them, then turn them out. If you have any trouble, quickly run the mould under warm water to help the treats to release.
• Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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