6 Best Homemade Christmas Cookies For Dogs: DIY Festive Dog Treats & Step-By-Step Recipes

For me, the festive period is all about spending cozy nights at home crafting and baking with my loved ones. Making tasty homemade food for the whole family is a joy of mine, including baking festive biscuits for dogs. Not only do they make great stocking fillers for Fido, but they also make sweet gifts for your friends and family with dogs. Plus, it doubles up as a fun activity for my kids to get stuck into. From canine candy cane cookies to snowball pupcakes, I share six of my favorite dog treat recipes for Christmas and which common holiday foods are safe and unsafe for your pups. I also recommend a handful of Christmas dog treats you can buy online if your holiday schedule is jam-packed.

6 Of My Favorite Homemade Christmas Cookies & Treats For Dogs

Whether the festive season is in full swing or you’re getting prepped for the holidays, here are my favorite DIY Christmas dog treat recipes. Click the links below to jump to a recipe you’re interested in, or read through the six recipes to see which one will make Fido drool over the most.

1. Pumpkin Christmas Dog Cookies
2. Easy Snowball Pupcakes
3. Christmas Canine Candy Canes
4. Festive Gingerbread Owners
5. Frozen Winterberry Treats
6. DogNog

1. Pumpkin Christmas Dog Cookies

This could be a top recipe if you’re looking for a tasty Christmas treat that’s also easy on dodgy doggy stomachs. Pumpkin is a well-known, easy-to-digest fibrous ingredient that can help alleviate your dog’s digestive issues. I make these homemade dog biscuits all year round, and my dogs love them. Swap out your regular cookie cutters for Christmas shapes, and you’ve got a bag of festive goodness. Make sure you only use dog-safe peanut butter, which does not contain xylitol, a sugar substitute that is extremely toxic to dogs.

Ingredients

• 1 can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup oats (optional if your dog is on a grain-free diet; sub an extra 1/4 cup grain-free flour)
• 3 cups whole wheat flour, brown rice flour, or gluten-free flour
• 3 tablespoons of peanut butter (make sure it’s xylitol-free)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Total: Makes approx. 30 treats

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, oats, and cinnamon
3. Whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, and peanut butter in a large separate bowl until combined
4. Stir the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet
5. Make a floured surface and roll the dough to 1/2″ thick
6. The dough mixture is sticky; dust your hands and the rolling pin with flour to help
7. Use your favorite Christmas cookie cutters to make a variety of cookie shapes
8. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown
9. Place on cooling racks and let them cool thoroughly

Recipe from: My Baking Addiction

My Personal Experience With Pumpkin Christmas Dog Cookies

This is my go-to homemade dog treat recipe all year round. It’s relatively simple to make and a fun activity for my toddler and me. Best of all, it’s made with pumpkin puree, an excellent dog digestive aid, and yummy peanut butter. I use my Christmas cookie cutters for the holidays and sometimes decorate them with yogurt or cream cheese. My dogs, Bonkers and Chips, love these biscuits. I also make these cookies in large batches and give them to my family and friends with dogs as Christmas presents.

2. Easy Snowball Pupcakes

Jane’s Patisserie is one of my favorite bakery websites for both my two-legged and four-legged friends and family. This easy recipe is also edible for the whole family (minus the optional dog treat topping). Please remember that your peanut butter must be dog-friendly and not contain xylitol.

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas
• 2/3 cup peanut butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup wholemeal flour
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional)
• 1/2 cup water
• 12 teaspoons cream cheese (optional topping)
• 12 dog biscuits (optional topping)

Total: Makes approx 12 pupcakes

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
2. Mash the bananas in a bowl
3. Add the peanut butter, eggs, and honey and mix until combined
4. Add in the flour, oats, and baking powder and mix until combined
5. Add in the water a little at a time until all mixed in
6. Split evenly between the 12 cases, and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden
7. Leave the pupcakes to cool fully
8. Remove the cupcake wrapper
9. Spread over a teaspoon of cream cheese per cake, and add a dog biscuit on top

