Canonical: https://coopersdogtreats.com/blogs/news/old-mother-hubbard-vs-homemade # Old Mother Hubbard vs Homemade Biscuits - **By:** Alex Willen - **Published:** 2026-09-02 - **Updated:** 2026-09-09 **TL;DR:** Old Mother Hubbard's Classic Original biscuits have been around for a century, and the label backs up the old-fashioned reputation: whole wheat flour, oatmeal, chicken fat, and real chicken near the top, with only natural preservatives (mixed tocopherols, rosemary, green tea, and spearmint extracts), no BHA, BHT, or propylene glycol. At $8.99 for 20 ounces, that's about $0.45 an ounce. Baking your own with our Baked Biscuit Mix gets you the same oven-baked crunch and a similarly short ingredient approach, with the added ability to size the biscuits yourself instead of buying a fixed box. Both are honest, clean-label options. The choice comes down to whether you'd rather buy a finished box or bake a batch. Oven-baked biscuits are the oldest category in dog treats, and Old Mother Hubbard has been making them since 1926. That kind of track record is worth something, so this comparison isn't about finding something wrong with a century-old biscuit brand. It's about what's actually on the label, what baking your own gets you, and the math on both. ## What's on the Old Mother Hubbard Label The Classic Original Assortment (Mini) lists ingredients in this order: Whole Wheat Flour, Oatmeal, Wheat Bran, Chicken Fat, Chicken, Cane Molasses, Eggs, Apples, Carrots, Turmeric, Paprika, Salt, Cheddar Cheese, Paprika Extract, Bone Charcoal, Mixed Tocopherols (added to preserve freshness), Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract, Spearmint Extract. Whole wheat flour, oatmeal, and wheat bran lead the list, followed by chicken fat and real chicken. Cane molasses adds sweetness, and there's a real produce component (apples, carrots) plus eggs and cheddar cheese further down. Every preservative in this recipe is a natural one, mixed tocopherols, rosemary, green tea, and spearmint extracts. There's no BHA, BHT, or propylene glycol in this particular SKU, which puts it ahead of several mainstream biscuit brands on that specific point. Guaranteed analysis: 12% crude protein minimum, 6.5% crude fat minimum, 5.5% crude fiber maximum, 11% moisture maximum. Calories per biscuit aren't published on the box. A 20-ounce bag runs $8.99, or about $0.45 an ounce. Marketing claims: "slowly oven-baked to preserve flavor," and a "Classic since 1926" / "100 years" heritage angle that's accurate, Old Mother Hubbard is one of the older names in the category. ## Baking Your Own with Cooper's Baked Biscuit Mix Our [Beef and Cheddar](https://coopersdogtreats.com/products/beef-and-cheddar-baked-biscuit-mix) and [Turkey and Cinnamon Baked Biscuit Mixes](https://coopersdogtreats.com/products/turkey-and-cinnamon-baked-biscuit-mix) work the same basic way an oven-baked biscuit has always worked, just with the mixing step handed to you as a shelf-stable powder instead of a list of pantry ingredients to measure out. Add water, roll out the dough, cut it into shapes, and bake. Both are all-natural and made in the USA, with no preservatives or artificial ingredients, priced at $12.49 per mix. We don't publish an exact net weight or biscuit count for the Baked Biscuit Mix, because yield depends entirely on how large you cut the dough, so we're not going to force a clean price-per-ounce number the way Old Mother Hubbard's fixed box allows. What we can say honestly: cutting a batch small (roughly half an inch) instead of full biscuit size stretches one mix into more, smaller pieces, in the 5 to 8 calorie range each, which is a genuine advantage over a fixed-size box if you're using biscuits for frequent training rewards rather than one big daily treat. ## Price Per Ounce, Where the Comparison Holds | Product | Price | Size / Yield | Price Per Ounce | Calories | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **Baked Biscuit Mix (Cooper's), Beef and Cheddar or Turkey and Cinnamon** | **$12.49** | **Yield depends on how you cut the dough** | **Not comparable ounce-for-ounce, see note above** | **~5 to 8 cal for a small training-sized piece; more for a full-sized biscuit** | | Old Mother Hubbard, Classic Original Mini | $8.99 | 20 oz bag | $0.45/oz | Not published on the box | This is the rare comparison where neither brand has a clean calorie figure to lean on, Old Mother Hubbard doesn't publish one, and ours depends on how you cut the dough. That's actually useful information on its own: neither box gives you a precise number, so portioning by size and frequency (a smaller biscuit, or fewer per day) is the more realistic approach than trying to count exact calories with either product. ## The Ingredient Overlap These two are genuinely similar in spirit. Both lead with whole grains, real chicken or beef, and skip synthetic preservatives and dyes entirely. Old Mother Hubbard adds real produce (apples, carrots) and a turmeric-and-paprika color note that comes from actual spices, not synthetic dye, a nice detail worth calling out. Our mixes lean on a shorter overall ingredient count since you're not adding fillers, dyes, or synthetic preservatives at all, since there's nothing in a dry mix that needs one until you add water and bake. ## Buying the Box vs Keeping the Mix on Hand A 20-ounce box of Old Mother Hubbard biscuits is a one-and-done purchase, you open it, work through it, and reorder when it's empty. A bag of Baked Biscuit Mix works more like a pantry staple: it sits on the shelf until the day you want fresh biscuits, and then you bake exactly as many as you need. If you go through treats slowly, baking in smaller batches can mean less sitting around in an open box before the last few biscuits go stale. If you go through treats quickly, the ready-made box is simply less hands-on, no measuring, no oven, no cleanup. ## Where They Differ - **Freshness.** Old Mother Hubbard biscuits are factory-baked and shelf-stable in the box. Ours are only as fresh as your last baking session. - **Portion control.** Their biscuits come in a fixed size. You choose the size when you cut your own dough. - **Time.** Their box is ready the moment you open it. Ours takes mixing, rolling, cutting, and baking, more like a real kitchen project than a 60-second frozen Pupsicle. - **Heritage.** A century of biscuit-making is a real thing Old Mother Hubbard has that a newer brand like ours doesn't. ## Buy Old Mother Hubbard If... - You want a ready-made, shelf-stable biscuit with no kitchen time required. - You like the idea of real produce (apples, carrots) baked into the recipe. - You want a brand with a long track record behind it. - A fixed biscuit size works fine for your dog. ## Bake Your Own If... - You enjoy the actual process of baking treats with your dog underfoot. - You want to size biscuits yourself, smaller for training, larger for an everyday treat. - You want a shorter, simpler ingredient list with nothing added beyond what you mix in. - You'd rather buy a mix that makes several batches over time than a single box. ## The Cooper's Treats Approach Old Mother Hubbard has earned its reputation the honest way, a century of a genuinely clean-label biscuit. We're not trying to out-heritage a hundred-year-old brand. What we offer instead is the same basic oven-baked biscuit, handed to you as a mix so the last step, and the size of every biscuit, is yours to decide. Our [Baked Biscuit Starter Kit](https://coopersdogtreats.com/products/baked-biscuit-starter-kit) comes with mix and cookie cutters to get a first batch out of the oven, and if you already have a mix and just need the cutters, our [bone-shaped cookie cutters](https://coopersdogtreats.com/products/set-of-3-bone-shaped-cookie-cutters) come in three sizes so you can match the biscuit to the dog. For more on shaping and cutting homemade treats, see our [guide to treat molds and cutters](https://coopersdogtreats.com/blogs/news/best-dog-treat-molds-and-cookie-cutters). *Since neither of these products publishes a firm calorie count per biscuit, lean on portion size and frequency rather than an exact number.