The Best Easy and Delicious Homemade Holiday Dog Treats

The holidays are almost here, and that means fun sweaters, gifts, and time with your loved ones — including your furry friends.  

What the holidays also means are lots of sweet treats around your house. Some of those treats can be dangerous for your dog, requiring extra care to make sure they stay far away from your pets. 

But just because certain people food can be bad for your dog doesn’t mean they should have to miss out on fun holiday treats. There are many cute and festive dog treats you can make this holiday season that are both delicious and safe for your canine companion. 

Here are 5 easy and delicious DIY holiday dog treat recipes to make this year. Remember to cut them into smaller sizes and not human sized to avoid overfeeding. And don’t forget the fun and festive cookie cutters for an extra special treat! 

1. Holiday Gingerbread Dog Treats 

Introduce your pup to a classic treat you grew up enjoying around the holidays. This gingerbread dog treats recipe will satisfy their sweet tooth (with honey instead of sugar), and get them in the joyful spirit.  

Prep Time: 5 minutes (with 1-2 hours for freezing or 3-5 hours for refrigerating to cool dough)

Bake Time: 20-25 minutes 

What You’ll Need: 

• 1 cup molasses 
• 4 tbsp honey 
• 1 cup water 
• ½ cup vegetable oil 
• 6 cups all-purpose flour 
• 2 tsp baking soda 
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 1 tsp ground cloves 
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger or one tsp. of dried powder ginger 

How to Make Them: 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a medium bowl, combine the molasses, honey, water, and oil.  
3. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.  
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing well.  
5. Divide mixture into four balls, wrap and refrigerate for 3-5 hours, or freeze for 1-2. Make sure they don’t fully harden! 
6. Once the dough is cold, lightly flour your counter surface and roll the dough balls out to ¼” thick.  
7. Place on a baking sheet, bake cookies for 20-25 minutes until they start to brown.  

For a cheerful touch, add dog friendly frosting to your gingerbread dog treats. 

2. Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats with Pumpkin

You can’t make Fido something special without peanut butter! Your dog will do their excited dance when they get a whiff of these tasty peanut butter and pumpkin holiday dog treats. 

Prep Time: 5 minutes 

Bake Time: 30 minutes 

What You’ll Need: 

• 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour 
• 2 eggs 
• ½ cup canned pumpkin 
• 2 tbsp peanut butter 
• ½ tsp salt 
• ½ tsp cinnamon 

How to Make Them:  

1. In a medium to large-sized bowl, whisk together flour, eggs, pumpkin, peanut butter, salt, and cinnamon.  
2. Using your hands or a mixer, further combine ingredients. Add in a splash of water if necessary.  
3. Make equal-sized balls of dough and place on a hard, flat surface. 
4. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out to around ½” thick.  
5. Place on a baking sheet, bake for 30 minutes or until your cookies are hard. 

These treats don’t have to be enjoyed only around the holidays. They’re super easy and inexpensive to bake, making them a great option for your pup all year-round. 

3. Tasty, Salty, Nutty Bacon Dog Treats 

Humans and dogs can all agree — bacon really is one of the best foods. While you’re enjoying some for breakfast (or lunch or dinner), treat them to these nutty bacon dog treats.  

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes 

Bake Time: 12-15 minutes 

What You’ll Need: 

• 3 slices of bacon, diced 
• 1 egg 
• ⅓ cup creamy natural peanut butter  
• 1 tbsp maple syrup (bacon + maple seemed like a good idea) 
• 3 tbsp water 
• 1/2 cup soy flour 
• ½ whole wheat pastry flour 
• ½ cup wheat germ 

How to Make Them: 

1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.  
2. Dice bacon and fry until crispy. Remove bacon pieces but save the fat (allow to cool for 2-5 minutes). 
3. Add the egg, peanut butter, syrup, and water to the fat. Mix thoroughly.  
4. Add in both types of flour and the wheat germ. Mix until combined.  
5. Add in bacon pieces. 
6. Lightly flour your counter or a hard surface. Roll out dough to about ¼” thick.  
7. Place on 1-2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. 

Your fur babies are going to forget all about those store-bought treats once they’ve had a taste of these yummy homemade dog treats.

4. Snickerdoodle Christmas Dog Treats 

Another holiday classic that your four-legged family members must try. These snickerdoodle dog biscuits smell so good while they bake, they’re not going to be the only ones begging to sneak a taste. 

Prep time: 5 minutes 

Bake time: 12 minutes (for 1” dog biscuits) 

What You’ll Need: 

• 1½ cups oat flour (see notes**) 
• 1½ cups brown rice flour 
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• ¼ cup honey 
• 1 egg 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• ½ cup water 

How to Make Them: 

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat and brown rice flour and the cinnamon.  
3. Add in the honey, egg, and vanilla extract.  
4. Add ¼ cup water and mix using a fork. Keep adding in water slowly until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed together. 
5. With your hands, knead the dough in the bowl until it forms a ball.  
6. Lightly flour your counter. Roll out the rough until it's between ¼” and ⅛” thick. 
7. Using a cutter, cut out 1” shapes.  
8. Place on a baking sheet, bake for 12 minutes. 

These snickerdoodles can be made to be larger, in which case, you’ll want to bake for a longer amount of time. Just be sure you still break up the treats so you’re not giving your dog too much at once. 

5. Healthy Apple Cranberry Treats 

The holidays can be all about overindulgence, but that doesn’t mean a veggie or fruit can’t sneak their way in. This is one of the best healthy dog treat recipes your pup will enjoy.  

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes 

Bake Time: 10-15 minutes 

What You’ll Need: 

• 1 cup fresh cranberries 
• 1 cup applesauce 
• 2 cups whole wheat flour 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• ¼ cup milk 

How to Make Them: 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Puree cranberries then mix with applesauce. 
3. Add in milk, cinnamon, and flour until all ingredients are mixed.  
4. Knead dough into a ball on a heavily floured surface.  
5. Roll dough into ¼” thick and cut with your favorite cookie cutter. 
6. Place on either a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and bake for 10-15 minutes. 
7. Cool and refrigerate cookies. 

Your canine companion will love the sweet tang of these treats and thank you for the healthy boost to their treat routine. 

Keep Your Dog Safe Year Round 

Your pup knows it’s the holiday season once they smell all those delicious smells wafting from the kitchen. By whipping up some delicious treats just for them, you can help deter their desire for tasty human foods this holiday season. 

But no matter how careful you are, your dog might find a way into the human food — which may not be good for them. Knowing what to look out for is the first step in keeping your dog safe all year long.

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