Author: 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 to stop the dough from being too sticky, adding more as needed). 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.
cheryl says
I cooked them in my toaster oven at 325F and for 15 minutes. At 350F and 25-30 minutes, they would have been inedible and the smoke would have stunk up the kitchen.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Thanks for the feedback, Cheryl! Toaster ovens can run hotter and bake faster than regular ovens, so it makes sense you needed to adjust the time and temp.
Andrea Hoerner says
Please give the amounts for the three ingredients.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Andrea - the amounts are listed in the recipe section of the page.
Jessica McAllaster says
My fur babies loved these. I took it a step further and made homemade peanut butter and added blueberries to it for the antioxidants.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Next level! Well done!
Diane says
Delicious Jax woofed
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Haha! Woof woof 😉
Robert J Marinshaw says
Didn't have enough oatmeal so I used some graham crackers and my dog just loved their.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy your dog loved them Robert 🙂
Janet says
Blaze loves this treat and paces while they are baking inanticipation!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
That’s so cute, Janet! I love picturing Blaze pacing with excitement, glad these treats are such a hit 🐾
Mary says
These came out great. My dogs love them. Simple & cheap to make. thanks
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yay! I am so happy to hear that, thanks for sharing Mary 🙂
Pat k says
A response? Volume between different oatmeal varies. How much is the actual measurement for oats, please. After processed.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Pat, if you look just below the ingredients on the recipe card you will see the option to click "metric" which switches the recipe to grams. I hope that helps!
Maria T. says
Just pulled a batch out of the oven. All three of our small dogs enjoyed them. After I gave them a taste they wouldn't go away. I had to make them bite size for small mouths or they'd swallow them whole.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Haha! So cute! Even dogs know that homemade food is always the best 🙂
Maria T. says
They're all seniors, 14, 13, and 12 years old. I make their dog food too.
Kathryn Boblitz says
These are great! My dog loved them!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
That's great to hear!
Tessa says
Made them tonight.They were a hit with both. Thank you for the recipe.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
We're so happy they enjoyed these treats!
Pauline says
Easy peasy recipe! I ground the oats in a vitamix and hand-mixed all ingredients. I ground extra oats just incase and ended up used about 1/8 cup more and some for sprinkling. I rolled these out in between parchment paper and had absolutely no issues with the stickiness. I was hesitant to try this recipe because of all the “stickiness” reviews. Honestly, this was one of the easiest doughs to work with—seriously. Not sure what everyone else seems to be doing wrong. . Thanks for a great recipe. Pups LOVE them.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Thanks so much for your review, Pauline!
Marion Jennerjohn says
Made these with my clients and we donated them to 4 Legged Friends in Luxemburg WI and they really appreciated them ! The clients Loved making them 😍 Thanks, Marion
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Aww that's so lovely!!! Thank you for sharing Marion 🙂
Anomynous says
dogs haven't eaten them yet but we have 2 dogs 1 of which is pescatarian due to allergies can eat fruit veg or fish and treats for her are hard to find this recipe was a life saver and we usually stay away from vegan recipe websites 5 stars all around!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you're pooch loves them! I hope you enjoy more dishes here too 🙂
Brooke says
These are the only treats my picky pup will eat! He loves them, and I love how easy they are! It is a pretty sticky dough so I just roll it out between two pieces of parchment paper then peel off the top piece. Then I use a pizza cutter to cut it into small squares and bake. I freeze the majority of them and take some out as needed. Thanks for the great recipes Sam! 🙂
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Aww that's wonderful! And I love your sticky dough trick! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Antonia says
Can I use buckwheat flour instead of oats?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Antonia! Yes, buckwheat flour is generally safe for dogs and can be used as a substitute in this recipe. Just like with oat flour, you may want to start with a little less (around 1 to 1½ cups) and add more as needed until a sticky dough forms. Every flour absorbs moisture differently, so just keep an eye on the texture. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Amorterasu says
Made this for my cici and she loved it!.
Amorterasu says
Would keep making more recipes from this website. I recommend it for anyone that would like to learn to make homemade foods and treats for their pups 🐶 👌
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Thank you so much Amorterasu 🙂
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yay! So happy to hear that 🙂
Jen says
Dog AND kid approved! Super easy to make, and using ingredients we already had on hand! Only challenge was making sure the kids didn't eat all the dough before it went in the oven 😉
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Haha, so cute! Love it 🙂
B Murty says
how do folks work with this? it's so sticky I can't get it off my hands, the roller, pizza cutter or anything?
can you add water? will have to find another recipe as I've tried these 3 times and each have been a total headache.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi B Murty, I’m sorry to hear the dough has been giving you trouble! It can definitely get sticky depending on the ripeness of your bananas and the texture of your peanut butter. If that happens, I recommend mixing in extra ground oats or another dog-safe flour a little at a time until the dough firms up enough to handle. You can also try chilling the dough for 15–30 minutes before rolling to make it easier to work with. I hope that helps!
Mattie Guthrie says
Can you use almond butter without the artificial sweetener that is expired
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
I wouldn't feed you pets expired food! It is not safe.
JoHannah says
Not sure what I did wrong, as I followed the recipe EXACTLY, besides when I spent 5 minutes using a food processor to turn my oats into powder and eventually gave up because it barely did anything…
The dough is NOT a dough. It’s extremely sticky yet impossible to work with. Would not keep the bone shape as I transferred to a sheet, they just fell apart in my hands so I made just balls instead…probably won’t try these again…
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi JoHannah, I’m sorry to hear they didn’t work out for you! It sounds like the oats may not have been ground quite fine enough, which helps the dough hold together. If you don’t have a strong food processor, using a blender or starting with oat flour can really help. I know it can be frustrating when a recipe doesn’t turn out—thanks for giving it a try and for the honest feedback
Jodie says
Just wondering if dogs can eat them from frozen or are they best left to thaw before giving them one?
My boy is 7 next week so these will be perfect for him 🙂
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Jodie, as long as they don't have any teeth problems it should be safe to feed them the frozen treats (of course, always best to check with your vet first). Chickpea enjoys the treats straight from the freezer as well!
Vanessa says
Help! Mine is too dry and won’t stick together to roll out. I’ve added more peanut butter and it’s not helping.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Vanessa! Sorry it wasn't turning out - sounds like it may not have been enough banana for moisture or too much oat. Were you able to bake them?
Rebecca Fenzau says
Maybe I missed it, but your recipe doesn't say how long to cook the treats, just how long to let them sit & puff up while they're cooling off.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. 🙂
Gaby says
Humans can eat these too right?? they sound delicious!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Haha! They sure can!!
Nancy says
My dog's 13th birthday is tomorrow. I have a granddaughter who won't eat anything sweet. These are perfect for both of them! haha
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Haha that's too cute! We're glad to hear it!