Recipe from: Jane’s Patisserie

3. Christmas Canine Candy Canes

These are super pretty Christmas dog treats, but admittedly, they are the most time-consuming to make. But making these with your family or kiddos could be a fun, festive activity for the whole family in the run-up to the holidays. Although beetroot powder isn’t a staple in most pantries, it is readily available online. You can also make it yourself, although the process takes a few days. In addition to the natural red coloring it offers, beetroot powder contains health benefits, too.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 cup water
• 3 cups wholemeal flour
• 4 tablespoons dry milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 teaspoons beetroot powder

Total: Makes approx 10 medium or 5 huge candy canes

Directions

1. Whisk together vegetable oil, egg and water
2. Add flour and dry milk powder
3. Combine and knead the dough for a couple of minutes
4. Divide the dough in half
5. Mix the vanilla extract in one half of the dough and the beetroot powder in the other half
6. Refrigerate for one hour
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
8. Break off a small piece of each dough color and roll it into a thin, snake-like shape
9. Weave each color together to create a candy cane shape
10. Place your candy canes on a sheet of parchment paper and bake for 12-15 minutes
11. Allow to cool completely before serving or storing
12. Keep in a sealed container for up to one week

Recipe from: Borrow My Doggy

My Personal Experience With Canine Candy Canes

This Canine Candy Cane recipe was super fun to make. Although it takes a little longer than other recipes, it’s a great Christmas activity with your family. I made five gigantic candy canes, almost the length of Chips, my Doxie, but you could easily make ten smaller candy canes. My dogs loved the smell of these, and they hung around the kitchen as the treats baked and cooled down. The candy canes have a soft, doughy texture, which means less mess than crumbly dog treats. My dogs loved these candy canes, and I’ll be making more of these for my pups and as fun gifts for my dog-owning family and friends.

4. Festive Gingerbread Owners

Gingerbread men are a staple in my house, but store-bought gingerbread isn’t always safe for dogs. Often, it has icing and other decorations such as raisins, currants, and chocolate. This dog-safe option is also human-friendly.

Ingredients

Directions

1. Combine the wet ingredients in a bowl (water, olive oil, molasses, and honey)
2. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon and ginger)
3. Add the dry ingredients into the wet mix and stir until it forms a dough
4. Place the dough into a bowl, cover, and put in the fridge for 3.5 hours
5. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and roll it out onto a floured surface until 1/4 inch thick
6. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
7. Use your gingerbread biscuit cutters to cut out your gingerbread pet owners
8. Place each biscuit on a lined baking tray
9. Bake for 10-15 minutes
10. Leave to cool

Recipe from: The Kennel Club

5. Frozen Winter Berry Treats

Frozen dog treats are not only tasty, but they also serve as a great brain enrichment game. Add one or two treats into your dog’s bowl, and watch them spend ages licking it until it’s gone. Although some dogs might eat them whole, risking doggy brain freeze. You can use this versatile recipe all year round, and it is a great way to cool your pups down in the summer months. Add seasonal dog-safe fruits and other berries to these treats, such as strawberries and raspberries.

Ingredients

Total: Makes approx 8-10 treats

Directions

1. Scatter the cranberries and blueberries into your dog treat mold or ice cube tray (my blueberries were quite big, so I cut them up)
2. Spoon over the yogurt, fill evenly and smooth the top
3. Tap on the counter to ensure no air bubbles and even distribution of ingredients
4. Freeze overnight or for a minimum of five hours
5. To remove the treats, tap on the counter to loosen, then turn out
6. Store in the freezer for up to three months

Recipe from: Bigger Bolder Baking

My Firsthand Experience With Frozen Christmas Dog Treats

I usually make frozen yogurt dog treats to cool my dogs down in the summer. But since adopting my young Doxie Chips, I now make them throughout the year as they are a stimulating activity to chase around the bowl as they melt. She usually spends five to ten minutes licking them until they melt. Meanwhile, my other pup, Bonkers, practically eats them in one bite. To make these a little more festive, I add cranberries, which are healthy for dogs in moderation and are already in my refrigerator during the holidays. I used my dog paw silicone molds, but you could also use a festive mold to get into the Christmas spirit.

6. Christmas DogNog

Eggnog is a traditional Christmas drink made with eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and spices and often fortified with alcohol such as brandy, rum, or bourbon. Personally, I can’t think of anything worse to drink (my husband loves it!), and my dogs love this super quick eggnog recipe. This recipe contains raw eggs, and some veterinarians do not recommend feeding raw eggs to dogs. However, I consulted my vet, who said feeding my dogs raw eggs is safe, and they’ve always eaten them without an issue. It’s important to consult your vet before feeding your pup this recipe, as there are a few risks to be aware of before feeding dogs raw eggs. Watch this video from the original makers of this recipe, Gone To The Snow Dogs, and see how much their pups love it.

