These Are the Best Peanut Butters for Dogs

There is a reason some dogs can’t get enough peanut butter. It appeals to your dog in two fundamental ways: lick and smell. 

Licking is an instinctive behavior for your dog, and he has a heightened sense of smell. Peanut butter’s thick and sticky texture is deliciously lickable, and dogs adore its aroma. 

Fortunately, peanuts are also healthy for your dog. They are loaded with protein, vitamin B-6, vitamin E, niacin, and healthy fats. As long as you minimize added sugar, dairy, and salt, peanut butter is a protein-rich snack that is good for your dog.

A-Z Animals Top Picks for Peanut Butter for Dogs

#1 Best Overall: Bark Bistro Company Buddy Budder Bow-Wow Peanut Butter Dog Treat

In our review, the overall best peanut butter for your dog is the Bark Bistro Company Buddy Budder Bow-Wow Peanut Butter Dog Treat for its nutritious, simple formula and lickable result.

The first ingredient in this product is unsalted peanuts, making it a healthy snack for dogs of any age. If you read the ingredient list of many of the lickable peanut butter products on the market, they include things like milk, sugar, and salt, which are not beneficial to your dog’s long-term health and are easy to overdo. Bark Bistro’s peanut butter avoids those extra ingredients but contains active prebiotics and probiotics to support your furry friend’s healthy digestive system. Plus, the added blueberries and honey give your dog a boost of antioxidants. Also, this food is free of sugar, soy, wheat, additives, and byproducts.

Unfortunately, a small number of pet owners reported that this product gave their dog’s diarrhea.

Pros and Cons of the Bark Bistro Company Buddy Budder Bow-Wow Peanut Butter Dog Treat

Overall Best

Bark Bistro Company Buddy Budder Bow-Wow Peanut Butter Dog Treat

• A nutritious, simple formula
• Made in the U.S.A.
• The first ingredient is unsalted peanuts
• Contains active prebiotics and probiotics to support your dog's healthy digestive system
• Includes antioxidant-rich blueberries and honey

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2. Best for Joints: Mount Ara Everyday Wellness Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Our selection as the best product for joints is the Mount Ara Everyday Wellness Peanut Butter Dog Treats.

This peanut butter formula includes coconut oil and turmeric. Coconut oil (in small amounts) is healthy for your dog’s skin, coat, digestive system, cognitive function, and immune system. 

It also includes turmeric, which is an effective anti-inflammatory that supports bone and joint health. So this great-tasting peanut butter spread is packed with vitamins and supports your dog’s well-being.

The all-natural formula is free of ingredients like salt, sugar, milk, or xylitol. Instead, it’s a tasty treat that is great for your pet. With so many potent supplements like folic acid, coconut oil, and turmeric, you’ll want to limit how much of this treat you feed to your pet to a couple of spoonfuls a day.

Pros and Cons of the Mount Ara Everyday Wellness Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Best for Joints

Mount Ara Everyday Wellness Peanut Butter Dog Treats

• Contains coconut oil to support your dog's healthy skin, coat, digestive system, and more!
• Also contains turmeric, a powerful anti-inflammatory that supports joint and bone health
• Packed with vitamins
• Free from salt, sugar, milk, and xylitol
• Great tasting

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3. Best with Chicken: Nutro Crunchy with Real Peanut Butter Dog Treats

If your dog loves chicken then you can still feed a peanut butter treat. That’s why we recommend the Nutro Crunchy with Real Peanut Butter Dog Treats.

These dog treats add the fan-favorite of peanut butter with chicken and oats for a burst of flavor full of nutrition. These crunchy treats are suitable for small and large dogs and deliver lots of high-quality protein with only five calories a treat.

These dog biscuits are free of chicken by-products, artificial flavors or colors, artificial preservatives, corn, wheat, or soy protein. They are proudly made in the USA in Joplin, Missouri.

Unfortunately, some customers have reported that there are sometimes a lot of crushed and broken treats in the bottom of the bag.

Pros and Cons of the Nutro Crunchy with Real Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Best with Chicken

Nutro Crunchy with Real Peanut Butter Dog Treats

• Includes peanut butter, chicken, and oats
• These crunchy treats contain just 5 calories each
• Free from chicken by-products, artificial flavors, artificial colors, artificial preservatives, corn, wheat, and soy protein
• Made in the U.S.A.

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4. Best with Pumpkin: Portland Pet Food Company Pumpkin Biscuits

For a delicious treat that combines both pumpkin and peanut butter then checkout the Portland Pet Food Company Pumpkin Biscuits.

These crunchy bone-shaped treats are grain and gluten-free and made from human-grade non-GMO ingredients sourced in the United States. It’s great for dogs with food allergies or sensitivities or who are on a grain-free diet to lose weight.

Portland Pet Food Company double bakes these treats to create a light, crunchy texture that delivers a satisfying texture that is still easy for dogs that have chewing challenges to eat.

These high-quality treats are free of artificial flavors, colorings, and fillers. They contain garbanzo-bean flour, pumpkin, peanut butter, molasses (for a touch of nutritious sweetness), and cinnamon. Don’t get confused! They are for your dog!

The only drawback to this product is that the crunchy texture may be a little too hard for some smaller dogs.

