Every time that the holidays roll around, we tend to have DIY gifts on our minds. Last year we even created felt mouse cat toys to give to your feline family members for Christmas. This year we did not want to leave our dogs out of the mix, so we came up with this easy recipe for homemade dog treats. The ingredients are simple and delicious for your furry friends to enjoy, and you are welcome to add in any extras that you know your dog is particularly fond of.

We put our recipe into our printable template below for you convenience! Each ingredient in the mix has its own health benefits for your dogs. Peanut butter has always been popular with dogs, which is why we made it the crowning feature of our homemade dog treats. We recommend using all natural peanut butter without added extra chemicals, fats or sugars. Salted peanut butter should be fine. Not only is peanut butter delicious, but it is also a great source of protein and vitamin E. Next we added eggs, which helps keep your dog’s skin and coat healthy. This is especially great for wintertime! Eggs also help dogs with digestion because of the protein boost in the yolks.

Oats are packed with vitamins and minerals, and they provide fiber for improving digestive health, which can be particularly important for older dogs. Our homemade dog treats also have pumpkin, which is good for gut health. Just like oats, pumpkin is an important source of fiber! Some dogs are allergic to wheat, so when you are adding the grain into this mixture you can choose a whole wheat option or a wheat-free blend depending on what is best for your puppy. Applesauce and cinnamon are both used to naturally sweeten up the recipe a bit. Cinnamon can actually help to regulate a dog’s blood sugar to prevent diabetes.

The last ingredient in our homemade dog treats recipe is turkey bacon. This is totally optional, and it is only for an ultimate indulgence! We have to be honest that bacon does not have health benefits for dogs, and you certainly don’t want to give your dog too much because the grease can cause some tummy issues. My dog Enzo absolutely loves bacon (just like most humans do!), so I can’t resist adding a small amount of bacon bits for him. If you’re adding bacon, we recommend using a natural turkey bacon that is uncured, like this applegate brand we found at our local grocery store. Once you have all your ingredients, roll them together to form the dough!

Next, use some cookie cutters of your choice to cut out the treats. We used some basic dog bone cookie cutters we found on Amazon, find the link in Shop this Project. Follow the recipe below for baking instructions and enjoy! You might also notice our extra download for the cute dog treat jar labels. Download the SVG file to use with a cutting machine, or download the PDF version to use with printable vinyl! If you also want to hang a cute stocking for your furry friend this Christmas, check out our pet stocking project. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to see the latest and greatest, or write to us with your suggestions. See you soon! ~ Lia and the Team