Applesauce dog treats with rolled oats
Oatmeal applesauce dog treats are an easy way to spoil your dog. Made with just 3 ingredients, dog treats with rolled oats are a healthy and inexpensive alternative to store-bought treats.
I’ll give you variations and substitutions where I can, plus helpful tips and tricks for success. Read on for this info as well as the recipe. If you’d like to skip straight to the recipe, use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.
You may also be interested in my oatmeal pumpkin dog treat and my banana dog treats recipes. For ease of browsing, you can find all of my dog treat recipes in one place.
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Why you should make this recipe
- Quick & Easy – Ready from start to finish in about 35 minutes.
- Inexpensive – These applesauce dog treats cost a fraction of what you would pay for store-bought.
- Make ahead – You can make the dough ahead of time and bake the next day. You can also bake these treats and store them in the fridge or freezer.
Applesauce dog treats
These 3 ingredient dog treats make about 90 treats in a full batch. If you only have one dog, you can cut the recipe in half or you can freeze half of them.
Making dog treats at home is simple, like these banana pumpkin dog treats. You can customize treats to fit your dog’s needs and preferences, which is really helpful if your dog has allergies or dietary restrictions.
Ingredients
You’ll need 3 basic pantry ingredients to make these easy dog biscuits.
- Applesauce – When you are buying applesauce for these treats, make sure it is plain (unflavored) applesauce with no added sugar. Check the label to make sure the only ingredients listed are apples, water and vitamin C.
- Oats – I use old-fashioned oats. You can use quick-cooking if that’s what you have.
- Eggs – This binds the treats together so they hold their shape.
How to make dog treats with rolled oats
- The first step in this easy recipe is to grind the oatmeal in the food processor. As you can see in the photo, I didn’t grind it to a complete powder. I left a few whole pieces of oat to give it some texture.
- Once you’ve ground the oats, it’s time to add the eggs and the applesauce.
- Turn the food processor on and let it run for a couple of minutes until your dough looks uniform.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll out to 1/8″ thick. Cut out with small cookie cutters.
Fair warning – the dough will be sticky. If you want to roll it out and cut cute bone shapes, you’ll need to flour the countertop or cutting board first. You can also grind extra oats to use as your flour.
To make these easy applesauce dog treats even easier, scoop them like a drop cookie.
Dog treat FAQ’s
If properly stored, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, they will last up to 2 weeks.
If you live in a cooler, less humid climate, you can store these treats in a cute dog treat jar on the counter for a couple of days. Because I live in a warmer, humid climate, I store them in the refrigerator.
You can also freeze them and take out a few at a time, which is what I do most of the time.
Yes. I use old-fashioned oats, but you can use a quick cooking variety if that’s what you have. You cannot use steel-cut oats, as those are entirely different.
I tested this dog cookie recipe on a handful of dogs and got the thumbs up (paw up?) from each one of them. I also tasted them myself and they aren’t half bad.
Plus, knowing what is in their treats because you made them yourself takes away any concerns of wondering what exactly is in their food or worrying about a recall.
Variations and substitutions
If you don’t want to roll out the treats, use a small cookie scoop. Then flatten the tops with a fork. The good news is this – your dog does not care if the treats are cute bone shapes or not. Your dog just wants a cookie.
I tend to give homemade treats to friends and neighbors who have dogs, so I always make the full batch. As I mentioned, they freeze really well, so you can make them ahead of time if you are planning to gift them.
Helpful tools and equipment
- Bone shaped cookie cutters – this is the set I have.
- Food processor – the same one I own.
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Applesauce dog treats with oats
Quick and easy, 3 ingredient applesauce dog treats with rolled oats.
Ingredients
- 5 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup plain, no sugar added applesauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F // 177°C // Gas mark 4.
- In the bowl of a food processor, add oats and grind until almost a fine powder.
- Add eggs and applesauce. Run food processor for a couple of minutes until mixture is uniform.
- Scoop treats using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, then flatten into a disc with a fork, or, remove dough from bowl of food processor onto a floured surface.
- Using a floured rolling pin, roll out dough to 1/8" thick and cut out shapes.
