Dog Christmas Cookies: Gingerbread-Style Recipe With Safe Icing
Dog Christmas cookies are easy to make at home with oat flour, a spoonful of molasses, xylitol-free peanut butter and dog-safe spices like ground ginger and cinnamon. This recipe makes about 24 gingerbread-style cookies in under an hour, and it comes with a safe yogurt icing, decorating ideas and the one holiday spice you must leave out.
What you’ll need for dog Christmas cookies:
Gingerbread man cookie cutters, Dog bone cookie cutters, Silicone baking mat, Unsulphured molasses, Xylitol-free peanut butter for dogs, Piping bags for icing
Quick Answer
Mix 2 cups oat flour, 1/3 cup xylitol-free peanut butter, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon molasses, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 cup water. Roll to 1/4 inch, cut into gingerbread men or bones, and bake at 350°F for 15 to 18 minutes. Cool completely before icing. Never use nutmeg or a premade “pumpkin pie” or “gingerbread” spice blend, because they usually contain it.
🍪 Like these recipes? All 29 are in The Homemade Dog Treat Kitchen, a printable book with exact amounts and storage times ($9).
Why Dog Christmas Cookies Need Their Own Recipe
People cookies are built on sugar, butter and warm spice blends. Those are the exact things that cause trouble for dogs. A dog version keeps the look and the smell of a holiday cookie while swapping the risky ingredients:
| People cookie ingredient | Dog cookie swap | Why |
|---|---|---|
| White flour and sugar | Oat flour | Gentle on most stomachs, no white sugar |
| Butter | Xylitol-free peanut butter | Binds the dough and dogs love it |
| Gingerbread spice mix | Plain ground ginger and cinnamon | Spice mixes often contain nutmeg |
| Royal icing | Greek yogurt icing | No sugar or artificial coloring |
| Sprinkles and candies | Plain oats, carob chips or crushed freeze-dried berries | Some sprinkles and candies contain xylitol or chocolate |
Gingerbread-Style Dog Christmas Cookies
Makes: about 24 medium cookies | Prep: 15 min plus 15 min chilling | Bake: 15 to 18 min at 350°F
Ingredients
- 2 cups oat flour (or blend 2 1/4 cups rolled oats), plus extra for rolling
- 1/3 cup xylitol-free peanut butter
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup water, plus more as needed
Steps
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet.
- Whisk the peanut butter, egg, molasses and water until smooth.
- Stir in the oat flour, ginger and cinnamon. The dough should be firm, like play dough. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time if it cracks.
- Chill the dough 15 minutes. It cuts much cleaner when cold.
- Roll to 1/4 inch thick on a floured mat and cut with gingerbread man, tree, star or bone cutters.
- Bake 15 to 18 minutes, until firm at the edges. For extra crunch, turn off the oven and leave them inside for 30 minutes.
- Cool completely on a rack before icing.
Dog-Safe Icing
Stir 1/2 cup plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt with 2 tablespoons tapioca starch until thick and smooth. Spoon into a piping bag and pipe faces, buttons and outlines. Let the cookies set in the fridge for at least 1 hour. For color, mix a small amount with beet puree (pink to red) or blended spinach (green).
Variations
- Pumpkin version: swap the peanut butter for 1/3 cup pure pumpkin puree and keep the ginger and cinnamon.
- Peanut-free: use 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce and add 2 tablespoons more flour.
- Grain-free: use chickpea flour in place of oat flour. The dough is stickier, so chill it 30 minutes.
- Mini training cookies: cut with a 1 inch cutter and bake 10 to 12 minutes.
Looking for a year-round version? Our everyday dog cookies recipe uses the same method without the holiday spices.
Decorating Ideas
- Gingerbread dogs: pipe a collar and two dots for eyes.
- Snowy trees: dip the tips in yogurt icing and sprinkle with a few rolled oats.
- Ugly sweater bones: pipe zigzags and dots across a bone-shaped cookie.
- Name cookies: pipe each dog’s name for a stocking surprise.
Storage
Plain (un-iced) cookies keep 1 week in an airtight container on the counter, 2 weeks in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Iced cookies must stay in the fridge and are best within 3 days. If you plan to give them away, pack them plain and include a small cup of icing, or follow our DIY dog Christmas gifts guide.
Tessa’s Pro Tips
- Read every peanut butter label for xylitol or birch sugar, even brands you have bought before.
- Use parchment between layers when storing iced cookies so they don’t stick.
- Large dogs: break a cookie in half. Small dogs: one small cookie a day is plenty.
- Bake a double batch and freeze half for New Year’s.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is nutmeg bad for dogs?
Nutmeg contains myristicin, which can cause stomach upset and, in larger amounts, more serious symptoms. Holiday spice blends often include it, so use single spices you can see on the label.
Is molasses safe for dogs?
A tablespoon spread across a full batch of 24 cookies is a very small amount per cookie and is commonly used in dog treat recipes. Skip it for dogs with diabetes or weight concerns.
Can dogs eat ginger?
Small amounts of ground ginger are generally considered safe for dogs. Half a teaspoon in a full batch is plenty for flavor.
Can I use carob chips?
Yes. Carob is a dog-safe chocolate look-alike. Make sure the chips you buy are plain carob and not mixed with chocolate.
How long do dog Christmas cookies last?
Plain cookies last about 1 week at room temperature and up to 3 months frozen. Iced cookies last about 3 days in the fridge.
Can puppies have these cookies?
Most puppies can have a small piece of the plain cookie. Introduce new foods slowly and ask your vet if your puppy has any food sensitivities.
The Short Version
Oat flour, peanut butter, an egg, a little molasses, ginger and cinnamon make a dog Christmas cookie that smells like the real thing. Leave out nutmeg and white sugar, ice with yogurt, and keep iced cookies in the fridge. For more holiday baking, try our Christmas dog treats or classic peanut butter dog treats.
Printable Recipe Card
Want just the essential recipe details without scrolling through the article? Get our printable recipe card with just the ingredients and instructions.
Want all 29 recipes in one printable book?
The Homemade Dog Treat Kitchen has crunchy biscuits, frozen treats, peanut butter favorites, a new holiday chapter and a fresh-style meal, each with exact amounts, calories per treat and storage times. Print it and keep it in the kitchen.