Pros and Cons of the Portland Pet Food Company Pumpkin Biscuits

Best with Pumpkin

Portland Pet Food Company Pumpkin Biscuits

• Its light, crunchy texture is satisfying, but easy enough for dogs with chewing issues to eat
• Gluten-free and grain-free
• Made from human-grade, non-GMO ingredients
• Contain garbanzo-bean flour, pumpkin, peanut butter, and more!
• Free from artificial flavors, colorings, and fillers

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5. Most Socially Responsible: Finley’s Barkery Wheat-Free Peanut Butter & Banana Crunchy Biscuit Dog Treats

The most socially responsible treats are Finley’s Barkery Wheat-Free Peanut Butter & Banana Crunchy Biscuit Dog Treats.

Not only does Finley’s make nutrient-packed treats that dogs love, but it also dedicates 50% of its net profits to community empowerment initiatives that offer support to people with disabilities and help them get jobs. That’s a lot of good in a bag of treats.

The biscuits are made in the USA with human-grade foods like oats, peanut butter, banana, and coconut oil. There is no wheat, corn, soy, extra fillers, or chemical preservatives. They are good for your dog’s digestion and work with a limited ingredient diet. 

With ingredients sourced from local and community-based farmers or sustainable suppliers, Finley’s makes a treat you can feel great about giving your dog and buying. The biscuits are crunchy, tasty, nutritious, and allergy-friendly.

Since they are crunchy, they have some added benefit of reducing the tartar build-up on your dog’s teeth and can help freshen his breath. The size is suitable for both small and large dogs. However, some customers reported that the bag contained a lot of crumbs.

Pros and Cons of Finley’s Barkery Wheat-Free Peanut Butter & Banana Crunchy Biscuit Dog Treats

Most Socially Responsible

Finley's Barkery Wheat-Free Peanut Butter & Banana Crunchy Biscuit Dog Treats

• The company dedicates 50% of its net profits to initiatives that empower people with disabilities
• Made in the U.S.A. from human-grade food
• Free from fillers, wheat, corn, soy, and chemical preservatives
• Good for your dog's digestion
• Help to clean teeth and freshen breath

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6. Best Soft Biscuits: Buddy Biscuits Grain-Free Soft & Chewy with Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Our choice as the best soft biscuits is the Buddy Biscuits Grain-Free Soft & Chewy with Peanut Butter Dog Treats.

Buddy’s chewy, grain-free treats are baked in fun ginger-kid shapes to create a cute and tasty treat. Made from simple, wholesome ingredients, they are suitable for big and small dogs with food allergies or sensitive tummies.

The soft and chewy texture is good for dogs who have difficulty chewing. The treats are made in the USA and are free of grains, corn, soy, artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. 

They do have some pea and potato flour, which is not ideal for some dogs because they don’t add much nutrition. However, they also contain flaxseeds which add omega fatty acids that are healthy for your dog’s skin and coat. 

Pros and Cons of the Buddy Biscuits Grain-Free Soft & Chewy with Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Best Soft Biscuits

Buddy Biscuits Grain-Free Soft & Chewy with Peanut Butter Dog Treats

• These bone-shaped treats are grain and gluten-free
• Made from human-grade, non-GMO ingredients sourced in the U.S.
• Light, crunchy texture
• Free from artificial flavors, colors, and fillers
• Perfect for dogs with food allergies or sensitivities

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Choosing the Best: What to Look For

When choosing the best peanut butter for your dog, there are three factors you will want to consider. Specifically:

• Is there added salt, sugar, or milk?
• Does the texture match what you need?
• Does it contain xylitol or chocolate?

Is There Added Salt, Sugar, or Milk?

Most dogs can eat some salt, sugar, and milk without negative consequences, so this is not a do-or-die criterion, but they aren’t healthy for your dog, and it’s best to avoid them when possible. Many of the most popular peanut kinds of butter for dogs contain milk or sugar. Most peanut butter made for humans includes salt.

Texture

If you are serving your dog peanut butter on a spoon, the texture won’t matter much. However, if you have specific toys you are filling with peanut butter, then a texture that is too thick or too runny might be too messy to use or harder to clean up. Some owners get around this by filling the toys with peanut butter and then freezing them, so the texture is nice and thick when they give them to their dogs.

In terms of baked treats, your dog may prefer a crunchy or soft treat, so you want the texture to match.

Does It Contain Xylitol or Chocolate?

Xylitol and chocolate are common ingredients in peanut butter made for humans but they are both toxic to dogs. Xylitol is a sweetener that is low-glycemic and good for human teeth, but in dogs, it pulls water into their intestines and can result in death.

Chocolate is pretty easy to spot and avoid, but if you’re thinking of sharing your favorite peanut butter with your trusty, furry friend, double-check that there is no xylitol before giving her any.

The Different Types of Peanut Butter for Your Dog: Pros and Cons Compared

Peanuts are a healthy snack for dogs, but the red skins around the peanuts inside the shell are not. When you are shopping for peanut butter treats for your pup, there are several types that will work. They include peanut butter for dogs, crunchy treats, and soft treats.

Here are some pros and cons of each type.

Peanut Butter for Dogs

Crunchy Treats

Soft Treats