The Only Peanut Butter Dog Treat Recipe You'll Ever Need

What better way to celebrate a special occasion (or just a Tuesday afternoon!) than with some delicious and healthy peanut butter dog treats?

Kitchen novices, have no fear. This recipe doesn’t involve fancy cooking gear or techniques, and we have some tricks up our sleeve to ensure your treats won’t be absolutely “pawful”. The best part about this peanut butter dog treat recipe is it’s easy and versatile — hence why it's the only recipe you’ll ever need!

We’ll spare you the long intro and life story; here’s the recipe. For more tips, substitutions, and a cool bonus recipe, keep scrolling!

Looking for the best homemade peanut butter dog treats? Look no further — here’s the basic recipe, but keep reading for substitutions, tasty additions, and alternative cooking methods!

What you’ll need    

• 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup natural peanut butter*
• 1 cup of water
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 egg
  

How to prepare your peanut butter dog treats

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
   

2. Microwave your peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl until it is slightly runny and mixable.

3. Mix all ingredients until the dough becomes malleable.  

4. Put a thin dusting of flour on your surface and roll out the dough into an even thickness. (Pro tip: use parchment paper for minimal mess! If you don’t have a roller, you can scoop it out with a spoon and flatten it thinly with your hand — aim for ¼ inch in thickness. Hand-flattened treats won’t be as pretty, but they’ll taste just as good!) 

5. Pop the treats on your oven's middle rack for 20 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and delicious! 

6. Store in an airtight container.   

*A note on xylitol: Scan the nutrition label on your peanut butter jar to make sure it doesn’t contain xylitol, a common artificial sweetener often found in sugar-free foods. Xylitol can cause seizures, bloody stools, and a sharp drop in your dog’s blood sugar within just 30 minutes of consumption. We recommend using 100% natural peanut butter with no added oils or ingredients.

Storing your peanut butter dog treats

These treats store beautifully in an airlock container for 7 to 10 days. Peanut butter dog treats also freeze well and should last up to 6 months in the freezer! If you plan to freeze them, use a double-lock freezer bag, and press the air out when sealing to prevent freezer burn. 

The measurements of your add-ins aren’t as important as the consistency. You don’t want your dough too wet or too dry — it should be malleable enough to roll but not so dry that it crumbles. A crumbly dough means your treats will fall apart, and a wet dough will still be gooey when it finishes baking.   

Add more water to dough that's too dry or crumbly. If it’s still falling apart after the water, add another egg to bind the ingredients. Super wet dough is an easy fix too — add flour by the spoonful until you reach the right consistency. 

Peanut butter alternatives

Parents of pups with nut allergies (or pet parents who have peanut allergies themselves) can opt for these alternatives over PB:

• Sun butter
• Cashew butter
• Pumpkin butter
  

As with peanut butter, it's essential you scan the nutrition labels to make sure they don't contain toxic ingredients or sweeteners like xylitol.

Wheat flour alternatives

Prefer a peanut butter dog treat recipe with no flour? Use any of the below substitutes in place of flour. (These substitutions are even great for dogs with gluten allergies!)

• Coconut flour 
• Rice flour (brown or white)
• Buckwheat flour  
• Chickpea flour
• Oat flour   
• Almond flour  
• Sorghum flour*
• Quinoa flour
• Plain oatmeal  

*Vets don’t recommend sorghum flour for dogs with general grain allergies.

Egg alternatives

If you’re looking for a peanut butter dog treat recipe with no egg, (or you forgot to pick up a dozen at the store) you’re in luck! There are several egg alternatives to help bind your dough. Use a ¼ cup of any of the below substitutions in place of your egg. 

• Unsweetened apple sauce
• Mashed avocado
• Mashed banana
• Silken tofu
• Plain Greek yogurt
• Mayo (contains egg unless you get vegan mayo)

Other egg substitutes:

• 2 teaspoon baking powder + 1 teaspoon melted canola oil + 2 teaspoons water
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds soaked in 3 tablespoons water 
  

Throw ¼ cup of any of these ingredients into your dough — a little less if you want to mix in 2 or more. 

• 100% natural pumpkin puree (not the spiced kind or pie filling) 
• a sprinkle of chopped unsalted peanuts   
• mashed banana
• sweet potato
• unsweetened coconut shreds
• finely chopped baked apples  
• chopped dried apricots   
• carrot puree  
• cheddar cheese (yeah, it sounds crazy, but we promise your pup will love it!)
  

Make your treats extra special with fun cookie cutters. You can find these in literally every shape and size imaginable at your local craft or kitchen stores. Below are some of our favorite cookie cutter finds on Amazon!

Pro tip: Spray your cutters with cooking spray or dust them with flour to prevent your dough from sticking.

Dog biscuit cutters set 11-pack

Why we like them:

• They're made of stainless steel and PVC so they won't warp like flimsy aluminum cutters. 
• They come in 3 different bone sizes, which is especially handy when you have dogs of different sizes. 
• Multiple cute shapes. like a dog house, poodle, and paw print.
• They come with a complimentary cleaning brush, drizzling tool, and pick to help pop the treats out of the mold. 
• Dishwasher-safe material means easy clean-up!
  

Dog cookie cutters with plungers 8-pack

Why we like them:  

• Made of sturdy and dishwasher-safe PVC 
• 8-pack features various popular dog breeds like huskies, corgies, poodles, and more
• Each cut-out comes with an optional stamp
• They come apart for easy cleaning and stamping

Get them on Amazon

These treats make great (and inexpensive!) gifts for pet parents and their fur babies any time of the year (especially if you use holiday-themed cutters!). Pop the biscuits in decorative bags with a ribbon or gift box embellished with stickers or a cute tag and ribbon!   

We love these cute paw and bone-print doggy treat bags and these adorable doggy-shaped boxes from Amazon. If you're looking for something a little more customizable, try these bakery boxes with windows, also from Amazon.

You can also use these homemade, high-value treats during training exercises as an extra tasty incentive!

Duh! This recipe is super nutritious for pups and humans alike, and it boasts a healthy dose of protein and fiber! Fair warning, though — without add-ins, this recipe is pretty bland for human taste buds. Pups love them, though!

This recipe is pretty hard to fumble, and making them is half the fun. Of course, if you’re not the baking type, you can always buy quality peanut butter treats for dogs at your local pet shop or try these no-bake recipes below. These two peanut butter dog treat recipes (no bake recipes to boot!) are sure to impress your pup even without the pots and pans.

No-bake peanut butter balls

These no-bake peanut butter dog treats are as simple as they are delicious. 

What you’ll need

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• ¼ cup peanut butter
• ¼ cup milk
• 3 cups old-fashioned oats, divided

How to prepare your no-bake peanut butter dog treats  

1. Place all your wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix vigorously with a spatula until thoroughly combined.

2. Spoon out a small amount of your mixture and toll it into a bite size ball.

3. Once you’ve got your balls assembled, pour your oats onto a wide, shallow bowl.

4. Roll each ball into the oats and use your hands to help the oats adhere to the surface of your treats. 

5. Place your peanut butter balls in an airtight container in the fridge to firm up (for at least an hour) before serving.
   

Frozen peanut butter dog treats

While these are technically for pups, they’re pretty doggone tasty for people too!

What you’ll need  

• 4 tablespoons of natural peanut butter (xylitol-free)
• 12 ounces of plain or vanilla yogurt (xylitol-free)
• 1 ripe banana
• A blender

How to prepare your frozen peanut butter dog treats 

1. Whiz all your ingredients in the blender, then pour the emulsion into ice cube trays or treat molds. 

2. Freeze until solid and enjoy!