Crunchy Homemade Dog Treats with Blueberry, Oats, and Peanut Butter

Who doesn’t love to spoil their dog? These Crunchy Homemade Dog Treats are made with blueberries, peanut butter, and oats and will become your dog’s new favorite cookie!

I made these homemade dog biscuits on a whim. I was cleaning out the freezer to load up on fresh berries and found a bag of blueberries from last year. They seemed a touch freezer burnt, so we didn’t really want to eat them.

Our dog, Melly, loves this one kind of crunchy blueberry dog treat that is hard to find, so I thought it might be fun to make her some. She LOVES them. (They smell so good that we actually tasted them. They taste okay to me but are kind of bland – they are also dry and crumbly, like a Milk Bone treat. Some people who have made these told me that their toddlers really like them.)

I love being able to give my dog homemade treats with recognizable ingredients. I know what is in them, so I know she isn’t being fed garbage. I also love how much she LOVES them. Melly will sing for her treats!

🥘 Ingredients Needed

FULL INGREDIENT MEASUREMENTS ARE IN THE RECIPE CARD AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST ABOVE THE COMMENT FORM

• Blueberries (if they are frozen, you can also add the juice from the bag) – optionally, you can use dried blueberries but you will need to add more liquid
• Oats – (I like to use Old Fashioned Oats)
• Whole Wheat Flour – I usually purchase King Arthur Flour – Regular Whole Wheat and White Whole Wheat both work.
• Eggs
• Peanut Butter – Make sure that you find a kind of peanut butter that does not have any artificial sweeteners like xylitol in it – that is toxic to dogs.
• Ground Cinnamon
• Optional: Kosher Salt – Optional, but not necessary. It is also fine to give dogs a quarter of a teaspoon of salt divided among 35 large dog biscuits that they are not going to be eating all in one day. Dogs need electrolytes too! Commercial dog food has salt in it, as does the pretzel or potato chip they might snatch up off the floor that you drop, just keep them away from a salt lick.
• Warm Water or Bone Broth (without Onion) – I like to make my own, but you can buy it as well.
• Optional Additions – Bone Meal, Kelp Flakes, Turmeric, and Chia Seeds

🍽 Equipment Needed to Make Homemade Dog Biscuits

• A Stand Mixer
• A Rubber Spatula
• Cookie Cutters – I like to use these bone-shaped ones from Amazon.
• A Baking Sheet
• A Non-Stick Baking Mat or Parchment Paper

🥣 How to Make Homemade Dog Treats

These dog treats are really easy to make, and your dog will love them!

First, preheat your oven to 350°F.

Then, add your blueberries to your mixing bowl. If you are using frozen blueberries, smash them around a little with the mixer. (Picture 1) This will help break the big blueberries up into smaller pieces and mash some of the juices out. If you are using fresh or dried blueberries, give them a rough chop so that they are easier to incorporate in the dough.

Next, add your oats and mix them up with the blueberries. (Picture 2 – 3)

Finally, add the rest of your ingredients – flour, eggs, kosher salt, peanut butter, and cinnamon. (Picture 4) (add bone meal, kelp, and turmeric now if you are using it.)

Mix together until everything is mostly combined – it will be a bit dry and crumbly. (Picture 5)

Now, add about 1/8 cup of warm water (or broth) to the dough and mix until it sticks together in a ball. If the dough still seems dry, continue adding warm water in 1/8 – 1/4 cup increments. (Picture 6) (My blueberries were frozen and released a bunch of liquid when they defrosted, so I only added 1/8 cup of water. If your blueberries are fresh, you may need up to 1/2 a cup of water. If you are using dried blueberries, you will definitely need to add at least 1/2 a cup of water. Ideally, you want the dough to be like a pasta dough or sugar cookie dough – stiff but moldable and not runny and sticky.)

Next, flour a clean surface to roll out your dough with a rolling pin (or a bottle of wine – no one here is judging.) (Picture 7) Roll it out to about 1/2 an inch thick. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but you don’t want to make these really thin or they will burn. If you make them a little too thick, you can get away with just cooking them for a little longer.

Then, cut out your treats using your favorite cookie cutters. (Picture 8 – 9) If you don’t want to use a cookie cutter, you can also use a pizza cutter or sharp knife and just cut 1 x 1-inch squares or 1 x 2-inch rectangles.

Place your cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat. They don’t have to be spaced too far apart because they won’t really expand, but they will stick together if they are touching. (Picture 9)

Bake in the oven at 350°F for 40 minutes, until the biscuits are hard/crunchy.

Let the treats cool for a few minutes and then let your pup try them out!

Melly sure loves them!

🙋‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions

🍴Dog Biscuit Recipe Variations

You can replace blueberries in these dog treats with all kinds of things. You can make:

• Homemade dog treats with canned pumpkin
• Dog treats with applesauce
• Homemade Dog treats with cooked and mashed sweet potato

Let me know what dog treat combinations you try!

🍳 Serving Size Suggestions

Serve these treats as often as you would give your dog a regular hard biscuit – not too many, but make sure they are happily spoiled 😉

Melly weighs somewhere around 45 pounds, and she usually gets 2 or 3 of these a day. (I’m sure she would happily accept more if we offered!)

🫙 How to Store Homemade Dog Treats

Store these treats in an airtight container. They are really crunchy, so as long as they are not exposed to moisture, they should last a good while. (I like to freeze half of the batch since I only have one dog, and she won’t go through them that quickly.)

✏️ Helpful Tips

• Try not to over-roll or over-mix your dough. It will lose some of its stretch and be hard to work with if you overwork it. (It will start to get that pizza dough spring back where you roll it out, and it shrinks back up 😉 )
• These treats would make a great dog birthday gift!
• To serve these treats to smaller dogs, break them up into smaller pieces.
• Make sure to find a peanut butter that does not have any artificial sweeteners like xylitol in it – that is toxic to dogs.
• Try out different variations of shapes and cookie sizes – I like to use these cookie cutters from Amazon. They come in a set of five, and I usually use the middle size – it is about 3 1/2 inches long.

🐶 Other Great Dog-Friendly Recipes

• Stovetop Homemade Dog Food
• Pupkin Spice Pumpkin Dog Treats
• Instant Pot Homemade Dog Food
• Peanut Butter and Banana Dog Treats
• Frozen Peanut Butter and Bone Broth “Pupsicles”