And now one for the pooches, Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Treats.
For some reason, it still feels like I just got my dog Chickpea, but I realize now, that I wrote the post introducing her almost 4 months ago! My how time flies when you have an adorable little pooch in your life.
She pretty much instantly became the cutest and bestest little dog ever! I know, I know, you may be thinking that your pooch is the cutest and bestest ever, but that’s why dog caregivers are awesome, we all love our dogs the most, no questions asked.
I’m thrilled to update you, that Chickpea is thriving on her vegan diet. Her fur has grown in thick, soft, and shiny (she had some bald spots when I first got her, and those have grown in too). Her coat has even gotten brighter and whiter (I’m not making this stuff up!)
She is bouncing around with energy and is the fastest and most playful dog in the park (for reals). Her eyes which had big tear stains when I first got her have cleared right up. She is so super smart and basically seems to understand what I’m saying at all times. I couldn’t be happier! I don’t think she could be either, as she is always smiling and wagging her tail at me.
Focus… focus…don’t blink or it may disappear….
Chickpea has really been living it up these last four months. She learned how to play with toys (she was scared of the ones that squeaked at first). She has even learned how to play fetch! So sad that she clearly had no one to play with for her first mystery year of life. She follows me everywhere I go, and eagerly watches me while I cook, waiting for food scraps to drop to the floor. Aside from playing with other dogs, squirrel chasing is her favourite outdoor hobby, she even tries to climb the trees! She’s a monkey dog, I’m telling you. (Luckily she never catches the squirrels).
She also learned to bark. Yep, for the first 2 months she didn’t make a peep, but now proudly has one bark and a short growl at the mailman… before she runs and hides upstairs. Guard dog skills, amIright?
There are some vegan dog treats for purchase in the pet stores, but these Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Treats are so easy to make and so much cheaper. On top of that, Chickpea goes crazy for the homemade treats. Isn’t homemade food always better?
She was seriously loosing her mind when I had these on the floor setting up a photoshoot. I’m really not sure how she knew they were for her, but she kept peeking around my light reflectors like this, so very tempted to be a bad dog. Too cute.
So let’s get to making some dog treats for our furry friends!
To make Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Treats: begin by adding the oats to a food processor.
Grind them until you reach a fine powder.
Now add the pumpkin and peanut butter.
And blend to combine until you make a sticky dough.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface. I used brown rice flour as Chickpea is sensitive to wheat, but if your dog isn’t you can use wheat flour. You could alternatively set aside some of the ground oats to use for this as well.
Use a small cookie cutter, (I used a small bone cookie cutter), but any shape will do, or just use a knife to cut small squares.
Lay them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake until dry and firm.
Once cool, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They would make a great gift for any of your furry friends!
So easy to make. Perfect gift for your furry friends.
- 1 cup oats (old fashioned, 1-minute oats, or instant) , plus more if needed- see instructions
- 1/3 cup pumpkin pureé (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
- Preheat your oven to 300F (150C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the oats to a food processor and grind until they reach a fine powder. Add in the pumpkin and peanut butter and blend until a sticky dough is formed.
- Remove from the processor and roll out on a lightly floured surface. (I used brown rice flour because my dog is sensitive to wheat, but if yours is not you could use wheat flour, more ground oats, or another flour that you have on hand). Cut out cookies using a small cookie cutter of any shape, or alternatively just cut into squares with a knife.
- Lay the treats on the prepared baking sheet and bake fo 25 to 30 minutes, until the treats are dry and hard. Let cool before giving to your pup and then store in an airtight container.
Bon puppategan!
Sam.
Can I substitute blueberries instead of pumpkin?
I suppose if you mash them it could work, but you may have to adjust the other ingredients as needed to reach the right consistency.
OK I have searched this page up and down with no luck. How much of each ingredient is to be used for a single batch, what temperature do you set the oven to?
