Questions & Answers for Peanut Butter & Oats Dog Biscuit Recipe

Do you have questions about this recipe? Then read previously answered questions here first. Then, if you still have a question, please ask. :)

Storing homemade peanut butter dog treats

by Tiffany
(Los Angeles)

PIcture of my Balto smiling! :)

Once the treats have been cooled, do we have to put them in the fridge right away? Or can we just put them in air-tight containers for a few days then put it in the fridge? I also heard storing them in paper bags makes the treats harder/crunchier since moisture isn't retained.

Chef's Answer ~ First, your Balto is adorable, and he's definitely smiling in that photo! :)

Yes, you can leave these homemade dog treats out on the counter for a few days before storing them. This recipe bakes the cookies nice and hard, so that should be just fine. After that, straight into the fridge or freezer before they are served to Balto and friends.

The only sources I've read regarding using brown paper bags for cookies seems to state that this will help the cookies to stay soft. Since these dog treats are meant to be crunchy, I would skip the bag. However, you could do your own experiment, put two cookies in a bag and see how they are after a few days. If you do this, please come back here and let us know if it worked! :)

I hope this helps. Happy Dog Treat Baking! :)

How many does this recipe yield?

just wondering how many treats this recipe makes..thank you

Chef's Answer ~ It depends on what shape you cut out as to how many dog cookies you'll get. If you were to do 1" to 1 1/2" cookie cutters I would say you could get 4 dozen cookies. The round peanut butter cookie style cookies pictured at the bottom are about 2" across, and the cookie cutter cookies are all different sizes, and I was able to get 41 cookies from this recipe. So if you used a uniform shape or size, I know you could get more.

Can I Use Natural Peanut Butter in these dog treats?

by Claire
(San Diego, CA, USA)

Natural peanut butter tends to be dry. Can I use it in this recipe?

Chef's Answer ~ Yes, you can use natural peanut butter. If you find that the dough is too dry, simply add water. But, only add one tablespoon at a time until you have reached a dough like consistency to be able to roll out.

I hope this helps. Happy Dog Treat Baking! :)

Could you add dried cranberries to this peanut butter dog biscuit recipe?

by Karen
(Saginaw, MI)

My dog is waiting for mom to make these yummy treats!

Chef's Answer ~ Yes, I believe you could add dried cranberries to this recipe. If possible, look for unsweetened cranberries at a local health food store.

I would mix them in when you stir in the peanut butter. Try starting with 1/4 cup and add more if desired. If you want to use a cookie cutter, roll out the dough thicker than the recipe calls for. Or, you can make dog cookies by using a cookie scooper.

If you make this with cranberries, be sure to check back in and let us know how it worked! :)

Happy Dog Treat Baking! :)

Cooking time is 40 min? Most other recipes call for 20 min

by Chris G.
(Toronto, Ontario)

Just wanted to make sure I read instructions correctly.

Also, can you use parchment paper instead of greasing cooking sheets? I usually have 3 large cookies sheets going at a time....

Chef's Answer ~ Yes, you read correctly. These homemade dog treats are baked very hard and crunchy. If your dog needs or prefers softer treats, cut the baking time in half and check for desired texture.

Yes, you can use parchment paper for almost all of my dog treat recipes.

Happy Dog Treat Baking! :)

These dog treats are AMAZING! But, how do you get them to not puff up in random places?

I made these for my two dogs. I have a pug/bichon mix and a yellow lab. We've been struggling to find some good dog treats that wouldn't add a bunch of weight to our pug/bichon. Plus, most dog treats have un-needed ingredients in them. These were super simple to make, and my dogs LOVED LOVED LOVED them! My only question is: How do you get them to puff up evenly? When I made them some of them got random big air bubbles... Otherwise this recipe is great! If anyone knows how to avoid the air bubbles, let me know, Thanks!

Chef's Answer ~ I'm glad your dogs liked them! :) One reason that dog treats may "bubble" is that you might be over mixing the batter. This can introduce excess air into the mixture that eventually comes out as a bubble.

