This easy pumpkin dog treat recipe contains four simple ingredients that are good for your pup and that he or she will love to chow down!
This is my very first dog treat recipe, but if you're in search of simple, human pumpkin treats, look no further than my Perfect Pumpkin Bread, One Bowl Pumpkin Spice Muffins, or Pumpkin Date Balls 3 Ways!
Easy Pumpkin Dog Treat Recipe
We welcomed our fluffy Aussie-doodle Webster to our fam a few months ago, and it's been a whirlwind of potty training, chasing him around, and lots of little bodies loving on him all day long. He's been such a joyful addition to our already full house, and to say he's brought a lot of laughter and memories already would be an understatement! So I figured, the guy could use a little lovin' on my blog, too...
Enter: these simple pumpkin dog treats! With just pumpkin puree, creamy peanut butter, eggs, and whole wheat flour, these pup snacks are tasty and healthy for your furry friends to enjoy! Pumpkin is great for doggies' digestion, and it's even good for dogs with sensitive tummies. In fact, raw pumpkin puree is recommended to give to dogs who are experiencing stomach problems because it's calming and soothing to their systems. Based on Webster's review (aka, him scarfing them down), I'd say these treats are a hit.
Is pumpkin good for dogs?
Vets commonly advise owners whose dogs have either constipation or diarrhea to feed them plain canned pumpkin to calm their tummies. It is a good source of fiber and also settles their stomach, and many dogs love the taste, too. Even if your dog isn't having stomach issues, pumpkin is a great and healthy natural ingredient that dogs enjoy (especially paired with peanut butter in a dog biscuit!).
Can I use regular flour for dog treats?
If you only have regular all-purpose flour, you can certainly use it, but many dog treat recipes call for whole wheat simply because it has a greater nutritional value!
How long do pumpkin dog treats keep for?
These treats last in an airtight container in the fridge for a week, or frozen for 3 months. Just set them out on the counter for a few minutes to thaw before feeding them to Fido!
Is peanut butter good for dogs?
Peanut butter is a solid source of protein and healthy fats for your dog, but be sure it doesn't have any xylitol, as it's a sweetener in some PBs that is toxic to dogs.
How do I make homemade pumpkin puree for this recipe?
I have you covered! I make homemade pumpkin puree by either cooking a whole pumpkin in the crock pot or by roasting whole pumpkins in the oven to make puree, both methods are great and good to know how to do. Just pick up a few sugar pumpkins (that's the type typically used for making pumpkin puree) the next time you are in town and you'll be able to make pumpkin puree at home.
Easy Pumpkin Dog Treat Recipe
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 dozen medium treats 1x
Description
This easy pumpkin dog treat recipe contains four simple ingredients that are good for your pup and that he or she will love to chow down!
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2.5 to 3 cups whole wheat flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, eggs, and peanut butter, and stir well.
- Add 2.5 cups of flour, and stir to combine. The dough should be about the consistency of play-dough: soft and easy to roll out, but not wet and sticky. Add more flour as needed to reach this consistency.
- Divide the dough into 2 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll it out on a well-floured surface until it is ½-inch thick.
- Cut the dog treats out using a cookie cutter, or you can simply cut them into squares using a knife.
- Place the cut-out cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Repeat with remaining dough, gathering and re-rolling the scrap dough until all the dough is used.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for 3 months.
Notes
- The homemade dog treats will still be a little soft at the 20 minutes mark. My pup prefers them like this. Their shelf life is shorter like this, though (this is why you keep them in the fridge or freezer).
- Bake for an additional 10 minutes if you'd like a crisp dog treat. They are more shelf stable when they are cooked longer, but the fridge or freezer will still prolong their usability.
- Let treats thaw at room temp for a few minutes before giving to you dog.
- Make sure your peanut butter doesn't contain artificial sweeteners like xylitol -- it's toxic for dogs.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Category: dog treat
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: homemade dog treats, dog treats, peanut butter, pumpkin
No cookie cutters? No worries! You can just roll out the dough and cut it with a knife or pizza roller for simple but effective treats.
I don't have any other dog food or puppy treats on my site (yet!) BUT I do have a loads of people pumpkin recipes.
Here are a few of my favorite people pumpkin recipes:
- Quick and Easy Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese
- Perfect Pumpkin Bread
- Cake Mix Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (only 4 ingredients!)
- Sausage Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup
- Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta
- Easy Turkey Pumpkin Chili
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with Whipped Cinnamon Icing
- Healthy Pumpkin Pie Recipe
- Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
- Whole Wheat Pumpkin Waffles
- Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Your pup will love and eat up this easy pumpkin dog treat recipe! It's only four ingredients and beyond easy to make healthy, tasty cookies for your furry friends.
