Treat your furry friend to something extra special with these homemade peanut butter dog cookies topped with dog-safe icing! Not only are they made with wholesome ingredients, but they’re also way more budget-friendly than store-bought treats. These crunchy cookies look just as cute as they taste delicious. And making them at home is a fun way to show your pup some love.
FYI – This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Why This is the Best Recipe for Decorated Dog Cookies
This recipe is as practical as it is adorable. It uses simple, wholesome ingredients you can easily find at any grocery store. There are no weird additives, no added sugar, and definitely no artificial sweeteners. Just real, dog-safe goodness!
These cookies are a great way to take your homemade treats up a notch. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, holiday, or just want to spoil your pup a little extra, the natural icing adds that festive flair.
The best part? The icing is made without powdered sugar and uses ingredients like honey, starch, and naturally colored liquids. It’s a safe and tasty way to decorate your dog’s treats. You’ll have fun customizing the colors with dog-friendly foods like blueberries, beets, or even chamomile tea!
Ingredients
Let’s take a look at the simple, dog-safe ingredients that make these cookies both delicious and nutritious. Each one plays a role in making treats your pup will absolutely love! Here’s what you’ll need:
For the cookies:
- Peanut Butter is a good source of protein, minerals, and vitamins B and E.
- Applesauce adds moisture and a touch of sweetness
- Egg binds the dough and adds protein
- Coconut Oil has healthy fats
- Oat Flour is a gentle, dog-friendly flour. You can use oats to make oat flour (see notes below)
For the icing:
- Natural Coloring – can be fruit, vegetables, dog-safe food powder, or chamomile tea.
- Honey – a natural sweetener.
- Tapioca Starch, Cornstarch, OR Arrowroot Powder – to thicken the icing.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Do not use peanut butter with xylitol because it’s toxic to dogs. Always check the label!
You can swap peanut butter for almond butter or sunflower seed butter, just make sure they’re also xylitol-free.
If you don’t have oat flour, you can make your own by blending uncooked old-fashioned oats until they reach a flour-like consistency. (1 cup of oats = about ¾ cup flour.)
Equipment Needed
While you may have most of the kitchen items you need to make these cookies. You can use any regular cookie cutters but dog bone or paw cutters make cute cookies.
How to Make Peanut Butter Dog Cookies
Making and decorating these dog cookies with icing is simple! Here’s what to do:
- Place the peanut butter, applesauce, egg, and coconut oil in a bowl.
- Combine the wet ingredients with a mixer or by hand.
- Add the oat flour to the wet ingredient mixture.
- Combine well to make the dough.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured flat surface until about ½ inch thick.
- Using your favorite cookie cutter, cut out as many shapes as possible. Gather the scraps, re-roll, and cut out the cookies until all the dough is used.
- Place the cutouts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to Make Dog Friendly Royal Icing
- If using fresh or frozen food, lightly simmer about ¼ cup in a small pan on the stove until the juices are released.
- Strain the juice from the pulp into a small bowl. Discard the pulp.
- Add enough water to the juice until you have 2 teaspoons. If you want the color to be darker or lighter, use more or less juice in the juice/water mixture that makes up the 2 teaspoons of coloring liquid.
- If using chamomile tea, boil two tea bags in 1 cup of water until the water reduces by at least half and the color is dark. Use 2 teaspoons of reduced tea for the color.
- If using a powder, mix a small amount of it with at least 2 teaspoons of water. Use two teaspoons of this mixture for the color.
- Place honey, 2 teaspoons of coloring liquid, and 2 tablespoons of thickener (either cornstarch, arrowroot powder, OR tapioca starch) in a small bowl.
- Stir until well combined and smooth. You may need to add another tablespoon of the thickener to the mixture to get the texture you need.
- Use a spoon or knife to drizzle the icing over the cookies.
- Allow the icing to set up and harden. This should happen fairly quickly.
Icing Notes
This icing is not the same texture that you are accustomed to with royal icing for cookies. It seems runny, but it hardens quickly.
Natural Color Options:
- Berries – Blackberries, Blueberries, Mulberries, Raspberries, or Strawberries
- Vegetables – Beet, Carrot, Sweet Potato, or Tomato
- Food Powder – Beet, Carrot, Spinach, Moringa, Purple Sweet Potato, Red Cabbage, or Spirulina.
- Tea – Use chamomile tea
To make the icing in the photos, I used 3 strawberries, about ¼ cup blueberries, 1 teaspoon moringa powder mixed into ¼ cup water, and boiled two chamomile tea bags in 1 cup of water until reduced.
What about regular food color?
Regular food coloring contains artificial colors, dyes, and sometimes a sugar substitute or artificial sweetener. These can be harmful to dogs.
