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Easy Horse and Dog Gingerbread Treats

| Christmas, Holiday Recipes, Pets, Recipes

Horse and Dog Gingerbread Treats are a simple and easy way to show your pets you care this Christmas!

I’ve mentioned in previous posts that I have a bad habit of feeding my horse, Daff (Arabian), and dog, Ella (Lab mix), people food. This goes double around the holidays because I feel like I’m enjoying all these sweet treats, why shouldn’t they?

But I know that’s not the greatest thing for them, so for the last few years, I’ve been making them some of their own gingerbread cookies. And they LOVE THEM. 

Gingerbread treats for dogs and horses on a baking rack.

Horse and Dog-Friendly Gingerbread

There’s no granulated sugar here, just molasses, and then flour, some ginger and other spices, and a little bit of oil. Ginger’s even a great digestive aid for dogs, so these are some cookies you can feel good about sharing.

The recipe is super simple to throw together and the dough is easy to work with. Plus, the treats are indistinguishable (to the eye) from regular gingerbread cookies, so if you make human and dog gingerbread cookies at the same time, have fun with hungry friends and family refusing to tell them which is which. 😉

Ingredient Notes

  • All-purpose flour: This recipe uses all-purpose flour, but if you’d like to use whole wheat flour, you can. Be sure to measure your flour using a scale (recommended) or the spoon and sweep method (stir the flour in your container to fluff it up and then spoon it into your measuring cup, sweep excess off with the flat of a knife). Too much flour can make your dough crumbly and hard to mix. 
  • Molasses: If you don’t usually cook with molasses, it’s a handy ingredient to have around, especially during the holidays, and once opened, it will keep for about a year. In the grocery store, you can usually find it near the syrups in the pancake or baking aisle.

Horse and dog gingerbread treat dough being cut out into shapes.

How to Make Gingerbread for Dogs and Horses

  1. Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together molasses, water, and oil. Using a wooden spoon, slowly mix liquid ingredients into the flour mixture, stirring until well-combined and uniform in color
  3. Roll or pat dough to 1/4-inch thick and cut into shapes.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet.

FAQ

Can dogs eat gingerbread?

Regular gingerbread? Probably not. THIS gingerbread? Yes. Gingerbread is often on the list of foods not to feed to pets. This is because many gingerbread recipes contain nutmeg, which is toxic to dogs in large quantities.

This recipe contains no nutmeg and only dog and horse-safe ingredients, but as always, please consult your vet if you have any questions or concerns about what you are feeding your pet!

Can I freeze gingerbread treats?

Yes! Freeze treats in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.

How to store gingerbread treats?

Store these treats in an airtight container at room temperature.

Horse and dog gingerbread treats in a glass jar for gifting.

Can people eat these cookies?

You *can* eat them if you want, but you probably won’t want to. They’re very dense, pretty crunchy, and not very sweet. 

More Dog Treat Recipes

More Christmas Recipes (for People!)

Gingerbread treats for dogs and horses on a baking rack.
Print Pin
4.67 from 15 votes

Easy Horse and Dog Gingerbread Treats

Horse and Dog Gingerbread Treats are a simple and easy way to show your pets you care this Christmas!
Course Dog Treats
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 24 small treats
Calories 46kcal
Author Tracy

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour measured by weight or using the spoon and sweep method*
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼  teaspoon  ground cloves
  • ¼  cup molasses
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together molasses, water, and oil. Using a wooden spoon, slowly mix liquid ingredients into the flour mixture, stirring until well-combined and uniform in color (some times I work the dough a little by hand to make sure all streaks of flour are mixed in--see recipe notes on dough texture).
  • On an a clean, smooth surface, roll or pat dough to ¼-inch thick and cut out shapes, gathering dough and re-rolling as necessary. Bake for 20 minutes and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet.

Notes

*Correct flour measurement is very important in this recipe. For best results, measure by weight or the Spoon and Sweep Method (stir the flour in your container to fluff it up and then spoon it into your measuring cup, sweep excess off with the flat of a knife).
Dough should feel similar to play-doh, soft and not sticky, but slightly tacky and easy to work with. If dough is dry and crumbly, add water by the 1/2 teaspoon until it comes together. If dough is too wet or soft, work in flour, about 1 tablespoon at a time until it's easy to work with. 
Store treats in an airtight container at room temperature or in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 46kcal

Recipe Slightly Adapted From Dog Treat Kitchen

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using them. There is absolutely no additional cost to you.

Comments

  1. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

    First of all your fur baby is so cute! And how lucky is she that you make these delicious homemade treats!

    This is such a great idea and love how I know every ingredient in there that I’m giving my little guy…so much better than store bought!! I didn’t know that about nutmeg, by the way, so that’s good to keep in mind.

    Pinning these and can’t wait to give to my fur baby…I’m sure he is going to love them! Have a wonderful week, Tracy!

    Reply

  2. Veena says

    5 stars
    I love ginger bread cookies – the warm ginger spice and the flavorful molasses.. so Christmas!!
    Love the idea of using them for cookie jar gifts.
    Thanks for the recipe

    Reply

    • Tracy says

      Hehe. I had them sitting next to people gingerbread cookies in my kitchen and it was confusing everyone who came through! 🙂

      Reply

  9. Margo says

    I was wondering if the treats are edible for us humans? I was wondering about this because they look soooo good even though I have not made them yet. I am planning to make them and give them to the horses I ride, my dog, and all of the dogs who visit my house!

