Last Updated on September 4, 2026 by Shannon
If you have a jar of unsweetened applesauce sitting in the fridge, you’re already halfway to making quite a few different dog treats.
Apples and applesauce are ingredients I use often in homemade treats because they pair well with other dog-friendly favorites like pumpkin, carrots, oats, bananas, blueberries, sweet potatoes, and peanut butter.
And there are plenty of ways to use them.
You can make a batch of baked treats for the treat jar, skip the oven entirely with a no-bake recipe, or make frozen treats when your dog needs something cool to snack on.
Below are 11 of my homemade apple dog treat recipes, all in one place. I’ve divided them by type so you can find something that works with the ingredients you have, the amount of effort you feel like putting in, and, probably most importantly, what your dog actually likes.
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No-Bake Apple Dog Treats
Don’t feel like turning on the oven? These are the recipes I’d start with.
No-bake treats are especially handy when you want to make something homemade without dealing with rolling dough, cookie cutters, and waiting for the oven.
No-Bake Apple Pumpkin Dog Treats
Pumpkin and applesauce are two ingredients that seem to find their way into a lot of my dog treat recipes, so naturally I had to put them together.
These No-Bake Apple Pumpkin Dog Treats also include oats and peanut butter and are shaped into little bite-sized treats without any baking.
They’re a good option when you want to make a homemade treat but aren’t interested in heating up the kitchen.
No-Bake Carrot Applesauce Dog Treats
Got some applesauce in the pantry?
You can put it to work in these No-Bake Carrot Applesauce Dog Treats.
They’re another simple option when you want to make treats without baking a batch of dog biscuits.
No-Bake Apple Pumpkin Bites
These No-Bake Apple Pumpkin Bites are another way to turn pumpkin and apple into an easy refrigerator treat.
No cookie cutters. No oven. Just make them, chill them, and let your dog handle the taste-testing.
Baked Apple Dog Treats
Sometimes I actually want to use the oven to make dog treats.
These apple recipes are for those days.
There are several different textures and flavor combinations here, so you aren’t just making the same applesauce biscuit five different ways.
Baked Carrot Applesauce Dog Treats
Carrots and applesauce work just as well in a baked treat as they do in a no-bake one.
My Baked Carrot Applesauce Dog Treats turn the combination into homemade biscuits you can keep on hand when your dog comes running because you opened the treat cupboard.
If your dog prefers a traditional baked treat, start here instead of with the no-bake carrot version above.
Apple Banana Bites
Have an overripe banana you need to use?
Your dog may have plans for it.
These Apple Banana Bites combine banana and apple in a soft, fruity homemade treat.
They’re also a little different from a traditional rolled dog biscuit. Instead of rolling out dough and grabbing your collection of dog-bone cookie cutters, you’ll press the mixture out and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
That makes these a nice option if you want homemade baked treats without fussing with individual shapes.
Apple Blueberry Dog Treats
If you do feel like getting out the cookie cutters, try these.
My Apple Blueberry Dog Treats pair apple with blueberries in a roll-and-cut dough, so you can make them into bones, paws, hearts, or whatever other tiny cookie cutter somehow ended up in your kitchen.
(I can’t be the only dog person with more dog treat cookie cutters than I reasonably need.)
Oatmeal Applesauce Dog Treats
These Oatmeal Applesauce Dog Treats are a good recipe to bookmark if oats are already a pantry staple in your house.
The recipe uses ground oats along with applesauce to make simple baked treats without needing a long list of ingredients.
They’re proof that homemade dog treats really don’t need to turn into an afternoon-long baking project.
The Dog Treat Cookbook
Now available for purchase is The Dog Treat Cookbook, a compilation of 42 recipes from this blog. Available for purchase in color on Amazon as both an ebook and a paperback book. A black and white copy is also available here. Click the buy now button to be taken to my author page on Amazon.
Frozen Apple Dog Treats
Frozen dog treats are one of my favorite options when the weather gets hot, or when I want a homemade treat that requires very little actual work.
Mix. Fill the molds. Freeze.
The hardest part is usually convincing Luna that staring at the freezer will not make the treats freeze faster.
Frozen Applesauce Dog Treats
If simplicity is the goal, start here.
These Frozen Applesauce Dog Treats use just a few ingredients and come together quickly before heading into the freezer.
They’re an easy option for warm days, and silicone molds make it simple to make the treats in a size that works for your dog.
Peanut Butter Applesauce Dog Treats
Peanut butter is one of those ingredients that gets Luna’s attention pretty quickly.
Add applesauce, and you have another easy baked treat option.
These Peanut Butter Applesauce Dog Treats are worth trying if your dog is firmly on Team Peanut Butter, but you want something different from your usual peanut butter dog biscuit.
