Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats
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The easiest homemade dog treats ever – simply mix, roll and cut. Easy peasy, and so much healthier than store-bought!
Featured Comment
I know. Dog treats on Damn Delicious? I never thought I’d see the day. But I’ve been spending a lot of time and money shopping for good-quality dog treats for Butters here, but then I thought, why not just make them at home?
reasons to make homemade peanut butter dog treats
- So stinking easy to make
- Short 4 ingredient list, most of which you probably have on hand
- Healthier ingredients – no added preservatives, fats or chemicals
- Economical and cost-effective
- Freezer-friendly to extend shelf-life
- Guaranteed favorite with your pups
- Makes for great gifts for pup friends, birthdays and holidays
Ingredients
Pumpkin puree
Pumpkin puree is great for digestive health for your pup. Always use pure pumpkin puree with no added sugar, salt, fat or spices.
Peanut butter
A hero ingredient here! Always opt for natural, unsalted peanut butter without added sugar or artificial sweeteners such as xylitol.
Eggs
Not only are eggs a nutritious source of protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, but they also serve as a binding agent to hold the dog treats together.
Whole wheat flour
We prefer whole wheat flour as it contains more nutritional value than all-purpose flour. Rice flour can also be used as a gluten-free option.
tips and tricks for success
- Use your favorite cookie cutters. Bone-shaped cookie cutters are so much fun to work with but you can really use any kind of cookie cutter on hand – hearts, stars, dog houses, paws, etc.
- Adjust baking time as needed. The longer they bake, the crunchier they are.
- Shorter shelf life. Homemade peanut butter dog treats have a shorter shelf life as they lack preservatives compared to store-bought treats, making them susceptible to spoil relatively quickly.
- Feed in moderation. As always, give treats in moderation to avoid potential health problems such as diabetes and obesity.
- Consult with a vet. Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian regarding possible allergies, dietary restrictions and health concerns your pup may have.
freezing and storage
Storage
Homemade dog treats can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
Freeze after baking
Let the dog treats cool completely. Transfer the dog treats to an airtight, resealable freezer bag, thawing overnight. Label, date and freeze up to 3 months.
pro tip
Use dog safe peanut butter.
Use peanut butter without added sugar or artificial sweeteners such as xylitol. Xylitol is added to peanut butter as a low-calorie sweetener. While safe for humans, xylitol is toxic to dogs, causing hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), seizures, liver failure or even death.
more homemade dog food recipes
Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but all-purpose flour is high in carbs and does not offer much nutritional value.
Rice flour is often times used as a gluten-free option. It is easier to digest and can help with stomach issues.
These can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat pumpkin puree, peanut butter and eggs on medium-high until well combined, about 1-2 minutes.
- Gradually add 2 1/2 cups flour at low speed, beating just until incorporated. Add an additional 1/4 cup flour at a time just until the dough is no longer sticky.
- Working on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3-4 times until it comes together. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes and place onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Place into oven and bake until the edges are golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.*
- Let cool completely.
Notes
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Super cute cookie cutters (and idea!). I was just wondering if you “have” to use wheat flour. It’s not something I typically have on hand. Would regular ol’ all purpose flour still give the same result or is that substitute not good for dogs? Any thoughts?
Thanks for the recipe!!
You can substitute all-purpose flour but it is not as healthy as whole wheat flour. I would also check with your pet’s veterinarian to check for any possible allergies.
Bob’s Red Mill has several kinds of gluten-free flours and it’s a good brand. Go to their website and ask your vet about the ingredients. And since the gluten-free flours’ ingredients include other flours such as garbanzo bean, you may need to jiggle the oven temp and/or take a few peeks as they bake, to see how long to leave them in the oven. And if it’s just a matter of not keeping WW flour because you yourself don ‘it like the earthy taste of WW flour, there is also WHITE whole wheat, which is milder but still nutritious. You and Butters can use the fiber. Whole wheat flour becomes slightly bitter if it gets old, and that’s what most people taste. If’ it’s fresh, it tastes sweet and earthy. WW flour spoils faster because it includes the germ. So refrigerate it in a tight jar if you don’t use it fast. You can also call King Arthur Flour for general questions about flour. Most chefs know KAF is the best, and they’ve always been able to answer my questions. Honestly, these dog biscuits sound like the best I’ve found online, easy and fast and healthy. I want a dog but don’t have one yet. I was going to make them for my vet, to give to the dogs that visit her. I didn’t know that dogs don’t taste sweet… Thanks for new information! I do know that canned pumpkin has about 25.000 I.U. of vitamin A per 1/2 cup serving, which is considerable. One gentleman here suggested adding sunflower oil for its vitamin E preservative property. One advantage of WW flour is that it has vitamin E in the germ, along with other vital nutrients, that unbleached AP flour removes. And if you use conventional peanut butter with added oil, the oil could have Vitamin E. Read the nutritional info that’s always on the back label. If it says hydrogenated, that’s not healthy, but it’s also the reason why commercial peanut butter doesn’t spoil as fast and stays homogenized.