Hi Ashlee, I’m not sure why you’re having trouble finding it. The full recipe is written out with a printer friendly button and all just below the last picture of my dog sniffing the tray of dog biscuits, and above the nutrition info box.
Hi,
My son’s dog cannot have any grains or oats. What can I use to substitute?
Thanks
Any type of flour your son’s dog could eat would work. Enjoy!
Almond flour but have to be might need to add more til the right consistency also cornmeal is used or corn flour is used in some cookies , that combined with almond flour might have a great consistency.
Hey Sam! I made this recipe today!!! My 11 week old Pittsky, Peyton Blue, says Thank You!!!! She loves them. I got 42 out of a double batch! I added a bit of cinnamon to it. But next time I think I’ll try the turmeric too. Now do you by chance have a recipe for grated fresh carrot treats??? Will be making these again for sure. Found Gingerbread ones for Christmas!
Aww thrilled your pooches loved them! I don’t have a recipe for carrot dog treats but I will add it to my idea list 🙂
I just made these for my girls.
They LOVED them!
I just want to point out that there is no way this recipe makes 50 dog treats, unless you roll it paper thin and make them all the size of a nickel. I rolled the dough 1/8″ thin and made 1″ square cookies and it only made 20 cookies.
But the recipe is super easy to follow, and the treats are amazing nonetheless! My dachshund actually danced for one, and she seldom dances!
I just saw in another comment that you made them small for your small dog.
I have A 90 lb Doberman, a 20 lb dachshund mix, and a 12 lb pug/schnauzer mix, so that makes sense lol
So happy you loved them, Emily!
I didn’t have any cookie cutters, so I used a tea ball. I took it and used the side that had a nice edge to it. Anyway, the treats were a little bigger than a quarter so it made quite a few, about 66. They’re in the oven right now. I’m going to share them with a neighbor lady with whom I go walking with her 2 fur babies and one of my own. Very excited to see how they turn out. Gave my dog a pinch of raw dough and she snapped it off my finger. It passed the taste test with her!
Haha! That’s awesome! I hope all the pooches love them 🙂
How would recommend storing these? How long do they keep? Could they be frozen to last longer? My dog is pretty small (around 9 pounds) and treats last him a while (although he does have a variety so they last him longer than if he only had 1 bag of treats). Do they break easily? As I was thinking about making them to use for training purposes. Sorry for all the questions.
I kept mine in an air-tight container on the shelf and they lasted about a week or more. You could absolutely freeze them and they do break easily. I hope your pooch enjoys them!
I don’t happen to have natural peanut butter on hand. I do have regular peanut butter and natural almond butter. Could I substitute with one of these?
I would substitute the natural almond butter, as regular peanut butter is packed full of sugar and oil which isn’t good for our pooches health 🙂
I hope my question isn’t silly I’m just curious if eating oats is good for dog’s digestive system. Any thoughts on that? Your website is fantastic, by the way!
Thanks, Jeremy! Absolutely. Oats are a very common ingredient in dog foods. Here is some more info for you on the topic.
I make these all the time for my Sally Jane and Tiny. They love them! The neighborhood dogs go crazy over them too. I bake about 10 dozen for christmas, I get a lot of kisses at christmas.
Haha adorable! 🙂
I made 4 batches of these for co workers. That all have dogs. Filled Christmas cellophane bags. I thought this would be a nice change because all dogs like treats and these were easy and healthy.
That’s so sweet of you! I hope all the lucky pooches enjoyed them 🙂
I happened upon your website today and I am so glad I did! I wanted to try something different for treats. My chihuahua doesn’t care for treats made with apple, but he does enjoy peanut butter. I will also be making some to share with the dogs on my mail route (at the owner’s discretion, of course). I will be visiting this site again for sure!
THanks so much, Jana, and welcome 🙂
Hi i was wondering if u know of any recipes to frost the treats. But like frosting that will dry hard and will not go bad at room temp? Btw i 3D printed a little dog treat cookie cutter and these treats r perfect. Dash loves them and they are the perfect size for training!
