These Easy Peanut Butter Dog Cookies are quick, simple, and dogs go crazy for them! Now you can feel good about the treats you feed your furry family member!
I am SO SO SO excited for this post today because…
It’s Mannie’s virtual BIRTHDAY PAWTY!
Mannie’s actual birthday (well, adoption day) is April 25, but I wanted to revamp this recipe and bring it to you so you have plenty of time to celebrate throughout the week 
This recipe is actually a super old one from my archives, but I decided to bring it back from the dead and to your immediate attention because I admittedly had forgotten about this recipe… and because Mannie’s birthday deserves celebration!
I *think* Mannie will be turning 11, because when I adopted him in 2008, the Sacramento SPCA had speculated he was probably one. But then around age 7, I took him to the vet and the vet told me “based on the look of his eyes, I’d say he’s actually 6.” So basically, my dog is Benjamin Button and reverse-aged. So he could logistically be anywhere from 10-12… but age is just a number because he’s just as active, spry, and feisty as he was the day I brought him home!
Mannie isn’t the friendliest dog, so there’s no way we could celebrate altogether with his “dog friends” without Mannie starting some kind of fight. Actually, between Mannie and the neighborhood dogs, this could easily become like a Real Housedogs situation – Mannie obviously is Ramona or Dorinda from RHONY with a sprinkling of Tamra and a dash of Kelly from RHOC. Like those women, he’s outspoken, never afraid to say his peace, starts fights, and can be obstinate and psychotic if he’s a little too provoked.
BUT I happen to ADORE the dogs in my apartment complex “neighborhood” so I wanted to throw a virtual faux “pawty” for Mannie. This basically meant I baked these cookies, delivered them to my fave neighborhood doggos, and snapped their pic (with permission!) to post here for Mannie’s party. It was also a quality control test, and every dog pictured had zero issues with these cookies. 
So let’s start with the birthday boy, shall we? The king of the castle, the yin to my yang, my sweet poppin, Mannie:
Note his crossed eyes, which he does when he accepts a treat. Still not sure about that one.
Next up is Mannie’s best mate, my sweet peach, Jack!
He was the first to sample the treats in my office
I took some cookies over to my parents house to continue the celebration. Their whipador (Whippet/Labrador), Tulip, lifted her paw in preparation for a yummy cookie…
…while scruffington, Winston, smiled for the camera. Winston isn’t feeling too hot lately, so I confess, he did not eat a cookie. But he did let me pet him and his cookie is waiting in his crate when he feels like it.
Back to my neck of the woods, here’s Buffy the Labrador!
Then Paisley the Shih Tzu joined the party with her cute little face! She even danced for a treat!
This is Robbie, and neither his owners nor I know what breed he is… any guesses? Robbie is skeptical of me, but he gave me a hug and a handshake after I brought him cookies, so I’ll take it!
This is Bear, an Australian Shepherd pup! He’s only a couple months old and he’s just as feisty as Mannie already! Check out that toothy smile… and this outtake…
He’s definitely the class clown of the group!
Always happy to see us, here’s sweetie-pie Verdarra and her sister, Daphne!
Don’t let that face fool you – Daphne the Newfoundland was prettttty stoked to get some cookies!
And last but not least, Jagger! Jagger’s a Boston Terrier and is FULL of energy! This picture was almost impossible to take because he’s always on the move!
While there are a ton of other doggos in my apartment complex that I ADORE, these were just a few who could make it to our “party.” I didn’t forget about you, Sophie, Austin, Moose, Copper, Puddin’, Frank, Pepper, Chewy, Poochie, Abby, Roxy, Poomba, and Dart!
Anyway, so let’s make some cookies for our favorite four (and three!) legged friends.
Some notes:
- This recipe is very customizable, but please be aware of what pets can and cannot eat. Obviously, do not add any garlic or onions or spices like sage or cilantro. And to be safe, consult with your veterinarian before introducing new foods to your pooch.
- Some dogs have an intolerance to grains. Please note that you can switch out the whole wheat flour for something like chickpea flour or coconut flour.
- If you aren’t keen on adding in cornmeal, substitute it with oat flour.
- Instead of the water, consider subbing it for low-sodium chicken, vegetable, or beef broth for more flavor.
- And PLEASE! Make sure your peanut butter has NO XYLITOL. Xylitol is an additive in some peanut butters and it is dangerous for dogs. It should be listed on the ingredients label, so please check.
Now let’s eat!
- ½ cup water (can substitute low-sodium chicken, vegetable, or beef broth)
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil (can substitute coconut oil)
- 2 large eggs
- 3 Tbsp creamy peanut butter (please make sure the peanut butter does NOT contain xylitol)
- 2 cups whole wheat flour (can substitute coconut flour, chickpea flour, or another grain-free flour)
- ½ cup old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup cornmeal (can substitute with more flour, or another type such as oat flour), plus more for dusting
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, old-fashioned oats, and cornmeal. Set aside. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the water, oil, eggs, and peanut butter and whisk together until combined and smooth. Add in the flour and stir until a thick ball of dough forms.
- Dust a clean, flat work surface with cornmeal and roll the dough out to about ¼-1/2″ thickness, depending on how thick you’d like them. Using a small cookie cutter (the dog one I used was about 1.5″ long), cut out shapes and place 1-2″ apart on the prepared baking sheets. Reroll and cut out more shapes.
- Bake for 20 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time to ensure even baking. When you remove the cookies from the oven, the sheet may look slick with oil – this is okay and will not make the cookies soggy or oily. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets completely until room temperature and set before serving. Store airtight at room temperature up to one week.
Thanks for joining me for Mannie’s party! Hope your furry friends enjoy!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