Ingredients

• 2 small pots of yogurt
• 1 jar or pouch of baby food such as squash and carrot (make sure what you choose is dog-safe and contains no added sugar or sweeteners)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup of water

Directions

1. In a blender, mix all of the ingredients
2. Pour into your doggy’s bowl and watch them enjoy

Recipe from: Gone To The Snow Dogs

My Personal Experience With DogNog

After getting the go-ahead from my vet, I feed both dogs a raw egg once or twice a week. Not only do they love it, but I find it makes their coat shiny, dandruff-free, and healthy. Feeding this DogNog recipe is a great way to add extra vitamins to their diet from the baby pouch. It’s super easy to make, and I love watching them devour it in their bowls. They can’t get enough of this recipe!

If you’re into baking, check out our guides with yummy organic dog treat recipes and treats made with Thanksgiving leftovers. A pet cookbook is a good idea for having a collection of pet food recipes on hand, and Dinner PAWsible is one of my favorites.

4 Best Christmas Cookies & Treats For Dogs

If you haven’t got time for festive baking, I’ve chosen a few of my ready-made favorite festive dog treats. When looking for festive treats for dogs, it’s essential to consider a high-quality option that uses healthy ingredients. While researching, I found several options that were colorful and visually appealing, including expensive “gourmet” choices. But when you dig into the ingredients list, they contain artificial colors and flavorings that aren’t healthy for dogs. Here are some of my top options that use various tasty and healthy ingredients, are highly reviewed by customers, and are also good value for money.

The Lazy Dog Cookie Co. Original Pup-Pie Happy Howlidays Review

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We are a fan of the Lazy Dog Cookie Company, which makes tasty, natural dog cakes and treats for all occasions, including this Christmas cake. They also make pup-pies for birthdays, valentines, and anniversary gotcha days. The Happy Howlidays pup-pie is made with oat flour, rolled oats, molasses, coconut, peanut butter, pumpkin, and natural colors using turmeric, beets, and spinach. This vegetarian, vegan, and non-GMO option is preportioned into ten slices. It is also free from wheat, soy, and corn. This is a tasty doggy celebration pie with dairy-free yogurt and fruit toppings. Although a small number of reviews mentioned their dog didn’t like this Christmas treat, most dogs loved it.

Pros	Cons
Uses natural ingredients	A few customers said their dog wouldn’t try it
Free from wheat, corn, soy & artificial colors
Vegetarian, vegan & non-GMO option
Tasty Christmas cake
It is pre-portioned

Price

Blue Buffalo Santa Snacks Crunchy Biscuits Review

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I’ve chosen these oven-baked crunchy treats as one of my top festive options. They come in fun Christmas shapes in a holiday-themed pack. They contain oatmeal, pumpkin, flaxseed, molasses, carrots, and cinnamon and are free of corn, wheat, and soy. A few reviews mention they are too hard for their pups, but most dogs loved the crunchy texture. Consider a softer option like Bocce’s Barkery below if you have a young, small, or senior pup.

Pros	Cons
Oven-baked, crunchy treats	Some customers said the treats were quite hard
Fun Christmas shapes
Free from corn, wheat & soy
Contain pumpkin, which is soothing for dog stomachs

Price

Bocce’s Bakery Lumps of Coal Dog Treats Review

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If your pup is on Santa’s naughty list, this coal dog treat could be a fun choice for their stocking. Bocce’s Bakery creates a wide variety of tasty dog treats made with drool-worthy ingredients, including peanut butter and molasses. These ingredients promote digestive health and are free from wheat, by-products, and fillers. Bocce’s treats are soft-baked, all-natural, crafted in the USA, and come in a cute Christmas design. Although the product descriptions state this product contains bone charcoal, it isn’t on the ingredients list. However, a natural black colorant is listed, which could be bone charcoal. Although these treats are highly rated, it would be better for customers to have a clearer understanding of what the natural black colorant is.

