If you have any questions or concerns about the ingredients used, please consult with your veterinarian.
If you read my blog regularly, surely you know who Jude is.
If you’ve never visited my blog before, meet my little (big) man. A 115lb rescue Rottweiler/German Shepherd from a small town in Colorado. His previous owners left him and his sister to die in a deserted house. Kevin adopted him from Second Chance Animal Rescue.
This is Jude.
Professional SBA employee, part grizzly bear, cuddle monster, mailman hater, cookie sniffer, and peanut butter lover. He lays with me when I’m sick, he jumps on the bed when we’re not home, and he still thinks he’s a small puppy.
Everyday Jude watches me bake up a storm in our tiny apartment. He sits and waits.
“Just one taste, please?”
Then I run around from my computer, to the kitchen, to the camera, and back again all day. He follows my every move. Staring at me with his big brown eyes and never able to taste a single treat.
It’s time my little best friend gets the spotlight. A homemade treat with his very favorite ingredients. Made with love, just for Jude.
Jude’s favorite flavor is peanut butter. He gets it from his mom. After doing a lot of research on homemade dog treats, I confirmed with our vet that the combination of whole wheat flour, egg, milk, baking powder, oats, and peanut butter is perfectly healthy for a pup.
I added chopped bacon because it completely drives him nuts.
Combine the simple ingredients together in a large bowl. Yep, this is a one bowl recipe. The dough will be extremely thick and hard to form, so use your hands for ease. Roll it out into 1/4″ thickness and use cookie cutters to make shapes. I used cookie cutters in the shape of a bone, a large heart, and a little bite-sized heart. Clearly your dog won’t care about the shapes. The cute shapes are really just for the humans. 🙂
The size of the treats should be based on the size of your dog. Jude is the size of a bear, so the big treats are perfect. We still break them up for him.
Arrange the shaped dough onto your baking sheet. The dog treats won’t spread in the oven, they just puff up very slightly. The treats can be close together on your baking sheet.
Bake one side for 18-20 minutes. Until very lightly browned on the bottom. Remove from the oven and flip. Bake for 10-12 additional minutes. Allow the treats to cool completely before sharing with your furry bud. Jude was going NUTS from the way our apartment smelled. Pure doggie heaven.
Go ahead. Spoil your pup with a batch of homemade treats. Their unconditional love totally deserves it.
Before beginning, please check with your vet about any allergies your dog may have. If you have any questions or concerns about the ingredients I used, please consult with your vet.
PrintHomemade Peanut Butter & Bacon Dog Treats
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 32 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 15 4-inch treats
- Category: Dog Treats
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Because your pup deserves some home baked goodies too! If you have any questions or concerns about the ingredients used, please consult with your veterinarian.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (255g) natural creamy peanut butter
- 3/4 cup (180ml) nonfat milk
- 1 large egg or 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 cups (244g) whole wheat flour* (spooned & leveled)
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup (28g) oats*
- 2–3 strips cooked bacon, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, gently mix the peanut butter, milk, and egg together with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. Add the flour and baking powder. You may need to turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and use your hands to work in the flour. Mix in the oats and bacon. The dough is extremely thick and heavy.
- Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into 1/4″ thickness. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters. Arrange on the baking sheets. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until very lightly browned on the bottom. Remove from the oven, and flip the treats to bake the other side for 10-12 more minutes.
- Allow to cool completely before serving to your pup. Cover and store leftovers at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Since the pups can’t eat the whole batch in a week, I usually freeze them. Jude loves them right out of the freezer too! The treats freeze well up to 2 months.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Glass Mixing Bowl | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Rolling Pin | Cookie Cutter
- Flour: Unbleached all-purpose flour is safe for dogs, but whole wheat was more highly recommended by our vet because of its added health benefits. Again, please consult with your vet about any allergies your dog may have.
- Oats: Either old-fashioned whole rolled oats or quick oats are fine.
- Adapted from Pet Guide.
Bonus: licking the spoon!!! 🙂
Try them in gingerbread men shapes for the holidays!