You can get plant-based dog-safe food coloring powder on Amazon. Just mix it with water according to the package instructions.
Serving Size
Treats should make up no more than 10% of your dog’s daily caloric intake to help maintain a balanced diet. And as always, consult your vet if you’re unsure about appropriate portion sizes for your dog.
If your pup has never had any of the ingredients in this recipe, start with a small piece to test for sensitivities.
How to Store the Cookies and How Long They Last
Place the cookies in an airtight container with wax or parchment paper between the layers. They can be stored on the counter, in the refrigerator, or in the freezer.
These cookies will last 7 to 10 days on the counter or in the fridge. Frozen cookies will last up to 4 months.
Can humans eat these homemade dog cookies?
Why yes, they sure can! Everything in these dog cookies is safe for human consumption. They’re great for those who are watching their sugar intake. Give one a try and you might like it.
More Homemade Dog Treat Recipes
Want to make more cookies and peanut butter treats for your dog? Check these out:
- Christmas Cookies for Dogs
- Frozen Peanut Butter Dog Treats
- Oatmeal Cookies for Dogs
- Peanut Butter Banana Dog Treats
- Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits
- Peanut Butter Dog Donuts
- Peanut Butter Dog Popsicles
- Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dog Treats
- Peanut Butter Smoothie for Dogs
Find lots of easy dog treat recipes here on Spoiled Hounds!
Peanut Butter Dog Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- ¼ cup Peanut Butter
- ½ cup Applesauce
- 1 Egg
- 1 Tablespoon Melted Coconut Oil
- 3 cups Oat Flour
Icing
- 2 teaspoons Natural Coloring Liquid see notes below for color options
- 1 teaspoon Honey
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch or Arrowroot Powder or Tapioca Starch plus more if needed
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- If you don’t have oat flour, blend dry oatmeal in a blender until it becomes a powder.
- Combine the peanut butter, applesauce, egg, and coconut oil in a bowl with a mixer or by hand.
- Add the oat flour and combine well.
- Roll out the dough on a flat surface until about ½ inch thick.
- Using your favorite cookie cutter, cut out as many shapes as possible.
- Gather the scraps, re-roll and form as necessary until all the dough is used up.
- Place the cutouts on a baking tray.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Icing
- If using fresh or frozen food, lightly simmer about ¼ cup in a small pan on the stove until the juices are released.
- Strain the juice from the pulp into a small bowl. Discard the pulp.
- Add enough water to the juice until you have 2 teaspoons. If you want the color to be darker or lighter, use more or less juice in the juice/water mixture that makes up the 2 teaspoons of coloring liquid.
- If using a powder, mix a small amount it with at least 2 teaspoons of water. Use two teaspoons of this mixture for the color.
- If using chamomile tea, boil two tea bags in 1 cup of water until the water reduces by at least half and the color is dark. Use 2 teaspoons of the reduced tea for the color.
- Place honey, 2 teaspoons of coloring liquid, and 2 tablespoons of thickener (either cornstarch, arrowroot powder, OR tapioca starch) in a small bowl.
- Stir until well combined and smooth. You may need to add another tablespoon of the thickener to the mixture to get the texture you need.
- Use a spoon to drizzle the icing over the cookies.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. My dog, Savanna, enjoys baking with me and we taste test all of the ingredients and of course she licks the bowl. I like the biscuits due to the lack of refined sugars.
.
Oh wonderful! I’m so glad Savanna is enjoying the treats.
Hi! I’m kind of confused on the instructions. What did you mix for both of the pinks ?
Blueberries made the darker pink/purple and strawberries made the lighter pink.
Thank you for this well thought out recipe.
One questions, can you subsitute AP flour for the Oat? I only ask because I worked for a non profit that sold handcrafted dog cookies as part of their retail, and AP was the only flour donated.
Plz adv
thnx Chef Grace, Overland Park, KS
ho*********@***il.com
You can substitute the oat flour with all purpose flour. However note that many dogs have an allergy to wheat so it isn’t the best choice.
Hiie,
Thank you for sharing the recipes my pet is absolutely loving all your treat recipes i recreate
Just one query
How do we obtain blue colour for these chemical free colours?
I suggest using blueberries to make the natural blue color.
Amido de milho pode ser consumido por cães?
Yes, dogs can eat cornstarch.
When I make the icing, I use arrowroot powder, it always dries speckled or spotty. It doesn’t look very good but I like how the icing does harden up. I have made it a couple times and it’s the same each time. Am I doing something wrong?
Try using a whisk to mix the icing or a small blender or food processor (like a spice grinder). That may help it be smoother.