Peanut Butter Dog Treats – Homemade Dog Treats Recipe
Homemade Dog Treats are the best way to show your pet that you love them like family! These homemade peanut butter dog treats are an easy dog biscuit recipe that your furry friends would request every week if they could. If you’ve wondered how to make dog treats at home so they can have a healthy snack, it’s much easier than you think. Your dog deserves these homemade cookies and will be so excited!
What’s in This Dog Treats Recipe?
Make these freshly-baked homemade dog treats to show your pet how special they are! They’re easy to make with just five main ingredients, and you can whip up a whole batch to store. Trust me, they’re going to absolutely love these peanut butter dog treats, and they’re healthy too.
- Flour: I prefer to use whole wheat flour for dog biscuits for the extra nutritional value. Other types of flour are fine to use, as long as you know your pup isn’t allergic.
- Peanut Butter: This thickens the mixture into a dough, and adds tasty peanut butter flavor! Use a natural peanut butter and check the ingredients list–do not use anything with Xylitol (an artificial sweetener), which is not safe for dogs.
- Egg: This binds the ingredients together to form a pet-friendly cookie dough.
- Water: Adds a bit of moisture to help make the
dough pliable. - Honey: This sweetens the flavor just a little bit.
- Frosting: If you want to add a frosting for a bit of decoration, you’ll need more peanut butter and honey, plus hot water and cornstarch.
Note: Dogs can have allergies just like people, so while these ingredients are all safe for dogs in general, make sure you know what your friend can and cannot eat. I recommend giving them a small bite to test these treats out before you start using them regularly.
Ingredients
For the Dog Treats
- 2½ cups whole wheat flour 300 grams (see note)
- 1 large egg 50 grams
- 1 cup peanut butter 270 grams (see note)
- 1 cup water 227 grams
- 2 tablespoons honey 43 grams (see note)
For the Frosting
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter 34 grams
- 1 tablespoon honey 21 grams
- ⅓ cup cornstarch 37 grams (can also use potato starch or arrowroot powder)
- 3-4 tablespoons hot water 43-57 grams
Recommended Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Baking Sheet
- Rolling Pin
- Piping Tip Set
Some peanut butter brands are including xylitol to cut the sugar in their peanut butter. Do not use any peanut butter containing xylitol as it is toxic to dogs. Just check for natural peanut butter and check the ingredients.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine flour and the egg. Add the peanut butter, water, and honey, and stir until you have a stiff dough. The dough becomes very firm and sticky. You may need to use your hands, or the paddle attachment on your mixer.
2½ cups whole wheat flour, 1 large egg, 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup water, 2 tablespoons honey
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough about ½-inch thick and use a cookie cutter to make fun shapes. The treats barely spread and rise, so get creative with your shapes.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden. Once done, set aside to cool. (If you have smaller cookies, use less time, otherwise the bottom might burn.)
- To make the frosting, combine the peanut butter and honey in a microwavable bowl, and heat in the microwave in 15 second increments, stirring in between, until melted.
2 tablespoons peanut butter, 1 tablespoon honey
- Add the melted peanut butter mixture to the cornstarch and stir until just combined.
⅓ cup cornstarch
- Slowly add in the water 1 tablespoon at a time until you have reached the consistency that you would like. For a thinner frosting, add more water.
3-4 tablespoons hot water
- Add the frosting to a piping bag and pipe designs on top of each dog treat.
- Frost the treats with the peanut butter/honey mixture for an even more tempting cookie.
Incidentals
- Flour: Some dogs are allergic to flour/wheat. If you want to make these wheat-free, you can use rice flour or coconut flour as a replacement. These alternate flours will work, but might change the consistency a bit. Thanks so much to the readers who wrote in about this!
- Peanut Butter: Some peanut butter brands are including xylitol to cut the sugar in their peanut butter. Do not use any peanut butter containing xylitol as it is toxic to dogs. Just check for natural peanut butter and check the ingredients.
- Honey: Avoid giving honey to immunocompromised dogs and dogs under one year old!
