For a special Valentine’s post we wanted to give you a way to say “I love you” to your best friends! As a bonus to you, this home-made dog treat recipe is also so simple and quick to make!
Just 3 Ingredients
Free From Common Doggy Allergens
High Fibre
Super Tasty For Your Dog (And Honestly Not Bad Tasting For Humans!)
And They Cost Us Less Than $1 To Make!
3 Ingredients For Home-Made Dog Treats
The three simple ingredients for this home-made dog treat recipe are:
- Cooked sweet potato
- All natural peanut butter (no sweeteners or additives)
- And oat flour (made from grinding whole oats)
AND… if you’re hoping for an even simpler option that requires no cooking of the sweet potato… you can use canned pumpkin puree!
Dogs love pumpkin and it’s very healthy for them as long as the pumpkin you are using is not sweetened! Make sure you are not using pumpkin pie filling which often has sweeteners and additives. Your can of pumpkin puree should have pumpkin as the only ingredient listed.
Likewise, the peanut butter you use should have peanuts as the only ingredient listed. Make sure there are no additives that could be harmful to your dog.
And if you’re wondering how to make oat flour… don’t stress! Simply grind the regular quick or rolled oats in your pantry into a fine meal and you have oat flour!
I decided to use all oat flour for this recipe as many dogs are sensitive to wheat. BUT… if your dog isn’t sensitive to wheat then feel free to make this recipe with whole wheat flour and there will be no grinding of oats involved either!
Make The Dough
Are you ready for how easy this is?
Stir together the mashed sweet potato and peanut butter.
If you are wondering how to cook sweet potato for this recipe, you can peel and boil cubed sweet potato. Then mash it as you would for mashed potatoes. You could even freeze the mashed sweet potato in silicone muffin liners for easy portions!
Or… bake whole sweet potatoes at 425 degrees F for 40-55 minutes until the sweet potato is soft and the skin has pulled away. Once the potato is cool, remove the skin and freeze the whole sweet potato! When you need one, just take it out of the freezer and defrost it really quickly in the microwave. Now you’re ready to make this home-made dog treat recipe in a flash!
Next…
Add the ground oat flour into the combined sweet potato and peanut butter.
Stir to combine using a spoon or your hands. I find it easier to mix this dough with my hands as it is a little sticky.
If for any reason the dough seems a little dry to you, just add a splash of water or unsweetened oat milk. OR… a bit more peanut butter or sweet potato. And if the dough seems much too sticky to handle, a dash more flour will help to firm it up.
Roll It Out
Although this dough is a little sticky, I find it quite easy to roll out with my rolling pin on a silicone mat. Roll the dough out to between ¼″ and ½″ thick. As there are no raising agents in this dough, the thickness of the biscuits at this stage will be the thickness of the cooked biscuits.
Here is where you can really customize this home-made dog treat recipe for your dog!
- Use a larger cookie cutter for bigger dogs.
- Make the biscuits as thick or thin as is best for your dog.
- And if you don’t have a cookie cutter… cut the dough into small square treats!
If you are having trouble rolling out a sticky dough…
Placing a piece of wax paper overtop the dough and using your rolling pin on top of the wax paper will prevent the dough from sticking to your rolling pin.
And if you start rolling the dough and it is too crumbly…
Don’t be afraid of overworking the dough. You can scoop it back up and add in a bit more of a wet ingredient. Water, unsweetened oat milk, or a bit more peanut butter or pumpkin will all work. Then, roll the dough out again.
Baking Time For This Home-Made Dog Treat Recipe
Here is another area where you can customize these treats perfectly for your dog!
Bake these home-made dog treats at 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.
Only bake the treats for 10-12 minutes if your dog prefers soft treats with instant gratification!
Or… leave these treats in for 15 minutes for a crunchier treat that will take your dog a little longer to enjoy!
Recipe Cost
Here’s the best part…
This home-made dog treat recipe costs us approximately: $0.83 CAD for 40-50 small dog bone treats!
Compared to buying store-bought treats for at least $10 a bag… this recipe shows both your dog and your wallet some love!
Let me know in the comments below if you make these home-made treats for your dog and how they like them! I know other readers will want to know how you customized these to suit your dog best so make sure to gush with lots of details about your cute pup!
Oh… and if you want to make some yummy things for yourself use any leftover sweet potato for Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos. Try my popular Peanut Butter Chickpea Cookie Dough Bars too!
Print
3 Ingredient Dog Treats, Home-Made With Love
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 40–50 small treats 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
An easy, 3 ingredient, home-made dog treat recipe. High fibre, free of common doggy allergens, and rewarding for both your dog & your wallet.