John
I have an older dog so I add 2 Tbsp. Fish oil to the mix for her joints. She seems to be moving better with this addition. Just make sure to add the full 3 cups flour.
★★★★★
Joana
I made these twice for my fur babies. I can’t figure out why they puff up? Any recommendations would be great. Joana
Melissa
It'll just be how you mix them or how thick you roll them, you can always prick them with a fork before baking to avoid the puffing!
Donna
Hi. Not trying to be a downer here but I just read your pumpkin muffin recipe. Although I agree that it is cute to think humans favorite fall spices should go into dog food, that is not the case. You mentioned Nutmeg and cloves, both should be avoided. Please check with your vet. Or a pet nutrition specialist.
Melissa
The post says that muffin recipe is for humans (it's an entirely different post than the dog treats)... there's no nutmeg or cloves in the dog treat recipe.
Jenna
I only see the one recipe for dog treats but i clicked on this bc it promoted 4 recipes for long lasting dog treats. Where are those recipes??
Miranda
Treats came out great! I used all natural pb, canned pumpkin, and all purpose flour. Made a bunch of little Christmas cookies for my small pups that should last them a couple months. They love them too!
★★★★★
Melissa
Oh that's so sweet! I hope they love them!
Lillian
Hi..I just wanted to say my fur babies love these treats..is there any limit to how many they should a day..we treat them when they come back inside from going potty..
Melissa
I'm not qualified to answer that question for but you if you are worried you can always cut them into quite small treats and bake them for less time!
Christina Tuck
Do you have any suggestions for what I could use as a binder instead of eggs? Our dog is allergic to anything with feathers (chicken, turkey, duck so no eggs...). Thanks!!!!
Melissa
Have you ever made egg with flax? That's what I would do, or just use a little more pumpkin even.
Ethel
Can I use coconut flour in this recipe instead of wheat flour? My grand dog has grain allergies. Thank you!
Melissa
You'd need less of it, as it absorbs a ton of liquid/moisture but you for sure could use it and play with the amount.
Tess Montgomery
I wanted to use your easy pumpkin recipe for dogs, but I would like to know if I can use flour other than wheat as I don't buy wheat flour. Thanks
Melissa
Yep, you can!
Nancy Funk
Hi, What size can of Pumpkin do I use? Hope to make these this week for my Boxer pups 1st birthday. Thank you.
Melissa
You won't use a whole can, just 1 cup.
Jessalyn
How should they be stored??
Melissa
I live in the desert so I just toss them in a container in the pantry. If you are somewhere prone to mold I'd consider keeping them in the fridge.
Shari
This recipe is so easy thank you! How many treats can my 15 week german shepherd puppy have? Mines are 11/2 " X 11/2"
★★★★★
Melissa
That's I don't know... sorry. When we were giving them to our puppy I just limited to 1 a day.
Linda
My schnoodle who is picky loves these cookies! Ty how many can I I give her in a day? She is 14 lbs she wants them all day !
★★★★★
Deja
My dog absolutely loved these and I’m not honing to lie I tasted these and I liked them too will be making in the future
★★★★★
Hedi
Hello dear,
Could you tell me what kind of pumpkins are good for eating?
Thanks
Melissa
You can used canned pumpkin for this recipe or if you are cooking pumping, you can cook almost any pumpkin including the bigger ones that kids use for jack-o-lanterns. You can also buy smaller pumpkins that are labels "sugar" or "pie" pumpkins that you can roast and puree to eat. You have lots of options!
Jean Bee
Can I use all-purpose flour instead?
Melissa
Yep, you might need a little bit more than called for but it will work fine.
Cheryll
Is it bad to give the treats when still frozen?
Elizabeth Villagomez
Hello, what can I use instead of wheat flour?
Melissa
You could put oatmeal in your blender and turn it into oat flour, I bet that would work great.
Joyce Decker
I used 1cup of buckwheat flour and 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and increased pumpkin and peanut butter as in previous suggestions. Dogs love them
★★★★
Yvonne
Question: Can I substitute pumpkin for sweet potato or yams?
thank you
yvonne
Melissa
Yes as long as they are pureed nicely (so no chunks) then any of those will work really well, I'd just start by adding less flour than called for though and adjusting it as needed to form a nice dough, the sweet potato will probably have less water than the pumpkin!
deb c
I love making dog treats to give as gifts during the holiday season! I'll have to keep this recipe in my drawer...I'm always looking for new flavors! You need to use the cat cutter....afterall...it isn't everyday he will have the opportunity to eat a cat!