6 dog cookie recipes (and pup-safe icing!)

Updated 26/06/2024

If your love language is ‘acts of service’, you’re going to love what we’ve got in store for you today, and something tells us your pooch will, too. It seems that dogs are always on the hunt for something to chew on - whether it’s safe for them or not! And don’t you sometimes wish they could be tucking into the same treats as you, as you settle down for the evening? Well wish no more, fellow pooch fanatic. We’re here with a selection of dog cookie recipes - a huge step-up from store-bought, so you’re sure to find something to suit your pup’s ever grateful (yet never satisfied) taste buds.

These recipes are fab for treating your pooch, but certainly shouldn’t replace any meals - dogs are carnivores, afterall, and need a meat-based diet that’s suited to their age, breed and any health conditions. Most of our recipes below are human-friendly too (just vet the ingredients for a non-pup palette!), so why not whip up a batch to welcome your next pet sitter?

And one last thing before we get into the recipes: don’t be tempted to top your cookies with anything that’s toxic to dogs. As well-meaning as it might be, common cookie toppings like chocolate and raisins shouldn’t go anywhere near homemade dog treats, so if you deviate from the recipe at all, be sure to check that any ingredients you’re adding are dog-safe. And now without any further ado, let’s explore these delicious, homemade treats your furry friend will love.

Peanut butter dog cookie recipe

Homemade dog food can be super healthy for your pooch pals, and this dog cookie recipe certainly fits the bill if you’re after something nutritious. Packed with good fats (thank you, peanuts), it’s a well-rounded, sweet-come-savory (plus super easy) snack that your pup will love.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup dog-friendly, natural, xylitol-free peanut butter
• ¼ cup mashed banana
• ¼ cup of low-salt stock (vegetable or meat works here)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Mash a ripe banana on a plate (it’s much easier this way!), and transfer into a bowl.
3. To your banana, add your flour and peanut butter, then mix.
4. Slowly add your stock until a ball of (rather savory) cookie dough is formed.
5. Turn out your cookie dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface and roll out until it’s ¼ inch thick.
6. Find your favorite cookie cutter (we’re sure your pooch will appreciate bone-shaped, but use whatever floats your boat here), and cut out as many cookies as you can from your dough.
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place your cookies across it.
8. If your oven isn’t quite hot enough yet, place your cookie tray in the fridge until it’s reached 350°F. Then, bake your cookies for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before treating your pup!

Pumpkin dog cookie recipe

Ingredients:

• ½ cup of pureed pumpkin (if using canned, check the ingredients - you want 100% pumpkin to make sure it’s safe for dogs)
• 2 tablespoons softened coconut oil
• 4 tablespoons water
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Mix your pumpkin, coconut oil (if it’s a hot day, this will already be soft - otherwise, microwave it for a few seconds to soften it up) and water in a bowl.
3. Add all of your dry ingredients into your wet mixture, mixing until fully incorporated.
4. In a separate jug, whisk up your egg then add to the rest of your cookie mixture, combining until fully incorporated.
5. Continue mixing until you’ve got a solid ball of cookie dough - you may need to add a touch more water if the mixture isn’t holding together.
6. Sprinkle a clean surface with a little flour and roll out your cookie dough until it’s ¼ inch thick.
7. Choose your favorite cookie cutter and try to get as many cookies out of your rolled-out dough as possible. 
8. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place your cookies across it, baking in the oven for up to 30 minutes or until your cookies have hardened up - that’s one dog-friendly cookie recipe your pumpkin-loving pooch will drool over!

Dog Christmas cookie recipe: gingerbread pups

You can get seriously creative when it comes to these homemade dog treats - choose to cut out your gingerbread into pup-shaped cookies, bones, or go for the classic gingerbread people for pet parents (and the best part is, these cookies are human-friendly too!).

