VIEW ALL
CATEGORIES
 ALL BLOG CATEGORIES
 RELATED BLOG CATEGORY

Santa Paws Is Coming to Snack: Christmas Cookies, Pupcakes & Holiday Treats for Dogs

(Plus Some Snacks for the Cats)

By: The Kid’s Directory Family Resource Guide – Houston
November 2026 on kids-houston.com

Santa Paws Is Coming to Snack: Christmas Cookies, Pupcakes & Holiday Treats for Dogs (Plus Some Snacks for the Cats) blog article image showing a Dachshund Weiner dog pulling a sled full of gifts on a snowy background.

Christmas Cookies Pupcakes & Treats for Dogs!

The stockings are hung, your holiday playlist is on its third comeback, and someone is staring at the mixing bowl like they personally funded the groceries.

Naturally, that someone has four legs.

Whether you’re a young parent baking with the kids, a devoted pet parent whose camera roll is 97 percent dog, or both, homemade Christmas pet treats can be a sweet little holiday tradition. Your dog does not care whether your piping skills are bakery-level. Your cat would like to speak to management, but that was happening anyway.

This collection includes Christmas dog cookies, mini pupcakes, savory holiday snacks, frozen desserts, and two simple cat treats. Think pumpkin-pie vibes, apple-crumble inspiration, and a tiny turkey dinner—with ingredients and portions chosen for pets rather than borrowed straight from the dessert table.

Before the Holiday Bake-Off:
A Few Important Ingredients for Success

These are occasional treats for generally healthy adult pets, not complete meals or recipes formulated for medical diets. They are original recipe ideas, not laboratory-tested or veterinarian-formulated recipes. Yields and baking times are approximate; moisture varies between ingredients and ovens.

If your pet has allergies, pancreatitis, diabetes, kidney disease, digestive trouble, or a prescription diet, ask your veterinarian before offering homemade treats. Start with a tiny taste of one new recipe rather than debuting an entire holiday tasting menu.

Keep the Portions Smaller Than the Holiday Enthusiasm

Treats should generally supply no more than 10 percent of a dog’s daily calories. That includes training treats, dental chews, table scraps, and the cookie someone slipped them “because they looked sad.” Your veterinarian can help set an appropriate allowance. A batch yield is not a serving recommendation. Break cookies and pupcakes into portions suited to your pet. [1]

Put These on the Do-Not-Invite List

Keep chocolate and cocoa, coffee and caffeine, grapes and raisins, macadamia nuts, alcohol, raw yeast dough, and onion or garlic—including powders—out of pet recipes. Never use xylitol, sometimes labeled birch sugar; check peanut butter and other packaged ingredients carefully. Avoid fatty holiday leftovers and bones. Dairy can cause digestive upset, so the recipes below use dairy-free decorations. [2]

We’re also leaving out nutmeg, mixed holiday spices, essential oils, candy canes, and human icing. A peppermint-looking dog cookie does not need actual peppermint candy to get the assignment.

Use plain pumpkin purée, not pumpkin-pie filling; unsweetened applesauce; and peanut butter made without xylitol or added salt or sugar. For turkey and chicken, cook a plain portion separately before seasoning the family meal.

Basic Kitchen Notes

Use U.S. measuring cups and spoons. Choose plain oat flour, or blend unflavored rolled oats into a fine flour. No raw dough tasting: eggs and flour need cooking. Remove cupcake liners before serving, and never decorate pet treats with toothpicks, ribbons, or nonfood embellishments.

Wash hands and utensils, supervise children, and keep pets away from hot pans. Cook raw poultry to 165°F. Refrigerate perishables promptly, within two hours, or within one hour above 90°F. [3]

Christmas Dog Cookies Worth Sitting Nicely For

1. Gingerbread-Shaped Pumpkin Dog Cookies

The holiday inspiration: Gingerbread people, without the sugary spiced dough. These taste like pumpkin and oats—not traditional gingerbread.

Makes: About 30 small cookies
Prep: 15 minutes | Bake: 22–28 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups oat flour, plus a little for rolling
  • ½ cup plain pumpkin purée
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon plain peanut butter
  • 1–3 tablespoons water, only if needed

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
  2. Whisk the pumpkin, egg, and peanut butter until combined.
  3. Stir in the oat flour. Let the dough rest for five minutes so the flour absorbs moisture.
  4. If crumbly, add water one teaspoon at a time. If sticky, knead in a little extra oat flour.
  5. Roll between parchment sheets to about ¼ inch thick. Cut into small gingerbread shapes.
  6. Bake for 22–28 minutes, until set through and lightly browned underneath. Larger cutters need longer.
  7. Cool completely. Break into smaller pieces for serving.