Typically, when you are using a royal frosting for cookies, you will make two different types of frosting consistency—a thicker frosting for the outline, and a thinner frosting to flood the inside with. You don’t have to do this, but this is what you can do if you would like to go the extra mile for your furry friend.
With the thicker frosting, create the outline of your design and wait for it to dry for about 10 minutes. When you make the thicker frosting, you probably only need 2-3 tablespoons of water. The important thing is that it is thick enough to hold its shape, but thin enough so that you can squeeze it through a piping tip.
Fill in the outline with the thinner frosting and smooth it out with the tip of your finger. When you make the thin frosting, you will need 3-4 tablespoons of water, and maybe more depending on how smooth of a finish you would like to have.
- Storage: Store homemade peanut butter dog treats in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two months or in the freezer for up to eight months.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1 Treat; Calories: 132kcal (7%) Carbohydrates: 15g (5%) Protein: 5g (10%) Fat: 7g (11%) Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g Monounsaturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 0.001g Cholesterol: 8mg (3%) Sodium: 56mg (2%) Potassium: 118mg (3%) Fiber: 2g (8%) Sugar: 3g (3%) Vitamin A: 12IU Vitamin C: 0.01mg Calcium: 12mg (1%) Iron: 1mg (6%)
Peanut butter contains essential vitamins and healthy fats, and the whole wheat flour has extra nutritional value as well.
Can I Make These Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits a Different Flavor?
While peanut butter dog treats seem to be a universally-loved flavor, you can absolutely change up these biscuits for your pup.
Use other nut butters if you know your dog likes them and can digest them. You can also use an equal amount of plain pumpkin puree or plain mashed sweet potato instead to make cookies for your dog.
But if you use different ingredients, keep an eye on the consistency of the dough—you want it to be quite firm and sticky. Add a smaller amount of these ingredients incrementally until it becomes firm enough to roll out and cut.
How to Store Homemade Treats
Once fully cooled, store homemade peanut butter dog biscuits in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to two months. This recipe makes 24 cookies, so you’ll have plenty to share whenever your dog needs a healthy treat.
How to Freeze
This easy recipe for dog treats can be stored in the freezer for up to eight months. I recommend placing a pan of them in the freezer for about an hour, then transferring them to a freezer-safe bag or container. This will prevent them from sticking together, so you can grab as many as you need, and keep the rest in storage. Move them to the fridge to thaw.
FAQ
Is peanut butter safe for dogs to eat?
Yes, peanut butter is generally considered safe for dogs to eat. As I’ve mentioned, I recommend using a natural peanut butter. Unsalted varieties are great, and you can even find peanut butters brands that are made for dogs. Be sure to check the ingredients list, and avoid anything that contains Xylitol, or other artificial sweeteners.
Can you use all-purpose flour in dog treats?
Yes, all-purpose flour works too. I prefer whole wheat flour, but all-purpose is safe, as long as your dog isn’t allergic.
Can I make these homemade dog treats wheat-free?
If your pup is allergic to wheat, use a flour alternative, like coconut flour or rice flour. However, it may change the consistency of the dough a bit.
Are these homemade dog cookies healthy?
Yes, all of the ingredients in this dog treats recipe are considered safe, healthy, and nutritional. Peanut butter contains essential vitamins and healthy fats, and the whole wheat flour has extra nutritional value as well. Honey contains a lot of sugar (of course), but we only use a small amount.
What kind of cookie cutter should I use?
You can use any type or shape of cookie cutter you like, including the classic dog bone shape, Christmas and holidays shapes, hearts, and more. If you don’t have a cookie cutter, use the rim of a glass to cut out circles. Find a Customized Cookie Cutter for your dog’s breed on Etsy for more
fun options.
Are these peanut butter dog treats safe for people to eat?
Yes! We’re using ingredients that are safe for both dogs and people. While I wouldn’t recommend snacking on these, if a little one gets their hands on them, they’ll be okay!
Can I make these dog cookies crunchier?
This recipe makes treats that are nice and chewy. If your dog would prefer a crunchier biscuit, roll out the dough really thin. You could also keep them in the oven at a lower temperature (200°F) for a while to help them dry out and crisp up.
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