Here are a few more homemade dog treat recipes for your pup:
- Gluten Free Peanut Butter Banana Dog Treats from Whole Foods Recipes
- Homemade Peanut Butter Bacon Carrot Dog Treats from The Comfort of Cooking
- Homemade Pumpkin Flaxseed Dog Treats from White on Rice Couple
- Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dog Treats from Use Real Butter
- Breakfast Dog Biscuits from Honestly Yum
- The Great Pumpkin Dog Treat from Pet Guide
- Homemade Dog Treats with Chicken/Beef Broth from Add a Pinch
Q: Do you have any pets? What kind? What is his/her name?
Thanks for the recipe my picky dog loved them! I refuse to buy store treats so these are a keeper!
I have made your peanut butter cookies for my 3 Wheaten terriers at least 5 times now and I though that I had to tell you just how much my babies looove these treats…They don’t just gobble them like any other cookies.. they actually savor them !!! I’m not even kidding.. We can’t wait to try more of your yummy treats ! Thank you for making my doggies happy !!!
PB cookies were a hit with my 3 wonderful dachshunds (Ernie, Edgar & Einstein). Made it for them to celebrate their 3rd birthday. They gobbled them up and keep looking at me for more. Thanks for creating such a yummy treat!
These were so easy to make! My foster doggy can be a bit choosy about her biscuits – she tends to prefer pure meat as a treat. I’m happy to report she was absolutely CRAZY about these! They’re right up there with lamb sausages as her new favorite treat. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi! I made this for my three dogs Queen, Lady and Reyna today & they loved it!!
They were jumping all over me for more!
Thanks you so much for sharing this recipe!!
I love your recipes as well, they’re amazing!!
Have a blessed day,
Elisa.
I just made these for my dogs ( a 2 year old lab/beagle mix and a 8 month old lab/mastiff mix) and they loved them. Thanks so much sharing and not forgetting our loyal companions!!
I’m not allowed to have a dog in my apartment in San Francisco, so I baked these treats with my 7 year-old daughter and we put them in little carryout containers and shared with all our friends who have pups. They went crazy for them. We just finished baking another batch with heart cookie cutters for Valentine’s. Thanks again for sharing the recipe! Cheers.
My flatcoated retriever turned 4 today. Made some of these for her and she just keeps coming back for more! Definitely a hit, thank you!
Thank you! Those were so easy, used common ingredients that we had on hand, AND my doggies LOVED them. We’ve been stuck indoors for the last few days due to frigid temps (schools canceled, etc) and it also happened to be one of my dog’s birthdays. So, my daughters (ages 7 & 10) decided to search pinterest for homemade dog treats. I linked you on my blog if you don’t mind.
Thanks again! I predict we’ll be making these on a regular basis.
OMG!!!! I have five mixed breed dogs and they loved these treats!!! My two little Doxie mixes normally snub crunchy treats but cannot get enough of these!!! Great recipe thanks so much!!!!! I made these Christmas “cookies” for the pups before I made any for my human family…..lol.
These are so fantastic! I have my first batch in the oven right now, baking for my in-law’s dog as a little Christmas present.
I ended up heating the peanut butter up in the microwave for 15 sec to soften it before I made the dough – the dough was really easy to handle as a result, and it hasn’t seemed to change the biscuits (so far!).
Thanks so much for a great recipe – Merry Christmas!
My golden retriever loved these treats! While I was baking them, it was as if she knew they were for her. I did not have any bacon, unfortunately for her. As well, I just watered down !% milk for my non-fat milk.
I used Candy Cane cookie cutters for the joyous holiday season!!
Thank you (from my pup as well) so much for posting !!!
Sally, Dear, I am so glad that I happened upon your wonderful web-site. I told all my friends and family about it and cannot believe how many of them are now baking up a storm and loving it. And this is all because I was looking for a dog treat recipe and found you. I am having all my near-by family for brunch on Christmas Eve Day and plan to prepare several of your yummy treats for people. Merry Christmas!
Sally, Jude is a very lucky dog. Our Lexi Anne is a peanut butter lover too and if she does not have it at a certain time of the day; she will not finish her food. My husband Ed and I loved this recipe and both enjoyed making these treats for our little puggle….she wouldn’t even get out of the kitchen. Once they cooled down, she had two of them and my husband even made bone cut outs and carved Lexi in them before baking. They turned out perfect. Thank you for sharing your recipe and story. P.S. We used 1% milk instead of nonfat and they still turned out great!