As always, make sure any peanut butter you use for your dog doesn’t contain xylitol (also sometimes labeled birch sugar).
Frozen Pumpkin Applesauce Dog Treats
Have some leftover pumpkin after making another recipe?
Turn it into dog treats.
My Frozen Pumpkin Applesauce Dog Treats combine pumpkin and applesauce in an easy frozen treat.
They’re especially convenient if you opened a can of pumpkin for something else and now have that awkward amount left in the fridge that needs a job.
Frozen Sweet Potato Applesauce Dog Treats
Sweet potato and apple aren’t just for fall.
These Frozen Sweet Potato Applesauce Dog Treats combine the two in an easy frozen snack you can keep stashed in the freezer.
If your dog likes sweet potato, this is a fun alternative to the pumpkin and peanut butter combinations that show up in so many homemade treat recipes.
Should You Buy or Make Applesauce for Dog Treats?
You’ll probably notice that quite a few recipes on this list use applesauce rather than chopped or grated apples.
That’s convenient because you don’t necessarily have to do anything special. You can use store-bought applesauce as long as you check the ingredient label and choose an appropriate plain, unsweetened variety without xylitol or other ingredients that aren’t safe for your dog.
But you can also make it yourself.
My Homemade Applesauce for Dogs is made specifically with dog treats in mind. It’s especially useful when you have extra apples to use up, or you’re planning to make several applesauce-based recipes.
Make a batch, use what you need for treats, and store the rest according to the directions in the applesauce recipe.
Which Apple Dog Treat Should You Make?
Having eleven recipes is great when you’re looking for ideas.
It’s slightly less helpful when you’re standing in your kitchen thinking, Okay, but which one am I actually making?
Here’s how I’d narrow it down:
- I don’t want to bake: Try the No-Bake Apple Pumpkin Dog Treats, No-Bake Carrot Applesauce Dog Treats, or No-Bake Apple Pumpkin Bites.
- I want traditional baked treats: Try the Baked Carrot Applesauce, Apple Blueberry, Oatmeal Applesauce, or Peanut Butter Applesauce treats.
- I don’t want to roll dough: Apple Banana Bites might be more your speed.
- It’s hot outside: Pick one of the three frozen recipes.
- I have leftover pumpkin: Try the No-Bake Apple Pumpkin Treats or Frozen Pumpkin Applesauce Treats.
- I have an overripe banana: Apple Banana Bites.
- My dog loves peanut butter: Peanut Butter Applesauce Dog Treats are the obvious place to start.
- I have extra apples: Make homemade applesauce first, then pick another recipe from this list to use it in.
Or choose whichever sounds good and see what your dog thinks.
That’s the nice thing about making your own treats: you can figure out what works for your dog.
A Few Tips for Making Apple Dog Treats
Before you start pulling ingredients out of the pantry, there are a few things worth keeping in mind.
When using fresh apples, remove the seeds, stem, and core before giving apple pieces to your dog or using them in a recipe.
When using applesauce, check the label. I generally look for a simple, unsweetened applesauce rather than one loaded with added sugar or extra flavorings. Most importantly, avoid products containing xylitol, an artificial sweetener that is dangerous for dogs.
The same goes for peanut butter. Always read the ingredient label before using it in homemade dog treats.
And remember that treats are still treats, even when you made them yourself.
Homemade doesn’t automatically mean a dog should eat unlimited amounts. I adjust treat sizes and portions based on my dogs and what else they’re eating that day.
If you’re introducing an ingredient your dog hasn’t had before, start small. And if your dog has food allergies, dietary restrictions, a medical condition, or you’re unsure whether an ingredient is appropriate for them, your veterinarian is the right person to ask.
Every dog is different. Do what works for yours.
How to Store Homemade Apple Dog Treats
Storage depends on the recipe, which is another reason I’ve kept the full storage instructions on each individual recipe page.
Some baked treats can be refrigerated for several days, while softer or higher-moisture treats may need different storage. No-bake treats generally need refrigeration, and frozen treats belong in the freezer.
Rather than using one storage rule for everything on this list, check the storage instructions on the recipe you’re making.
And regardless of the estimated storage time, give homemade treats a quick look and sniff before serving them. If something seems off, toss it.
Luna is disappointed by this policy.
I remain in charge of the freezer.
Final Thoughts
Applesauce is one of those ingredients that’s easy to keep around, which is probably why it has made its way into so many of my dog treat recipes.
You don’t need to make every recipe on the list or keep a freezer stocked with perfectly shaped paw-print treats.
Pick one that sounds manageable. See what your dog thinks.
And if they come running the next time you open the applesauce?
I’d say you have your answer.
