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Cranberry Applesauce Dog Treats Recipe

It’s that time of the year again…Christmas! One of the easiest dog stocking stuffer ideas is Christmas dog cookies! I mean, what dog doesn’t want food for Christmas? These cranberry applesauce dog treats have been taste tested and approved by my dogs and my parents dogs and I can say they were a big hit!

Learn how to make this cranberry applesauce dog treat recipe below!

P.S. Did you know I have other healthy dog recipes on my dog mom blog? Check out all of my healthy dog treat recipes here!

cranberry applesauce dog treats recipe sparkles and sunshine blog

Cranberry Applesauce Dog Treats Ingredients:

To make these tasty and festive applesauce cranberry treats for dogs, you’ll need the following ingredients and equipment:

Ingredient List:

  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • 1 cup applesauce (unsweetened, NO sugar added)
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup milk

Equipment List:

  • Blender
  • Sheet Pan
  • Parchment Paper
  • Holiday Cookie Cutters

Plus, below is more information about these safe ingredients for dogs.

Is Cinnamon Safe For Dogs?

If you’ve ever wondered, “Is cinnamon toxic to dogs?”, the answer is no. Cinnamon is one of the spices dogs can eat! Now, that doesn’t mean you should go and give your dogs cinnamon sticks to munch on! Using a small amount in dog-safe recipes is usually fine! 

**If your dog comes in contact with a large amount, immediately call your vet.**

Are Cranberries Safe For Dogs?

The second ingredient on the list in this recipe are cranberries! Before I made my holiday dog treats recipes this year, I actually looked up: “Can dogs have cranberries?” because I had never given my dogs cranberries before!

Turns out, they are! Both fresh and dried cranberries are safe for dogs. Cranberries are a bit tart, so whether or not your pup would like them can of course vary. I personally recommend using fresh cranberries as dried cranberries tend to sometimes come in dried fruit variety packs that contain toxic foods for dogs like raisins. Also, it’s always best to be cautious of giving your dog cranberry sauce as it can be mixed with a ton of sugar which can cause an upset stomach.

How To Make Cranberry Applesauce Dog Treats

Below is a step by step guide on how to make these cranberry applesauce dog treats. 

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2: Mix together your cranberries and unsweetened applesauce in a blender. 

cranberries and unsweetened applesuace in nutribullet magic blender for cranberry applesauce dog treats recipe
cranberries and unsweetened applesuace in nutribullet magic blender for cranberry applesauce dog treats recipe

Step 3: Pour blended cranberries and applesauce into a bowl and add the remaining ingredients: milk, cinnamon and flour.

Step 4: Mix everything together until you have created your dough.

Pro Tip: This dog cookie dough can be a bit moist because of the pureed applesauce and cranberries. If it’s too sticky, add just a little bit more flour. You’ll be using flour to roll out the dough in the next steps too.

cranberry applesauce dog christmas cookie recipe sparkles and sunshine blog
cranberry applesauce dog christmas cookie recipe sparkles and sunshine blog


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Step 5: Grab a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle some flour on it. This will help line the parchment paper before we roll out the dough so it doesn’t stick.

Step 6: Grab your ball of dough and start rolling it out onto parchment paper.

Pro Tip: If you don’t have a rolling pin to roll out your dough, don’t worry, neither do I, ha! You can use a wine bottle, or if you happen to have a cocktail muddler, that’s what I use! My aunt got me one years ago and it’s actually what I use to mash my avocadoes for breakfast, ha!

Step 7: Grab your cookie cutters and start cutting out your shapes! I usually cut out as many cookies as I can until I need to grab the dough and roll it back out. 

Pro Tip: I recommend dipping your cookie cutters in some flour before pressing into your dough. This will help the shapes to come out easier! Also, every time you ball your dough back up to spread it again for the next batch to cut out, reapply some flour to your parchment paper. This will ensure that your dough will not get stuck to the sheet!

cranberry applesauce dog christmas treats recipe sparkles and sunshine blog
cranberry applesauce dog christmas treats recipe sparkles and sunshine blog

Step 8: Grab a cookie sheet, line it with parchment paper and start prepping your cookies to bake!

Step 9: Bake for 10-15 minutes or until brown on edges.

Step 10: Allow cookies to cool and refrigerate!

cranberry applesauce homemade christmas dog treats recipe sparkles and sunshine blog

Last but not least, serve these cranberry applesauce dog treats to your pups! I cracked up when I saw the photos of Annie trying to eat the cookie I was holding, so enjoy this funny photo montage I like to call “Cranberry Applesauce Christmas Dog Cookies, a series” ha!

dog eating cranberry applesauce dog treats recipe sparkles and sunshine blog
dog eating cranberry applesauce homemade Christmas dog treats recipe sparkles and sunshine blog
dog eating cranberry applesauce dog christmas cookie recipe sparkles and sunshine blog
dog eating cranberry applesauce dog treats sparkles and sunshine blog

What did you think of this tasty dog stocking stuffer idea? My dogs absolutely loved this cranberry applesauce dog treats recipe and I hope your pups will love this healthy dog Christmas cookie recipe too!

If you loved this cranberry applesauce dog treat recipe, check out more of my posts about  dog Christmas cookie recipes, KONG stuffing recipes and healthy dog treat recipes like:

Plus, don’t forget to check out some of my most recent posts below:

Photography: Kate Kelley Collection


Want helpful dog mom advice, fun toy and treat ideas, exclusive content and more? Sparkles and Sunshine Blog emails share all of the above straight to your inbox! Sign up today to join the fun!

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