Jude and our dog Baxter could be brothers from another mother! Baxter is a chow/shepherd mix, also red, but not quite as big as Jude, and LIVES for peanut butter! We got him from a rescue in Indiana and he is completely and utterly devoted to our family, and puts up with our 20 month old identical triplet boys showering him with “attention” all the time! My daughter wants to give Baxter something special for Christmas and I think these treats are just what he deserves! Thanks for thinking of our four legged friends too…life would not be complete without them!
Hi. Do you have a substitute for the milk please? I was told that dogs can’t have milk because of the dairy in it?
Thanks
Hi Fiona, my vet gave the OK for the milk. I’m not sure what to substitute it with – maybe nondairy milk if your vet gives the OK.
Hello from snowy Chicago! I made these this afternoon and my dog practically stared at the oven the whole time they were baking! They were beyond easy to make and my husky/pitbull mix Rex adores them! He tends to be picky about treats, but who can resist peanut butter and bacon?? Thank you for yet another fabulous recipe! 🙂
Hi Sally! I’ve just tried this recipe. And Maksim, my 9-month-old golden retriever, loved it. I folded in some flax seeds (for his coat) and parsley (for fresh breath). Thank you so much for this! I believe we are keeping this in our recipe box forever ! xx
hope to make them for my dogs, but having contaced the vet, I found out that one of them cannot have bacon. I don’t want to make some for one and not give them to the little one.
any ideas for a bacon substitute?
You could just leave the bacon out. It won’t make a huge difference! The bacon is just an extra.
My dog is usually very picky when it comes to her food and treats, but she LOVES these! The neighbors’ dogs loved them too! 🙂
I made these last week for my dog Tucker and he loved them!! I then made some for my family and friends dogs too. I was wanting to share a picture but couldn’t figure out a way to do that on FB. It was just too adorable seeing how badly Tucker wanted more…and more! Thank You so much for this recipe.
Also, when the kids came home from school they asked what I was baking and when would it be done?! They were pretty upset when I told them this time it was for the dog 🙂 I love everything I have made from your site and can’t wait to get my cook book 🙂
Hi. How do you store these treats? What is their shelf life? Can I freeze them? I have a big dog too and he practically inhales treats. I find if I freeze them first, he takes the time to chew them up!
Hi Linda! I keep these around for Jude for up to 10 days at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. I give any leftovers to friends’ pups. They are great frozen too! Up to 2 months.
My dog son Mason goes crazy over peanut butter! I made these with oat flour for his 2nd bday this weekend. He and his cousins LOVEd them! I also bake a flourless peanut butter/apple doggie cake!
I made these for my pup’s first birthday – and he absolutely LOVED them. My dog adores both PB and bacon, so, naturally, he didn’t leave the kitchen from the moment I started making the dough until the moment the treats were out of the oven and cooled. Thank you so much! xo
Just making these for my English Bulldog…Frank 🙂 he adores anything but especially PB!! Thanks for the receipe, I’m sure these will be a weekly bake for him x
With all the dog deaths from treats made in China, I’m going to start making my own treats for my two large babies, Baylee and Lincoln. This recipe sounds fantastic and easy. I already have doggie cookie cutters that will be cute. Thank you for posting this.
Thanks for a great recipe! After all of the negative news about store bought dog treats lately, I decided to make our “grand dog” some homemade treats. I can’t wait to try these! Love your blog!
I made these treats for my 5 year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Madeline, and she absolutely loved them!! Don’t you just love that warm, fuzzy feeling you get in your heart when you watch your pup so content with something you did for them? Thanks so much for this recipe – it was fantastic. I love your website; it always brightens my week!
Our dog loves homemade biscuits and has become quite spoiled by them! Anytime the rolling pin and cookie cutter come out, he expects a treat =). Since some dogs have allergies to whole wheat, I use freshly ground oat flour and get a nice crunchy and healthy biscuit that both dogs and humans enjoy!
Oat flour is a great sub for the wheat!
I assume the bacon is cooked before you add it to the dough? My dog will love these.
Yes.