Check out this past question from another home dog treat baker and my answer to further help you troubleshoot the dog treat recipe your dogs love:

Secret to eliminating bubbles in homemade dog treats.

I hope this helps! Happy Dog Treat Baking. :)

Color of the dog cookies - How do you make them golden?

My dogs love these cookies! Thanks for the recipe. The only thing is that mine did not turn out golden as shown in your picture. They are more like the color of the peanut butter. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? I want mine to turn golden like yours!

Chef's Answer ~ Hmmm, well, I'm not sure why yours didn't turn out golden. Things to check for next time would include thoroughly preheating the oven. Bake them for the full recommended time. Once the time is up, turn the oven off and leave the dog cookies in the oven overnight.

I hope this helps. Happy Dog Treat Baking! :)

Can I Add Carob Chips?

Has anyone added carob chips to this recipe?

Thanks

Chef's Answer ~ This would be a great recipe to add carob chips to! Mix them in when you stir in the peanut butter. I would start with 1/4 cup and add more if desired. If you want to use a cookie cutter, roll out the dough thicker than the recipe calls for. Or, you can make dog cookies by using a cookie dropper.

Peanut butter and oatmeal dog biscuits - only last a week?

Why would the peanut butter and oatmeal biscuits only last for one week? Seems with these ingredients they will last much longer.

Chef's Answer ~ These homemade dog treats, and all like it are made without artificial preservatives. So, similar to homemade cookies for humans, they will only last for a week or two in the refrigerator before they will mold.

The shelf life also depends on how long you bake the dog cookies. If you bake them very dry, they will last longer because there is less moisture in the cookie.

The storage information is just a guide. Use your best judgement with the dog treats you bake.

I hope this helps. Happy Dog Treat Baking! :)

Can I change this recipe a little and get the same results

I'd like to use skim milk instead of water and add a banana. Will the shelf life be the same and will the consistency change too much?

Chef's Answer ~ Replacing the water with skim milk should be fine. However, adding a banana will make the dough more moist. You can compensate by adding more flour. Add one tablespoon at a time until you have a workable dough. The shelf life will be similar. The consistency will be a little different, but if you thoroughly mash the banana, it shouldn't change it too much.

I hope this helps! Happy Dog Treat Baking! :)

How the heck do you roll this out??

by Manda
(Fresno, CA)

This stuff is SOOOOOO sticky it is impossible to roll out. Is there better way to do this?? Please help!

Chef's Answer ~ You're right, the dough is quite sticky. However, it's not impossible! :) You'll need to continue dusting your work surface, rolling pin and dough with flour. It may also help you to refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before trying to roll out.

You can also roll out the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap. Be sure to refrigerate it first, like mentioned above. This may be a better option since adding too much flour will make the dog treats very tough.

An alternative to rolling out the dough is to use a cookie scooper, or pinch off a small amount of dough, roll it into a ball and flatten into a dog cookie shape.

Most dogs LOVE peanut butter, so it's well worth the extra steps to make this yummy dog treat recipe! :)

Can I make these small and bite sized for a puppy?

by Natasha
(Spokane, WA)

We are getting a puppy tomorrow and I'd like to use these as training treats. Can I make them bite sized? If so, how long would I bake them?

Chef's Answer ~ Congratulations on the new puppy! :)

Yes, you can make these, and most of the dog treats on this site smaller for a puppy or a small dog. The baking time will need to be reduced considerably. I would recommend baking for 5 minute increments until you get just the right texture. Remember that after the treats are taken out of the oven, they will continue to bake and harden. So, you will want to take them out a little before they are at the texture you want.

Cooling homemade dog treats

Do you have to let them set in the oven or can you remove them and place them on a cooling rack and continue baking more?

Chef's Answer ~ You can let them cool on a wire rack, that would be just fine. The treats are left in the turned off oven to cool so that they could be extra crunchy. Remaining in the oven as it cools down helps to remove extra moisture from the treats. But, after they are baked, you can cool them however you'd like.

