These Homemade Oatmeal Dog Treats are so much better than store-bought. These DIY dog treats are made with all or your pup's favorite ingredients—oats, pumpkin, applesauce, bananas, and, of course, peanut butter!
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These pumpkin peanut butter banana dog treats are a go-to in our household.
I love them because they come together in just a little bit of time and I usually have all of the ingredients on-hand already. No trip to the grocery store is necessary! Fritz loves them because they're made with pumpkin, applesauce, and peanut butter. He prefers a softer treat like these.
While my other pup, Mr. Winkles likes the crunchy dehydrated dog treats I make.
It's a win for everyone!
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📖Why Your Dog Will Love These Treats
- No Oil. While oil is technically safe for dogs to eat, it doesn't really have any nutritional benefits for them. These dog biscuits are made with only ingredients that enhance their overall well-being!
- No Eggs. The treats stay together with just the pumpkin and applesauce. No eggs needed! That also makes this recipe vegan.
- Peanut Butter. I mean, what dog doesn't love peanut butter? But we did it in a drizzle so you can add extra if you like.
🧾Ingredient Notes
These easy homemade dog treats are made with super simple ingredients you might already have in your kitchen!
Oats - You'll need rolled oats for this recipe. Other varieties, such as steel cut, will not work. If you have leftover homemade oat flour you can use that instead.
Pumpkin - Double-check to make sure that you're using plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling has other added ingredients and sweeteners. The puree is just pumpkin! You can also use sweet potato puree, either canned or fresh.
If you have leftover pumpkin from the can you make yourself a little of this pumpkin syrup recipe!
Applesauce - Use unsweetened applesauce to avoid added sugar. You can use storebought or read this tutorial on how to make homemade applesauce.
Bananas - The riper the bananas, the sweeter they will be.
Cornstarch- This will help hold the cookie together. You can also use all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or gluten-free flour in the cookie but not in the glaze.
Peanut Butter Drizzle - Optionally, mix together natural peanut butter, cornstarch, and hot water to add a peanut butter drizzle to make peanut butter oatmeal dog treats.
See the recipe card for exact quantities.
⏲️How to Make Homemade Oatmeal Dog Treats
These healthy homemade dog treats are almost as easy as grabbing a bag of dog treats at the store. No extra effort and your dog will love them!
Step 1 - Combine the Ingredients
In a mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, canned pumpkin, applesauce, and mashed banana. Mix well until everything is well-combined. It should form something similar to a dough!
If the dough is too wet, add more oats. Alternatively, if it's too dry, add more applesauce or pumpkin. The ratios here matter much less than they would in a human treat. Your dog will love them no matter what!
Step 2 - Roll and Bake
Layer a light dusting of flour on a clean work surface, then roll the dough out until it's about ¼ inch thick. Use your cookie cutter of choice to cut shapes out of the dough. This can be dog bone cookie cutters, hearts, stars, or anything you have on hand!
Once the dough is all cutout, place the treats onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. If you are using an insulated cookie sheet like I did you don't need to line the pan.
If the dough is too wet to roll out you can add more starch or form the treats by hand and just press them out.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the treats at 350ºF for about 30 minutes. I recommend checking them at 25, then adding time as needed. Take them out as soon as the edges are lightly golden-brown and the treats are firm to the touch.
Remove them from the oven and let the treats cool completely. I let them set up for a few minutes on a baking sheet, then I transfer them to a cooling rack to let them cool fully.
Once your dog treats are done cooling, they are ready for your pup to enjoy!
Step 3- Drizzle
Optionally, you can decorate the finished treats with a simple peanut butter drizzle. To make the drizzle, heat peanut butter in the microwave until melted, then stir in cornstarch and water. Drizzle the glaze over the treats, then let it cool completely.
Crispy Dog Treat Variation
For a crunchier version process the dough in a food processor. Roll thin and add more cornstarch or flour as needed. Bake the treats for 30 to 50 minutes until crispy.
Expert Tip
No ripe bananas but in a hurry to make fur baby these oatmeal treats? No worries, to quickly ripen the bananas place the banana, still in the peel, in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes at 300 F degrees.
🔪Equipment
You can use any type of cookie cutter, a knife, or a pizza cutter to make the shapes for the dog biscuits. For dog bone-shaped treats I like these simple cookie cutters.
But if you also make your dog our frozen yogurt dog treats I like this variety pack of molds for frozen treats and the cookie cutters. Very budget-friendly!
🌡️Storing Leftovers
Store your pup-friendly oatmeal cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Homemade Dog Treat Recipes
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
Are homemade dog treats healthier?
Heck yes! In the same way that making your own food at home is better for you, dog treats are healthier for your furry friend when they're made from scratch right at home.
Most store-bought dog treats contain unnatural ingredients and preservatives that, when fed to your dog on a regular basis, are not really that good for them. Homemade dog treats are made with only ingredients that are healthy for your dog.
Can dogs eat oatmeal and pumpkin?
Yes! Both oats and pumpkin are great things to incorporate into your dog's diet. Not only do they taste great for your pup, but both ingredients contain plenty of nutritional benefits too.
What kind of oats do you use for dog treats?
You will need rolled oats for this recipe. Other varieties, such as instant oats or steel-cut oats, don't have the right texture for this recipe.
Did you enjoy making this recipe? Show it some love with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment! Hungry for more FLAVORFUL recipes?
📖 Recipe Card
Homemade Oatmeal Dog Treats
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup cornstarch or use flour
- 2 ripe bananas mashed
Peanut Butter Drizzle (optional)
- 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons hot water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, canned pumpkin, unsweetened applesauce, and mashed bananas.2 cups rolled oats, 1 cup canned pumpkin, ½ cup unsweetened applesauce, 2 ripe bananas, ½ cup cornstarch
- Mix well until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and form a dough. If the dough is too wet to handle add extra oats.
- Lightly flour a flat surface and roll out or press the dough to about ¼ inch thickness.
- Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into desired shapes, such as dog bones or hearts.
- Place the cutouts on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the treats are lightly golden brown on the outside and firm to the touch.
- Remove from the oven and let the treats cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before transfer to a wire rack to totally cool.
- OPTIONAL: In a small microwave safe bowl heat the peanut butter for 30 seconds. Stir in the cornstarch and add the water. You can either use a spoon or pour the glaze into a sandwich bag and snip a small hole in one corner. Once the treats are fully cooled, drizzle the glaze over each dog treat.2 tablespoons natural peanut butter, ⅓ cup cornstarch, 3 tablespoons hot water
Notes
- These are soft dog treats. For a crunchier version process the dough in a food processor. Roll thin and add more cornstarch or flour as needed. Bake the treats for 30 to 50 minutes until crispy.
- Cut the treats into a size that is appropriate for the size of your dog.
- Store the treats in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze them for longer storage.
Melody says
Wonder about the glaze. Seems like so much corn starch. I ended up adding about a cup of water to get it to spread.
Jen Wooster says
Thank you for the feedback. I use a natural peanut butter that is very thin so less might be better if your PB is thicker.