Festive finish: Add a tiny dab of the potato frosting below immediately before serving. Your dog will accept a gingerbread person with one eyebrow. Standards are flexible when snacks are involved.

2. Apple “Pie” Christmas Stars

The holiday inspiration: Apple pie, without butter, sugar, pastry, or spice.

Makes: About 24 small stars
Prep: 15 minutes | Bake: 20–25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups oat flour, plus extra as needed
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • ¼ cup finely grated peeled apple, core and seeds removed
  • 1 large egg

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet.
  2. Gently squeeze excess juice from the grated apple.
  3. Mix the egg and applesauce. Stir in the apple and flour.
  4. Rest for five minutes, then add flour a tablespoon at a time until the dough can be rolled.
  5. Roll to ¼ inch thick and cut into small stars.
  6. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until fully set. Cool completely.

Texture note: These are softer cookies, not shelf-stable biscuits. Their moisture is a reason to refrigerate them—not a sign you failed the Christmas cookie aesthetic

3. Red-and-White Candy-Cane-Inspired Twists

The holiday inspiration: Candy canes, with zero actual candy.

Makes: About 24 short twists
Prep: 25 minutes | Bake: 20–25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups oat flour, divided, plus extra as needed
  • 1 large egg, beaten and divided equally
  • ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • ¼ cup puréed plain cooked beet, with no pickling liquid, salt, or seasoning
  • Water, a teaspoon at a time if needed

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet.
  2. In one bowl, mix 1 cup flour, half the beaten egg, and the applesauce.
  3. In another bowl, mix the remaining flour and egg with the beet purée.
  4. Adjust each dough with a little flour or water until pliable.
  5. Roll small pieces into thin ropes, about three inches long.
  6. Twist one pale rope with one beet-colored rope. Press gently together and curve the top.
  7. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until set through. Cool before breaking into suitable portions.

Reality check: Beet dough may bake rose-brown instead of bright red. Your dog is unlikely to leave a color-accuracy review.

Christmas Dog Pupcakes Worth Sitting Nicely For

These are dense little oat cakes, not fluffy bakery cupcakes. Without added sugar, butter, or leavening, they have their own thing going on.

4. Pumpkin Pie Mini Pupcakes

Makes: About 12 mini pupcakes
Prep: 10 minutes | Bake: 18–22 minutes

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup oat flour
  • ½ cup plain pumpkin purée
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons water

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Use a nonstick mini muffin pan or food-grade silicone cups.
  2. Whisk the pumpkin, egg, and water.
  3. Stir in the flour and rest for five minutes.
  4. Divide among 12 mini muffin wells, filling about two-thirds full.
  5. Bake for 18–22 minutes, until firm and a tester comes out without wet batter.
  6. Cool completely before removing and decorating.

Decoration: Spread a thin swipe of plain mashed sweet potato on top. A whole mini pupcake may still be too much for a small dog; cut into tasting portions.

5. Banana–Peanut Butter “Christmas Morning” Pupcakes

Makes: About 12 mini pupcakes
Prep: 10 minutes | Bake: 18–22 minutes

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup oat flour
  • ½ cup mashed ripe banana
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon plain peanut butter
  • 1–2 tablespoons water, if needed

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F and prepare a mini muffin pan.
  2. Mix the banana, egg, and peanut butter until smooth.
  3. Stir in the flour. Add just enough water for a thick, spoonable batter.
  4. Divide among 12 mini muffin wells.
  5. Bake for 18–22 minutes, until set through.
  6. Cool fully and serve in small pieces.

The vibe: Cozy Christmas-morning banana bread. The dog did not help with the dishes, but somehow expects the first slice.

A Simple Dairy-Free “Snowcap” Frosting

Mash ¼ cup fully cooked, peeled white potato with 1–2 teaspoons water until smooth. Use no butter, milk, salt, or seasonings, and never use green or sprouted potatoes.

For orange frosting, use plain cooked sweet potato instead. Spread a thin layer rather than a towering swirl. This is a fresh vegetable topping, not an icing that dries hard; refrigerate it and add shortly before serving.

Savory Snacks for Dogs Who Prefer the Dinner Menu

6. Tiny Turkey-Dinner Bites

Makes: About 24 small bites
Prep: 15 minutes | Bake: 15–20 minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ cup finely minced, fully cooked plain skinless turkey
  • ¼ cup plain mashed sweet potato
  • ¼ cup finely chopped cooked green beans
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup oat flour

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet.
  2. Mix the turkey, sweet potato, green beans, and egg.
  3. Stir in the flour.
  4. Form about 24 teaspoon-sized mounds and flatten slightly.
  5. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until set and the centers reach 165°F.
  6. Cool completely and break apart as needed.

