Dogs have different preferences for their treats and meals, but if there is a universal food that every canine seems to love, it’s peanut butter. You can use peanut butter as a training tool, treat, or addition to a frozen toy to keep your pup occupied. Although food-grade peanut butter is not unhealthy for your pup in small amounts, it’s sometimes loaded with sugar, palm oil, sodium, and preservatives. Brands that use xylitol as a sweetener are more concerning for pet owners because it’s toxic to dogs and can cause seizures, liver damage, and death. Thankfully, peanut butter producers (including the ones mentioned in our reviews) that formulate their recipes for dogs do not use xylitol.

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The 10 Best Peanut Butters for Dogs

1. Bark Bistro Company Buddy Budder Raw Peanut Butter – Best Overall

Made from only wildflower honey and unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, the Bark Bistro Company Buddy Budder Ruff Ruff Peanut Butter is our choice for the best overall peanut butter for dogs. It does not contain extra salt, sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, preservatives, or stabilizers. Grocery store peanut butter brands use stabilizers to keep the texture creamy at room temperature. Still, all-natural brands like Bark Bistro must be stirred and refrigerated to maintain a smooth consistency.

We placed Bark Bistro as our top pick because of the simple recipe and the positive responses from dog owners. With only two ingredients, it provides antioxidants, protein, manganese, healthy fats, and vitamin E. It can be placed inside a plastic treat, used to hide medicine, or fed directly to a salivating canine. The product’s only drawback is the cost. It is not close to the highest-priced offerings, but it is a bit high for a pound of peanut butter.

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2. Hill’s Science Diet Soft Savories Dog Treat – Best Value

The Hill’s Science Diet Soft Savories Dog Treat is our winner for the best peanut butter product for the money. The peanut butter treats do not contain artificial flavors or preservatives, and they’re made from natural ingredients. Unlike many competitors, Soft Savories includes a combination of sweet and savory components. The treat’s ingredients include peanut butter, potatoes, cane molasses, chicken fat, peanuts, peas, bananas, citric acid, lactic acid, pork gelatin, glycerin, and wheat flour.

The soft, chewy treats are a hit with dogs of all ages, and Hills Science Diet provides a money-back guarantee if you’re unsatisfied. Although it’s made from natural ingredients, Soft Savories contains unnecessary ingredients like wheat flour peas. Gluten allergies with dogs are rare, but if your puppy has a gluten or wheat allergy, you should try another brand.

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3. True Acre Foods Homestyle Desserts Dog Peanut Butter – Premium Choice

They’re several premium-level peanut-butter products for dogs, but we chose True Acre Foods Homestyle Desserts as our favorite. It’s not as expensive as most competitors, and customers overwhelmingly recommended using the treats for picky dogs that have problems eating their regular food. It’s made from real bananas, dried egg, cinnamon, salt, wheat flour, guar gum, natural peanut flavor, and cane molasses. Homestyle Desserts come in individually portioned containers that are less messy than cleaning up the competitors’ peanut butter treats.

Like our previous pick, our only problem with Homestyle Desserts is the wheat flour in the recipe. Dogs with wheat or gluten allergies have fewer options for standard dog food and treats but you can find more gluten-free and grain-free dog products online than you could only a few years ago.

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4. Zuke’s Mini Naturals Training Dog Treats – Best for Puppies

Puppies can be wild and unpredictable at times, and early training is vital for helping your pup develop into a happy, well-behaved pet. With Zuke’s Mini Naturals Training Dog Treats, you can reward your young dog with an all-natural peanut butter treat. Zuke’s treats are low-calorie treats with a high moisture content to keep your pet hydrated during training. The main ingredients in these treats are peanut butter, rice, oats, tapioca starch, potato protein, and cherries.

Zuke’s treats are a tasty reward for dogs in training, but the treats contain several seemingly unnecessary ingredients, such as barley extract, potato protein, and phosphoric acid, which are not beneficial to your pet’s health.

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5. Hyper Pet IQ Treat Spread Dog Peanut Butter

The Hyper Pet IQ Treat Spread Dog Peanut Butter is an all-natural product that does not contain additional sweeteners, preservatives, artificial colors, or extraneous ingredients. Although its only ingredients are peanuts and honey, it provides healthy fats, protein, Vitamins E and B, and niacin. You can spread it on slow feeding trays, lick mats, Kong toys, or refrigerate it for pill pockets. Several customers were confused that the spread was in suspension when delivered, but they may be unfamiliar with natural-style peanut butter. With only honey and peanuts and no stabilizers, the product will stay separated until you mix it thoroughly.

Although Hyper Pet used the same two ingredients as our top pick, it’s not as easy to stir as the Bark Bistro Company brand. We liked the limited recipe, but it’s disappointing that it takes so long to prepare.

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6. Greenies Pill Pockets Natural Dog Treats

Whether you need a pill pocket to hide a pill or merely want to give your pup a tasty treat, you can try Greenies Pill Pockets Natural Dog Treats. Convincing your dog to take its medication can be challenging and sometimes frustrating, but Greenies pill pockets make the process easier. Some pill pockets do not allow you to hide the medication entirely, but with Greenies, you can close the exposed end to hide the pill.

Greenies are a little pricier than similar treats, but the biggest drawback to the product is its fragility. Several customers complained that the treats arrived crumbled and unusable. Unfortunately, the problem is not uncommon with dried pet food or treats.