So happy they are loved. I don’t have a recipe for dog frosting, but maybe a bit of melted coconut oil and peanut butter could work? Something like the peanut butter drizzle in my protein bar recipe. Hope that helps!
Hey, I was wondering if these need to be refrigerated. I tried a different dog treat recipe, stored in an airtight container and after a couple weeks they were filled with mold. How long do they last? Have you ever had this problem of mold? If I don’t have a food processor what else will work?
Hi Danielle, as long as they are dried out completely they shouldn’t get moldy. It’s never happened to me. You could try using a blender or buy pre-ground oat flour. Enjoy!
They last about 7-10 days in containers, after that, 3 days cooled. I’ve been making these abt 5 years nows, experimented with different times. These are so delicious. I’ve actually had the owners eat these also with coffee. Lol
They are good all natural treats!
Hello, I was wondering about how thick to roll the dough? Athough I have not made these yet,I have made other recipes for dog treats. This one looks like a winner!
Thanks Deborah!
I rolled mine about 1/4″ thick. Enjoy!
I made a batch of these for my dogs and they were a huge hit so when we went to visit the retired greyhound kennels in Edinburgh I took along a bag full of treats for the greyhounds. Seriously I was the most popular human there, every single dog loved them and wanted more. What makes it even better is that i fell in love with a really gorgeous 3 year old greyhound boy (Flynn) and now he is coming to live with me and my other pups so I can make these treats for him ALL the time, thanks Sam.
p.s not long to go now until my fuss free vegan cookbook lands on my door (I am so excited!)
OMG, I love that story! Flynn- Welcome to a fab new home little buddy. Thanks so much, Wendy. I’m so excited!!!
Hi. These are great. But there is no way these make 50 treats unless you are cutting them into squared centimeters. My golden loves them and looks forward to the 20 I cut from this dough.
It just depends on the size you make the treats. My dog is little, so I made tiny treats, and it did indeed make 50 treats for me (as seen in the photos). Glad you enjoyed!
Hello 🙂 As a vegan I really appreciate your recipe. My dog Angel loved them! She was recently brought here from a family who sadly mistreated her. With lots of love and care, we are slowly bringing her back to life! I am planning on a very slow transition to a vegan lifestyle for her and I am going to watch her very closely as she transitions. I will definitely make more of these! She loved them!Thank you 🙂
Awww lovely! My dog, Chickpea is a rescue dog as well, and I also transitioned her to a vegan diet. It’s been over a year and she is as happy and healthy as any dog could possibly be 😀
I have a 12 year old McNab and a 7 year old boston/staffordshire that have joint problems. I add in a tablespoon of organic tumeric and a teaspoon of black pepper and they LOVE them. The boston, Rocky MacPhearson, is back to chasing rabbits and tennis balls on the farm, even saved the chickens from a fox the other night. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Wow! Amazing! So happy it’s helping them too 🙂
Hi Sam, I was wondering if I could use activated oats for this recipe.
I’m not even sure what activated oats are, but as long as the oats are dry and can be processed into a flour-like texture they should work fine.
Thanks, I did make them for my furkid and she like enjoyed eating them. They didn’t become really hard and I’m not sure if that’s because I have a cheap little oven or if I should leave them longer. Will try again.
I’m glad she enjoyed them! If your treats were thicker or your oven cooler, they may need longer in the oven 🙂
Hello there! I just made them today for my Mom’s two small dogs. I put the oats in the blender to make them into a flour then put in a small bowl with the peanut butter and pumpkin. I then mixed it together with my hands. Super easy, fuss free, and made in no time. Luci and Precious loved the treats so much! Thank you for this awesome recipe that we’ll be using from here on out It was our first time making them treats, so we’re excited for our Lil family members. .
Thrilled they were a hit 🙂
Hi Sam,
I have a ? on the Pumpkin& Peanut butter Recipe. How long do the treats last and what is the best way to store them?
