Homemade gluten free dog treats are my favorite way to spoil my Pointers Feather and Frankie. They’re made with simple, dog-safe ingredients and baked until perfectly crunchy - just the way my dogs like them! Since they don’t have any preservatives, I know exactly what’s going into each batch plus they are pretty easy and affordable to make.
Jump to:
- Recipe Ingredient Notes
- Tools needed to make a Dog Treats
- How to make Dog Treat Cookie Dough
- Rolling Out & Baking
- Storage & Freezing
- FAQ - Gluten Free Dog Treats
- Join my Gluten Free Community!
- Note about Salt in my Recipes
- Baking in grams
- Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures
- Substitutions and Modifications
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Recipe Ingredient Notes
Gluten Free Flour: Gluten Free Dog Treats are incredibly forgiving and easy to make. I've successfully used my own gluten free flour blend, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 (blue bag), and King Arthur Measure for Measure with this recipe. Just like with traditional gluten free cookies, a flour blend works best to achieve the right texture. This recipe is versatile and convenient - no need to buy special flour just for your four-legged friend.
Peanut Butter: You can use natural or conventional peanut butter in this peanut butter dog treat recipe. While my taste eaters know they should prefer the dog treats made with natural peanut butter (just containing peanuts) they do go crazy over the treats made with SKIPPY Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (which also contains a bit of added sugar and palm oil). No matter which kind of peanut butter you choose for this recipe, ensure it does NOT contain Xylitol. (HIGHLY TOXIC to dogs!)
Unsweetened Apple Sauce: Apple Sauce acts as a binding agent, helping to hold the ingredients together in place of eggs or other binders. I always use unsweetened apple sauce.
Cinnamon: A little bit of ground cinnamon makes a delicious addition to these gluten free dog treats, adding a warm and appealing flavor that dogs love. It enhances the taste, making the treats even more enticing for your furry friend.
Tools needed to make a Dog Treats
To successfully make this gluten free dog treats at home, you will need a few kitchen tools you most likely already have in your home.
- Digital Kitchen Scale: is a must-have to make this recipe (or any of my recipes).
- Mixing Bowl, Whisk & Flexible Spatula: While you can mix the dough with a stand mixer and a paddle attachment, I prefer mixing it by hand in a large mixing bowl with a whisk and folding in the flour with a flexible spatula. It's so much easier.
- Rolling pin: To roll out the gluten free dog treat dough, I recommend using a rolling pin. This way it has an even thickness and will bake even.
- Dog Bone Cookie Cutters: Believe me when I say you can use any cookie cutter to make dog treats at home. My trusted test eaters did not prefer one shape over another. I use these dog bone cookie cutters. You can also just slice the cookie dough with a sharp knife into tiny training treats.
- Additional: You also need 2 sheet trays, a few sheets of parchment paper, 2 cookie cooling racks and a small offset knife to transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet.
How to make Dog Treat Cookie Dough
The dough for gluten free dog treats comes together in no time. But I do recommend allowing the dough to rest for at least 10-15 minutes before rolling out the cookies. This gives the flour time to hydrate and makes it easier to handle.
- In a large bowl combine the peanut butter, unsweetened apple sauce and warm water. I prefer using warm water since it will help loosen up the peanut butter. Whisk the ingredients until smooth.
- Add the gluten free flour and cinnamon to the wet ingredients. With a flexible spatula fold the ingredients together. The mixture will look very dry in the beginning but the more you mix it, it will start to look like cookie dough. (Just like when you make my Gluten Free Sourcream Biscuits)
- Transfer the gluten free dog treat dough to a clean kitchen counter and quickly knead it together into a smooth dough. I find that when working with conventional peanut butter the dough forms a lot quicker and smoother.
- Place the peanut butter dog treat dough in the refrigerator and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes before rolling out.
Rolling Out & Baking
Baking times do depend on the thickness and your choice of cookie cutter. I use a 3.5" dog bone cookie cutter. The size of the cookie cutter will also affect how many treats you get from a batch of this dog treat recipe.