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7. Nature’s Logic Canine Peanut Butter Spread Dog Treat

Nature’s Logic Canine Peanut Butter Spread Dog Treat is only composed of peanuts, coconut oil, and chia seeds. Chia provides omega-3 fatty acids, coconut oil helps maintain healthy digestion, and peanuts provide vital protein for your dog. Unlike many of its competitors, it does not use stabilizers to simulate the consistency of human-grade peanut butter. However, the spread is much runnier than other natural brands.

You can spoon a serving into a bowl or on a lick tray, but after stirring the mixture, it’s still too runny to place in a toy. After putting it in the refrigerator, Nature’s Logic does not get firm enough to construct pill pockets.

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8. Pooch Creamery Peanut Butter Flavor Ice Cream Mix Dog Treat

Unlike the other peanut butter products we reviewed, the Pooch Creamery Peanut Butter Flavor Ice Cream Mix Dog Treat comes in a powder that you hydrate with water and freeze for 8 hours. The mix is made with only a few natural ingredients, including peanuts, lactose-free milk, cane sugar, gelatin, and salt. The Pooch Creamery treat is perfect for dog birthday parties or other special occasions that honor your pup.

The downside to the product is its lengthy preparation. After freezing it for 8 hours, it has to be thawed at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes. Also, it’s not expensive, but 5.25 ounces does not last very long.

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9. Mount Ara Healthy Aging Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Mount Ara Healthy Aging Peanut Butter Dog Treats are designed for aging dogs that require additional vitamins and antioxidants. Its recipe is formulated to maintain healthy joints and bones, support a healthy urinary tract, and support the immune system with vitamins. The all-natural ingredients include coconut oil, peanut butter, cinnamon, vitamin E, blueberry pomace, ashwagandha, d-mannose, and ascorbic acid.

Although its highly rated, Mount Ara’s product is relatively new and has not established a solid track record. The biggest drawback to the peanut butter spread is the astonishingly high price.

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10. KONG Stuff’N Easy Treat Peanut Butter Recipe

Kong toys are some of the most popular products for dogs, and canines of all sizes love chewing on Kong products while trying to eat the delicious filling. Several dog lovers use human-grade peanut butter in their Kong toys, and unfortunately, a grocery store brand for humans is more nutritious than the Kong Stuff’N Easy Treat Peanut Butter Recipe. Kong’s recipe includes artificial flavors, milk protein concentrate, caramel color, preservatives, and glucono-delta-lactone.

Unlike the other products we reviewed, the Kong peanut butter does not contain anything resembling a peanut or peanut butter. Also, the peanut butter slides out of the toy too quickly unless you freeze it for 30-45 minutes. We suggest sticking to the Kong brand toys and filling them with one of our top picks.

Buyer’s Guide: Choosing The Best Peanut Butter For Dogs

Since peanut butter is probably one of your dog’s favorite treats, it makes sense to find a healthy, delicious brand to impress your furry friend. Human-grade peanut butter that does not contain excess sugar, sodium, or preservatives is an acceptable substitute for peanut butter designed for dogs. However, be sure to check that it does not include the sweetener xylitol to prevent an adverse reaction. If you haven’t settled on a peanut butter product for your dog, you can examine these factors to help you finalize your decision.

Dog Peanut Butter Price and Quantity

Some peanut butter spreads we reviewed are significantly more expensive than human-grade peanut butter, but most are healthier and do not contain excess sugar, salt, or preservatives. The premium brands that use fewer ingredients may seem pricey, but you must consider the volume of the container when evaluating a product’s value. For instance, the price of our top pick was too high for some consumers. However, Bark Bistro’s spread comes in a 1-pound container that lasts much longer than our last pick’s 8-ounce jar.

Dog Peanut Butter Type

Peanut butter spreads are messier than individual treats, but they’re more versatile. With some brands, such as the Hyper Pet IQ Treat Spread Dog Peanut Butter, you can refrigerate the mix to create your own pill pockets or freeze it in a chew toy. Peanut butter treats are more convenient and affordable than powdered mixes or premium spreads.

Dog Peanut Butter Texture and Consistency

Several dog owners complained that the peanut butter ingredients were separated when they received their deliveries, but that’s normal for brands that only use two or three ingredients. If you buy high-quality peanut butter from the grocery store, the same separation occurs. You must mix products containing only honey and ground peanuts thoroughly every time you use them. Peanut butter that is too runny and hard to stir can be refrigerated to improve the texture, but some products, like Nature’s Logic Canine Peanut Butter Spread Dog Treat, do not thicken enough even after being chilled.

Dog Peanut Butter Ingredient List

You can expect to pay a bit more for peanut butter for dogs but try to examine the ingredients before paying a high price. Expensive brands loaded with extra sugar and preservatives are not healthier than human-grade products, but you can find several brands, like our first and fifth picks, that only use peanuts and honey in their recipes.

Final Thoughts

More manufacturers are producing dog-friendly peanut butter products to meet the growing demand, and our reviews showcased the best products this year. We examined several excellent contenders, but our best overall pick was the Bark Bistro Company Buddy Budder Ruff Ruff Raw Peanut Butter Lickable Dog Treats. It’s only made from wildflower honey and peanuts, and dogs seemed to love the all-natural flavors. Our winner in the best value category was the Hill’s Science Diet Soft Savories Dog Treat. The Hill’s treats are soft, tasty, and made from natural ingredients. Unlike the spreads, the treats do not create a mess.

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Featured Image Credit: Josfor, Shutterstock