Thanks yu!
Lisa
They are pretty dried-out, so I just kept mine in a jar in the cupboard for about a week. I’m sure they would last even longer in the fridge or freezer. Enjoy!
I have a 15 year old Boston and a 1 year old, 5 pound, chihuahua with a liver condition. I feel so good giving them these cookies, knowing exactly what’s in them, and they LOVE them!
I use natural peanut butter that literally contains nothing but peanuts. I’ve been making them consistently all year and it always comes together so easily.
Oh that’s so perfect, Natalie! So happy your dogs love them so much. My Chickpea still goes crazy for them too 🙂
What can I do if ir don’t have a food processor
You could buy oat flour and use that instead of oats, then just stir by hand. You will probably need slightly less oat flour as it is more compact than whole oats.
I don’t have a food processor per se either, but I do have an electric chopper/mini food processor that I’ve been using for 20 years. You can get them at places like Walmart or the Dollar General store for around $10. Works perfectly for this recipe, which I LOVE, by the way. Or I guess I should say my dogs LOVE!
.
Haha! Perfect! So happy your pooches love it 🙂
I didn’t have a processer either, so I used my coffee/ spice grinder. It worked great. Just saying. A thrift store usually sells these cheap and with less moving parts.A less expensive investment than a food processor. Again, just a suggestion.
Hello there! I just made them today for my Mom’s two small dogs. I put the oats in the blender to make them into a flour then put in a small bowl with the peanut butter and pumpkin. I then mixed it together with my hands. Super easy, fuss free, and made in no time. Luci and Precious loved the treats so much!
Yay! So happy your pooches loved them 🙂
Every time I make these I have to make double batches as my kids as well as my fur babies, 9 yr old shih tzu and 3 month old Boston mix, absolutely love these treats.
Ahahaha! A treat for the whole family. Love it.
Great recipe and so simple. My dog – JoJo and my husband love these treats. Thanks for sharing.
You’re most welcome! 🙂
Have you ever tried freezing any of the treats
So I made these today… pups seem to love them… my husband who has some sort of dementia thinks that these are cookies for him… I’m glad they are safe!!
Hahaha! I don’t think they make particularly scrumptious human cookies, but I am glad they are loved either way!
im making these and some other delicious looking treats this morning for my 185 pound Leoonberger, Chester :O) He goes through the home made treats soooo fast, as you can imagine. I had to write because my hubby has dementia and I have to tell him “no honey these are Chesters’, you get the fresh Oatmeal cookies!” LOL….. I love my boys and I can’t make a treat for one of them without making sure there is a treat for the other one ….. Chester out weights both of us by 20 and 40 pounds! I love these recipes because they are quick and very economical compared to store bought treats. I’m going to send samples w/the the recipe to my granddogs, I know they will love them too! I’m thrilled they are “human” safe too! I love watching my boys enjoy their treats together. Oh, hubby usually gets Oatmeal Rasin cookies….LOL.
Haha, I love that story! So cute that you love baking so much for both of your boys. 😀
Easy to make and the dogs love them! Even gave a little piece to my cat and she seemed to enjoy it.
Ooo I didn’t know cats would enjoy them! Good to know 😀
How long do these treats keep? Thanks!
About 3-4 weeks when kept in an air-tight jar at room temperature.
Luke my lab absolutely ADORES these!! Thank you so much.. he just stands in the kitchen and watches me make them.. like “but WHY do they take so long to bake??” Lol
Hahahahahaha! Chickpea does the same thing. So happy your pooch loves them!
Just curious, how did you figure out the nutritional content of the treats and is there a % of daily value for dogs?
I have a doggie on a wheat free diet. Thank you!
I just popped the info into my regular nutrition data analysis tool. So the % of daily value is actually for humans, not pooches, but I hoped it would give a rough estimate of how healthy the treats are.
