These gingerbread cookies are made for your dog: no nutmeg, no added sugar, no butter, and every ingredient is dog-safe in treat-sized amounts.
The holidays smell like ginger and molasses, and your dog notices. Instead of slipping them a corner of your cookie (please don't), bake a batch of their own. The dough comes together in one bowl in about 15 minutes, rolls out like the real thing, and works with any cookie cutter you already own. Gingerbread dogs, gingerbread bones, gingerbread squirrels: your call.
This recipe is written for dogs. If you share your home with a cat, see the note in the allergy section before offering a bite.
Why your gingerbread isn't dog food
Human gingerbread usually contains at least one thing dogs shouldn't eat. Here's what we left out and why.
| Ingredient | Why it's a problem for dogs |
|---|---|
| Nutmeg | Contains myristicin, which can cause vomiting, a racing heart, disorientation and seizures in larger amounts |
| Xylitol (in some sugar-free recipes and peanut butters) | Causes a dangerous drop in blood sugar and can damage the liver, even in small doses |
| Raisins and currants | Linked to sudden kidney failure; no amount is considered safe |
| Chocolate chips or chocolate icing | Theobromine is toxic to dogs, and dark chocolate is the worst |
| Lots of sugar and butter | Upset stomach in the short term, weight gain and pancreatitis risk over time |
| Royal icing and sprinkles | Mostly sugar, often with artificial colours |
If your dog has eaten any of the first four, call your vet or a pet poison helpline right away.
Ingredients
Makes about 24 cookies with a 2.5-inch (6 cm) cutter.
Cookies
- 2 cups (240 g) whole wheat flour, plus extra for rolling
- 1/2 cup (120 g) plain canned pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/4 cup (65 g) natural peanut butter, xylitol-free
- 2 tbsp unsulphured molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 to 4 tbsp water, as needed
Optional icing
- 1/4 cup (60 g) plain unsweetened Greek yogurt
- 1 to 2 tbsp tapioca starch or cornstarch
- A pinch of beet powder (pink), turmeric (yellow) or spirulina (green) for colour
Swaps
- Wheat-sensitive dog: use oat flour, and add a little extra since it absorbs less water.
- No peanut butter: use an extra 1/4 cup pumpkin, or unsweetened applesauce.
- No egg: use 1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp water, rested for 5 minutes.
Always check the peanut butter label for xylitol, sometimes listed as "birch sugar."
How to make them
Total time is about 45 minutes, plus cooling.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin, peanut butter, molasses and egg until smooth.
- Stir in the flour, ginger and cinnamon. The dough will look crumbly at first.
- Add water one tablespoon at a time, mixing with your hands, until the dough holds together and isn't sticky.
- On a floured surface, roll the dough to about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick.
- Cut out shapes and place them on the sheet. They barely spread, so they can sit close together. Re-roll the scraps.
- Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges are firm and the bottoms are lightly browned.
- For a crunchier cookie, turn the oven off and leave them inside for another hour as it cools.
- Cool completely on a rack before icing.
To ice: stir the yogurt and starch together until thick enough to pipe, adding colour if you like. Spoon it into a zip-top bag, snip a tiny corner, and draw on faces, buttons or zigzags. Let the icing set in the fridge for about an hour.
Serving, storage and safety
These are treats, so keep them to about 10% of your dog's daily calories.
| Dog size | Cookies per day |
|---|---|
| Small (under 20 lb / 9 kg) | 1/2 cookie |
| Medium (20 to 50 lb / 9 to 23 kg) | 1 cookie |
| Large (over 50 lb / 23 kg) | 1 to 2 cookies |
Storage
- Plain cookies: airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Iced cookies: fridge, up to 5 days, since the icing is yogurt.
- Freezer: up to 3 months. Thaw for 15 minutes, or serve frozen as a chew on a warm day.
Allergies and sensitive stomachs
- Wheat, peanuts and egg are common dog allergens. Use the swaps above if any are a problem.
- Try one small piece first and watch for itching, vomiting or loose stools over the next day.
- Ginger and cinnamon are fine in these small amounts, but large quantities can upset the stomach.
- Dogs with diabetes, pancreatitis or kidney disease: check with your vet first.
- Cats: skip these. Cats don't need the carbs or spices, and a plain bit of cooked chicken makes a better holiday treat.
Bake a batch, share the joy
A tin of these makes a great gift for the dog people in your life, too: tie it with ribbon and tape the ingredient list to the lid so the owner can check for allergies.
Did your pup give them a paws up? Share a photo of your gingerbread creations and tag us. We'd love to see who got the first bite.
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