One option would be to take half of the dog treats out and let them cool on a wire rack, and leave the other half in the cooling oven. Then you can see if your dog prefers a certain texture dog treat, and make them that way in the future. :)

Could you use quaker quick oats?

I have the quick oats with me but i don't want to go out and buy the rolled oats. Would this affect the recipe?

Chef's Answer ~ I believe that quick oats and rolled oats are essentially the same. So, yes, you can use quick oats. Next time you're at the store, though, check for rolled oats because they are a very common ingredient in homemade dog treats.

What you don't want to use is the prepackaged instant variety that has additional flavors, chemicals, and added sugar.

How long will the peanut butter dog biscuits stay fresh, in a closed container?

by Dina
(Midlothian)

Can't wait to try!

Chef's Answer ~ These will last a good 2 weeks in a air tight container, providing they are baked crispy (or hard). It's a good idea to keep any extras that your dog will not eat in 2 weeks in the refrigerator or even the freezer. In the fridge they'll last a month. In the freezer they'll be good for at least 4 months, but probably closer to 6 months.

For more information on how to store homemade dog treats be sure to review our tips and techniques.

Have fun making these treats, and let us know how your dog likes them! :)

Peanut butter oatmeal dog cookies - how long do you bake the round cookies?

by Angela
(San Jose CA)

Instead of cutting cookies out of the dough I rolled them into balls and did the criss-cross marks like peanut butter cookies. But I was wondering if I bake them as long as you do when you cut them out, which is 40 minutes.

Chef's Answer ~ If you make medium sized dog cookies, about 1 1/2 inches across, then you should be able to bake them for the same amount of time. If they're much smaller or larger, you'll need to adjust the baking time.

Remember, you can always bake dog cookies for longer. So, bake the treats for 30 minutes and then check them. The cookies will harden a little bit more after you take them out of the oven and they cool.

I hope this helps. Happy Dog Treat Baking! :)

Can I Use Bread Flour?

I want to make my dog this treat, but I only have bread flour, will the recipe still work if I don't have whole wheat flour?

Chef's Answer ~ Bread flour has a higher level of gluten than white or whole wheat flour. You can use bread flour, but the treat will be chewy and tough. If your dog enjoys and can eat tougher dog treats, then I would go ahead and substitute the flours this time.

Happy Dog Treat Baking! :)

Question about directions!

by Kayla

When you say to turn the oven off and then let them cool over night do you mean take them out of the oven and let them cool overnight or literally leave them in the oven after you turn it off and then take them out of the cooled oven the next day?

Chef's Answer ~ To clarify, I mean to leave the baking sheet in the oven, turn off the oven, and leave the dog treats in the oven while the oven is cooling off.

This is an optional step, but it helps to dry out the already baked dog biscuits a little bit more so that they are nice and crunchy.

If you have a dog that needs a softer treat, you would want to bake for a couple minutes less and take them out to cool on a wire rack.

Do I cook the treats the same time if I halved the recipe?

I only have one dog so I halved it, but do I cook it the full 40 minutes still?

Chef's Answer ~ Yes, the bake time will be the same.

Can you glaze these cookies?

Just wondering, found a recipe on YouTube that uses a honey and water mixture for a glaze. Can you do that on this recipe?

Chef's Answer ~ Sure, a honey glaze would be a nice addition to these peanut butter dog cookies.

Can you freeze left over dough?

by Michelle
(Las Vegas, NV)

Baking these right now for my two Pomeranian's and I have left over dough. Can I freeze it and make another batch later?

Chef's Answer ~ Absolutely! You could preform little balls of dough and freeze, or roll the dough into a log and freeze it that way.

If you want to freeze individual cookie balls, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in your freezer for a couple hours. Once they are mostly frozen, put them into a labeled freezer bag.

If you want to freeze your dough in a log shape, wrap the dough first with plastic wrap. Then wrap it in foil. Last, place this dough log into a labeled freezer bag.

Either method the dough should keep fresh in the freezer for about 6 months.

When you are ready to bake just add a couple minutes to the bake time if you take them straight out of the freezer.