The festive period is creeping up on us all. However busy your house is going to be, there’s no doubt your table will be full of delicious, scrummy food and wonderful Christmas tastes! But, when it comes to our favorite four-legged companions, they can sometimes feel a little left out of the festive fun and yummy treats…
While you sit and enjoy your festive supper, you might find some eager puppy dog eyes beaming up at you, begging for the odd bit of food to fall on the floor…sound familiar? Well, here at PetLab Co. we have found a way to avoid the big, glossy eyes and instead help them join in the holiday fun, too.
Take a look at these 6 irresistibly delicious homemade treats that are perfect to help your pup feel included in the festive cheer! Each recipe is quick and easy, packed with beneficial ingredients that will not only taste amazing but will support your pup’s health in more ways than one.
Banana & Coconut Bones
These yummy bites make amazing holiday dog treats! With a simple ingredient, you can make your pooch these delicious goodies can help cool your pup down after a long walk. The banana, coconut, and sprinkle of ginger are all-natural ways to support a healthy inflammatory response.
While the coconut and ginger can help promote healthy digestion, the banana will be a great source of potassium and other vitamins to support their overall health. Who knew a snack could be so healthy?
Ingredients;
- 1 banana
- ¼ teaspoon of ginger (ground)
- ½ cup of melted coconut oil
Take the banana and mash up with a fork into a large mixing bowl. Add the melted coconut oil to the banana and stir the two together until blended into a doughy mixture. Sprinkle the ginger into the bowl and knead everything together.
Add the content into a silicone mold (a shape of your choosing), making sure you fill it to the top. Pop into the freezer until set and test the bites on your pooch. The flavors, texture, and cooling temperature should make this treat a favorite with your furry friend! Store these bites in an airtight container in the freezer.
Sweet Potato Christmas Chips
If you have a pup that is prone to giving you the puppy dog eyes, hoping you’ll share your festive treats, then this might be the perfect homemade snack. This recipe can be enjoyed by both you and your pup! Not only can you both sit and enjoy the tasty treat together, but the health benefits it can offer your pooch are amazing, supporting their joints by adding turmeric and cinnamon.
Ingredients;
- 1 sweet potato
- 1 tablespoon of melted coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon of turmeric
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
Turn your oven up to 425°F and leave to warm up. While it is heating, wash and peel a sweet potato and cut up into festive shapes. Lay them out onto a baking tray and coat with coconut oil, turmeric, and cinnamon. Place in the oven and bake the fries for 15 minutes, take out and flip, then pop back into the oven for another 10 – 15 minutes. Once cooked, leave to cool a little before treating your pup to these tasty goodies.
Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Treats
Peanut butter is always a good ingredient to put into your festive Christmas dog treats. Not only will the natural oils support their overall health, but the protein will give your pup an extra boost, too. (Not to mention your dog will find it irresistible!) And, if you have some leftover pumpkin from Halloween and Thanksgiving, these biscuit bites are perfect, leaving your pooch drooling for more of the nutty-pumpkin goodness.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of pumpkin
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup of peanut butter (make sure it doesn’t contain xylitol!)
- ¼ cup of vegetable oil
- 2 ½ cups of whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
To start, preheat your oven to 350°F and leave to get nice and hot. Grab a bowl and mix the pumpkin, peanut butter, olive oil, and eggs together. Slowly add the baking soda and flour to the bowl and stir. Once the dough starts to become stiff, knead it out, and roll with a rolling pin out flat. Using a cookie cutter of your choice, cut the dough into shapes or just into circles.
Place into the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge and give to your fluffy friend when you’re about to tuck into your festive dinner.
Ginger & Apple Treats
This recipe is another perfect alternative holiday dog treat for a pup on a grain-free diet. With so many doggy biscuits made from grain, it can be hard to find a suitable one for your pooch, that’s why it might be best to make some from home – and you can add a few extra supplements to the recipe…
Ingredients;
- ½ cup of diced apple
- 1 cup of brown rice flour
- ½ cup of plain, Greek yogurt
- ½ tablespoon of fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
While the oven is heating at 350°F, add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir together until blended into an even mixture. Pour the contents of the bowl onto a flat surface and knead. Take a rolling pin and flatten the mixture out, until about a ¼ inch thick. Cut into your chosen shape and place on a baking tray in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until the biscuits have gone golden brown.
Gingerbread Dog Cookies
Around this time of year, ginger and cinnamon are two of the key spices we add to our food to give it the extra festive flavor – and your pup can enjoy them too. Why not make your favorite furry friend some gingerbread cookies for them to gobble up while you enjoy a tipple or two? They’re easy to make and you can cut them into any shape you want; a festive tree, a bone or even in the shape of a dog…
Ingredients;
- 3 cups of whole wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- ¼ cup of virgin olive oil
- 1 ¼ cups of water
- ½ cup of molasses
- 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped ginger
Turn your oven up to 350°F and leave to heat. While it is getting to the correct temperature take two large mixing bowls and in one, add water, olive oil, molasses and honey. Take the second bowl and mix the flour, cinnamon and chopped ginger together. Once the second bowl has been mixed together evenly, slowly add to the wet first bowl – mix everything together. Once everything is smooth and even, pop the dough into the refrigerator and leave for 3 – 4 hours.
Once chilled, take from the refrigerator and roll out until ¼ inch thick. Now, take your chosen cookie cutter shape and create your cookies. Place onto a baking tray and put into the preheated oven for 10 – 15 minutes.
Christmas Candy Canes
It doesn’t just have to be humans that get to enjoy a yummy candy cane – your pup can too!
This recipe is not only tasty but can also support a healthy inflammatory response as well as your pup’s digestion. Both the coconut oil and the peanut butter can offer beneficial nutrition that can promote a pup’s overall health!
Ingredients;
The Dark Dough
- 4 cups of whole wheat flour
- ½ cup of cornmeal
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
- 1 ½ cups of water
- ¼ cup of molasses
The Light Dough
- 4 cups of whole wheat flour
- ½ cup of cornmeal
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ cups of water
- ¼ cup of peanut butter
First things first, preheat the oven to 350°F. Take a baking tray and add some oil so that the candy canes do not stick to the metal. In a large mixing bowl, put all the ingredients for the light dough and knead together using your hands until it becomes a smooth, even dough. Next, take the ingredients for the dark dough and add it to another bowl. As the content begins to mold together, it will become sticky and feel softer than the light dough (due to the molasses).
Now it is time to make the shapes. Take a small part of dough – about the size of a ping pong ball – and roll it out into a log shape. Try to aim for 4/5 inches long and ¼ inch thick and repeat this with both the light and dark dough until all have been used. Sprinkle some flour onto a flat surface and lay a light and a dark dough log side by side. Gently twist the two together so that you have a spiral of color – just like a candy cane. Once you’re happy with the twist, bend the top round, forming a hook shape. Bake in the oven for 25 – 30 mins, or until the dough turns slightly golden.
Related read: How to Make Your Dog a Christmas Cake
