Decorating Christmas cookies is one of the best parts of December, and your dog doesn’t have to sit it out. These homemade Christmas cookies for dogs are classic cut-out cookies made with dog-safe ingredients: whole wheat flour, pumpkin, egg, a little xylitol-free peanut butter and coconut oil. Cut them into trees, stars, stockings and snowflakes, then pipe on a simple yogurt icing that looks just like royal icing.
The dough is sturdy enough for detailed cutters, the cookies bake flat with clean edges, and the recipe makes enough for a family dog plus a few gift bags. Below you will find the full recipe, a decorating guide with natural colors, make-ahead tips and storage times.
Quick Facts
- Prep time: 25 minutes
- Bake time: 18–20 minutes
- Icing set time: 2 hours in the fridge
- Oven: 350°F (175°C)
- Yield: About 30 cookies (3 inch / 7.5 cm)
- Decoration: Plain Greek yogurt + tapioca starch icing
What Makes These Christmas Cookies Dog-Friendly
Human Christmas cookies are usually made with butter, white sugar and sometimes chocolate, nutmeg or dried fruit, none of which belong in a dog treat. This version gets its flavor from pumpkin and peanut butter, its tenderness from a little coconut oil and its structure from whole wheat flour and egg. There is no added salt or sugar.
The decoration is also dog-safe. Instead of powdered-sugar royal icing, we thicken plain unsweetened Greek yogurt with tapioca starch. It pipes neatly and sets softly in the fridge. It won’t harden like royal icing, so iced cookies need to stay chilled.
Equipment You Need
- Christmas cookie cutters (trees, stars, stockings, gingerbread people)
- Rolling pin and two baking sheets lined with parchment
- Wire cooling rack
- Small zip-top bags or piping bags with a tiny round tip for icing
Dog-Friendly Christmas Cut-Out Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups (330 g) whole wheat flour, plus more for rolling
- 1/2 cup (120 g) plain unsweetened pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 1/4 cup (65 g) natural, unsalted peanut butter with no xylitol (check the label for “xylitol” or “birch sugar”)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp (28 g) coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) water, plus more if needed
- Yogurt icing: 1/2 cup (120 g) plain unsweetened Greek yogurt + 1 1/2 tbsp tapioca starch
- Optional natural colors: 1/2 tsp beet powder (red/pink), a pinch of spirulina (green)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
- In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin, peanut butter, egg, coconut oil and water until smooth.
- Add the flour and mix, then knead briefly until the dough is firm and no longer sticky. Add 1 tablespoon of water if crumbly, or a little flour if tacky.
- Divide the dough in half. Roll one half to 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick on a floured surface.
- Cut out Christmas shapes and transfer to the sheets, leaving 1/2 inch (1 cm) between cookies. Gather and re-roll scraps once.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes, until the cookies are firm and lightly golden at the edges.
- Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack and cool completely, at least 30 minutes.
- For the icing, whisk the yogurt and tapioca starch until smooth. Divide into bowls and tint with beet powder or spirulina if you like.
- Spoon the icing into small bags, snip a tiny corner and pipe outlines, snowflakes or garlands onto the cooled cookies.
- Refrigerate the decorated cookies on a tray for at least 2 hours, until the icing is set.
Storage
Un-iced cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Iced cookies should be refrigerated in a single layer and eaten within 5 days. You can also freeze iced cookies on a tray, then pack them between parchment; thaw in the fridge.
Decorating Ideas for Dog Christmas Cookies
- Snowflakes: pipe six thin lines through the center of star or snowflake cookies, then add small V shapes at each tip.
- Christmas trees: zig-zag white icing across a tree shape like tinsel, or tint it green with spirulina.
- Stockings: pipe a thick cuff across the top and fill it in with the back of a small spoon.
- Gingerbread people: add two dot eyes, a smile and three buttons.
- Simple drizzle: for quick batches, drizzle stripes across a whole tray at once.
Keep decorations thin. A heavy layer of yogurt adds calories and makes the cookies soft. If you want a no-icing look, press a fork pattern into the dough before baking or dust the cooled cookies very lightly with carob powder.
Make-Ahead Plan for the Holidays
Bake the cookies up to three months ahead and freeze them un-iced. A day before you need them, thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes and decorate. This keeps the icing fresh and the cookies crisp. If you are giving them as gifts, pack iced cookies in a box lined with parchment, keep them chilled, and include a note that they need to be refrigerated.
Ingredient Swaps
- Oat flour can replace whole wheat flour 1:1 by volume; the cookies will be more tender and slightly more fragile.
- Unsweetened applesauce can replace the pumpkin.
- Skip the peanut butter and add 2 tablespoons more pumpkin if your dog has a peanut allergy.
- Olive oil can replace coconut oil.
For more festive baking, see our 15 easy homemade christmas dog treat recipes and 15 cute christmas treat ideas for puppies.
How Many Cookies Can Your Dog Have?
Each 3-inch cookie is a treat, not a meal. Keep all treats under about 10% of your dog’s daily calories, which usually means one cookie a day for small dogs and two for large dogs. Break cookies into pieces for toy breeds.
Dog Safety Notes
- Peanut butter: use only natural, unsalted peanut butter with no xylitol (check the label for “xylitol” or “birch sugar”). Choose unsalted and unsweetened.
- Never add: chocolate or cocoa, grapes, raisins or currants, onion, garlic, chives or leeks, macadamia nuts, nutmeg, alcohol, raw yeast dough, cooked bones, added salt or sugar, or artificial sweeteners.
- Fruit and veg prep: remove apple cores and seeds, use seedless watermelon without rind, and use plain unsweetened pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) and plain unsweetened yogurt.
- Portions: treats should make up no more than about 10% of your dog’s daily calories. Cut pieces to suit your dog’s size and supervise chewing.
- Check with your vet before introducing new foods if your dog has allergies, a sensitive stomach, diabetes, pancreatitis, kidney disease or is on a prescription diet. Introduce one new treat at a time.
- Holiday table hazards: keep fatty meat trimmings, gravy, stuffing, mince pies, Christmas pudding, fruitcake and chocolate well out of reach.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is yogurt icing safe for dogs?
Plain unsweetened Greek yogurt is safe for most dogs in small amounts. Avoid flavored, sweetened or artificially sweetened yogurts. Skip the icing for dogs that don’t tolerate dairy.
Why don’t you use sugar icing?
Powdered sugar adds empty calories dogs don’t need, and store-bought icings can contain artificial sweeteners or colors. Yogurt icing looks festive without added sugar.
Can I use these cookie cutters for regular dog biscuits?
Yes. Any recipe that rolls out to 1/4 inch works, including our crunchy homemade dog biscuits.
Can dogs eat cookies with cinnamon or nutmeg?
Nutmeg is toxic to dogs and should never be used. We leave all warm spices out of these cookies to keep them simple and safe.
More Homemade Dog Treat Recipes
- 15 Easy Homemade Christmas Dog Treat Recipes
- 15 Cute Christmas Treat Ideas for Puppies
- How to Make Crunchy Homemade Dog Biscuits
- Dog-Friendly Christmas Dinner Ideas
This article is for general information and is not a substitute for advice from your veterinarian.