6 Cracking Christmas cookie recipes for dogs

Updated 26/06/2024

The holiday season is in full swing, and what better way to spoil your four-legged friends than something made with love? Forget festive leftovers, we’ve got a cracking collection of Christmas dog treats recipes that will have your pooch pal dancing around the Christmas tree with delight. They’re all easy, healthy, and sure to get some tails wagging - give your pup a reason to believe in Santa Paws with these delicious dog Christmas cookies! 

Coconut snowdogs 

Add a touch of winter magic to your baking with a sprinkling of snowy coconut. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup coconut flour (you can make this by blending oats in a food processor)
• ¼ cup melted coconut oil
• 1 egg

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C).
2. Mix all the ingredients until well combined.
3. Roll dough to ¼ inch thickness and cut into festive shapes.
4. Bake for about 20 minutes. Wait until they’re cool before letting your four-pawed pal chow down on their Christmas dog treats!

Peanut butter and pumpkin paws

With the paw-fect blend of nutty and sweet flavors, these Christmas dog cookies are sure to be a holiday hit with your four-legged friend!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• ½ cup plain pumpkin puree
• ¼ cup natural xylitol-free peanut butter

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor until a dough forms. If it’s too dry, you can add a little water.
3. Roll out the dough on a floured surface so it’s ¼ inch thick, then cut it into festive shapes. 
4. Bake your cookies for about 12 minutes or until crisp. Let them cool completely before serving them up for your pup.

Gingerbread doghouse 

Spice up your pup’s holiday season with this edible doghouse! 

Gingerbread ingredients:

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• Ground ginger (generally speaking, no more than one-sixteenth of a teaspoon per pound of your dog’s body weight)
• natural, dog-friendly molasses  (generally speaking, no more than 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of your dog’s body weight)
• ¼ cup water

Icing ingredients (optional): 

• 2 tablespoons smooth, dog-friendly peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ⅓ cup cornstarch
• 3-4 tablespoons hot water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Combine all gingerbread ingredients in a bowl. If the dough is too stiff, add a little bit more water.
3. Roll out and cut the dough into squares and triangles, then bake for 10 minutes.
4. These will be ready to eat once cool, but if you want to assemble them into a doghouse, you’ll need to make some pup-safe icing. 
5. To make the icing, mix together peanut butter and honey and heat in the microwave until melted. Place your cornstarch in a separate bowl and combine with the peanut butter mixture. Then slowly add your hot water to the mixture until you’re happy with the consistency. 
6. You can use the pup-safe icing to assemble the gingerbread and decorate the doghouse. 

If you do decide to construct your gingerbread doghouse, we don’t recommend giving your furry friend the whole thing at once - you’re better off breaking a little off at a time. 

Christmas cookies for dogs by Sprinkle Bakes 

These holiday treats get their festive red color from beetroot powder, but don’t worry if you can’t get your paws on any - you can simply replace it with rice flour. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 ⅓ cups brown rice flour
• ⅓ cup natural xylitol-free peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1 ripe banana 
• 3 tablespoons honey
• ¼ cup beetroot powder

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, except the beet powder. 
3. Add in the beetroot powder and knead the mixture together with your hands. If the dough feels sticky, add a little extra rice flour.
4. Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it to be ¼ inch thick. Cut out your cookies then transfer them to the pre-prepared baking sheet. 
5. Chill the cookies in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before baking them for 10-15 minutes. 
6. Leave your cookies to cool completely before your furry friend digs in. 

Kiki Kane’s applesauce and oatmeal cookies

These tasty treats can be made even more festive by adding a dash of natural food coloring.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups oat flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour 
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and add in a little extra flour to keep it from getting too sticky.
3. Roll out the dough and cut it into festive shapes, before baking your cookies for 20 minutes. 
4. Remember to let the cookies cool before serving them. 

Frosty mint and parsley pup treats

Make sure your four-pawed pal has a merry little Christmas with these cool, refreshing treats. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• chopped fresh curly parsley (generally speaking, no more than 1 teaspoon per 20 pounds of your dog’s body weight). Never use other types of parsley.
• ¼ cup chopped fresh mint (dog-friendly mint leaves like spearmint or peppermint. Avoid pennyroyal mint as it’s toxic to dogs)
• ½  cup water
• ¼ cup coconut oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Mix flour, parsley, and mint, then stir in water and coconut oil until the dough is moist.
3. Roll out the dough so it’s ¼ inch thick and cut it into shapes. 
4. Bake your cookies for 30 minutes or until golden and crispy. 

Before donning your chef’s hat, let’s talk ingredients…

Many of these Christmas cookie recipes for dogs use less than five ingredients, and you may even have some of them in your kitchen cupboards already. That being said, you should always check with your vet before introducing new ingredients into your dog’s diet, especially if they have food allergies or sensitivities. Certain ingredients can be swapped out, for example:

• Pumpkin puree - peanut butter - mashed sweet potato 
• Whole wheat flour - rice flour - all-purpose flour - coconut flour

Oh, and if they don’t get gobbled up the moment they’ve cooled off, these Christmas dog treats can be stored for up to a week in the fridge. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months - freeze them separately for an hour to prevent them from getting stuck together.

We hope you enjoy whipping up some holiday magic in your kitchen with these homemade Christmas dog treats! Not only are they packed with dog-friendly ingredients, but they also avoid any harmful additives found in store-bought dog sugar cookies. They’re a piece of cake and they make an excellent gift for pooch pals (just be sure to let your dog sitter know they're designed for doggies!).

Happy Pawlidays! 

Meet our veterinary expert, Jnanee

This article has been checked by veterinarian Jnanee Krishnasamy, BVSc (Massey). Dr Jnanee is a small animal veterinarian. She was born in sunny Singapore and spent her formative years there, before studying veterinary medicine at

Massey University. Since graduating from vet school, Dr Jnanee has worked in a variety of settings that include private practice, shelter medicine, and veterinary telemedicine. Due to her varied experiences, she is well-informed on many aspects of the veterinary industry!