Nothing beats the joy of spending Christmas surrounded by family and friends, tucking into delicious festive food. Everyone deserves delicious treats at this time of year – and that includes your furry friends too.

 

To help include your pet in the festive fun, we’ve put together a list of some of our favourite homemade dog treat recipes you can make for your four-legged pal this Christmas – check them out down below:

 

Christmas treat recipes for dogs

 

Christmas cookies

Christmas cookies are a simple but well-loved festive treat – so why not make some for your pooch? This simple Christmas cookie recipe for your dog is easy to make, and you will probably find that most of the ingredients are already in your kitchen.

 

Ingredients:

• 400 grams of wholemeal flour
• 200 grams of plain non-fat Greek yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 200 grams of natural peanut butter
• Water

 

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius
• Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper
• Mix all the ingredients together to make a dough and add water as it’s needed
• Once the dough has formed, roll it out and cut out cookie shapes of your choice
• Bake for approximately 15 minutes and let them cool on a rack

 

Bacon treats

All dogs love a bit of bacon – and who can blame them? Make your dogs Christmas morning with some delicious bacon nut treats they can enjoy for breakfast. Here’s the recipe.

 

Ingredients:

• 100 grams of almond flour
• 100 grams of rice flour
• 100 grams of wheat flour
• 45 grams of natural peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon of natural maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons of water

 

• 1 egg
• 3 bacon rashers, chopped into small pieces

 

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper
• Fry the bacon in a pan and set aside once it’s done
• Combine the peanut butter, egg, maple syrup, water together with the slightly cooled bacon fat and stir
• Add in all of the flours and cooked bacon, and stir well until the dough is formed
• Roll out the dough and cut out the cookies into shapes of your choice
• Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown and cool on a wire rack

 

Chicken dog treats

These tasty chicken treats are guaranteed to go down well with your pup – and they’re super simple and easy to make too. Plus, if your furry friend doesn’t enjoy chicken, you can always substitute it with meat you know they will love.

 

Ingredients:

• 200 grams of chicken, finely diced
• 100 grams of rice, cooked and mashed
• 3 tablespoons of rice flour
• 1 tablespoon of parsley
• 1 egg

 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
• Mix all the above ingredients together and stir well until combined
• Spoon into silicone moulds of your choice
• Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown
• Allow to cool and enjoy!

 

Frozen apple treats

These easy to make frozen apple treats are the perfect Christmassy snack for your furry little friend. Apples are super healthy for your pup too, as they’re full of fibre, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Here’s how to make this healthy yet delicious treat for your dog:

 

Ingredients:

• 2 apples
• 200 grams of zero-fat plain Greek yoghurt
• Water

 

Directions:

 

• Slice the apples into small pieces, removing the seeds and the core
• Blend the apple slices, yoghurt, and a splash of water until you get a liquid consistency
• Pour the mixture into an ice cube tray and freeze until it’s fully solid
• Once frozen, your dog can chew on them and enjoy the yummy goodness!

 

Christmas dinner cookie

Nothing beats a traditional Christmas dinner, and with this fun recipe, your dog can enjoy all the mouth-watering flavours of our favourite meal. This clever recipe combines the key features of a Christmas dinner and fits them into a cookie for your pup to enjoy – here’s how you can make them:

 

Ingredients:

• 700 grams of wholemeal flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• 200 grams of vegetable of chicken stock
• 200 grams of cooked, shredded white meat turkey
• 200 grams of dried unsweetened cranberries
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

 

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius
• Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper
• Combine the baking powder and flour in a large mixing bowl
• Add in the turkey and cranberries
• Mix in ½ cup of the vegetable or chicken broth, the egg, and the olive oil
• Mix together until a dough is formed, adding more broth if needed
• Roll out the dough and cut out the cookies
• Bake for around 25 mins and cool on a wire rack

What to consider when cooking for your dog

 

Cooking for your little pooch is an exciting and rewarding task, but there are some things to keep in mind for their health and safety. Certain foods and ingredients can be harmful to dogs, so always make sure to buy products that are dog friendly.

 

Peanut butter: Peanut butter is generally safe for dogs unless your furry friend has an allergy to it. If your dog is allergic, you could use pumpkin or sweet potato as a substitute.

 

Flour: Unless your dog is allergic to gluten or certain grains, flour is generally considered safe for dogs. You’ll usually find that most dog treat recipes use whole wheat flour, which is incredibly nutritional for dogs.

To help keep your dog happy and healthy all year round, take a look at some of our dog insurance policies available here at Asda Money.