Important: Use turkey without skin, bones, brining, gravy, onion, garlic, or other seasonings. These are soft cooked snacks, not meat treats that can sit in a stocking.

7. Sweet Potato “Casserole” Buttons

Makes: About 24 small buttons
Prep: 10 minutes | Bake: 18–22 minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ cup plain mashed cooked sweet potato
  • ½ cup oat flour
  • 1 large egg

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet.
  2. Mix all three ingredients into a thick batter.
  3. Drop in small teaspoon portions, then flatten gently with a damp spoon.
  4. Bake for 18–22 minutes, until firm and cooked through.
  5. Cool completely.

Holiday makeover: Add a tiny spot of potato frosting for a casserole-inspired finish. Skip marshmallows, brown sugar, butter, and pecans. Your dog gets the sweet potato; the dramatic casserole debate stays with the humans.

Frozen and Iced Christmas Treats

Perfect for the Texas household that owns holiday sweaters but still occasionally needs the air conditioner.

Use shallow silicone molds or a lick mat instead of large, rock-hard cubes. Serve supervised after softening enough to lick or easily indent with a spoon; avoid frozen chunks for pets who gulp or bite hard objects. No popsicle sticks.

8. Frozen Pumpkin-“Pie” Lick Bites

Makes: About 24 teaspoon-sized portions
Prep: 5 minutes | Freeze: About 3 hours

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup plain pumpkin purée
  • ¼ cup mashed ripe banana

Directions

  1. Blend the pumpkin and banana until smooth.
  2. Spoon into shallow molds in one-teaspoon portions.
  3. Freeze until set.
  4. Soften before serving, or spread a small fresh portion thinly on a lick mat.

Flavor inspiration: Pumpkin dessert, with no pie filling, spice blend, or whipped topping.

9. Apple-Crumble-Inspired Frozen Dots

Makes: About 24 teaspoon-sized portions
Prep: 10 minutes, plus cooling | Freeze: About 3 hours

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • ¼ cup plain cooked oatmeal, completely cooled

Directions

  1. Cook unflavored oats in water according to the package directions.
  2. Measure ¼ cup cooked oatmeal and let it cool.
  3. Blend with the applesauce.
  4. Portion into shallow molds and freeze.
  5. Soften before serving.

Skip: Instant flavored oatmeal packets, added sugar, raisins, and crumble toppings. This version gets its holiday character from apples and oats.

10. Red-and-Green Christmas Lick-Mat Swirls

Makes: Several small servings; about ½ cup total
Prep: 10 minutes | Chill: 30 minutes, or freeze about 2 hours

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup mashed fresh strawberries, stems removed
  • ¼ cup puréed plain cooked green beans
  • Water, a few drops if needed

Directions

  1. Purée the strawberries and green beans separately.
  2. Thin either mixture with a few drops of water only if needed.
  3. Spread a small amount in alternating streaks on a food-grade lick mat.
  4. Chill, or freeze briefly and allow to soften before offering.
  5. Refrigerate or freeze the remaining mixture in separate small portions.

Presentation note: This is a colorful snack, not a full mat of food that must be finished. The dog does not require an influencer-sized serving to enjoy the holiday content.

A Little Christmas Something for Cats

Cats deserve their own menu. Keep extras very small, use familiar tolerated ingredients, and maintain their complete and balanced cat food as the main diet. For cats on therapeutic diets, get veterinary approval first.

11. Turkey-and-Pumpkin Christmas Teaspoons

Makes: About 8 teaspoon-sized portions
Prep: 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons finely minced fully cooked plain turkey
  • 1 tablespoon plain pumpkin purée
  • 1 tablespoon warm water

Directions

  1. Check the turkey carefully for bones, skin, and seasoning.
  2. Mix with the pumpkin and water, mincing further for a soft texture.
  3. Offer a tiny taste on a shallow plate.
  4. Refrigerate the rest immediately in a covered container.

Serving note: One teaspoon is a portioning size, not a universal allowance. A lick or two may be plenty for a first taste. If your cat dislikes pumpkin, use a tiny amount of plain turkey instead.