* [Back to blog](https://coopersdogtreats.com/blogs/news) Shop ## Start with a kit, refill with jars Start with a kit to get everything you need to make Pupsicles in one box. Once you know your dog loves 'em, we've got refill jars ready for you. ### Start with a kit [All kits](https://coopersdogtreats.com/collections/starter-kits) [Start here Pupsicle Starter KitTwo flavors of mix and the paw and bone mold. About 50 treats, or 75 in Grain Free.From $29.99](https://coopersdogtreats.com/products/pupsicle-starter-kit)[Baked Biscuit Starter KitTwo jars of biscuit mix and three bone cookie cutters. Bake at 300F for 45 minutes.$29.99](https://coopersdogtreats.com/products/baked-biscuit-starter-kit)[The gift one Doggie Deluxe BoxFour jars, two molds, a lick mat, three cookie cutters and a plush toy in one box.$59.99](https://coopersdogtreats.com/products/doggie-deluxe-box) ### Then just buy mix [All mixes](https://coopersdogtreats.com/collections/pupsicle-mix) [Chicken and Sweet Potato Pupsicle MixFour ingredients. The one to start with if your dog is a fussy eater.From $12.49](https://coopersdogtreats.com/products/chicken-and-sweet-potato-pupsicle-mix)[Most popular Beef and Cheddar Pupsicle MixThe one most dogs go loudest for. Comes in Grain Free too.From $12.49](https://coopersdogtreats.com/products/beef-and-cheddar-treat-mix)[Turkey and Cinnamon Pupsicle MixLeaner protein, a little cinnamon, and a kitchen that smells like fall.From $12.49](https://coopersdogtreats.com/products/turkey-and-cinnamon-treat-mix)[Lamb and Spinach Pupsicle MixFreeze dried lamb and spinach, for the dog that has worked through the usual proteins.From $12.49](https://coopersdogtreats.com/products/lamb-and-spinach-pupsicle-mix)[Beef and Cheddar Baked Biscuit MixA crunchy biscuit instead of a frozen one. About 30 quarter-sized treats a jar.$12.49](https://coopersdogtreats.com/products/beef-and-cheddar-baked-biscuit-mix)[Turkey and Cinnamon Baked Biscuit MixSame short list, baked. Roll it out, cut it into bones, 45 minutes in the oven.$12.49](https://coopersdogtreats.com/products/turkey-and-cinnamon-baked-biscuit-mix) ### Molds, mats and snacks [All accessories](https://coopersdogtreats.com/collections/accessories) [Freeze-Dried Beef MeatballsReady to eat, no mixing. Good for training pockets and for topping a bowl.From $15.99](https://coopersdogtreats.com/products/freeze-dried-beef-meatballs)[Makes it last Lick MatPour the mix in, freeze it, and one batch turns into a long quiet stretch.$11.99](https://coopersdogtreats.com/products/lick-mat)[Paw and Bone Silicone Molds (Set of 2)A spare set so there's always a batch waiting in the freezer.$9.99](https://coopersdogtreats.com/products/paw-and-bone-silicone-molds-set-of-2)[Star Molds (Set of 2)Smaller shapes than the paw and bone mold, which suits smaller dogs.$9.99](https://coopersdogtreats.com/products/star-molds-set-of-2)[Set of 3 Bone Shaped Cookie CuttersStainless steel, three sizes, for the Baked Biscuit Mix or any rolled dough.$9.99](https://coopersdogtreats.com/products/set-of-3-bone-shaped-cookie-cutters)[Squeaky Steak ToyCanvas, shaped like a steak, with a squeaker that takes some finding.$8.99](https://coopersdogtreats.com/products/squeaky-steak-toy)[Makes it last Pupsicle Accessory PackThe lick mat, the Honey Pot and the Soda Can Treat Holder together.$37.99](https://coopersdogtreats.com/products/pupsicle-accessory-pack) Our guarantee ## If your dog turns it down, we pay you back We know your dog will love these, but on the very slim chance they don't, we'll refund you. 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