I also like to twice bake these dog treats, just like my Gluten Free Biscotti to ensure they are dry and crispy. My Pointers Feather and Frankie preferred the crunch version over the softer dog treats.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and arrange the wire racks the oven in the middle. This way the cookies will bake evenly. Line two baking trays with sheets of parchment paper. The amount of sheet trays needed depends on the size of the cookie cutters you use. Just make sure not to overcrowd the sheet trays.
- Divide the dough into half and place it on a lightly floured surface. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the peanut butter dog treat dough out to about ¼” thick (6 mm). Thinner treats will bake faster and become crispier so keep that in mind.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into desired shapes. Make sure to cut the cookies are close as possible to get a better yield each time you roll out the dough.
- Using a small offset knife, transfer the dog treats to the prepared baking sheets. I like to go for 3 rows of 8s for medium size cookies and 3 rows of 9s (or even 10s ) for smaller dog treats. The cookies should not spread but don't over crowd the pan.
- Once all the cookie dough has been rolled out and cut (filling about two baking sheets), bake the dog treats one sheet at a time. Keep the second tray in the fridge, or you can leave it at room temperature while the first batch bakes.
- Bake the gluten free peanut butter dog treats at 350°F for 18-20 minutes. Baking time depends on the size of the cookie cutters used. The treats should appear dry on the surface; if they still look moist, bake them a bit longer.
- Remove the baked treats from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a cooling rack.
- After all the dog treats are baked and on cooling racks, turn off the oven and open the oven door for 5 minutes to let it cool slightly. Then, place the dog treats (still on the cooling racks) back into the warm oven. Leave them there until both the treats and the oven are completely cooled, which may take a few hours. This helps ensure the treats are fully dry and crunchy.
Storage & Freezing
Keep in mind that homemade dog treats don’t contain preservatives, so they won't store as long as store-bought treats. Once the treats are completely cool and crunchy, place them in an airtight container or a ziplock bag and store them at room temperature. Since they’re relatively low in moisture, they should stay crisp and crunchy for at least 2 weeks. However, to be honest, I’ve never had a batch of homemade dog treats last longer than 5 days! (If you have met Feather and Frankie, my 2 Pointers, you know why. There is a cookie tax for everything around here.)
Yes, you can also freeze homemade dog treats! Freezing is a great way to extend their shelf life and keep them fresh for up to 3 months. Make sure the treats are completely cool and dry before freezing to help maintain their crunchy texture. Store them in a resealable freezer bag or an airtight container to protect against freezer burn.
When you’re ready to use them, thaw the treats at room temperature. For an extra crunch, you can refresh them in a low oven at about 300°F for a few minutes.
FAQ - Gluten Free Dog Treats
The number of gluten free dog treats your dog can have depends on several factors, including their size, age, activity level, and overall diet. Always consult your veterinarian for personalized advice based on your dog's specific needs and health conditions.
Celiac disease is rare in dogs, but it is possible. If your dog has an intolerance or allergy to wheat or grains, or if you prefer to avoid grains for other reasons, using gluten free flour is the best choice. This way, you can ensure your furry friend enjoys tasty treats without an upset tummy.
Yes, dogs do have taste buds! While their sense of taste isn't as developed as humans, dogs have around 1,700 taste buds compared to our approximately 9,000. This allows them to taste a variety of flavors, including sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. However, they are particularly sensitive to certain tastes, like sweet and meaty flavors. Dogs also rely heavily on their sense of smell, which plays a significant role in how they perceive food. So, while they do have taste buds, their enjoyment of food is largely influenced by their sense of smell
Join my Gluten Free Community!
Note about Salt in my Recipes
I use Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt in all of my recipes unless otherwise stated. If use use a different brand or kind of salt in your kitchen please adjust accordingly since some salts can be saltier. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier and twice as salty.