12. Chicken “Christmas Bisque”

Makes: About 8 teaspoon-sized portions
Prep: 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons fully cooked plain skinless chicken
  • 2 tablespoons warm water

Directions

  1. Blend the chicken and water into a smooth, spoonable purée.
  2. Cool to lukewarm or room temperature.
  3. Offer a small taste in a shallow dish.
  4. Refrigerate the remainder promptly. Freeze individual portions if needed, then thaw in the refrigerator before serving.

Why water? Human broth may contain onion, garlic, or excessive salt. Plain water keeps this tiny menu wonderfully uncomplicated.

Your cat may adore it, ignore it, or lick it while making eye contact with the expensive meal you just opened. All three are on brand.

Storage: Cute Cookie Tins Are Not Refrigerators

These recipes have no validated shelf life and should not be treated as shelf-stable, even when the edges feel crisp.

TREAT

CONSERVATIVE HOME-STORAGE PLAN

Plain cookies, sweet potato buttons, and unfrosted pupcakes

Refrigerate in a sealed container and use within 3 days; freeze extras promptly.

Potato frosting and frosted treats

Refrigerate and use within 2 days.

Turkey bites and cat treats

Refrigerate and use within 2 days, counting from when the meat was originally cooked.

Frozen recipes

Keep covered and frozen; aim to use within 1 month for best quality. Thaw only the portion needed.

The time limits above are cautious recipe guidance, not laboratory-tested shelf lives. USDA guidance allows cooked poultry for 3–4 days refrigerated; mixing older meat into a new treat does not restart that clock. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F or below. [3,4]

Cool treats promptly and refrigerate within the food-safety time limits above. Label containers with ingredients and preparation dates. For gifting, keep treats chilled during transport and include storage instructions. Discard uneaten portions that have been licked rather than returning them to the shared batch.

Make It a Family Holiday Tradition

Let kids choose cookie cutters, mash bananas, or make gift labels while an adult handles the oven and ingredient checks. Keep the pet tasting station separate from the human cookie tray.

For a tiny Christmas tasting plate, choose one small treat your pet already tolerates. There is no need to serve a cookie, cupcake, frozen dessert, and turkey flight in one sitting. Santa Paws is visiting—not judging a competitive eating event.

A Very Merry, Very Manageable Treat Season

Homemade Christmas treats are a lovely way to include the family members who greet every delivery like a major plot development. A pumpkin cookie, a bite of pupcake, or a little chicken purée can make the occasion special without turning their regular diet upside down.

Keep it simple, keep the portions small, and enjoy the moment. Your dog will remember the snack. Your cat will remember that service was six minutes late.

 

We have done the Shopping for You and Gathered Some of the Best Supplies for Giving Your Homemade Holiday Dog & Cat Treats as Gifts!

(Affiliate Links)

Sources and Further Reading

  1. VCA Animal Hospitals: Dog Treats — treat calories and balanced diets.
  2. ASPCA: People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets — hazardous foods, dairy, raw ingredients, and fatty foods.
  3. FDA: Safe Food Handling — hygiene, temperatures, and prompt refrigeration.
  4. USDA: Refrigerator Storage Times for Chicken — cooked poultry storage.

Sources support the general safety and storage guidance; they do not endorse or validate these original recipes.

Related Blog Articles:

Free Christmas Holiday Activities and Events 2026 blog article image showing Santa's house in snow with lollipop and candy cane trees.

Free Christmas Holiday Activities
and Events 2026!

Traditional and New Christmas Games for All Ages blog article image; snowflake upclose

Traditional and New Christmas
Games for All Ages!

For More Holiday Activities and Events 2026:

The KD Family Resource Guide!

The Kid’s Directory is the one-stop family resource for Houston & surrounding areas. Providing the best schools, after-school activities, field trips, Spring & Summer Camps and activities, ABA Therapies, medical services, pediatric & family dentistry, museums, libraries, everything for birthday parties, holiday activities & events, festivals, and so much more!

We not only provide resources in Houston but south to Galveston, west to Rosenberg & north to College Station. Resources not only for kids & families but also for those with kids looking for some much needed “me time”.

Need to take a break from the routine to have some fun and create lasting memories? Check our Calendar of Events for constantly updated fun and exciting activities & events for your kids and family. 

We are always updating resources, adding more options & even creating new sections on our website for more resources. So be sure to check back often or just come hang out to read a blog.

The Kid’s Directory is Houston & the surrounding area’s most respected and trusted family resource guide that can ease your life. It covers all the different activities available for families with children of all ages. Ranging from activities, spring/summer & winter camps, academics, pediatricians, dentists, therapy, events to sports, other cognitive activities and more. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

© The Kid’s Directory. Accessing this content you agree to our disclaimer/terms & conditions.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Scroll to Top