There are a few dogs in our extended family, and I always like to give them something for Christmas too. That way, I don’t feel so bad when they’re begging for the meat off my plate… I’m definitely not going to share that!
This dog biscuit recipe is flavoured with peanut butter and they smell pretty good when they’re cooking. Last time I baked these at my Mother in law’s, Eddie (the dog) sat in front of the oven watching them cooking and he didn’t even know they were for him! If you dare to try one, do so at your own risk. They’re pretty crunchy and I don’t want you chipping a tooth.
Doggie Treats
makes about 60
160g (1 1/2 cups) rolled oats (quick cooking or regular)
50g (1/3 cup) olive oil, margarine or butter*
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 beef or chicken stock cube
185g (1 cup) peanut butter
1 egg
300g (2 cups) whole meal/whole wheat flour
Preheat oven to 165ºC (330°F) and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, oil/margarine/butter, stock cube and boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes.
Thoroughly stir in peanut butter and egg. Mix in flour, until a stiff dough has formed. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface. You may need to add a little more flour as needed until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Roll or pat out dough to 5mm (1/4″) thickness. I find the dough is a bit rubbery, so I don’t need to roll it between sheets of baking paper, it goes fine straight on the bench. Cut with cookie cutter or a knife and place 1 cm apart onto the prepared baking trays.
Bake 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Cool before serving. Once dry, they should be crisp and hard.
The biscuits can be stored in an airtight container in the pantry for at least 12 months. They can also be stored in the freezer for at least 12 months. Simply put into a freezer container or wrap in foil. Can be served frozen for a cool summer treat or left to thaw before serving.
*I have tried all 3 and they all work well. Use which ever you have on hand. I think olive oil is the safest in case a dog has a dairy allergy.
Pat says
You said beef stock in the paragraph and chicken stock in the recipe, does it matter?
thingsforboys says
@Pat – a beef or chicken stock cube is fine, it doesn’t matter either way. You could even use a veggie one if that’s all you have, but your dog may not like it as much 😉
fern says
Love this recipe and can’t wait to try it for our dogs! Thank you!
Debs @ The Spanish Wok says
Great post thanks. Dog treats can be so expensive, may have to get baking soon.
susan says
If I wasn’t done with my cooking, I would make a huge batch of these! So cute!
shweetpotato says
these are darling, can I use whole wheat flour? I have no idea what whole meal flour is lol.. I know.. my stupid is showing HAHA, Carm
thingsforboys says
@shweetpotato – yes, you can use whole wheat flour. It’s actually the same thing as wholemeal flour, us Aussies just like to use a different word for it 😉
Anonymous says
i bought the cubes today to make this, the cubes have both onion and garlic powders, which both are toxic to dogs. you may want to alter your recipe, as i will not be using this for that reason
thingsforboys says
I understand your concern but the amount of onion/garlic in a stock cube is so small that even if a little dog ate a couple of stock cubes in one sitting they’d be fine. I think the salt would do more damage than anything. If you’re still worried, you could always leave them out.
Anonymous says
do you have a substitute for dogs that have grain allergies? Whole Wheat flour and rolled oats won’t work for our dog.
thingsforboys says
Hi Anon, I don’t have a grain free recipe myself, but if you do a Google search for gluten free dog biscuits there are a lot of recipes. HTH
Anonymous says
I have found chicken/beef cubes without garlic and onion powder. Knolls for instance, but there are others.
Stork1 says
Thanks for sharing this recipe…I use a different recipe but it is nice to have a variety of recipes for the doggies!
~ Darlene
http://www.stork1.blogspot.com
Anita W says
Would you mind sharing your other recipe with us? I just started making my own and another one would be appreciated.
wendy says
I was wondering if you knew what I could sub for the wheat flour? My puppy has allergies. It sure would save a lot of $ if I could make treats myself though. Thx!!
thingsforboys says
Hi Wendy, this site has some great suggestions – http://loveofmydogs.com/2011/11/06/wheat-flour-substitutes-for-homemade-dog-diets/. I think any of the first 5 suggestions would work (the last 3 might come out gluggy). Please let me know if you try it out, I would love to know how they work.
Anonymous says
I am going to make doggie treat bags for Halloween as there are more dogs than kids in my neighborhood.
thingsforboys says
that’s a fantastic idea!
Laurie Colwell says
I made these at least 4 times I did up treat bags for the doggies in my neighbourhood
now I did substitute the olive oil instead of the butter my 2 dogs just love them and a few neighbors have asked for the recipe.
I make a double batch and it lasts at least 2 weeks.
East to make and good for them and alot cheaper than buying.
Thanks Pinterest.
thingsforboys says
I have some ‘test’ ones in the back of my pantry and they’ve lasted a year so far. Still nice and dry and crunchy. No signs of anything growing on them.
JanSilverstein says
Found your blog through Pinterest. I have made several batches. Since my dog is small, I share with the neighbor’s lab. Both love it! My neighbor’s father almost mistook it for “human” cookies. Mixing a couple batches this weekend for my family’s dogs for their presents under the tree.
thingsforboys says
haha…without the beef stock in them, I’m sure they’d be delicious! Thanks for trying them out
cjnelson says
what could you substitute for peanut butter? One of my dogs can’t eat peanuts.
thingsforboys says
You could try any other nut butters, such as almond or coconut, but as I haven’t tried it I can’t tell you how it would turn out. If you do give it a try, please let me know!
Anonymous says
These are great, so cheap and my border collie loves them as much as ready made treats. totally recommend.
Anonymous says
where would one find the doggie bone cookie cutter at?
thingsforboys says
I bought it for a dollar or two at a cake decorating store. There are lots on eBay too
Tricia says
I made these in christmas shapes for my fur babies and they love them! Thank you!
abby says
thanks for stopping by!
Carolina says
My dogs LOVED these!!! They were jumping up and down trying to eat them all 😀 Thanks for sharing
Abby Rudakov says
so glad they liked them. Lucky pups!