Festive Dog Treat Recipes You Can Make at Home
Updated: 4 days ago
There's a lot of baking going on in most homes at this time of year, and your dog will be sitting right by the oven door. Making them a few festive treats of their own is a lovely way to include them, and it means you know exactly what's in every bite. You don't need special equipment or baking skills. A bowl, a baking tray and a few plain ingredients from the cupboard are plenty. Here are my favourite festive dog treat recipes, the ingredients to keep well away from your dog, and how to keep treats as a small extra rather than a second dinner.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Easy festive dog treats use plain, dog-safe ingredients like pumpkin, oats, wholemeal flour, egg, plain yoghurt, cooked turkey breast, sweet potato, apple and unsweetened dried cranberries. Good recipes to start with are pumpkin and oat biscuits, cranberry cookies, turkey and sweet potato bites, apple pup cakes and frozen yoghurt bites. Skip added sugar, salt and icing. Never use chocolate, grapes, raisins, sultanas, currants, nutmeg, macadamia nuts, onion, garlic, alcohol or anything with xylitol, a sweetener found in some peanut butters and sugar-free foods. Check every peanut butter label. Keep treats small and occasional, and count them as part of your dog's daily food. Ask your vet first if your dog has a medical condition or a special diet.
Why make your own dog treats?
Shop-bought festive treats can be full of colourings, sugar and fillers. When you bake your own, you choose every ingredient, so it's easier to avoid anything that upsets your dog's tummy.
You can also make them the right size and texture for your dog. Small, soft pieces suit puppies and older dogs, while crunchier biscuits are great for chewers. And most of these recipes take less than half an hour from bowl to oven.
Dog-safe festive ingredients
Most of the flavours of the season can be swapped for dog-friendly versions. Keep everything plain, with no seasoning, sauce or sugar. These work well:
pumpkin: plain cooked pumpkin or pure pumpkin purƩe, never pie filling
cranberries: fresh, or dried with no added sugar, in small amounts
turkey: plain cooked breast meat with no skin, bones or seasoning
sweet potato: cooked and mashed, with nothing added
apple: grated, with the core and seeds removed
oats and wholemeal flour: to bind the mixture, or buckwheat flour for dogs who can't have wheat
plain yoghurt and egg: for softer cookies and cakes
cinnamon: a small pinch at most, for a festive smell
Ingredients to keep away from your dog
Festive food is full of things that are dangerous for dogs. Many of them hide in mince pies, Christmas cake, stuffing and gravy. Never use any of these:
chocolate, cocoa and anything containing them
grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants
nutmeg and macadamia nuts
onion, garlic, leeks and chives
alcohol, including rum-soaked fruit
xylitol, sometimes listed as birch sugar
Xylitol can be in peanut butter, sugar-free sweets, yoghurts and baking mixes, so check every label. A peanut butter that lists only peanuts is safest. If your dog eats something on this list, ring your vet straight away, even if they seem fine. Read what not to feed your dog at Christmas dinner.
Pumpkin and oat biscuits
These are a great first recipe. They're mild, easy on the tummy and keep well. Mix plain pumpkin purƩe with oats and a little wholemeal flour until you have a firm dough.
You can add a teaspoon of xylitol-free peanut butter and a tiny pinch of cinnamon. Roll it out to about a centimetre thick, cut into small shapes and bake until firm and dry. Once cool, keep them in an airtight tin for up to a week.
Cranberry cookies
These are softer than the biscuits, so they suit older dogs and puppies. Mix wholemeal flour with a beaten egg, a spoonful of plain yoghurt and a small handful of chopped, unsweetened dried cranberries.
Add a splash of water to bring it together, roll into small balls and flatten slightly. Bake until lightly golden at the edges. Keep them in the fridge and use within a few days.
Turkey and sweet potato bites
Plenty of dogs prefer savoury to sweet, and these make brilliant training treats. Mash cooked sweet potato and mix in finely chopped plain turkey breast, with no skin or bones.
Add a spoonful of oat or wholemeal flour so it holds together. Shape into small flat bites and bake until firm. They freeze well, so you can make a batch now and take out a few at a time over the holidays.
Apple pup cakes
If you want something that looks like a celebration, these are it. Mix grated apple with an egg, a spoonful of plain yoghurt, a pinch of cinnamon and enough wholemeal flour to make a thick batter.
Spoon into a mini muffin tray and bake until they rise and turn golden. Top with a small dab of plain yoghurt if you like, but skip icing and sprinkles. These are a once-a-year treat, so share one between a few dogs or cut it into pieces. Keep them in the fridge and use within two days.
Frozen festive bites
Not every treat needs the oven. Blend plain yoghurt with a little mashed banana or pumpkin, pour into small silicone moulds and freeze. For dogs who can't have dairy, freeze pumpkin purƩe mixed with a little water in an ice cube tray.
You can also freeze the mixture inside a Kong or lick mat. That gives your dog something calm to do while you cook or open presents. Watch the first time if your dog tends to gulp, and skip frozen treats for dogs with sore teeth. Read easy indoor enrichment games.
How many treats is too many?
Treats are an extra, not a meal. A good guide is that treats make up no more than about a tenth of your dog's daily food, so cut their dinner down a little on days they have more.
Try one new ingredient at a time and watch for loose poo or a grumbly tummy. Puppies, older dogs and dogs with conditions like pancreatitis, diabetes, kidney problems or allergies may need different recipes, so check with your vet first.
Making treats part of the day
Homemade treats are handy when you have visitors. Keep a tin by the door and let guests give your dog one of these instead of food from the table. It stops begging and keeps your dog's tummy happy.
Children love helping with dog baking too. It's a nice way to talk about which foods are safe for dogs and why. Read including your dog in Christmas traditions.
RENEE'S TIP
Cut every treat smaller than you think. Your dog cares about how many treats they get far more than how big each one is. Tiny pieces go further, make better training rewards and keep the extra food down.
QUICK CHECK
ā Use plain ingredients with no sugar, salt or seasoning
ā Never use chocolate, grapes, raisins, nutmeg, onion, garlic or xylitol
ā Check every peanut butter label for xylitol
ā Keep treats small and count them as part of the day's food
ā Ask your vet first if your dog has a medical condition
FREE DOWNLOAD FROM RENEE
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FAQs
What festive ingredients are safe for dogs?
Plain pumpkin, unsweetened cranberries, plain turkey breast, sweet potato, apple without the core, oats, egg and plain yoghurt.
Can dogs have cinnamon?
A small pinch in a treat is fine for most dogs. Nutmeg is not safe, so never swap one for the other.
Is peanut butter safe for dogs?
Only if it has no xylitol. Choose one that lists just peanuts and use a small amount.
Are cranberries safe for dogs?
Yes, in small amounts. Use fresh or dried ones with no added sugar, and never mix them with raisins.
How long do homemade dog treats last?
Dry biscuits keep for about a week in an airtight tin. Soft treats keep for two or three days in the fridge, and most freeze well.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Renee Patience Ā· National Dog Trainer of the Year 2025
Founder and head trainer of Paws Academy, with more than 30 years training dogs and a Level 6 Diploma in Applied Canine Behaviour. Renee has competed in agility, obedience and heelwork to music across the UK, including at Crufts and Olympia, has appeared on CBBC, and is the author of the Modern Training Guides and the Modern Breed Handbook series. Pictured with her boxer, Kookie.
