Easy homemade dog treats made with pantry staples, plus optional calming ingredients for the anxious pup who could use a little help taking the edge off. Tested, dog-approved, and freezer-friendly.
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You open a treat jar…and every dog nearby that can will get to you.
Mine don’t discriminate amongst dog treats. But these ones they go cr-a-zy for. We keep a stash in the freezer and hand them out straight from the freezer, and I have never once seen them even pause at the cold.
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
These are not the Instagram gorgeous, perfectly decorated, oh so cute versions of dog treats. Your dog does not care. I promise you. Your dog would eat a lopsided square you cut with a pizza cutter in fourteen seconds flat and love you forever for it. Treats are already the win. Homemade, that’s a whole never level. Don’t make it more complicated.
Let’s get to this recipe that your dog will go nuts for. And you’ll appreciate the simplicity and budget-friendliness. Dog treats can be spendy!
This recipe wasn’t really mine to begin with. It was ours. I created it as a partnership with the Animal Humane Society, and I’ll always be a little proud of that. I created it for them to use for their website, for social media, whatever purpose they needed. I absolutely adore the work they do. It was a privilege to go into the AHS, to visit with the pups, to talk with the staff, and to help in my own unique way.
If I could, I would bring home every single pup and feed them treats all day.
Which brings me to Fitzgerald… he came from the Animal Humane Society. Fitzgerald is our impossibly dapper, impossibly handsome gentleman who is also, almost heart breakingly , frightened of literally everything. A leaf. A fly. You, if you stand up too quickly. He is the best, and I am forever thankful for the Animal Humane Society for rescueing him so he could become part of our family..
Our other one is Newton (a girl, yes – that’s another story), who came to us from Coco’s Heart Dog Rescue – another phenomenal organization. Newton is a sad little mix of who-knows-what breeds that somehow equals the sweetest, most talkative, reactive creature alive. She’s anxious, and she will tell you all about it. At length. Forever. Loudly.
So between the leaf-fearing gentleman and the world’s chattiest worrier, these calming treats are my preference for handing out, when treats are needed.
What makes these “calming” treats
The optional add-in here is a little food-grade lavender or chamomile. These are the same gentle, take-the-edge-off herbs you would find in your bedtime tea. In the trace amounts you’re using (about a tablespoon spread across a whole batch), they have that same quiet, soothing effect for pups that chamomile tea has before bed.
We started using them around here for obvious reasons. See above: a dog afraid of leaves, and a dog who narrates her own anxiety out loud.
Will a treat cure the anxiety? No. In fact, maybe these are more to make me feel like I am helping then actually helping. You know? But a calm little ritual treat when the fireworks go off or Newton feels the need to talk about her feelings seems to help.
Where to find the calming ingredients (and a note about peanut butter)
Here’s the one part that trips people up, so let’s knock it out fast. You want food-grade lavender and chamomile, the same kind that goes in a cup of tea, not the craft-store potpourri kind and definitely not essential oils. (Essential oils are way too concentrated for dogs. We’re keeping this gentle.)
The good news is both are easy to find and a little goes a long way, so one bag lasts through batch after batch.
Here’s exactly what I use:
- Culinary lavender buds
- Dried chamomile (or chamomile powder)
That’s it. Grab one of each, tuck them in the pantry, and you’re set for a whole lot of happy, mellow pups.
One real heads-up, friend: check that your peanut butter is xylitol-free. Xylitol is a sweetener that sneaks into some “natural” and reduced-sugar peanut butters, and it’s genuinely dangerous for dogs. Take just a few seconds to read the label. Keep the peanut butter ingredients soooo simple.
Can you use regular flour for dog treats?
Yep, a little all-purpose flour is fine for most dogs. I like using whole wheat in these because it adds a bit more nutritional value, but if all-purpose is what you have, use it and don’t think twice. (This is the most-asked question in the comments, btw, and the answer’s been the same for years: either one works.)
How big should you make them?
Whatever fits how you want to give these to your dog. Most of the year I make small rounds, a good reward-sized bite for our medium-size pups. Around the holidays I pull out a bone-shaped cookie cutter, do a little decorating, and the pups get a “bone” for a fun holiday treat.
No cutter? A pizza cutter and a few quick lines gives you tidy little squares in about a minute. Do what works for you and your dog. There’s no wrong answer.
Is the “icing” really dog-safe?
It is, because it’s barely icing at all. It’s just an egg yolk whisked with a splash of water, brushed on before baking, with a drop of food coloring if you want a little color. It bakes right onto the treat into a pretty, glossy finish. No sugar, no fuss, totally dog-friendly. Sooo easy.
But your dog does NOT care if the icing is there. I skip it almost all of the time.
Storage: These keep on the counter for a couple of days, or in the freezer for several weeks. We pull them straight from the freezer. The dogs love them cold, and it makes them last. Well, it means they won’t go bad. They don’t last long :).
Want to go a little extra? Press a small training treat onto each cookie right out of the oven, or mix the food coloring straight into the dough. Cute, but completely optional. Your dog could care less..they just want that treat.
Make a big batch and gift some to the dog-loving neighbors. And if these become a staple in your freezer like they are in ours, come back and tell me how your pups did. I love hearing it.
A little love for the Animal Humane Society
Here’s the part I never want to skip past: this recipe exists because of the Animal Humane Society. I created it to highlight their wonderful work, and give them the exposure and love they deserve. It’s the same place that gave me Fitzgerald, my dapper, terrified, perfect best friend.
AHS has been showing up for Minnesota animals since 1878. They take in the scared ones, the sick ones, the ones being dropped & given up on, and they patch them up (you should see their vet set-up, it’s incredible!), calm them down, and match them with people who’ll love them for good. People like me. Maybe people like you.
So if these treats made you smile, here’s my ask. Pick whichever one fits your life right now:
- Adopt. Your own Fitzgerald might be on their adoption floor this very minute. → Meet the adoptable animals
- Donate. Every dollar goes straight to food, vet care, and second chances. → Give a gift
- Volunteer or foster. A few hours or a spare room saves lives too. → Get involved
And a warm word for Coco’s Heart Dog Rescue too, the folks right here in the St. Croix Valley who gave us Newton. Good rescues are everywhere, and they all need us.
Fitzgerald and Newton say hi, assuming Fitzgerald isn’t hiding from something.
Homemade Calming Dog Treats
Ingredients
Method
- In a large bowl, mix the peanut butter, milk, and applesauce together until smooth.
- In a separate smaller bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder.
- Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and stir until it comes together.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Using your hands, gently knead in the oats and your lavender or chamomile, if using.
- Press the dough into a rectangle about ½ inch thick. Use your hands, not a rolling pin. This dough is a little crumbly, and the warmth from your fingers helps it hold together beautifully.
- Cut out shapes with your cookie cutter (or a pizza cutter; squares are perfect).
- Place the treats on an ungreased cookie sheet.
- If you’re decorating: whisk the egg yolk with a bit of water, divide into small bowls, and stir in food coloring.
- Brush the “icing” onto the unbaked treats with a pastry brush or the back of a spoon.
- Bake at 325°F for 30 minutes.
- Remove and let cool completely before serving.
Either flour is just fine!!
can I use all purpose flour or is whole wheat flour mandatory
Dogs are like family members, aren’t they. The best kind :). I’m sorry about your sweet pup and the next pup you get will be a lucky dog!
My doggie took his last ride to the vet last year this time. I look at the dogs needing homes on the Humane Society web site and when the time is right one will find a new home with us.