Has your dog been a good boy or a good girl this year? Take a break during your busy holiday schedule to prepare a batch of easy DIY treats to reward them. Here are some ideas to use as a starting point, but feel free to experiment and make adjustments based on your available ingredients or your oven’s performance. Even if your homemade dog cookies are a little soft or too chunky, your dog will still think you’re the world’s greatest chef!
Know which ingredients are unsafe for your dog
- Dogs should never eat grapes, raisins, garlic and onions: these common ingredients are highly toxic to dogs and can have life-threatening consequences.
- Before giving your dog any packaged food, check the ingredient list to check that it contains no xylitol, an artificial sweetener toxic to dogs.
- Cinnamon can irritate your dog’s mouth.
- Other foods you should not feed your pet include chocolate, raw meat, bones, candy and yeast.
Dog Christmas Cookie Recipes
Most cookie recipes follow the same basic preparation below:
- Mix dry and wet ingredients to create a dough.
- Shape or cut the dough using holiday-themed cookie cutters. Alternately, you can roll the dough into 1-inch balls and flatten them.
- Lay the cookies on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake in the oven at 350oF for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned.
Carrot & Apple Dog Cookies
Combine all-purpose flour, shredded carrots, unsweetened applesauce and an egg for a quick and easy cookie recipe. Cut into shapes and bake.
Mashed Potato Balls
Mix equal parts of plain mashed potatoes and shredded carrots with an egg yolk. Roll into balls and bake.
Super Easy Peanut Butter Dog Cookies
Inspired by the recipe on Canada’s favourite peanut butter packaging, this version replaces the sugar with flour. Mix 1 cup of smooth peanut butter, ½ cup of all-purpose flour and an egg. Shape into balls, flatten and criss-cross with a fork, then bake.
Tasty Puree Dog Cookies
Mix all-purpose flour, 2 eggs and a seasonal fruit or vegetable baby food of your choice, such as sweet potato, butternut squash, carrot, apple or blueberry.
Turkey Meatballs
Toss leftover turkey (making sure to remove all skin and bones), Greek yogurt, 2 eggs and oats into a food processor and blend. Roll into balls and bake.
Easy No-Bake Dog Treat Recipes
Frozen Fruit Cubes
Toss your dog’s favourite fruit, plain Greek yogurt and water into a food processor and puree until smooth. Pour into an ice cube tray and freeze. Apple chunks, blueberries, cranberries, oranges and strawberries are great picks for a holiday feel.
Whipped Coconut Cream
While dogs should avoid whipped cream because it contains too much sugar, you can achieve something very similar using unsweetened coconut cream. Refrigerate the cream for a full day, then open and scrape only the thickened part on top. Put into a chilled bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until fully whipped. Refrigerate immediately in an airtight container. You can add a dollop as a festive touch to any of the treats above.