By the way… Your fuzzy-butt little Corgi Butters is absolutely adorable! You are both very lucky!
<3 <3 <3
Well I was looking for some of your wonderful wonton recipes but then I saw this. Fun! I have thought about making our cats some treats but was worried it would be super complicated. The vet told us to try to feed the cats pumpkin. I bet a version of this could work. Thank you!
P.S. Butters is pretty darn cute!
My cat loves pumpkin! It’s supposed to provide finer.
So success with these treats! I made them last night and my Pomeranian was very anxious to eat them as soon as possible! I had to help the cooling process because he was so impatient. I was also worried about how it would go with his digestion and as of 24hrs things seem to be just great lololol
Pumkin is great for dogs digestion! My vet recommends it for digestive issues!
Butters is SO. DANG. CUTE!!!
I’m going to make these this weekend for my little old lady Corgi. She loves pb but is suspicious when I put some on a spoon for her because she thinks (ok she knows) I might smear some on her nose, which she hates. Hopefully she’ll enjoy this as much as we all enjoy your people recipes!!
I love these! Thank you for the recipe! This is a very amateur question, but I’ve seen those baking liners everywhere. Can you tell me the brand and/or style name to that? I’ve been searching but have been unsuccessful.
Not an amateur question at all! I am using a Silpat baking mat.
French Silpat, the original, is the best. It’s thicker. I did research online last year, and thicker is better… Also, some people complain that they stain. You could, instead, just use baking parchment, which you just toss when done. That’s what I use the most.
Just had to tell you how incredibly adorable your dog is! These look so yummy and my dog will LOVE them! 🙂 P.S. So nice to see you on the CA Milk tour.
I did a double take when this was my first email after signing up for your list. I am a pet photographer and all I could think was, “OMGosh, she’s in my head!” What a great start for a fun year. :O)
Great thing about these treats. If you run out of people treats, just steal some from your pet! Nothing in these that aren’t in cookies we fix for ourselves.
These sound great and I have some leftover pumpkin to use up. Perfect!
To increase shelf life, I’m going to freeze these between sheets of wax paper in a tupperware.
Misha. Every time I tried free I g with wax paper it sticks to the food. Yuck try plastic wrap or freezer wrap
Would these freeze well? Then I could store a few at a time at room temp?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing.
Karen these treats will certainly freeze well or even remain in the fridge for a week or so…
They should freeze fine. I have made other doggie treats and since I always make big batches, I will vacuum pack them in smaller batches and freeze them. Works great!
I’m very interested in making these. Tell me how is the texture when they come out of the oven and cool off? Are they very hard like Milkbone treats or on the softer side? I ask because my older Pomeranian has sensitive gums and teeth because he has dental disease. If they do come out hard what would you recommend to make them a bit easier to chew on for my pooch?
They are certainly not as hard the Milkbone treats. If your pup prefers a chewier treat, I recommend decreasing the baking time to 10-15 minutes.
So adorable! My lil yorkie will most def appreciate you posting this recipe. And now I know what to do with all those cans of leftover pumpkin. Win!
Hi Chungah!
I can’t wait to make these for my Corgi’s. They will LOVE them! I already have a dog biscuit cookie cutter, so I’m all set to go :). i’m so happy that you posted this. Thank you!!
I am going to make these this weekend. I just ordered the cute cookie cutter on Amazon 🙂
What is the shelf life on the cookies?
These treats have a shelf life of around 3-5 days.
Made a big batch. Will they go bad after 5 days? She can’t eat all these biscuits in 5 days. I thought they would be good till gone.
You can store these treats in the refrigerator to extend shelf life. But as always, please use your best judgment.
To keep these treats fresh longer simply freeze them, and then defrost a few of them as needed. They should last at least 3 months in the freezer if not longer.
I made several batches for all my dog lovers and found they do have a short shelf life. ( I would guess 1 week). I wish I would have known this because I had to throw away a bunch because they got moldy. Please add to the body of the recipe so no one else encounters this issue.
Donna, the shelf life is discussed throughout the comments. But as always, methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with.
me too!
My dogs would LOVE this – thanks so much!
This is great! I am absolutely making these this weekend. Thank you!!
I have a bone cookie cutter but never used it! I guess I’ll be doing that this weekend 🙂 Awesome, easy recipe.
What a great idea and what a great blog you have!! The best part is I already have all the ingredients! Max (my dog) watches me make all sorts of healthy things every night, it will be nice to be able to make something and let it be all for him! Thanks, Chungah!
Any substitutes for whole wheat flour (for dogs allergic to wheat) ? Would rice flour work?
T, please consult with your vet about any allergies your dog may have and for any appropriate substitutes for your pet.
Why not take old-fashioned oatmeal and chop it in the blender to make an oatmeal flour?
I put oats in my food processor to make oat flour. Worked perfectly!