Yay, my Louis-boy loved them! I want to find that cookie cutter and gift them to friends and families dogs! And it’s so easy 🙂
So happy he loved them too! I found my cookie cutters at my local bulk food store, but you can buy them here on amazon as well. Enjoy!
These doggy treats are a super idea.
But what about kitty treats. Do you think I could use these, just smaller?
Or is there another recipe?
Hi Hilda!
Your welcome to try them but I don’t have a cats so I have no idea if your kitty will enjoy them!
she loved these 😀 we have a 6 month old rescue staffy
Awww So happy she loved them too!
Great idea Sam… can’t forget the doggy family members! Made these, super easy and I was okay allowing the 3 year old girl to have one as she pretended to be a doggy! Of course, our chocolate lab loves them too. 🙂
Haha! A couple of my friends sampled them as well, apparently they want to taste EVERYTHING I make! Hahaha. The review was that they were extremely dry. Good for the doggies tho!
I baked these treats today, and they came out great….not dry at all. Hope next time works better for you!
great idea for holiday gifts for my doggy clients! Thanks.
You’re very welcome! Doggies love them!
Aw, my dogamous will love these.
Yay!!! 🙂
Love this!! Can’t wait to make them for my babies Nala and Vega. Your chickpea is adorable! 🙂
Thank you 🙂 I hope Nala and Vega (cute names!) love them as much as Chickpea does!
What a cutie pie she is!!!
(Haha, I wouldn’t mind eating a treat myself 😉 )
Haha, a couple friends of mine have sampled them, (friends are always sampling my food!) and the opinion is that they are very dry. They do smell yummy tho! Haha.
Thanks for this! Coincidentally, last weekend I stumbled upon a dog treat kit we’d bought some time ago, but all the recipes called for meat. I’ll definitely be trying these for our dogs!
Wohoo! I hope you pup likes them 🙂
This is adorable! Chickpea is so cute and such a lovely name 🙂 I also am working from home atm and my pup Doc is now two and a half years (he was just 8 weeks old when we adopted him!) and he is truly my best friend. There is nothing quite like the love, friendship and companionship of our pups!
I wanted to ask you if you are making yourself the vegan dog food at home or if you are buying it. I’ve been considering it for a while but the brands I have available here are really really expensive (like almost 90€ a bag for 3 months)! I’ve been cooking him rice and liver (which gives me the creeps to cook) as he is having some tummy issues for the last weeks and we’ve set the kibble apart for now. Do you have any advise on vegan dog food? Homemade or storebought? Thank you so much 🙂
Thank you so much, Lee! Yes, there is no love quite like the love between dog and caregiver.
I’m currently buying the dog food, although I do give Chickpea treats from the kitchen. Some of her favourites are bananas, baked sweet potato, pumpkin, and peanut butter (hence the dog treats). The brand I am currently feeding her is Natural Balance (both wet and dry). My vet recommended Royal Canin. V-Dog is not yet available in Canada, but when it is I will look forward to trying that one as well. Not sure if any of those are available in the UK. I haven’t tried any of the recipes myself but here, here, and here are a couple of vegan dog food recipes you could try. Hope that helps!
Thanks for your reply! I didn’t know some of these brands. I live in Portugal and sometimes it can get quite hard to find vegan products… My pup loves carrots, sweet potato, apples and peaches 🙂 Must try to give him bananas!
Ah yes, I’m afriad I don’t know much about the vegan products in Portugal. Hopefully the recipes help! 🙂
Just made dog treats for my dog yesterday (mix of pumpkin puree, peanut butter, eggs, oats and flour). He loves them! Though I need to invest in one of those cute dog bone cut outs!
Haha! I think mine cookie cutter was 99 cents, so it’s a pretty solid investment 🙂
Yes I’d say so! I’ve been using a shot glass in place of a cookie cutter!
Haha! That works too! I don’t think dogs really care what shape they are tho, so whatever you have works great!
Lizard would have eaten them all in one go!!
Hahaha awwwww Lizard dog. 🙂