Homemade Pumpkin Dog Treats

I’ve been making homemade cookies for my dogs for years because I just hate the way the treats from the store look and smell. I would love to make all of their food, but it is very time consuming and I don’t want them to miss out on any key nutrients. So, I do my best to at least make their dog treats every weekend or every other weekend, depending on how many they eat during the week.  These cookies are all natural and healthy for your pups, and they are so easy to make with only 3 ingredients. I have yet to meet a dog that doesn’t like these treats. Even my mother-in-law’s dogs, who I’ve actually witnessed  turn down steak, love these cookies. Today I’m going to share my recipe for homemade dog treats so you can make them for your own fur-babies. (Scroll to the bottom for just the recipe without my input)

First you will need to mix 2 eggs (I use organic and cage free) with a 1/2 cup of pureed pumpkin, I usually put a very full 1/2 cup (you can substitute peanut butter for the pumpkin too, it just might require a little more flour because it’s an oilier substance). Once well-mixed, slowly add in 2 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour (DO NOT USE ALL PURPOSE/WHITE FLOUR! It isn’t good for dog’s digestive systems) and mix well in between cups. I haven’t tried other types of flour yet, like coconut, but will test it out soon. I usually mix the ingredients in my Kitchen Aid mixer, with the paddle, not the whisk, and then finish it off with my hands to really get it all combined. Sometimes the mixture will seem too sticky still, so I will add a little more flour, or if it seems a little too dry, I will add a splash or two of milk or water. But usually the original recipe is perfect.

Noodles knows when I’m making these cookies and he stays in the kitchen the entire time. I call him my “little chef”.

Once the three ingredients are well-mixed, I form a ball and then roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. The thinner the dough, the crispier the treats will be, and that makes me nervous (for whatever reason) so I try to make sure they are a decent thickness. Make sure you put some whole wheat flour down before rolling it out, otherwise it will stick to the counter.

Next, I use a dog treat shaped cookie cutter (it’s about 3in) to cut out the treats and I place them on wax paper lined baking sheets. I then re-ball and re-roll the dough until there’s none left to cut. After all of the cookies are cut, I take a large fork and poke holes in the center of each cookie. I don’t believe this effects the baking, I just think it looks more authentic. I bought a dog themed cookie cutter set in the baking section of Michael’s about 5 years ago, but a lot of boutique dog stores sell the cookie cutters too. And if you don’t want to buy cookie cutters, you can just use a pizza slicer to cut the dough into squares or triangles, I don’t think dogs care about the shape too much.

Then, I just stick the baking sheets in the oven at 350 degrees for about 17 minutes on each side (could be 15, could be 20 depending on the thickness, I just play it by ear). Don’t forget to flip the cookies after about 17 minutes, otherwise one side will get extra dark and possibly burn.

Once they are done, I let them cool on the counter before putting them in the cookie jar. And the dogs just sit in the kitchen and drool and cry the whole time they are cooling. Once they are cooled down, I let my little taste testers try them out, and they have yet to not approve a batch.

Recipe:

• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cups of pureed pure pumpkin (or peanut butter)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with wax paper (this makes clean up easier and I think the cookies cook better on the wax paper)

Combine ingredient in a bowl. Roll out and cut to desired shape and place on baking sheet. Place baking sheets in oven for 17 minutes, then remove and flip over cookies, place back in over for another 17 minutes and then remove to cool.

The cookie cutter I use makes about 32-36 treats in one batch. This may vary depending on the size and shape of your cookie cutter.

Noodles, my little chef, was not used to it taking so long to make his treats since I had to stop to take pictures in between, so he decided to lay down in the middle of the kitchen. Isn’t he so cute?

I hope your puppies enjoy these treats as much as mine do! Let me know what they think if you decide to make them!

xoxo,

Kirsten