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 four 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.

FEATURED COMMENT:
My dogs LOVE LOVE LOVE these, along with every dog that I have given them to! I have passed your recipe on so many times. It's a dog treat revolution 🙂 - Dona
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 losing 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.

To make Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Treats:
So let's get to making some dog treats for our furry friends!
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! They should keep at least a week at room temperature, two weeks in the fridge, or you can freeze them.

If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.

(click stars to vote)
Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Treats (just 3 ingredients!)
Servings: small treats
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Ingredients
- 1 cup oats (old fashioned, 1-minute oats, or instant), , plus more if needed- see instructions
- ⅓ cup pure pumpkin, (not pumpkin pie filling)
- ¼ cup natural peanut butter
Instructions
- 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. (Use whole 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 for 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. They should keep at least a week at room temperature, two weeks in the fridge, or you can freeze them.








Tammy Battista says
Hi,
My son's dog cannot have any grains or oats. What can I use to substitute?
Thanks
Sam Turnbull says
Any type of flour your son's dog could eat would work. Enjoy!
Samantha says
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.
Daniela says
Isn't almond bad for dogs?
Jenn says
Coconut flour makes my dogs extra excited
Mary Shockley says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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 🙂
Emily says
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!
Emily says
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
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you loved them, Emily!
Sharon Ramon says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! That's awesome! I hope all the pooches love them 🙂
Jamie says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Kimberly says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
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 🙂
Jeremy says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Thanks, Jeremy! Absolutely. Oats are a very common ingredient in dog foods. Here is some more info for you on the topic.
Kim says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Haha adorable! 🙂
susan says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
That's so sweet of you! I hope all the lucky pooches enjoyed them 🙂
Jana Brown says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
THanks so much, Jana, and welcome 🙂
Ben says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Danielle says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Kim says
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!
Julie says
I always keep homemade dog treats refrigerated, just so they can last longer. They stay in a container in the refrigerator.
All the rest, from a huge batch, gets bagged and frozen...then refrigerated as needed.
Making a double-batch today for my dog, and some neighbours' dogs, to try.
Deborah says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Thanks Deborah!
I rolled mine about 1/4" thick. Enjoy!
Wendy says
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!)
Sam Turnbull says
OMG, I love that story! Flynn- Welcome to a fab new home little buddy. Thanks so much, Wendy. I'm so excited!!!
Michelle Bonczek says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Holly says
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 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
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 😀
Julie B. says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Wow! Amazing! So happy it's helping them too 🙂
Susie says
Hi Sam, I was wondering if I could use activated oats for this recipe.
Sam Turnbull says
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.
Susie says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
I'm glad she enjoyed them! If your treats were thicker or your oven cooler, they may need longer in the oven 🙂
Lisa says
I can’t wait to try these. How much turmeric did you add?
Rachael & Mila says
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. .
Sam Turnbull says
Thrilled they were a hit 🙂
Lisa Welch says
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
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Natalie says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Oh that's so perfect, Natalie! So happy your dogs love them so much. My Chickpea still goes crazy for them too 🙂
Minnie Miller says
What can I do if ir don't have a food processor
Sam Turnbull says
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.
Natalie says
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!
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Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Perfect! So happy your pooches love it 🙂
Sharon Ramon says
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.
Rachael & Mila says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy your pooches loved them 🙂