
One of my biggest joys of the holiday season is making my dogs Christmas cookies. They know exactly what I’m making when I get a special bag of flour out of the pantry – PUPPY TREATS! They immediately start turning circles and barking. Even though they totally boss me around for 30 minutes while I’m making the cookies, I don’t mind because I’m hard pressed to find anyone more appreciative of a homemade treat.

These are made primarily with peanut butter, banana and brown rice flour. To make them holiday-hued, I used a little bit ofbeet powder! Beets are safe for dogs (and cats) to consume (source). There are all kinds of vegetable powders on the market right now that will add color to your baked goods but before using them in dog treats be absolutely sure they are safe for your dogs. The ASPCA has a helpful list of safe and unsafe plant foods.

How adorable are these cookie shapes? The pups couldn’t care less about what they look like, so this is more for pup parents to appreciate. Even though the cookie cutter set did not contain my pup’s shape (pug) I couldn’t pass it up, especially because I have friends with corgis, basset hounds and terriers. I know they’ll appreciate having dog treats shaped like their dogs.

There are lots of ways to package these cookies to give, but I personally love giving them in clear boxes, because the recipient (pet owner) can immediately see how cute the treats are. I’ve already given some “Peanut Butter Possums” in a clear cupcake box to our friend Possum the Dog (he’s a corgi mix) and they were well-loved by both Possum and his owner.
I’ve stated this before, but it bears repeating – you are your dog’s health advocate. It’s your job to know what foods your dog can tolerate. If you have any questions about your dog ingesting the ingredients in this treat, please contact your veterinarian first.
Want more giftable goodies?
Last year’s third day advent recipe was (a people treat!)


Christmas Cookies for Dogs
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups 170g brown rice flour, plus extra
- 1/3 cup 90g plain natural peanut butter (sugar and salt-free)
- 1 egg
- 1 banana ripe
- 3 tablespoons organic honey
- 1/4 cup 25g beet powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine all of the ingredients except the beet powder in a large bowl. Stir together until well-incorporated. Add the beet powder and knead together with your hands. The dough should not be sticky. If the dough is sticky add extra rice flour in a little at a time and knead together with hands.
- Turn the dough out onto a large sheet of parchment paper and top with a second sheet. Roll the dough between the sheets to 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to stamp shapes from the dough. Transfer the shapes to the prepared pan. When the pan is full of cut-outs, chill them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- Bake the cookies for 10 minutes for 2-inch shapes, and 12-15 for larger cookie shapes. Let cool completely before treating your canine friend.
My dog will love me for these! Thank you so much. She is a standard poodle and I even have that cookie cutter 🙂
Adorable. (Is that your Pug?)
Hi Juli, yes! That's Biscuit. 🙂
Such a fantastic gift !
Any idea about what I can replace the peanut butter with ? I'd love to bake some but I'm deadly allergic to peanuts so it'll be hard for me to cook them.
Hi Lukas!
Instead of PB, try adding in pumpkin a little at a time until the mixture is firm enough to roll out. The texture will be a little different, but the ingredient is tasty for dogs and safe for you. Thank you for asking!
These are great! Have you tried to make green ones? Any thoughts on shelf-life; do you think I could I make these now to give in 2 weeks?
I loved! Can we make some kind of a glace to decorate this cookies for our dogs?
Thanks, i love your blog.
Kiss, from Portugal
Hi Filipa!
If your dog can tolerate yogurt, you can mix equal amounts of Greek yogurt and tapioca starch. If you need to thin the mixuture use a small amount of lowfat milk or cream.
Thanks so much for asking!
What a sweet idea!
Kari
http://sweetteasweetie.com/10-minute-pretzel-chocolate-chip-cookies/
Hi there! What Great recipe! Looks so yummy! Biscuit is such a cutie 🥰❤️ I was wondering, can I use fresh beet cooked and puréed beets instead of powder? Will it change the texture of the dough if I do that? TIA 😊