Ingredients
- 1 cup oat flour (or whole wheat flour if your dog is not sensitive to wheat)
- ¼ cup peanut butter (all natural, ensure the only ingredient is peanuts)
- ½ cup cooked sweet potato, mashed* (or unsweetened pumpkin puree)
*Ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and prepare a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Stir together mashed sweet potato and all natural peanut butter (no sweeteners or additives).
- Add the flour. If using oat flour you can make it yourself by just grinding quick or rolled oats into a flour using a food processor. If your dog is not sensitive to wheat, feel free to use whole wheat flour.
- Mix the flour into the wet ingredients with a spoon or your hands until fully combined. The dough will be a little sticky but I find it pretty easy to roll out. If the dough seems too dry, you can add a splash of water or oat milk. If the dough is too sticky to roll out, just add a bit more flour.
- Transfer the dough to a silicone mat or sheet of wax paper and roll out to between ¼” and ½” thickness. (Placing another piece of wax paper on top of the dough can make it easier to roll if it’s sticky). Cut out your treats using a biscuit cutter of your choosing or simply slice the dough into small square treats. Keep in mind that as there are no rising agents in this dough so the thickness of the biscuit at this stage will be the thickness of the cooked biscuit.
- Transfer the cut out treats to your lined baking tray and bake at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. For softer treats bake for 10-12 minutes and for crunchier treats bake for 15 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely and store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to one week or freeze for up to 2 months.
Notes
Approximate Cost: $0.83 CAD vs at least $10 for store-bought dog treats.
To cook raw sweet potato, peel and boil until soft or bake at 425 degrees F for 40-55 minutes until the potato is cooked and the skin pulls away. Allow to cool, peel the skin, and use right away or freeze until you need it!
Feel free to substitute the sweet potato with unsweetened pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) or even cooked and mashed carrot.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Thrifty How-Tos
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
Nai
How long will these treats last in the cupboard before spoiling? 🙂
Kathryn Alexandre
They will definitely be good in the cupboard for 3-4 days. I usually keep them in the fridge or freezer to keep them as fresh as possible so I haven’t tested any longer than a few days on the counter. You could make a larger batch, store most of them in the fridge or freezer, and take a few out a time to keep in the cupboard for a few days. I hope this helps!
Rickie M
Great recipe! I finally became tired of the nonstop purchasing of expensive treats for my sensitive lab. I just made a large batch and they turned out great. I used tahini and PB combo.
Kathryn Alexandre
Oh I love the tahini combo! Great idea. I’m so glad you have found this recipe helpful and it will keep some extra cash in your pockets! Thank you so much for letting me know and for the star review!
MarMar
I’ve been making this same cookies for 3 years now and when I don’t feel like using the cookie cutters I place dough on baking sheet, flatten and use a bench scraper or knife to score line across the entire sheet to easily break into individual squares. I bake at least 45 minutes and leave some in longer to make sure they snap apart for longer storage. I always sure my cookies in the fridge.
Kathryn Alexandre
This is great to know! Your oven temperature must be a little bit lower if you’re baking them for 45 minutes? I’ve started experimenting with turning the oven off after the baking time but leaving the treats in the oven as it cools down in order to draw out more moisture and create a crunchier treat. It’s good to know that you store them in the fridge as well. Thank you!
Donna
My dogs love these. Made a bunch f small square ones to hide in their puzzles and their shaggy rug for nose exercises, and a bunch of bone shaped ones using a cookie cutter as trick treats.
Kathryn Alexandre
That’s a great idea! I’m glad you were able to make those small ones for their puzzles! Thank you so much for giving them a try and letting me know your dogs love them! (Thank you for the star rating as well!)
Sonya Burkheimer
What does CAD stand for? Sorry.
Kathryn Alexandre
Canadian dollars! Not a problem!
Gabby
Can I sub oat flour with either AP or almond flour??
Kathryn Alexandre
Both are generally safe for dogs and they will work in this recipe. Almond flour can be a little tougher on their digestion so you could test out a small amount and see how your dog reacts. AP flour is generally safe as well and if you want to sneak in a bit more nutrition you could use a whole wheat flour. You may need to adjust the amount of moisture if the dough is too wet or too dry when you use a different flour. I hope you find an alternative that you and your pup enjoy!
Gabby
Alrighty, I’ll most likely use AP flour!
Kathryn Alexandre
Great! Let me know how it works out for you!
Amber
I’m eager to bake these!😋🐕 How many of these can I give my dog in 1 day? He has 13 kg
JACKIE
My doggo loves the biscuits! 🐶❤️🍪
Kathryn Alexandre
Wonderful! I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for trying them and for the lovely star rating.
Jacqui
Made these for my very fussy dog suffering with gland issues. And he absolutely loves them im shocked ive made 2 more batches and worked to help him
Overall I’d say these are really worth trying for your dog and so easy to make and smell pretty good too
Thankyou xx
Kathryn Alexandre
You’re welcome! I’m so glad your dog loves them and they are easy for you to make. Thank you so much for letting me know and for leaving a star review!
