healthy dog treats recipe without peanut butter

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated January 15, 2025

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Homemade Dog Treats Without Peanut Butter

These homemade dog treats without peanut butter are made with 4 simple ingredients. Baked, crunchy treats for dogs with the goodness of oat flour, natural sweetness of applesauce, and yummy flavor of sunflower seed butter.

If you want to eliminate peanuts from your dogs diet or just looking for tasty treats to make, this recipe is for you! Your furry friend is going to love them and they are so good for them youll enjoy spoiling them with these yummy treats. Add these to the list of homemade dog food ideas that you already have.

FYI This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Why This Dog Treat Recipe Without Peanut Butter is the Best

Your dog is going to love these peanut free dog treats! And you wont mind making them because they are super easy cutout cookies! When you just want to make some doggie cookies, this is the best of all the no peanut butter dog treats recipes!

Not only are these homemade treats without peanut butter, they are also:

Dog treats without sugar
Dog treats without artificial sweeteners
Dog treats without preservatives

You probably already have all of the ingredients that you need to make these dog treats without peanut butter. Yep, I used pantry staples to make this dog biscuit recipe.

The best part about this simple recipe is that these DIY dog treats without peanut butter are made with healthy ingredients so they are actually good for your dog. Your pup will think they are eating a treat, but you will know they are eating nourishing food that is as good as a vitamin.

Homemade Oat Flour Dog Treats Without Peanut Butter

Dog treats with oat flour and sunflower seed butter are some of the best healthy treats you can make. They are a gluten-free treat that is high in dietary fiber.

They are a great way to add a little nutrition into your dogs diet.

Want to know what is so healthy about them? Ill give you some health benefits and nutrition information about these all-natural dog treats here in this post.

If you enjoy baking healthy dog treats, then this no peanut butter dog treats simple recipe is just for you!

The crunchy homemade dog biscuits recipe is just a little further below. First, heres more about a couple of the ingredients and why I chose to use them.

Benefits of Oat Flour for Dogs

Did you know that oats are full of healthy nutrients? Thats why dog treats with oat flour are a great thing to make your furry best friend! These treats are gluten-free, so you can give them to your pet if they have issues with wheat.

Oats have vitamin B which helps your pet maintain a healthy coat. Its also a good source of omega-6 fatty acids that helps keep a dogs skin strong and healthy.

Oats have soluble fiber in them. The fiber will help them regulate glucose levels and give them relief if they are having trouble pooping.

Benefits of Sunflower Seed Butter for Dogs

Its a great option for any dog with a peanut allergy.

Sunbutter has more magnesium, zinc, iron, and vitamin E than peanut butter. Vitamin E helps to balance cholesterol levels and reduces damage from free radicals.

Almost 90 percent of the fat in sunflower seed butter is unsaturated which is the good kind of fat that helps fight inflammation and lower cholesterol.

Read more about dogs and sunflower seeds.

Great Recipe to Make and Share

Not only are these a special treat that even a picky eater will love, but you can give them as great gifts for a dog mom or dog dad! They are sure to be a big hit and you may be making a second batch to have plenty on hand.

Oh, and its a great recipe to share with fellow dog moms. Be sure to share it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or your favorite social media platform.

Recipe Ingredients

The detailed ingredient amounts and step-by-step directions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. First, I want to share some information about the ingredients in these peanut butter free dog treats.

Heres a list of what you need to make this easy recipe. There are only 4 simple ingredients! Use organic ingredients if you want to make organic dog treats.

Oat Flour More nutritious than plain flour and imparts a nice flavor too.
Sunflower Seed Butter Gives these treats a great flavor.
Applesauce To naturally sweeten the treats and add moisture to the dough.
Large Eggs Binds the dough and adds protein to the treats.

Ingredient and Recipe Notes

When you make this dog treats recipe, there are a few things to keep in mind:

Be sure to use only natural sunflower butter and no sugar unsweetened is best. Do not use any that contains xylitol, a sweetener that is toxic to dogs.

You can make your own oat flour by placing oats in a food processor or blender and blending until it has the consistency of flour.

You can make these treats with regular flour like all purpose flour. If you want to use whole wheat flour, you will need to reduce the amount to 2 cups of flour or less and possibly need to add more applesauce or water if the dough is too dry.

Serving Size

How many homemade dog treats should you give your dog at once? It depends on the size of your dog and what else you gave your pet to eat that day. This might be a healthier treat, but it is still a treat.

Treats should not make up the majority of your dogs calorie intake. They should be something they eat on rare occasions, along with healthy dog food.

Dogs shouldnt overeat too many carbs even healthy ones from oat flour and sunbutter. For this reason, I suggest only giving your spoiled hound one treat per day. If you have a really small dog, you can break the treats into small pieces.

Equipment Needed

You probably have most of the kitchen items you need to make these homemade dog treats without peanut butter. You can use any regular cookie cutters but ones shaped like a dog, dog bone, or dog paw give these treats a fun look.

