When we rescued our puppy, Elle, we did like most families and headed over to one of the big chain pet stores to pick up all of the necessities. During that trip, we walked down the dog treat aisle and I was completely overwhelmed. There were SO many different brands. So many claim to be healthier than the next.
After way too much time reading ingredients on way too many packages and trying to make the best decision for Elle, I chose a bag and headed home. As awesome as these treats sounded and looked, Elle wasn’t in love with them. She would take it, walk to the other end of the house, drop it, and walk away.
But… It was a treat. It had “real” ingredients. But she wasn’t impressed. A week or so later, my Aunt came over with her dog and a bag full of treats that she made herself from only four ingredients. She gave one to Elle and I was shocked to see her reaction. Elle loved it! She wanted more. I needed that recipe! No more store-bought dog treats for our dog! From now on, we are sticking with these homemade peanut butter dog treats.
Safety First
Before I continue, I want to stress the importance of making sure that your dog (or the person making it) isn’t allergic to anything in this recipe. When buying peanut butter, it’s very important to make sure that xylitol is not one of the ingredients, as this is toxic for dogs.
Also, please make sure that the pumpkin puree is 100% pumpkin and does not contain any other ingredients that may be unhealthy for dogs.
Why Homemade?
We care about the type of food we give our kids, so why would our dog be any different? She is part of our family, after all. I wanted to make sure that what we are giving her isn’t hurting her. We want her to live a long, healthy life. And if I have to spend a little bit of time every couple of weeks, it’s totally worth it for me.
What I love about these treats is that they are so easy to make. It’s only four ingredients. And no matter what your cooking or baking level is, you can make them!
There are a couple of things you will need:
Cookie Cutters (I used these)
Rolling Pin and Pastry Mat
Homemade Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Treats Recipe
PrintHomemade Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Treats
Description
Your dog will love the taste and you will love how simple they are to make.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup all natural peanut butter (*make sure it doesn’t contain xylitol)
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Use an electric mixer to mix peanut butter, pumpkin and eggs.
- Slowly add in flour, in 1/2 cup increments.
- Dough should not be sticky, so adjust the amount of flour accordingly.
- Put your finished dough on the silicone mat. If you don’t have a mat, you can sprinkle some flour on a flat surface, like your counter.
- Use your rolling pin to roll the dough to approximately a 1/4 inch thickness.
- Use cookie cutters and place your cut treats on the cookie sheet.
- Bake 20-25 minutes, until edges are golden.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and make sure they are completely cool.
Notes
Since these dog treats contain eggs, we recommend refrigerating them. If you make a large batch, you can also freeze them and move them to the refrigerator as needed.
We hope that your dog loves these as much as Elle does. If you do make them, or have another homemade dog treat recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
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I make treats for our dogs every Christmas, but I should start making them throughout the year too. We have 3 dogs so buying treats can get expensive. I’ll have to make a batch of these!
I have never thought about making treats for the dog! What a great way To save money and give them treats at the same time.
I have made dog treats for our friends that have dogs and they have always loved them. Will have to make your recipe to give to some of our fur friends.
These are super cute dog treats! I bet any good boy or girl will love them! The recipe looks so easy. A great homemade special treat for that special fur baby (or multiple babies).
Heather! What a great idea. We’re housesitting and taking care of three dogs right now, all of whom have different ‘treats’ they like. This sounds like a great fix for all three. Thank you so much!
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You should definitely try it! They were so easy to make and my dog can’t get enough.
This looks so good! I know she loved it. I think fixing this yourself ensures that they are getting the best ingredient and your touch.
Back when we still had a dog I used to make him homemade treats all the time. Peanut butter and pumpkin was always a hit with him.