- Bake treats for 18 - 20 minutes, cool completely on baking sheet before storing or giving to your dog.
Notes
For EXTRA crunchy treats, increase bake time to 25 - 30 minutes.
You can use store-bought oat flour if you prefer not to grind oats.
Substitute rolled oats with quick-cooking if that is what you have.
Because homemade treats do not contain additives, they are not shelf-stable like store-bought treats. They will eventually mold, as with any baked good. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 3 months.
You can substitute eggs with chia or hemps seed egg. Mix 2 tbsp. seeds with 6 tbsp. water and let it gel for about 5 minutes before adding to the food processor.
Remember, these treats are for your dogs palate, not yours. Dogs do not taste things in the same way that humans do. However, their sense of smell more than makes up for it.
I used a small, 2 inch cookie cutter for my treats, If you use a smaller or larger cookie cutter, the yield will vary slightly.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
90Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 30Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 2mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information calculated by a third-party company as a courtesy. It is intended as a guideline only.
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Oops, I meant peanut butter to replace applesauce. Sorry, thanks..
with all the adverts,goodbye.
I’m sorry you feel that way, Paul, but advertising is how I pay the bills and run this site that provides you with FREE recipe content that I’ve spent much time and money creating. I wish you well.
Can I use sweet potato instead of pumpkin as pumpkin is so hard to find during COVID times?
Hi Melissa, yes you can substitute. Just make sure to roast the sweet potato until it is very mushy, like the pumpkin.
Recipe looks great can’t wait to make it. Do you spray the cookie sheet or use parchment paper?
Thanks
Andrea
Hi Andrea, I always use parchment paper.
Is there a substitute for eggs? I’m allergic so don’t have them. Do have applesauce, oats, peanut butter, honey. He’s 15 and has a heart murmer so low salt.
Hi Deborah, Sugar has a heart murmur too, so I get it. You could make a chia seed or flax egg by mixing with water. If you don’t have either of those, add a little PB to the mix. It will help give it a little body.
Just made my first batch. I made one pan full and put the remaining dough in the fridge. I got worn out 😥 They are pup approved at my house. I think next time, though, I will add more applesauce in place of an egg, or maybe some banana. My little girl is allergic to pnuts, so that leaves out that yummy binder 😭
Oh, forgot, these don’t spread, so you can put more cookies per pan! Squeeee
Thank you! I’m so happy they were a hit!
Thank you so much for this recipe ! I’ve made a few of your recipe and my puppy loved them all , he goes crazy when I’m baking.
Thank you so much! That makes my heart happy 🙂
Just finished making my first (and definitely not the last) batch of cookies. Happy pups here in our house today! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Thank you so much, Michelle! It makes me so happy to know that your pups are loving the treats 🙂
I appreciate you taking the time to leave such a lovely comment.
That seems a lot of oats with little liquid. Won’t they swell in the dogs gut when they drink water after eating them?
It’s a small dog biscuit. My dog never had any issues.
Can I put the dough in pawprint a silicone mold?
Carol
Hi Carol, yes you can! The bake time may increase, depending on the thickness of the silicone mold.
Thank you. How long should I bake the treats?
Per the recipe instructions, 18 – 20 minutes.
Made these 2x already! I have a very overweight dog who needs to shed some pounds but still needs a treat now and again. I appreciate the recipes and hope to find more!
Thank you so much, Erin! I’m so happy that the treats worked out well for your pup! I appreciate the kind feedback 🙂
Thank you Cheryl — what a wonderful website!
I made these for my Yorkie pup – he loves them — so nice to give him fresh and clean treats.
Thank you again for taking the time to share these wonderful recipes.
Sincerely,
Linda
Thank YOU, Linda! I really appreciate you taking the time to leave such a lovely comment. <3
I recently bought some homemade dog treats and our “kids” (all rescue dogs) love them and so I looked up a similar recipe and found you! I love that you have so many different kinds. We have one that can only have low protein, one that can’t tolerate dairy, and our new puppy that we are trying to figure out. Thank you bc so far they love them all
Thank you so much, Kymberlee! I’m so happy you found me! I hope the recipes work well for your kids 🙂 xx