Pros	Cons
Soft texture	It is unclear what the “natural black colorant” ingredient is
Uses all-natural ingredients
Fun Christmas dog treats
Free from wheat, by-products & fillers

Price

SmartBones Holiday Advent Calendar Review

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It’s not Christmas without an advent calendar, so why not let Fido join in the fun? SmartBones holiday advent calendar contains 24 pieces: eight sweet potato mini bones, eight mini candy canes, and eight mini chicken-wrapped sticks. They are rawhide-free and made with real chicken and wholesome vegetables for a delicious taste dogs love. The only criticism from some customers is that SmartBones only makes advent calendars for small dogs. Many reviews state this advent calendar is ideal for small to medium dog breeds.

Pros	Cons
24-piece advent calendar	The treats are designed for small breeds
Contains a mixture of treats
It is rawhide-free
Contains tasty chicken

Price

Feeding dogs rawhide bones is a controversial topic, and it has its advantages and disadvantages. We have a guide on the best, longest-lasting, and safest rawhide alternative treats for dogs.

10 Dangerous Christmas Foods For Dogs

With so much tasty food in the home over the holiday season, knowing what foods are dangerous for dogs is essential to keeping your pup safe. Although we have a comprehensive guide on dangerous human food for dogs, here’s a quick rundown of popular festive foods and if they’re safe for your pooch.

1. Turkey. The star of the show, turkey, is safe for dogs to eat in moderation.
2. Cranberries. Either fresh or dried cranberries in small quantities are safe for your dog to eat. However, avoid cranberries in trail mixes, as the other ingredients could be toxic.
3. Gravy. Although this condiment is irresistible to most dogs, you should avoid giving it to them because it can be high in sodium, seasoning, and fat.
4. Mashed Potatoes. Plain-cooked potatoes are okay for dogs, but you should avoid giving them mashed potatoes if they contain seasonings, salt, and fat, which can upset their digestive system.
5. Stuffing. This is usually made with onions and garlic, which are toxic to dogs, not forgetting the amount of sodium, spices, and other ingredients.
6. Dinner Rolls. If you’re tempted to toss your pup a cooked dinner roll or dinner roll dough, neither is a good idea. They are high in carbohydrates, and the yeast in uncooked dough can continue to rise or ferment in your dog’s stomach.
7. Chocolate. Most dog owners know that chocolate is a big no-no for dogs, and with lots of it around during the holidays, it’s essential to keep them out of paw’s reach.
8. Grapes, Raisins & Currants. These are among the most toxic food items for dogs, and you should never give your dog anything with raisins in it. Whether in trail mix, your fruit bowl, or a fruit cake, do not allow your dog to eat them.
9. Animal Bones. As tempting as it might be to give your dog the bones from your meats at Christmas, this is another item to avoid as they can upset the digestive tract, become a choking hazard, or cause internal blockages.
10. Alcohol. Last but not least, do not let your dog consume beer, wine, or liquor. Alcohol can cause intoxication, weak breathing, abnormal acidity and cardiac rhythms, and potentially a coma or death.

How Pet Insurance Can Help

The holidays are a busy time, and accidents happen. It’s important to consider having pet insurance to cover unexpected accidents and emergencies. Eating any of these items could become a life-threatening emergency. Our pet insurance expert shares her pet insurance reviews to offer you the best options and help you find a company that meets your needs. We also offer a free quote widget below to pull prices from our top companies for you and your pup.

Hassle-Free Dog Food

If you haven’t got time to make DIY dog food or treats and you’re fed up cleaning your utensils but want to give Fido the homemade food experience, I might have the solution for you. The Farmer’s Dog delivers natural, fresh dog food to your door, and many of our team and pups love it. We have also reviewed other dog food delivery options specially formulated by dog nutritionists. Also, visit our best dog food reviews for all types of diets, ages, and health concerns.

Do you make Christmas cookies for dogs? Have you tried any of the ready-made dog treats on my list? We love to hear from our readers, so please share your festive thoughts in our comments section below.

Why Trust Canine Journal?

Emma is the dog mom to two rescue dogs, Bonkers and Chips. Christmas is her favorite time of year, and she has always made Christmas cookies to go into her dog’s stockings, as well as gifts for her dog-owning family and friends. Emma works with a dedicated team at Canine Journal to provide their readers with the most up-to-date and factual Fido content.