Christmas Dog Treat Recipes

How can I make my dog’s Christmas special? Dogs do not understand the concept of holidays, but you can still make Christmas special for your pooch. Preparing delicious homemade Christmas dog treats will make him feel the festiveness of the season.
 

Here are 4 recipes you can follow to create a variety of canine-friendly holiday snacks, which also make great dog Christmas gifts.

Christmas Dog Biscuits Recipe
 

Let your pup look forward to the marvels in store for him this holiday by surprising him with homemade Christmas dog biscuits.
 

Ingredients you need:

For the dough:

• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon natural maple syrup
• 1 cup unsweetened pumpkin purée
• 2 cups rolled oat flour
• 3 pieces chopped bacon for toppings

For the dog-friendly icing:

• 3 tablespoons low-fat cream cheese
• 4 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon honey

How to make these Christmas dog treats:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Use parchment paper to line the baking sheet.
3. Mix the rolled oat flour and egg in a large bowl using a whisk or hand mixer until well combined.
4. Add in the pumpkin purée, maple syrup, and ground cinnamon. Stir until all ingredients are properly incorporated.
5. Roll the dough to about ¼ inch thick on a lightly floured surface.
6. Using your choice of Christmas cookie cutter, cut out shapes from the dough.
7. Place the Christmas dog treats on the lined baking sheet an inch apart.
8. Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until golden brown.
9. Take them out of the oven and allow them to cool down completely.
10. To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and honey in a small bowl. For a thinner frosting, add water in small increments until you obtain the consistency that you want.
11. Transfer the Christmas treat frosting to a piping bag and pipe your desired design on the dog biscuits.
12. Sprinkle the chopped bacon on each Christmas dog treat.
13. Serve them to your canine companion. Store any leftovers in an airtight container and place them in the freezer.

Notes for these Christmas dog treats:

• Do not use pumpkin pie filling as a substitute for pumpkin purée. Its ingredients commonly include cloves, nutmeg, and xylitol, which are all toxic to dogs. The high fat and sugar content of pumpkin pie filling also makes it unhealthy for pooches.
• If you do not have a piping bag, create one by removing a corner of a zip-top bag.

Christmas Peanut Butter Gingersnap Cookies

Ingredients you need:

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup black strap molasses
• 1/2 cup all-natural unsweetened peanut butter
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 cups brown rice flour

How to make these Christmas dog treats:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
3. Thoroughly combine all ingredients, except flour, in a large bowl.
4. Add the flour little by little whilst whisking the mixture to form a soft and slightly sticky dough.
5. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. This will prevent the gingersnap cookies from spreading flat after baking.
6. Take the dough out of the fridge and use a scoop or spoon to scoop 1 tablespoon-sized ball.
7. Transfer them to the lined sheet pan, spacing them 3 inches apart.
8. Bake for 25 minutes. Afterward, leave them inside the oven for an additional 45 minutes for crispier peanut butter dog treats.
9. Remove them from the oven and let them cool down.
10. Serve these homemade Christmas treats to your pooch. Put any uneaten Christmas dog treats in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer.

Notes for these Christmas dog treats:

• Avoid using peanut butter brands containing xylitol, a highly toxic artificial sweetener for dogs. Be sure to check the ingredients list before purchasing.
• Some black molasses have an added preservative called sulphur dioxide, which is unhealthy for your furry pal. So stick to using black molasses labelled as unsulphured since they are safer and offer more nutrients.

Christmas Frozen Cranberry Dog Treats

Cranberries are staple fruits for the holiday season. Put them into good use by making them the main star of your dog’s frozen Christmas treat.
 

Ingredients you need:

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup raw goat’s milk
• 1 cup frozen cranberries

How to make these Christmas dog treats:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine raw goat’s milk, ground cinnamon, and applesauce thoroughly using a whisk.
2. In a blender or food processor, blend the frozen cranberries until they have a similar appearance to a coarse meal.
3. Place the cranberries in a freezer-proof Christmas mold of your choice.
4. Using a spoon, carefully fill each mold with goat’s milk applesauce mixture over the fruit. However, if you have placed more cranberries, only fill 3/4 of the way full.
5. Pop air bubbles by firmly tapping the mold on a hard surface, such as the kitchen table.
6. Place them in the freezer for 4 hours or overnight.
7. Pop these frozen dog Christmas treats out of the mold and serve them to your pup.
8. Keep leftover homemade dog treats in a tightly covered container and place it inside the freezer.

Christmas Candy Canes for Dogs

Regular candy canes pose many health hazards to dogs, from toxicity risks to choking hazards. Create a dog-friendly version of this human food with the help of this recipe.  
 

Ingredients you need:

• 2 teaspoons natural beet juice for coloring
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup nonfat powdered milk
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup warm water
• 3 cups coconut flour
• 3 large eggs
• 4–5 mint leaves

How to make these Christmas dog treats:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, combine the powdered milk, coconut flour, and baking powder properly.
4. In a separate medium-sized bowl, mix 2 eggs with the chicken broth and warm water.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir until a nonstick dough is formed.
6. Crush the mint leaves using a mortar and pestle. Add a small amount of water to form a paste.
7. Knead the mint paste into the dough ball. Once it is well incorporated, knead the dough for 2 more minutes.
8. Split the dough into half, equally sized balls.
9. Add the beet juice to one of the dough balls. Knead it thoroughly whilst wearing clean disposable gloves to prevent staining your hands.
10. Wrap both dough balls with wax paper and allow them to chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
11. Divide each ball of dough into a 1-inch-sized ball. Make sure to have an equal number of balls per dough.
12. Roll out each ball into 5-inch-long strips using a rolling pin.
13. Twist the two strips one over the other and bend the top half to form a candy cane shape. Repeat this process with the remaining dough strips.
14. In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg and apply the egg wash to each candy cane using a pastry brush.
15. Bake the holiday dog treats for 20–30 minutes, or until their bottoms begin to turn brown.
16. Remove dog-safe Christmas candy canes from the oven and let them cool.
17. Serve this Christmas dog treats to your pooch.
18.  Store the remaining snacks inside an airtight jar or container and place them in the freezer.

Notes for these Christmas dog treats:

• Traditional red dyes have adverse side effects on human health. Dogs might be at risk of these dangers too. So keep them out of your Christmas dog treat recipes. Only use natural food coloring such as beet juice. Another safe source of natural red color is pomegranate.