Kathleen Kobylinski
Jacqui did you use the pumpkin or sweet potato. I just made them with the mashed carrots and doggy loves them. But he also has gland issues. So I may switch the ingredients. Thank you. Kathy.
Kathryn Alexandre
I’m glad to hear they worked well with carrots! Thank you for letting me know (I’ll have to try that!). I would think Jacqui used sweet potato since they didn’t mention making a substitution so if you don’t get a response from them I hope you’re able to switch up the ingredients with success!
Anne Adams
Hi Jacque,
How about adding mashed sardines or tinned salmon to the mix to make them more tempting. Would that work?
Thank you.
Kathryn Alexandre
Hi! If your dog loves fish I’m sure that will work well. The sweet potato and peanut butter seem to be a pretty tempting combo haha but you can certainly add your dogs favourites in there!
Nikki Sharp
Think these are cat friendly?
Kathryn Alexandre
Oh good question. Although none of these ingredients are toxic for cats it doesn’t seem to be recommended for them to consume the peanut butter and even sweet potato. It seems to be ok to give very small amounts in moderation but these ingredients don’t add anything to their nutrition and are generally recommended against. I’m sorry I don’t have better news for your kitty!
Sacheen Everett
My dogs love ❤️ these treats thank you so much!
Kathryn Alexandre
woohoo! Glad they love them! Thank you for giving them a try and letting me know.
Adrienne
I know this is old, but I have a dog who cannot eat wheat OR oats. I have found that tapioca flour works great as a substitute! Just use the same amount of tapioca flour as the recipe says to use for oat flour or wheat (i.e. the substitution is 1:1).
Kathryn Alexandre
This is so great to know! Thank you so much for posting so that others in a similar situation can give it a try!
Ann vincent
What is AP flour and where do you get it?
Kathryn Alexandre
Good question. AP flour is all purpose flour. It’s a white general use flour that is referred to as “plain flour” in the UK. All purpose flour is typically the easiest to find in any grocery store. Whole wheat or wholemeal flour has a bit more nutrition and can be used as well. I love using ground oats as the flour in this recipe because it tends to cause less upset in dogs and adds a good dose of nutrition but those other flours will also work.
Shawna
What about subbing some of the oat flour with wheat germ?
Kathryn Alexandre
Oh I have never tried that but it seems like wheat germ is safe for dogs and has a high omega-3 content. As long as your dog doesn’t have any problems processing wheat, I think that should work out really well! Let me know if you give it a try!
Katie
What could be an alternate ingredient if you’re dog doesn’t like peanut butter?
Kathryn Alexandre
A sunflower seed butter or tahini (sesame seed butter) would work. Almond and cashew butters are also safe for dogs. You could also try substituting the peanut butter with unsweetened applesauce or another unsweetened puree like pumpkin! You may just need to adjust the ratios a bit to get a dough that holds together if you use something like an applesauce that has a bit more water content than peanut butter (adding a bit more oat flour if the dough is too sticky or adding a bit more wet ingredients if the dough is too firm and crumbly). I hope these ideas help and you find something your dog will enjoy!
Marj
My dogs like these. I processed rolled oats until fine, microwaved the sweet potato and used all natural peanut butter. For my next batch, I will use mashed carrots instead of sweet potatoes, add flax seed and turmeric. I bake until crunchy and keep these in the fridge in an airtight container. I will be giving this as a gift to my friends with fur babies.
Kathryn Alexandre
Oh fantastic! I’m so glad your fur babies like them and I love those ingredient substitutions! So glad you’re gifting some and spreading the treats around! Thank you for letting me know!
Patty
Can a mashed banana be used instead of sweet potato? Love the Tahini idea!!!
Kathryn Alexandre
Yes I have heard from others that they have used mashed banana or applesauce. Depending on the size of your banana you might need a couple of them to make up 1/2 cup but that should definitely work well. Let me know if you give it a try!
Samantha Arseneau
These are awesome and so easy to make and dog approved by all 3 of my pups ! We used whole whole wheat flour , pumpkin purée and peanut butter ! Then drizzled peanut butter on top! Gonna try sweet potatoes next ♥️
Kathryn Alexandre
I love the peanut butter drizzle idea. That’s great! I’m really glad they all enjoyed them with the pumpkin puree. Let me know how the sweet potato goes!
Chanda stanley
These are quick and super easy to make. My 2 pitbulls love them, and it is much cheaper than buying them at the store, plus you know what is in them.
Kathryn Alexandre
I’m so glad to hear your pitbulls love them and that you’re able to save a bit! Thank you for letting me know and for the star rating!
Bernie
Could this be used raw to roll into balls to make pill pockets? My dog is now on a low sodium diet and the name brand pill pocket options have sodium in them. Thank you!