Ingredients:

• ½ cup water
• 1 ½ tablespoons softened coconut oil 
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 cup wholewheat flour
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the water, softened coconut oil, and honey.
2. In another bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon and ground ginger. 
3. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until you’ve got a sturdy ball of dough.
4. Place your dough in the fridge for up to three hours - this will help your gingerbread hold its shape in the oven.
5. Once the fridge time is almost up, preheat your oven to 350°F.
6. Lightly flour a clean, dry surface and roll out your dough until it’s ¼ inch thick. Cut out your gingerbread dough using your favorite festive cookie cutter and place across a lined baking sheet. Bake for up to 15 minutes and cool completely before treating your eager-to-munch pooch!

Dog birthday cookie recipe

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup smooth, dog-friendly, xylitol-free peanut butter
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 egg

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. In a bowl, combine your flour and baking powder, then add your egg and mix well.
3. Add in your peanut butter, water and honey, then mix well until fully incorporated.
4. Lightly sprinkle a clean, dry surface with flour and roll out your dough until ¼ inch thick. Try to make your dough into a circular shape.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and carefully transfer your large round of dough. Lightly score your dough from one side to the other, making small triangle shapes - this will help you to separate your ‘cookie cake’ once it’s cooked.
6. Bake in your oven for around 25 minutes or until golden brown and slightly hardened.
7. Allow to cool and decorate with a dog-friendly icing, and there you have it - a dog cookie recipe that’s perfect for celebrating birthdays!

Apple & oatmeal cookie recipe for dogs

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups freeze-dried apples
• 2 eggs
• ⅔ cup unsweetened applesauce (or home-stewed apple)
• ⅓ cup dog-friendly, smooth, xylitol-free peanut butter
• 4 cups rolled oats

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Chop your freeze-dried apples into small pieces.
3. In a bowl, mix together your eggs, applesauce and peanut butter.
4. Add your dried apple pieces and oats to the wet mixture and combine thoroughly.
5. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper onto a work surface and flatten your mixture, shaping with a cookie cutter.
6. Line a baking sheet with a fresh sheet of parchment paper and transfer your cookies over.
7. Bake for up to 20 minutes until golden brown and slightly hardened - the perfect dog cookie recipe if your pooch has a taste for apples!

Soft dog cookie recipe

If your pup struggles with particularly crunchy biscuits, then these cookies for dogs are a great way to treat your pooch without damaging their gums or wobbling any teeth.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dog-friendly, smooth, xylitol-free peanut butter
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 large carrot
• 2 ¼ cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ⅓ cups oats

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F.
2. Peel and de-head, then grate your carrot into a bowl. Add your peanut butter, milk and egg.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder, then add into the wet ingredients and mix well.
4. Add your oats and combine with your cookie dough - you might need to turn this out onto a floured surface to work all of the ingredients together.
5. Roll out the dough until it’s ¼ inch thick and cut out with a cookie cutter of your choice.
6. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then flip them and cook for another 10 or until they’re slightly golden. Remember here that cooking these for too long will result in harder cookies that might be challenging for some pups to chew through.

Dog cookie icing recipe

Recipes for dog cookies can be made a whole lot tastier, more attractive and even nutritious with a frosting, but we don’t want to be topping them with the usual, human-friendly icing sugar-based recipes. Instead, explore our peanut butter-based icing recipe that looks pretty and is packed with healthy fats.

Ingredients:

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

Instructions:

1. Mix the peanut butter and honey together in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until melted - this should only take about 20 seconds.
2. Place your cornstarch into a separate bowl and pour your peanut butter mixture in, stirring until fully combined.
3. Slowly add your hot water, stopping when you’re happy with the consistency. A slightly thicker icing will work well if you’d like to make shapes.

Meet our veterinary expert, Hannah

This article has been checked by veterinarian Dr Hannah Godfrey BVetMed MRCV.

Hannah graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2011 and worked in mixed practice for a few years before focusing on small animal work. Clinically, she worked in a busy, multi-center hospital practice until 2018, where she underwent training in advanced canine and feline dentistry and began working towards a Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice. She then moved to a local independent practice to care for the pets nearby, allowing more time to focus on other career avenues, which include writing for a diverse range of pet websites, vet practices, drug companies, journals, and veterinary educators. 

Want more dog-friendly recipes?

If you’re looking for other ways to treat your pooch or you’d like something that’s slightly softer for your pup to munch through, check out these dog pancake recipes (that are also totally human-friendly, too).