How to Make Dog Treats without Peanut Butter

These are the recipe steps and some photos of the process for making the treats. I hope they help you make this healthy dog treat recipe!

You can scroll down to the bottom of this article for a printable recipe card.

Place the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Combine the ingredients well using a hand mixer, a spoon, or your hands.
Let the dough sit in the bowl for 15 to 20 minutes so it can stiffen up a little.

Transfer the dough to a flat surface lightly dusted with oat flour.

Roll out the dough until it is about 1/3-inch thick.
Using your favorite cookie cutter, cut out as many shapes as possible.

Gather scraps, press them together, then re-roll and cut out more treats.
Place the cutouts on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.
Transfer the baked treats to a wire rack and cool them to room temperature.

If you dont have a wire rack to let the treats cool, you can place them on a silicone mat or sheet of parchment paper.

How to Store Baked Dog Treats

Store the DIY dog treats in a container for dog treats. You can store them at room temperature in an airtight container.

A dog treat jar is best so they are not mistaken for human treats. Here are some cute ones on Amazon:

How long do homemade dog treats last?

If stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these baked dog treats should last for 7 to 10 days. You can refrigerate them for up to 2 weeks. To store the treats for a long time, freeze them for up to 6 months.

Can you eat dog treats?

Sure thing, you can eat these treats! All of the ingredients are safe for human consumption. But I doubt you would enjoy them since they arent sweet. I suggest making Sunbutter Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies to enjoy and share with family and friends.

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Popular Homemade Dog Treat Recipes

Want to make more treats for your dog? Here are some different types of dog treats to make:

Find more easy dog treat recipes here on Spoiled Hounds!

Want to get the best store-bought dog treats instead of making homemade ones? Check out these favorite dog treats on my Amazon dog treats ideas list. Theres also my list of the Best Treats for Whippets.

Dog Treats without Peanut Butter

Homemade baked dog treats without peanut butter are great for dogs with a peanut allergy.

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes Cook Time 20 minutes minutes Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Ingredients

2 cups Oat Flour
2 Eggs
cup Sunflower Seed Butter
cup Unsweetened Applesauce

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Place the oat flour in a mixing bowl and add wet ingredients and blend well using a hand mixer, a spoon or your hands.
The dough will be sticky. Let it sit in the bowl for 15 to 20 minutes until it stiffens up a little.
Place the dough on a flat surface lightly dusted with oat flour.
Roll out the dough until about 1/3-inch thick.
Using your favorite cookie cutter, cut out as many shapes as possible. If the dough is still too sticky to roll, add a little more flour to make it drier.
Gather the dough scraps, press them together to form a dough ball, then re-roll and cut out the treats until all the dough is used up.
Place the cutouts on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.
Transfer the baked treats to a wire rack and cool them to room temperature.

Notes

You can make your oat flour by adding uncooked, dry oats to a blender and blending until it reaches a flour consistency.Store the treats in an airtight container. The treats will last up to 2 weeks at room temperature or 6 months in the freezer.

Nutrition

Homemade Dog Treats with Pumpkin

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Simple homemade pumpkin dog treats made with pumpkin puree, whole wheat flour, and bacon. These treats are also made without peanut butter, so theyre great for homes with a peanut allergy!

Your pup will love this Pumpkin Dog Treat Recipe

Bet you didnt expect to see a pup on my website, did you? And I bet youd be surprised these pumpkin dog biscuits are in the top 20 recipes on my entire website consistently.

Thats right this website, which houses recipes for mostly sweets gets lots of visitors to this recipe all year long, all from people who are looking to make homemade dog treats without peanut butter for a whole host of reasons.

Is there a peanut allergy in your house? Does your dog have a peanut allergy? Do you just not like peanut butter?

It can be hard to find a recipe for dog treats without peanut butter around the internet, so many years ago during my annual pumpkin week, I used those issues to fill a gap I saw in the homemade pumpkin treats for dogs category of recipes.

Major shoutout to my assistant Lauren whose idea it was. Shes a dog owner herself, and when she suggested I create a recipe for pumpkin dog treats, I couldnt get into the kitchen fast enough.

Heres the interesting part We do not have a dog. Im not sure we will ever have a dog, but if our boys have any say in the matter We might.

BUT, the truth is, Im allergic to them and I dont love pets in general.

The dogs on our street and in our neighborhood? LOVE THEM. Our boys ADORE this dog in particular that we borrowed for photos (hi, Reggie!), but Im currently in the mindset of never wanting animal hair or fur in my house.

Please dont hate me. But definitely invite me and my kids over to give lots of pets and belly rubs!

That said, I dont particularly need or use this recipe, like, ever, but I know about 99% of the population of my readers probably do.

Pumpkin Dog Treats Recipe ingredients

Before I developed this recipe, I did some research on dog treats all over the internet. Id say the majority of them included peanut butter.

