Description
These festive Christmas Dog Treats are a healthy, homemade snack your furry friend will love. Made with wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour, peanut butter, banana, and honey, these treats are baked to perfection and decorated with a colorful Greek yogurt-based frosting for a seasonal touch. Perfect for gifting or sharing during the holiday season.
Ingredients
Scale
Treat Dough
- 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 medium ripe banana, mashed
- 1 extra large egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoons honey
Treat Frosting
- ⅔ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup + 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ tablespoons honey
- Red and green gel food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prepare for baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Add the whole wheat flour to a large 4-5 quart mixing bowl, setting the base for your dog treat dough.
- Prepare Peanut Butter: Heat the creamy peanut butter in the microwave for 20 seconds if it’s too thick, making it easier to mix.
- Combine Dough Ingredients: Stir in the warmed peanut butter, water, mashed banana, beaten egg, and honey into the flour. Mix thoroughly until the dough is well incorporated.
- Roll Dough: Lightly dust your work surface with some remaining flour. Turn the dough out onto this surface and roll it out evenly to a thickness of ¼ inch using a rolling pin.
- Cut Out Shapes: Use a cookie cutter to cut out festive shapes from the dough. Arrange the shapes 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet to allow for even baking.
- Bake Treats: Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes. Begin checking at about 15 minutes to ensure the bottoms turn golden brown without burning.
- Cool Treats: Transfer the baked treats to a cooling rack to cool completely while you prepare the frosting to decorate.
- Prepare Frosting: In a small bowl, combine plain Greek yogurt, cornstarch, and honey until smooth and well mixed to create the frosting base.
- Color Frosting: Divide frosting evenly into three bowls. Add 1-2 drops of green gel food coloring to one, red to another, and leave the third plain. Mix each until the colors are consistent. Adjust drops if a darker shade is desired.
- Decorate Treats: Fill piping bags with each frosting color. Snip the tips and carefully pipe decorative designs such as paw pads or snowflakes onto the treats. The frosting is thin and may drip, so decorate with care.
- Set Frosting: Allow the frosted treats to harden completely before serving to your pet.
Notes
- Store leftover treats in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
- You can freeze the treats for up to 2 months; thaw overnight at room temperature before serving.
- Oat flour can be used as a substitute for whole wheat flour for a gluten-free option.
- Natural food color alternatives such as beet root powder (red) and spirulina powder (green) can replace gel food colorings, but be sure they do not contain green tea, which is harmful to dogs.
- Molasses can be used instead of honey for a richer flavor and darker color in both dough and frosting.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 18-20 minutes
- Category: Dog Treats
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Pet Food
Keywords: Christmas dog treats, homemade dog biscuits, peanut butter dog treats, healthy dog snacks, festive dog treats, dog-friendly frosting
