Golden dog watching homemade dog treats cool on a rack — healthy homemade dog treats
Categories Healthy Treats October 26, 2026

From the Coastside Pawty pack — where the treat jar is never, ever empty.

There is a special kind of joy in watching your dog lose their mind over something you made with your own two hands. No mystery ingredients, no unpronounceable preservatives — just real food, a warm oven, and a very good dog waiting (impatiently) by your feet. Here are three pack-approved healthy homemade dog treats, plus the safety cheat sheet every treat baker needs.

Key takeaways: healthy homemade dog treats at a glance

  • The short answer: healthy homemade dog treats use simple, pronounceable ingredients, and the recipes below are easy to make at home.
  • Three recipes: Pumpkin Peanut Butter Biscuits, one-ingredient Sweet Potato Chews, and no-bake Banana Yogurt Pupsicles.
  • Xylitol warning: never use xylitol — sometimes listed as birch sugar — and always check that peanut butter is xylitol-free.
  • Keep treats to about 10% or less of your dog’s daily calories.
  • Storage: the biscuits keep about a week in an airtight container at room temperature, two to three weeks in the fridge, or up to three months in the freezer.

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Biscuits: the classic

This is the one that started it all in our kitchen. Simple, crunchy, and smelling so good your dog will appear from three rooms away.

You need:

  • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat or oat flour
  • 1 cup plain pumpkin purée (not pie filling — that’s a different can with sugar and spices)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter — and check that label: it must be xylitol-free

Make them:

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F and line a baking tray.
  2. Mix everything into a dough, roll it out about half an inch thick, and cut your shapes. Bones, obviously.
  3. Bake about 35 minutes until brown and crunchy. Cool completely before the taste test.

They keep about a week in an airtight container at room temperature, two to three weeks in the fridge, or up to three months in the freezer. Drier, crunchier biscuits last longest — which is convenient, because crunch is the whole point.

A golden dog sitting beside a tray of bone-shaped homemade dog biscuits in a kitchen, for healthy homemade dog treats

Sweet Potato Chews: one ingredient, zero fuss

For the pup who prefers their treats chewy: slice a sweet potato into thin strips, lay them on a lined tray, and bake low and slow (around 250°F) for two and a half to three hours, flipping halfway. That’s it. Naturally sweet, full of fiber, and no added anything. Cool fully, keep in the fridge, and use within about a week.

Banana Yogurt Pupsicles: no oven required

Blend plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt with a mashed banana and a spoonful of xylitol-free peanut butter. Spoon into an ice cube tray or a silicone mold and freeze. On a warm afternoon, this is pure joy on a stick — and gentle on tummies in small portions. Frozen treats keep up to three months; the no-bake kind should live in the fridge and be used within about five days.

A fluffy dog enjoying a banana yogurt pupsicle beside a jar of homemade dog biscuits on a picnic blanket, for healthy homemade dog treats

The safety cheat sheet (read this part twice)

Pup-safe staples: plain pumpkin purée, xylitol-free peanut butter, plain Greek yogurt, cooked lean chicken or turkey, carrots, banana, sweet potato, oats, blueberries, apple slices (no seeds or core), and eggs.

Never, ever in the bowl: chocolate, xylitol (sometimes listed as birch sugar — it’s in some peanut butters and sugar-free products and is extremely dangerous for dogs), grapes and raisins, onions and garlic, macadamia nuts, nutmeg, and raw yeast dough. Also skip heavy sugar and salt — treats should be a treat, not a salt lick.

Two golden rules: treats should make up about 10% or less of your dog’s daily calories (yes, even the homemade ones — those puppy eyes are lying), and if your dog is on a prescription or elimination diet, check with your vet before introducing anything new.

The busy-day shortcut (we won’t judge)

Some weeks the oven stays off, and that’s fine. That’s exactly what a pouch of Coastside Pawty’s crunchy chicken treats is for — real chicken, good crunch, zero baking, and straight into your pocket for the walk. Homemade when you can, Pawty when you can’t. The tail wags the same either way.

Happy baking, Coastside pups. May your floors be crumb-free and your biscuit jars always full.

— The Coastside Pawty Crew

Frequently asked questions about healthy homemade dog treats

Which ingredients are safe for healthy homemade dog treats?

Safe choices include plain pumpkin purée, xylitol-free peanut butter, plain Greek yogurt, cooked lean chicken or turkey, carrots, banana, sweet potato, oats, blueberries, apple slices (no seeds or core), and eggs.

Which ingredients must never be used in healthy homemade dog treats?

Never use chocolate, xylitol (sometimes listed as birch sugar), grapes and raisins, onions and garlic, macadamia nuts, nutmeg, and raw yeast dough.

How long do healthy homemade dog treats keep?

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Biscuits keep about a week in an airtight container at room temperature, two to three weeks in the fridge, and up to three months in the freezer.

How many healthy homemade dog treats can a dog have each day?

Treats should make up about 10% or less of your dog’s daily calories, and if your dog is on a prescription or elimination diet, check with your vet before giving new treats.