I decided I didnt want to do that, not only because there were one million peanut butter pumpkin dog treat recipes out there, but also because we are actually a peanut butter free home.

No, no allergies and no opposition to peanut butter (HELLO, I STILL LOVE YOU PB + CHOCOLATE), but there is a legume sensitivity in our house, so were straight up almond butter people

Except in my baking cabinet where you can find a jar of natural peanut butter as well as traditional peanut butter at any given moment because, well, peanut butter recipes are still quite abundant on my website despite the foods we keep in our house (see my ultimate peanut butter cookies or no bake peanut butter pie for starters).

All in all, I wanted to keep this peanut-free upon principal and also internet saturation!

For this dog biscuit recipe, you will need:baconwhole wheat flourbaking powderpumpkin purewater or milkegg

Of course, you can make any basic adjustment to this ingredient list, like if your dog doesnt consume milk or you would prefer to use all-purpose flour to whole wheat.

How to make Pumpkin Dog Treats

STEP #1

These pumpkin dog treats are mega simple. Youll see the recipe calls for 4 strips of bacon and that youre to keep the grease.

STEP #2

Know that you dont need a specific amount of the bacon grease, it is just part of the whole pumpkin dog treat package. The additional water or milk is for helping the dough come together, so dont worry if you dont have all that much grease leftover from cooking.

STEP #3

Once your bacon is cooked, youll pour the grease off into a medium size bowl. Chop the cooked bacon and put it into the bacon grease.

STEP #4

Next, whisk in the pumpkin and the egg until the mixture is smooth (with bacon lumps, duh).

STEP #5

Lastly, whisk together the dry ingredients (the flour and baking powder).

STEP #6

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and then start mixing them together.

ADD MILK OR WATER TO ACHIEVE DESIRED DOUGH CONSISTENCY

STEP #7

The dough will come together just like you expect it to, similar to cut-out cookie dough, but depending on how much bacon grease you have, your dough could be on the drier side.

STEP #8

Any time I make these dog treats, I wind up adding a different amount of liquid based on the dough in front of me.

STEP #9

My best tip? Stir the dough, add about to 1 Tablespoon of liquid, stir more, and add more liquid as needed.

STEP #10

You want to be able to roll the dough out without it being too sticky, but you dont want it to fall apart. I usually wind up adding about 2 to 4 Tablespoons total of liquid.

ROLL AND CUT WITH A COOKIE CUTTER

STEP #11

Turn out the dog biscuit dough onto a floured surface and roll out to approximately thick.

STEP #12

Use the desired shape cookie cutter to cut shapes (I opted for the dog bone shaped cookie cutters, of course), reroll the dough, and cut again until there is no more dough left.

STEP #13

Youll bake your dog treats for 30 minutes, flipping them over halfway through baking. They will harden as they cool.

ENJOY, DOGGIES!

This is normally the part in my recipe post where I tell you what the flavor profile is like, how much I liked it, what my favorite part was

But heres the thing: I made one batch of pumpkin dog treats, tasted one, decided I needed to try again, tasted that one, and then decided I am not a dog, so my opinion isnt so great on that topic.

These homemade dog treats without peanut butter have gone, over the years, to dozens of different dog taste testers, and the consensus always is There are never any dog treats left.

And I have realized I can never again taste-test dog treats. The dogs are much better judges.

Health benefits of Homemade Pumpkin Dog Treats

Side note: did you know pumpkin can be good for dogs? Pumpkin without added sugar or spice can be helpful to keep things moving in the digestive tract. Pumpkin for the win!

So there you are, friends. A little addition to pumpkin week thats one for the pups. While we may never actually own a dog, Im happy to know that I can supply a relatively healthy dog treat recipe to one if we ever decide to.

Homemade Dog Treats Pumpkin FAQs

More Favorites from Fresh April Flours

Pumpkin Dog Treat Recipe

Simple homemade pumpkin dog treats made with pumpkin puree, whole wheat flour, and bacon. These treats are also made without peanut butter, so they're great for homes with a peanut allergy!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Bake Time30 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Servings: 16 dog treats

Preheat the oven to 350F (177C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
Cook the bacon by your desired method until fully cooked. Remove the cooked bacon, place it on a plate or cutting board to cool a bit, then pour off the bacon grease into a medium size bowl.
Coarsely chop the bacon, then add it to the bowl of bacon grease. Add the pumpkin and the egg and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix gently until everything is combined. Add about to 1 Tablespoon of water or milk at a time until dough stays together (I usually wind up adding about 2 to 4 Tablespoons total). You will likely need to use your hands.
Turn out dough onto a floured surface and roll out to approximately " thick. Use desired shape cookie cutter, reroll, and cut again until there is no more dough left. Bake dog treats for 30 minutes, flipping treats over halfway through baking. Store dog treats covered at room temperature. Treats may be frozen, up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.