We are always so busy baking all sorts of Christmas goodies for our loved ones (and Santa) to enjoy at this time of year, that we often forget to whip up a batch of Christmas cookies for our furry family members. They deserve a special holiday treat as much as anyone else…especially if they have to put up with a 4-year-old dressing them up like reindeer on a daily basis. π We try to make delicious homemade dog treats for our pups every few months. They gobbled up the Peanut Butter & Banana Frozen Dog Treats that we made for them this summer, so it was time for something new. With Christmas quickly approaching, what could be better than a batch of Candy Cane Dog Treats?!?
These dog treats only require a handful of ingredients – including two of our dogs’ absolute favorites…peanut butter and pumpkin! Every single time I open the peanut butter jar, our black lab mix comes bolting to the edge of the kitchen to give me the puppy eyes. I don’t know how she does it…I can open the jar as quietly as a mouse and I still turn around to find her smiling face. She has a heightened peanut butter instinct, I guess.
Needless to say, she never left her perch the entire time I was whipping up these holiday treats. Somehow she knew that these treats were just for her (and much to her dismay…her brother too). She was obviously in the perfect spot to be my official taste-tester – and I’m happy to report that she wholeheartedly approved! Now every time I open a Ziploc bag, both dogs come bolting right over.
On Tuesday, I shared our Peanut Butter & Nutella Blossom Cookies (for human consumption) – a recipe that I discovered over onΒ If You Give a Blonde a Kitchen. As I was perusing Haley’s beautiful website, I also happened upon her recipe for Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats. So, I decided to utilize another one of her delicious recipes…but this time with an added twist! π
Candy Cane Dog Treats
Ingredients:
- 2/3 Cup Pumpkin Puree
- 1/4 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
- 2 Eggs
- Up to 3 Cups Oat Flour
- Red and Green Food Coloring (we used this Gourmet Liqua-Gel Food Coloring)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350Β° F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the pumpkin, peanut butter, and eggs. Mix on medium-high speed for a couple of minutes (scraping down the sides of the bowl, as necessary) until the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add 2-1/2 cups of the flour, mixing until just incorporated. Add an additional 1/4 cup of flour at a time (as necessary) until the dough is no longer sticky to the touch.Β
- Remove the dough ball from the mixing bowl and knead with your hands for a minute or two.Β
- Separate the dough ball into two equal-sized balls of dough.Β
- Flatten one dough ball and place a couple of drops of green food coloring into the middle. Fold the dough in on itself and knead the food coloring into the dough ball until the dough is completely green.
- Repeat with the remaining ball of dough – coloring it red.
- Break each dough ball up into several 1″-2″ balls (depending on how big your want your dog treats to be).
- Using your hands and the counter top, roll a green ball into a long skinny snake. Roll a red ball into a long skinny snake (equal in length).Β
- Now braid the two snakes together (one over the other) until they are completely twisted. Bend the top half of the twisted dough down to form a candy cane-shape.Β
- Place the candy cane onto the parchment-lined cookie sheet.Β
- Repeat the process with the remaining balls of green and red dough.
- Place in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the bottoms begin to brown.Β
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack. Let cool completely.
This recipe yields approximately 16 large candy cane dog treats. Treats can be stored in an airtight container or Ziploc bag for several days.
These Candy Cane Dog Treats were a huge hit with our two dogs! I must admit that I was somewhat hesitant to use food coloring in their treats. I had initially planned on using Beet Root Powder (to dye the dough red) and Matcha Powder (to dye the dough green), but after a bit of research, I discovered that the powdered colors would bake right out of the treats. Apparently, the powders fail to hold their color when placed inside a hot oven. Therefore, I chose to use food coloring (but only two drops of each color). If anyone has any other tried and true non-food coloring options for dying dough, please give a shout in the comments below!
And if you’re looking for a few more homemade dog treat ideas, make sure to check out our Carrot & Banana Dog Treats, or our classicΒ Pumpkin Dog Treats!Β Β
HAPPY PAWLIDAYS!
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Can I use regular flour?
Hi Maria –
You can use any type of flour, including regular flour for dog treats. That being said, regular flour holds zero nutritional value and can be a common allergy in canines. Whole wheat flour is a healthier choice, but wheat is also a top allergen for dogs. To avoid possible allergens, we have just always used oat flour when making our homemade dog treats. Oats also provide added fiber!
Thank you. I have another question. Can I use Wilton gel food coloring that I already have or do I specifically need to use the one you have listed?
You’re welcome! π And yes, any type of food coloring should work just fine! I find that the gel food coloring is a bit more vibrant (and therefore requires less)! And I’m a big fan of Wilton’s gel food coloring too!