4 Easy Pet Treat Recipes for the Festive Season

Us humans love the festive season. The love, families coming together, the gifts and the food – and we know your furry family members love it just as much! Why not help your fur babies feel included in the festivities with some easy pet treat recipes you can whip up in just a few minutes?

When we think about the December holidays, memories of beach holidays, sitting under the Christmas tree with family and eating copious amounts of mouth-watering meals flood our minds. More often than not, our furry family members form part of these amazing memories.

The festive season is all about sharing. Sharing love, cheer, gifts and treats galore! That’s why it’s so important to remember to share in the holiday spirit with your fuzzy family and what better way to do that than with some delicious homemade treats?!

They’re our companions through thick and thin, lying next to us while we binge-watch the latest series or sitting patiently while eyeing the tasty meal we’re making. Whatever it is, your fur-baby is nearby. Whether you have a dog or cat, the festive season is the perfect time to spoil them with some extra special treats!

What’s better? These treats are all Christmas themed, give them a try! Your pups and kitties will be thanking you later.

Discover: 6 Pet Friendly Accommodations for your Festive Season Holiday!

Easy Pet Treat Recipes for Pups

When giving treats to your pets, try not to get too carried away. When feeding your pets treats, remember to feed them a little less when it comes to dinner time so they aren’t overeating too much!

DIY Dog Cookies

A big thank you to BarkPost for these awesome DIY Dog Cookies! A little too tempting for us humans, not going to lie.

What you need:

• 2 cups flour (whole wheat or unbleached is best)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup fat free plain Greek yoghurt (full fat will work too but non-fat might be the better option)
• Water as needed
• You will also need some mini Christmas Cookie Cutters of your choice (I’m sure the kids won’t mind if you use theirs).

What you need to do:

1. Start by preheating your oven to 190°C.
2. Now you need to mix all of the ingredients above until it forms a soft dough. Start from the top of the list and work your way down. You can add a small amount of water if the dough is too dry.
3. Roll out the dough onto some parchment paper or baking paper and cut out the dough using your holiday cookie cutters.
4. You can place your Christmas cookies on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for about 15 – 18 minutes.
5. s It’s totally understandable if your pup is standing guard staring deeply into the oven at this point…
6. Let the cookies cool for about 10 – 15 minutes and serve them to your hungry little floof! You can store the rest for later in an airtight plastic container.

Homemade peanut butter dog treats

These Damn Delicious peanut butter dog treats are to die for! Okay, we haven’t tried them personally but our resident Oneplan pooch swears by them.

What you need:

• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 – 3 cups whole wheat flour

What you need to do:

1. Let’s start by preheating the oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and then set this aside for later.
2. In a bowl beat or mix the pumpkin puree, peanut butter and eggs until well combined (this may require quite a bit of arm work so an electric mixer is recommended).
3. Gradually add 2 1/2 cups flour to your mix. Mix or beat until it just combined (be careful not to overmix). Add an additional 1/4 cup flour at a time just until the dough is no longer sticky.
4. Lightly cover your counter or cutting board in flour, knead the dough 3-4 times until it all comes together. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to about 6mm thick.
5. Using cookie cutters (the same ones we mentioned in the previous recipe), cut out desired shapes and place onto the prepared baking tray.
6. Place into your oven and bake until the edges are golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
7. Let cool completely for about 10 minutes before your pup gets them to munch on!

Read this: 6 tips on how to deal with separation anxiety in dogs this festive season

Easy Pet Treat Recipes for Kitty Cats

These homemade cat treats are perfect for sharing with your feline friend as you enjoy your Christmas dinner or you can even pop them into their stocking for a festive present!

Snowman Cookies

We found the purrfect recipe from the Petplan for these delectable Snowman Cookies. These treats are definitely one way of getting your cat’s undivided attention.

What you’ll need:

• Small chicken breast
• 1 apple
• 300g oat flour, plus extra for dusting (you can make this by adding a few handfuls of oats to a blender or by the oat flour premade)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp catnip (you can buy this from most pet shops)

What you need to do:

1. Begin by preheating your oven to 180°C – 200°C with the fan setting. Cook the chicken for 25 minutes in the oven on a tray until it’s cooked through. Remove the chicken, but keep the oven on.
2. Once the chicken is cooked and cooled slightly, finely shred the meat into thin strips.
3. Next, heat a pan on the stove. Peel and cut the apple and slice into small pieces, ensuring the core and all the seeds are thrown-away.
4. Place the apple in the pan and add water until the apple is just covered. Cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the apple has softened (you can check this by sticking a knife through the apple piece).
5. Remove from heat and drain. Add the chicken, apple, egg, flour and catnip into a blender, and blend until well combined.
6. Lightly dust your counter or a flat cutting board with the remaining oat flour, roll out the dough until it’s about 1cm thick. Use a small Christmas snowman-shaped cutter to cut out the biscuits.
7. Place these on a lined baking tray and bake for 15 mins, or until golden.
8. Remove the tray and leave the cookies to cool before serving one to your furry feline! Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.

Basic Cat Treats

Viva Pets has shared a simple recipe for the perfect basic cat biscuits.

What you’ll need:

• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 5 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup plain yoghurt
• 1/4 cup cornmeal

What you need to do:

1. Start by preheating your oven to 180°C.
2. Next you need to combine the cheddar and parmesan cheeses with the yoghurt in a bowl. Add the flour and cornmeal to the cheese and yoghurt mixture and mix well until a dough forms.
3. Lightly dust your counter or a large cutting board with flour and knead the dough into a ball and then roll it out with a rolling pin until it’s about 6mm thick.
4. Cut the dough into pieces approximately 2-3 cm big and place on a greased baking tray. Bake for about 20 minutes at 180°C or until the treats are just firm.
5. Let them cool on the baking tray for a couple of minutes then remove the treats to a wire rack to cool completely before allowing your kitty to feast!

We wish you all very happy holidays and we hope you have a lovely time over this festive period, and that your pets enjoy these easy pet treat recipes. Remember to take care of your fur babies this season, especially during any firework displays!

If you’re heading out for a trip, find out how to find the pawfect petsitter for your fur babies, or if they’re coming on holiday with you, here’s our guide to the perfect beach day with your dog.