Kathryn Alexandre
That’s a good idea. Everything in this recipe should be safe for your dog to consume raw. Too many raw oats could cause stomach upset in some dogs but if your dog is generally fine with oats and these are used sparingly in the raw form then you hopefully won’t see any trouble there. Another thing to ensure is that the peanut butter doesn’t contain any sweeteners and peanuts are the only ingredient listed. I would store the dough in the fridge or freezer as it will likely not have a very long shelf life. Let me know if you give it a try and how your dog handles them!
Sherri Wilson
If I were to use AP flour could I still add whole oats to the peanut butter and sweet potato mixture? Thank you for your advice!!
Kathryn Alexandre
Yes that should work just fine. If your dog is not sensitive to AP flour then that will work perfectly and mixed into these treats, whole oats should be fine for them to digest. Let me know if you give it a try and how it works out!
Lindy
Do you have to use parchment paper,? I can place these directly on tray, can’t i?
Kathryn Alexandre
I always use parchment or a silicone mat just so there’s no sticking but you shouldn’t have too much trouble with them sticking if you don’t use anything. Especially if that is what you usually do for other recipes and you don’t find you have trouble with your pans!
Dawn Cook
What can be used instead of peanut butter, my dog doesn’t like peanut butter
Kathryn Alexandre
If your dog likes another nut or seed butter, almond butter or sunflower butter would be my first two recommendations. Tahini (sesame butter) also seems to be safe. Like the peanut butter, just ensure that any butter you use is unsweetened and free of any additives. If your dog does not like nut/seed butters you could try making these with a bit of plain applesauce, mashed banana, or carrot puree. Since those purees lack the fat in the butters you may need to add a bit more oat flour to help the biscuits bind together. I hope this is helpful and let me know what you end up trying!
Michelle Brezae
I don’t give the pups wheat or corn for allegy problems so substituted a couple cups of dog friendly cooked cous cous to the dough. No longer sticky as well!
Kathryn Alexandre
Oh I love the couscous idea! I’ll have to try that. Thank you so much for letting me know!
Darsur
I make a lot of dog treats, and I’ve never written a review…. Until now! I just had to tell you I love everything about this recipe! First of all the dough is wonderfully easy to mix together and roll out! I have made many different treats, but I’m a novice baker and the dough can be a real challenge if I want to make a substitution, i’m adding water, flour, whatever, and end up making a big mess!! . But not this one! I love the feel of it. There are only three ingredients…HEALTHY ingredients, and my Pitbull happens to love all three😊. this recipe is quick, simple, healthy, and the treats turn out perfectly crunchy, yet tender. thank you thank you. I will keep forever.🩵🩷🩵
Kathryn Alexandre
Thank you so much for such a lovely review. I’m so happy that you and your Pitbull love these treats. It’s great to hear that you find the dough easy to work with and that this is a recipe you will keep forever! That makes my day! Thank you so much for giving these treats a try and taking the time to give the recipe such a great review and star rating ❤️
Heather H
These are so easy to make and my dog loves them!
Kathryn Alexandre
Awesome! Thank you for trying them Heather and for leaving the lovely star rating!
Sonya Burkheimer
What does CAD mean?
Kathryn Alexandre
Ah, you may have missed my last response! CAD stands for Canadian dollars.
Anonymous
My dog love these. Thank you!
Kathryn Alexandre
You’re welcome!! So glad they love them!
Rita
Do I have to let the finished cookies cool or put them in a fridge for a while? The ones I made are not crispy, and it’s soft inside. Any suggestions? Thank you!
Kathryn Alexandre
They will crisp up a little bit as they cool. If your oven is still hot and you want them really crispy you can put them back in the oven as it cools and the heat that is still radiating in there will continue to dry out the cookies. In general, they might take a little longer in the oven if they are a little more thick than mine or depending on how much moisture was in your sweet potato. Next time if you want them crispy, you can try only removing them from the oven when they feel firm to you. For now, you can put them back in your warm oven if you read this in time or just bake them a little longer at a lower temperature to dry them out. I hope this helps and catches you in time!
Gen
I substituted with Gluten free four because of my dog’s allergies, I also make all her food. It worked great with GF flour, she LOVES these treats. I make a big batch and keep some out & freeze the rest in quart ziplock bags. Then just pull out a bag as she gets low and needs them.
Kathryn Alexandre
This is so great! Thank you so much for trying them and letting anyone else who is wondering about gluten-free flour know that it has worked for you and your dog! I’m so glad she loves them!
Tasha
My fur baby loved this recipe and it was so easy!!
Kathryn Alexandre
Yay!! I’m so glad they loved it and you loved how easy it was. Thank you so much for letting me know and for giving the recipe a star rating. That means so much!