Bring your dog in on the holiday fun with these festive Christmas dog treats! These cute and tasty gingerbread-flavored cookies are decorated with a dog-safe icing, making them perfect for holiday celebrations, cookie exchanges, and gifting to fellow dog lovers. With wholesome ingredients and a cheerful look, they’re a great way to spoil your pup while keeping things nutritious.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
There’s something so heartwarming about baking special holiday goodies for your pup. It’s a fun tradition that brings joy to the kitchen and lets you share the festive spirit with your furry friend. There are so many reasons this recipe will become a favorite:
Wholesome Ingredients That Are Dog-Safe – Made with a blend of oat and whole wheat flour, warm spices, and a yogurt-based icing, these treats are free from anything you wouldn’t want your dog to eat.
Easy to Make – Just Like Making Cookies – The dough comes together quickly, rolls out easily, and bakes into adorable, tail-waggingly good cookies.
No Added Sugar or Sweeteners – Unlike some store-bought options, these homemade goodies contain no unnecessary sugars or artificial sweeteners.
Simple to Customize – You can tweak the ingredients or icing colors to fit your pup’s taste preferences or dietary needs.
Economical – Making your own dog treats is budget-friendly and much less expensive than boutique dog bakery treats.
Perfect for Pet-Friendly Christmas Cookie Exchanges and Homemade Holiday Gifts – Dress them up in cute bags or boxes, and you’ve got a thoughtful homemade gift for the pet parents in your life.
Ingredients and What They Bring to the Treats
These Christmas cookies are made with pantry staples that are nutritious and safe for dogs. Here’s a breakdown of what each ingredient adds:
For the Treats:
- Old-fashioned oats – Ground into flour for a wholesome base.
- Whole wheat flour – Adds structure and fiber.
- Egg – Helps bind the dough and adds protein.
- Melted coconut oil – Moisture and healthy fats.
- Water – Brings the dough together.
- Ground cinnamon – Adds cozy flavor.
- Ground ginger – Gives the treats that gingerbread vibe.
For the Icing:
- Tapioca starch – Helps create a spreadable consistency.
- Plain Greek yogurt – Tangy and creamy, a safe base for icing.
- Beet powder or spirulina powder – Natural colorants for festive red and green icing.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
When making these treats, there are some things to keep in mind and simple swaps you can make:
- Safety – Always double-check that your yogurt doesn’t contain xylitol, which is toxic to dogs.
- Spices – Cinnamon and ginger are safe in small amounts. Avoid nutmeg, which is toxic to dogs.
- Flour – Oat flour can be swapped with 1½ cups of all-purpose or rice flour. Do not use coconut flour as it absorbs too much moisture.
- Tapioca starch – Substitute with cornstarch, rice flour, or potato flour if needed.
- Dairy-Free – Use a plant-based yogurt if your dog is sensitive to dairy.
- Icing Colors – Instead of beet or spirulina powder, you can use:
- Pureed, strained, and reduced strawberries, raspberries, spinach, or parsley
- Natural food coloring like Supernatural Plant-Based Food Colors
Equipment Needed
You likely have all the kitchen items to make the treats. You can use any cookie cutter, but paw print cookie cutters make them cute, and Christmas cookie cutters give them a festive touch.
How to Make Christmas Dog Treats
Making these cookies is simple and fun, it’s just like baking holiday cookies for people! Here’s what to do:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Blend oats in a food processor or blender until they reach a flour-like consistency.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the oat flour, whole wheat flour, egg, coconut oil, water, cinnamon, and ginger. Mix until a dough forms.
- Roll out the dough to about ¼ to ½-inch thick and cut with cookie cutters.
- Place the cutouts on the baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
- Mix the icing ingredients in a bowl until smooth.
- Decorate the cookies using a piping bag.
Note: If you want the icing to dry and harden like royal icing, bake the decorated cookies at a low temp (170-200°F) for 10-15 minutes. This will also give them a crunchier texture and extend their shelf life.
How to Store the Treats and How Long They Last
Store these iced treats in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Place wax paper between layers to prevent icing smudges.
For gifting, use cellophane cookie bags and tie them with a ribbon.
To keep them longer, freeze the treats in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Can people eat these treats?
Yes! All the ingredients are safe for people. These treats are unsweetened, so they’re a great sugar-free option if you’re curious. Give one a try and see what you think!
More Dog Treat Recipes
Want to make more treats for your dog? These are great ones with flavors of the Christmas season:
- No-Bake Coconut Dog Treats
- Baked Cranberry Dog Treats
- Dog Treat Mix in a Jar
- Frozen Cranberry Dog Treats
- Gingerbread Dog Treats
- Molasses Dog Treats
- Snickerdoodle Dog Treats
Find lots of easy dog treat recipes right here on Spoiled Hounds!
Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Christmas Dog Treats
Ingredients
Dog Treats
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
Icing
- ½ cup tapioca starch
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon beet powder for red or spirulina powder for green
Instructions
Dog Treats
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- In a blender or food processor, blend the oats until it has reached flour consistency.
- Place the oat flour, whole wheat flour, egg, coconut oil, water, cinnamon, and ginger in a mixing bowl.
- Use a mixer to combine all the ingredients until well blended. You may need to use your hands to get everything well combined.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about ¼ to ½-inch thickness, according to your preference.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut out the treats and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Place the baked treats on a wire rack to cool completely.
Icing
- Place all icing ingredients in a bowl.
- Stir or whisk until well blended.
- Use a piping bag and tip to decorate the treats with the icing.
Notes
- Pureed, strained, and reduced strawberries, raspberries, spinach, or parsley
- Natural food coloring (make sure it is safe for dogs)
Nutrition
Serving Amount
Treats should make up no more than 10% of your dog’s daily calories. If you’re unsure how many treats to give, check with your vet. And if your dog hasn’t had one of these ingredients before, start with a small piece to make sure they tolerate it well.
I can’t wait to try this recipe the best one I have found so far thank you
Do they have to be refrigerated (for the icing)?
I’m sorry just saw the answer!
How do you store these? How long will they last?
Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will last up to 1 week.
Do I need to add the oats to the food processor, or can I just simply mix them with my hands? Thank you
You need to process the oats in a food processor or blender so it grinds them down to be flour.
Can you use steel cut oats?
You could try and see if they will grind up into flour. I haven’t tried using steel cut oats to make oat flour.