Easy Homemade Dog Treats are made with just 3 ingredients! All it takes is banana, peanut butter, and oats and you can make these cute cookies for your pup, or for a doggy friend of yours. Not only are these easy to make, but they are so much more affordable than store-bought treats and dogs LOVE them!
FEATURED COMMENT:
I made these for Lilly, my Goldendoodle, and she loves them! She would eat all of them at one time if I let her. Thank you for the recipe! - Stephanie ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Every now and then on this blog I like to share a doggy treat recipe that my rescue pup Chickpea loves. Over the years, these recipes have actually become some of my most popular recipes of all time! Clearly, Chickpea is a very good recipe critic.
I came up with this recipe when I wanted to make Chickpea her favorite pumpkin treats, but I didn't have any canned pumpkin in my cupboard. What I did have on hand were two bananas that were getting a bit too spotty. Chickpea also loves bananas and they are very for healthy dogs so I tried the swap and it worked beautifully! In fact, I think Chickpea likes them even more than the pumpkin treats. Just look how happy she is!!
Not only are these homemade dog treats super easy to make but you likely already have the ingredients on hand, and it's a great way to use up old bananas. (Other than making my favorite banana bread recipe, or chocolate chip banana squares recipe).
Feel free to half this homemade dog treats recipe recipe if you only have one banana on hand (or if you want to do a trial run). You can also double or triple this recipe if your dog loves them as much as Chickpea does. I have a huge bag of them in the freezer so I can give one to her whenever she deserves a little cookie. Now she always gets super excited when I open to the freezer... and super disappointed when she discovers that I was just reaching for the coffee beans. Haha. Oh alright, you can have on more...
Ingredients needed:
To make these dog treats for your favorite pet, all you need are these three ingredients- peanut butter, banana, and oats!
- Peanut Butter: make sure that the peanut butter you use is natural peanut butter. The only ingredient should be peanuts. Do not use processed peanut butter that contains added oils, sugars, and salt. That stuff is basically frosting and is bad for our pups. Peanut butter is a great source of protein and healthy fats for our dogs as well as vitamins B and E, and niacin.
- Banana: this is the perfect recipe to use up those bananas that are getting a bit old. Bananas have potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, fiber, and magnesium which are all healthy nutrients for dogs.
- Oats: you can use whole oats, 1- minute oats, or instant oats, as long as there aren't any added sugars or other ingredients. In this recipe, I grind the oats into a powder to make homemade oat flour. If you have a food processor or blender, this takes just a few seconds to do and is usually more affordable than buying premade oat flour. I also always have oats on hand so it's nice that I don't have to go out to get anything special. Oats are very healthy for our pooches as they are high in fiber, contain vitamin B, and omega-6 fatty acid among other good nutrients.
How to make dog treats:
Preheat your oven to 300F (150C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add the oats to a food processor and grind until they reach a fine powder. (If you do not have a food processor, see the recipe notes for other options).
Add the bananas and peanut butter and blend until a sticky dough is formed.
Remove the mixture from the food processor and use a rolling pin to roll out on a lightly floured surface. (Use whole wheat flour, more ground oats, or another dog-safe flour that you have on hand). I used a heart cookie cutter to cut out the treats but you could use a bone cookie cutter, or any shape cookie cutter, or just cut them into squares with a knife or pizza cutter.
Lay the treats on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the treats are puffed up a bit, dry and dark golden brown on the bottoms, (they will still feel soft when first removed from the oven).
These homemade dog biscuits will get a bit more firm once they are cool but will still be a slightly softer dog treat. Let cool before giving one to your pup.
Store them in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or I like to store them in my freezer which makes them firmer and makes them stay fresh a long time.
These easy homemade dog treats are:
- Easy to make
- Use 3 ingredients you likely already have on hand
- Super affordable
- Always a hit with dogs- they love them!
More dog treat recipes:
- Easy DIY Sweet Potato Chews
- Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Treats
- Healthy Dog Treats
- Apple Pie Dog Treats
- Peanut Butter & Carrot Dog Treats
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Easy Homemade Dog Treats!
Servings: (Makes about 40 treats depending on the cookie cutter size))
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Ingredients
- 2 cups oats (old fashioned, 1-minute oats, or instant), plus more if needed- see step 3
- 2 medium ripe bananas
- ½ cup natural peanut butter, (see note)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300F (150C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the oats to a food processor and grind until they reach a fine powder. (If you do not have a food processor, see the recipe notes for other options). Add the bananas and peanut butter and blend until a sticky dough is formed.
- Remove from the food processor and roll out on a lightly floured surface. (Use whole wheat flour, more ground oats, or another dog-safe flour that you have on hand). I used a heart cookie cutter to cut out the treats but you could use any cookie cutter, or just cut them into squares with a knife or pizza cutter.
- Lay the treats on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the treats are puffed up a bit, dry and dark brown on the bottoms, (they will still feel soft when first removed from the oven). The treats will get a bit more firm once they are cool but will still be a slightly softer dog treat. Let cool before giving one to your pup. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or I like to store them in my freezer which makes them firmer and makes them stay fresh a long time.
Katie K says
Great recipe and my basic go to for homemade treats. I have subbed baked sweet potatoes, or fresh blended apples if I’m out of bananas. I pat my dough out in a pan and score it before baking. These are the treats that both my dogs prefer. Lily, my 10 year old golden, Luis, my 6 year old bully mix rescue and I thank you!
Sue says
Made for granddogs for Christmas. Too sticky to roll so just separated “dough” into thirds and placed on top of extra oats that I ground down in processor. Found that if my hands were a little wet I was able to press out with fingers to the thickness I wanted. I used a dog bone cookie cutter. Then repeated process with the other dough that I separated. Made about 29 bones. Thanks for the recipe.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Sue, sounds great! If you make them again and find the dough a little too sticky, just add a bit more oat flour until you reach the correct consistency. Enjoy!
Marcia says
Can I use Almond Butter instead of Peanut Butter?
The PB I have contains sugar.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Marcia, I wouldn't recommend it as almonds are hard on dogs digestive systems. Cashew butter or peanut butter will be your safest choice 🙂
Sofia says
Can I replace the peanut butter with something that isn't pumpkin or sweet potato? My pom is very selective on ingredients and she's on a diet so peanut butter is a no-go
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Sofia, for a peanut butter replacement, you need something sticky, so you could try using cashew butter or sunflower seed butter. I hope that works for you!
Heather says
How long would these last please? I want to make them as a gift but don’t know when I will see the person in the next few months
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Heather, that's such a thoughtful gift! These dog treats will last about 1-2 weeks if stored in an airtight container at room temperature. For longer storage, you can refrigerate them for up to a month or freeze them for several months. Just thaw them before gifting, and they’ll be good as new!
. says
Hi, do you think that I need to use peanut butter as my dog has allergies and any other ingredients that is just as healthy and easy to get?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
You could try using cashew butter or sunflower seed butter. Enjoy!
Sophie says
My pup absolutely loves these treats and will be a favourite of her's! Do you think I need to ground the oats next time?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you love the Sophie. Yes, you need to grind the oats to make a flour texture so everything binds together well. IF you don't want to grind them, they won't hold together well enough to roll out and use a cookie cutter, but you could use a spoon to make balls on the pan and bake them that way instead I hope that helps!