    Reply

  10. Nicole says

    Is it possible to substitute the flour your recipe calls for for perhaps almond flour, garbanzo bean flour or coconut flour instead?

    Reply

  12. Carrie says

    When you made these how long did they last. Want to make a batch to put in the stockings for our horses and puppies but want them to last and not go bad.
    Thank you posting these.

    Reply

    • Tracy says

      Hi Carrie, you can treat them just like cookies, so they’ll last about as long as a cookie (a little longer since I doubt your pets will care if they get a little stale 😉 ). And if you want to save them longer, you can freeze them in an airtight bag or container and they’ll last for a couple of months in the freezer.

      Reply

    • Tracy says

      I’m so sorry these didn’t work out for you, Angela! If you’re interested in giving them another try (next year), one thing that might help is to measure the flour by weight or using the spoon and sweep method as described in the recipe notes. Too much flour can cause this dough to be difficult to work with.

      Reply

  15. Sydney Mulhall says

    5 stars
    Hi! Love this recipe. Super easy and the horses like them too!!!

    Question is: how do you recommend storing them?
    I put some icing on a few and am unsure where I should keep them.
    Thanks

    Reply

    • Tracy says

      Yay! So glad the ponies are enjoying them! These can be stored at room temperature in any container you want. An airtight container will keep them from getting stale, but honestly, I’ve never met a horse who minded. 😉 If the icing you used needs to be refrigerated, you can keep these in the fridge too. It won’t hurt anything.

      Reply

  16. Keiko Luke says

    4 stars
    Hi! I made these treats this morning and my dog loves them (it’s raining a lot so I don’t have the chance to give them to the horses). I just had a question: the dough was really tough and hard to work with. It would not stretch and I had a heck of a time trying to make cut outs. Is the dough supposed to be like this or did I make a mistake? Do you know what mistake I made?

    Thank you!!

    Reply

    • Tracy says

      Hi, Keiko, this dough should be fairly easy to work with. It is really sensitive to the amount of flour used though, so I’m guessing you had a little too much in there. (If you didn’t already) next time, I would try measuring the flour using the spoon and sweep method: spoon flour into your measuring cup and sweep off the excess with the flat of a knife, or if you have a kitchen scale, using that. If the dough is still really tough, you can add a tiny bit more water as well. Hope that helps.

      Glad the dog likes them. Hope the horses do too!

      Reply

  17. Holly says

    I like giving Sunshine (my pointer mix rescue.)
    https://photos.shutterfly.com/gallery/6f2f4ad7-4223-43dc-bccf-f88683d98aaa?type=shared&cid=SHARPHEMAIL

    There is no way I couldn’t share a picture :). Anyway, I like giving her homemade treats because I know what goes into them and I always have my sister look at the recipe before hand to tell me if it’s okay for her to eat (she’s a vet tech). I also really enjoy making them. For her 2nd year gotcha day I made homemade treats and gave them out to friends and I plan to do the same for Christmas and I am going to make a variety of flavors and shapes. This recipe will be a nice addition and they will definitely be in the shape of a gingerbread man!

    I use whole wheat flour when baking for my dog because it’s recommended since it’s a healthier option than ap. Hopefully I won’t have any problems using this whole wheat with this recipe. I would love for you to post more dog treat recipes! Thank you for the recipe! It’s perfect for the holidays!

    Reply

    • Tracy says

      Aw, what a cutie! And whole wheat should work just fine, but you might need to add a little extra water it the dough isn’t coming together. Hope your girl enjoys them!

      Reply

  19. Kathy says

    5 stars
    This is the second time I’ve made these for my Doberman and this time I doubled the recipe.. I don’t give my boy treats per se but he doesn’t drink enough water. That’s dangerous living in the desert so I grind dog treats to a fine powder in my Vitamix, making “Magic Dust” which I sprinkle on 1/2 cup of water at a time to get him to drink. His favorite Magic Dust Mix is the one made from these Gingerbread Cookies…when I get out the “Gingerbread Cookie” container of “Dust” he lights up and can’t wait for me to sprinkle it in his water bowl! These are easy to make, I found the dough very workable and my boy loves them. I make a few big ones for my daughter’s horse and pass some out to dog friends too. I don’t ice them and plain they freeze beautifully in a zip loc bag, keeping for at least 3 months. Thanks so much for a great recipe!

    Reply

  20. Star says

    5 stars
    Hi I’m making these for my horse cause he loves food can I substitute honey for molasses? I just ran out. Thankyou!

    Reply

    • Tracy says

      Using honey, the cookies won’t have that dark gingerbread color, but texture-wise, it should work. If the dough is a little too wet or dry, just add a tiny bit more flour or water to compensate. Hope your horse enjoys them!

      Reply

  21. Kate says

    5 stars
    I used this recipe for stamped cookies for a local dog group. They worked well, and the people and dogs loved them. Wish I could post a photo so you could see how cute they turned out.

    Reply

  22. Rhiannon says

    Hi! I’m wondering what the texture of these is like after they cool. Are they crunchy or soft? I’d love a crunchy treat for my little chihuahua.

    Reply

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