Baking in grams
I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. For small amounts under 10 grams, I like to use this Precision Pocket Scale. Measuring cups are very inaccurate which can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.
Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures
All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.
If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Convection oven can cause baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Since takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.
Substitutions and Modifications
Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Dog Treats
Make your dog happy with these homemade gluten free dog treats! Made with simple ingredients and baked to crunchy perfection, they’re easy to prepare and perfect for training or as a special snack. These gluten free treats will keep tails wagging and your pup begging for more
Ingredients
Gluten Free Dog Treats
- 180 grams peanut butter (See Note)
- 90 grams apple sauce, unsweetened
- 90 grams water, water
- 220 grams gluten free multi purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- extra flour for rolling
Instructions
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Dog Treat Dough
The dough for gluten free dog treats comes together in no time. But I do recommend allowing the dough to rest for at least 10-15 minutes before rolling out the cookies. This gives the flour time to hydrate and makes it easier to handle.
- In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter, unsweetened apple sauce, and warm water. Using warm water helps loosen the peanut butter. Whisk the ingredients until smooth.
- Add the gluten free flour and cinnamon to the wet ingredients. With a flexible spatula, fold the ingredients together. The mixture may appear dry at first, but as you mix, it will start to resemble cookie dough.
- Transfer the gluten free dog treat dough to a clean kitchen counter and knead it quickly until it forms a smooth dough. I find that when working with conventional peanut butter the dough forms a lot quicker and smoother.
- Place the peanut butter dog treat dough in the refrigerator and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before rolling out.
Rolling Out & Baking
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and arrange the wire racks in the middle to help the cookies bake evenly. Line two baking trays with parchment paper. The number of trays needed depends on the size of your cookie cutters, but be careful not to overcrowd the sheets.
- Divide the dough in half and place it on a lightly floured surface. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the peanut butter dog treat dough to about ¼” thick (6 mm). Keep in mind thinner treats will bake faster and become crispier.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into your desired shapes. Try to cut the cookies as close together as possible to maximize yield when rolling out the dough again.
- Using a small offset knife, transfer the dog treats to the prepared baking sheets. I typically arrange 3 rows of 8 for medium-sized cookies and 3 rows of 9 (or even 10) for smaller treats. The cookies should not spread, but avoid overcrowding the pan.
- Once all the cookie dough has been rolled out and cut (filling about two baking sheets), bake the dog treats one sheet at a time. Keep the second tray in the fridge or at room temperature while the first batch bakes.
- Bake the gluten free peanut butter dog treats at 350°F for 18-20 minutes. The baking time will vary based on the size of your cookie cutters. The treats should appear dry on the surface; if they still look moist, bake them a bit longer.
- Remove the baked treats from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then, transfer them to a cooling rack.
- After all the dog treats are baked and on cooling racks, turn off the oven and open the oven door for 5 minutes to let it cool slightly. Place the dog treats (still on the cooling racks) back into the warm oven and leave them there until both the treats and the oven are completely cooled, which may take a few hours. This helps ensure the treats are fully dry and crunchy.
Notes
Peanut Butter: You can use natural or conventional peanut butter in this peanut butter dog treat recipe. While my taste eaters know they should prefer the dog treats made with natural peanut butter (just containing peanuts) they do go crazy over the treats made with SKIPPY Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (which also contains a bit of added sugar and palm oil). No matter which kind of peanut butter you choose for this recipe, ensure it does NOT contain Xylitol. (HIGHLY TOXIC to dogs!)
Baking Times: Baking times depend on the thickness of the treats and your choice of cookie cutter. I use a 3.5" dog bone cookie cutter, and the size will affect how many treats you get from this recipe.
Twice Baking: I like to twice-bake these dog treats, similar to my Gluten Free Biscotti, to ensure they are dry and crispy. My Pointers, Feather and Frankie, prefer the crunchy version over the softer treats.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
60Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 39Protein: 1g
Calories are a guestimate and randomly generated.
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