Making homemade peanut butter dog treats is easy and far cheaper than buying pet treats with ingredients you can’t understand.

Give your dog the best and try my homemade peanut butter dog treats recipe using only five simple ingredients.

Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats With Simple Ingredients

I’ve never given much thought to our pet budget and making homemade peanut butter dog treats, but it has benefits.

1. Dog treats are easy to make with only five ingredients.
2. You control the ingredients.
3. The costs for homemade dog treats are far less than store-bought ones
4. Your dog will love you to the moon and back

Owning A Pet Costs Money

We save $113 a month into our pet budget to cover costs such as vet bills, food, treats, pet license, snow boots, leash, poop bags, etc.

Before deciding to get a dog, you should complete financial and emotional research into the costs associated with pet ownership.

Related: How much does it cost to own a dog in Canada?

These peanut butter dog treats are as easy to make as my peanut butter cookies for humans.

I thought it was a brilliant idea, but I wasn’t sure if our dog would be into the whole peanut butter dog treats idea.

As per usual, I was wrong because he loved them. He is a dog after all, right?

After the first peanut butter treat, he sat and watched them baking in the oven.

He made sure to come and keep reminding me that his peanut butter treats were baking and not to forget about them.

I almost felt he was trying to say, “I don’t like burnt biscuits,“ so I had to bring my netbook into the kitchen to do my work.

I’d get nothing done with all the pacing back and forth he was doing, reminding me about the oven being on.

It was like he was championing the new homemade dog treats and was head of the company.

You know, like…the BOSS!

I forgot I had a cookie cutter in the first batch of homemade peanut butter dog treats, so I cut out dog bone shapes with a knife.

I made enough for the photo, and then I gave up and used my biscuit cutter, and then I cut that in half to make half-moons.

You can cut them up with a knife; your dog won’t care what blinkin’ shape they are.

However, you can buy dog bone cookie cutters cheaply to make your dog treats look like the real deal.

There’s nothing funky in these homemade dog biscuits; they are everyday pantry items that the recipe calls for.

You need five ingredients to make this easy homemade peanut butter dog treat recipe.

• Peanut butter (only nuts)
• Baking powder
• Eggs
• Whole wheat flour
• Pumpkin puree or sweet yam puree

There’s only 1/2 cup of peanut butter, so not much, but enough to flavor the dog treats.

You can use regular peanut butter with sugar, peanuts, or homemade peanut butter.

Some people like to add honey to their homemade dog treats, so that’s another option if you want a sweet dog treat.

Soft vs. Crunchy Peanut Butter Dog Treats

If you’ve followed my blog, you know our dog has been ill and we have had large vet bills over the past two months.

He prefers to eat soft and chewy foods since he’s just had his teeth cleaned and three pulled out.

I pulled the homemade peanut butter dog treats from the oven early and let them sit for a few minutes.

Like any other cookies, they will become crunchy or even burnt if you overbake them.

Removing the peanut butter dog treats early allows them to keep a softer texture, which some dogs love.

They will be crunchy if you keep the dog treats in a bit longer or double-bake them as you would biscotti.

They did not harden but are nice and soft, and he adores them because they are easy for him to chew and the flavors are spot-on.

You’ll find out how I know soon. Haha!

Store-Bought vs. Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats

I don’t think we will waste our money on store-bought dog treats anymore, especially since these are a budget-friendly alternative.

The only problem is he loves sausage rolls, or what’s more commonly referred to as MarroBone treats from Pedigree.

MarroBone treats are made with real bone marrow and have a delicious meaty center. I did not try them either; I just read the bag.

Human Review of Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats

If you ask my mum, she will tell you that I fancied dog treats when I was a kid.

Please don’t ask me why, because I can’t answer any questions on the topic; however, I have tasted my fair share of dog treats.

I will also admit that my wife asked me to try this peanut butter dog treat recipe to see what it tasted like.

She only did it because I told her I used to eat dog biscuits when I was young, and she didn’t believe me.

Now she does.

What do the homemade dog treats taste like?

It tastes like a peanut butter dog cookie, so let that be your human review and move on.

If you put a peanut butter biscuit and a Pedigree MarroBone on the ground, the MarroBone always wins.

They are expensive sometimes, upwards of $3.99-$4.99 a bag, so we only buy them on sale for $3.99 max.

Each MarroBone has vitamins A, E, D, and Calcium to support healthy teeth and bones.

Calculating The Costs of Dog Treats

The bag suggests that for a small dog, up to 3 treats per day, a medium dog, up to 5 treats per day, and a large dog, up to 8 treats per day.

I’ve never read the bag before, and our dog has not had anywhere near 8 per day, but that means we’d finish this bag before the month is up.

The bag doesn’t tell me how many are inside, so I had to manually count them for 68 treats at 8 per day, which would last him just over eight days.

Over 365 days x 8 treats per day / 68 treats in a bag = 42.94 bags of MarroBone per year x $5.19 ($4.59 * 1.13 = cost per bag with tax) = $222.72 for dog treats for the year! 

The peanut butter dog treats cost me approximately $2.50 to make 70 treats, plus my time and electricity.

I baked at a cheap rate, although I do know every ingredient in the recipe.

I don’t know how many he should have daily, which is comparable to MarroBone.

The recipe contains eggs, whole wheat flour, oats, water, cornmeal, and peanut butter.

The peanut butter contains healthy fat, protein, and fiber.

We may continue to purchase his favorite Pedigree MarroBone treats when they are on sale, but on a limited basis.

We will eliminate the generic brand of small dog bones, which we also typically purchase for around $3.99 a bag.

