Recipe Reviews for Peanut Butter Thumbprint Dog Treats

Read all the reviews for this recipe, and then try it out for yourself. Don't forget to come back here and let us know what your dog thought.

Wonderful "Cheeseprints" dog treats

by Angie B
(Glendora, CA)

I have 5 goldens, aka "cheese monsters". I made these, but instead of jam .... used low fat cheese instead.

Wonderful! Thanks so much!

Great recipe!!

by Krista
(Ca.)

I made half with jam and half with cream cheese. My dogs loved them. I'm so happy I made them!!

I love all the recipes on this site! This is such a wonderful website!!

Baked the dog cookies filled with jelly

by Ann
(New Jersey)

Remembering "people" thumbprint cookies my Mom used to make where the cookies were filled with the jelly prior to baking; I tried that method with these thumbprint cookies with success. Overfilling does result in jelly overflow and a messy cookie sheet however. My Brouzer (Brussels Griffin/Mini Schnauzer mix) did all her best tricks for these cookies!

Is reduced sugar jam OK?

by Claire
(UK)

Where can I find sugar free jam in the uk, the only thing I've been able to find is reduced sugar jam, is that ok?

Chef's Answer ~ If you are unable to find a sugar free jam without Xylitol locally, you can always check online for a source that will ship to you. Or, you can make your own homemade jam.

However, if it's a matter of using reduced sugar free jam or not making your own homemade dog treats, then I would use a reduced sugar free jam. But, keep each portion of jam small and each serving of this dog treat small, also.

I hope that helps! :)

Even a bare bones version of this is great

I honestly didn't have oats or jelly but did everything else and they still came out great. My dogs LOVE peanut butter and they didn't hesitate to clean their bowls :)

I do recommend adding a little less flour for those dogs who have more trouble eating or digesting, I cut the flour by about half a cup and they came out very moist and soft, perfect for my chihuahua.

Instead of peanut butter, I used cream cheese

by Kathryne
(Gastonia)

It was messy but my 2 dogs, Zero and Luna love them! I had to add a little more water then it said but it all worked out! Was it OK to use the cream cheese?

Chef's Answer ~ Well, I think the proof is in the pudding. If your dogs loved the treat, and you were able to make the recipe work for you, then I would say substituting the peanut butter for the cream cheese was just fine.

If anything, if you use a low fat cream cheese, it would reduce the overall amount of fat in these homemade dog treats and make them even more healthy! :)

Please make sure the "sugar free" jelly is not artificially sweetened

by Ann
(New Jersey)

I have been reading articles about how toxic (deadly!) artificial sweeteners - especially Xylotol is to dogs. The article I read was providing the warning issued by the FDA for this type of sweetener. These cookies sound delightful, however, personally I will be very careful to only use the all fruit type of jelly.

Now a question - growing up my Mom made thrumbprint cookies for the family, and the jelly was placed in the indentation prior to baking. I remember that the cookies were delicate and tasty, but because the jelly was baked with the cookies, it was not sticky, and could be gently layered in the cookie tins. Has anyone tried baking the cookies with the jelly all at once?

My furry daughter loves every recipe from your site that I have made for her. Thank you for a great resource for homemade, healthy dog goodies.

Chef's Comments ~ I have since edited this recipe and included the information regarding artificial sweeteners. Thank you for your concern.

You may be able to bake the jam in the cookie. If you try this variation, please come back here to let us know how it worked! :)