He can still have his MarroBone fix, complemented with homemade peanut butter dog treats instead.

Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats with Pumpkin

Since Mrs. CBB has been on a low-GI diet, she’s been roasting pumpkin, sweet potatoes, or yams.

I don’t mind them, but they aren’t my favorite; I prefer a traditional spud.

Our dog, however,  loves roasted sweet potatoes and pumpkin and makes that fact known by sitting in front of the oven.

I added some homemade pumpkin puree to the peanut butter dog treats.

You can use sweet potato or yam if you don’t have pumpkin puree.

It’s like hiding pumpkin puree in fudgy brownies so those who hate vegetables get a serving. Lots of people do that.

Homemade Dog Food

I think it’s smart that dog owners create homemade dog food recipes for their pets as long as they get their nutrients.

Our veterinarian was concerned when we told her that our dog enjoys Wheatabix and whole-wheat toast for breakfast.

Yes, you read that right.

Oh, how many of you pet owners don’t give your pet something special for a treat?

No, he doesn’t get it slathered with butter and marmalade, although if he had it his way, I’m betting on peanut butter since he loves it.

When he was younger, he stole half of a Nutella sandwich from a plate when no one was looking and gobbled it all up.

Of course, he loved every second of that, but luckily, he didn’t get ill since chocolate is unsuitable for dogs.

Mobile Dog Spa Services

So, no fancy in-ground dog pool and spa pet wash that visits the home for the posh spa treatment each week.

Our neighbor has a mobile dog wash that comes once a week to pamper their poodle.

No, it’s not the “Mutt Cutts” van as seen in the movie Dumb and Dumber either.

It’s the funniest pet convenience service you will ever see, but owners appreciate this service.

Our dog gets a standard dog wash, dry, and brush with the occasional body massage from our mini hand massager, but that’s the extent of his spa day.

Dog Nutrition Changes With Age

Our dog is getting older, and he wants different foods now.

He doesn’t have much time to live, so for the last couple of years, we will make his stay on this earth a good one.

It makes us happy when he’s happy, so it’s worth it for us as pet owners.

It doesn’t stop there because he won’t eat his dog food unless it’s soft and has some human food mixed in.

We’ve been adding water to his food, a bit of gravy, and sometimes cheese, minced beef, boiled chicken, rice, or sauce.

He gobbles it all up in a flash.

Some may think he’s spoiled, but his teeth give him problems, and he gets bored eating the same foods.

I have to ask myself if I could handle eating the same food daily.

Likely not, ensuring we give him the best we can, including all the valuable nutrients he needs, is essential.

Pet Allergies

Our friend has a dog that is allergic to almost everything, and she also has to make his dog food for this reason.

She makes his dog food from fresh lamb, which is costly for anyone with a grocery budget.

Have you seen the prices in Ontario for lamb?

She spares nothing regarding her pet, but he can only eat certain foods, let alone hang out in the grass, which gives him a rash.

She’s a good pet owner who takes care of her pet and treats him like family, as it should be.

As pet owners, we must go above and beyond to accommodate our animals, even if that means a fancy lamb dinner.

Sure, we could buy some expensive soft dog food, but our dogs’ backend doesn’t seem to approve. We’ve tried it, trust me.

We’ve even tried the lower-end brands of soft canned food, and it just doesn’t agree with him.

We can understand why homemade dog food would be best for pets with health issues.

Dog Pet Stores

We’ve been to pet stores, bought organic dog food, and gone through the range from the most to the least expensive at the grocery store.

We’ve also purchased dog food at the veterinarian, which he liked for a while, then turned his nose up once he got sick of it.

We mix up the vet and store-bought pet food, but have to add the extra bits like a topping so he’ll eat it.

Yep, dogs are picky eaters too.

We’re feeding him a British dog food called Harrington’s Lamb and Rice, which we found at Wal-Mart for a reasonable price.

How to Make Easy Peanut Butter Dog Treats

If you want to make homemade dog bones, it’s a bit of work to bake up, but it’s worth the 30-minute effort for your dog and your pet budget.

Making homemade dog treats is fine, and adding nutrient-rich meals to mix in his dry food bowl works for us and our dog.

We talked with our veterinarian, who didn’t have problems adding cheese, gravy, or proteins as long as he got all the nutrients.

That and a good dose of exercise to keep him in top-notch shape make for a healthy, happy pet.

Note: Printable recipe is at the end of the blog post.

Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats Ingredients

• 1/2 cup peanut butter with only nuts
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 2 + 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (add more if needed)
• 3/4 pumpkin puree or sweet yam puree

Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
• Line a large baking sheet with silicone baking mats or parchment paper
• In your stand mixer or bowl with a hand-mixer, add the pumpkin, eggs, and peanut butter
• Mix until combined, about 2 minutes
• Add the whole wheat flour, holding back the 1/2 cup, which you will add a little at the end until it becomes a dough you can handle. You don’t want a sticky dough.
• Sprinkle some flour on your counter or cutting board and knead the dough for 5 minutes.
• Roll the peanut butter dog treats cookie dough using a rolling pin to 1/4 inch thick. They will rise with the baking powder.
• Cut out the dog treats with a knife or dog bone cookie cutter (or any of your choice).
• Roll the dough until all the peanut butter dog treats are cut.
• Line them on the baking sheet about 1 inch apart and bake for 20-25 minutes or until slightly golden.

Simple, easy peanut butter dog treats that you can store in a jar or basket for your dog.

However, now we have to find a hiding spot for the peanut butter dog treats because if he can smell or see them, he will guard them with his life.

Discussion: Do you make homemade pet treats or pet food?

Please leave me your comments below and let me know what pet treats you make!

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