Author: 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.
Karen says
I made these before the holidays to give out at a cookie exchange to my friends with dogs (and even a cat). With the exception of one picky pooch, they were a big hit. My own pup is very cautious and somewhat skeptical of new food, but he gobbles these up and will actually whine in anticipation when I’m baking them. I did alter the recipe a bit, adding a banana and increasing the oats and peanut butter slightly. To make prep easier, I freeze the pumpkin in portions I can just pull out of the freezer. They defrost quickly. They smell incredible! Question - can the dough itself be frozen?
Laura says
My sister made these for our dogs for the holidays, and our VERY picky pit-mix Rex is a huge fan! It's so great to have a dog treat with few ingredients that are easy on the tummies and have no preservatives! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Katt says
I've made these a few times now and they have become a favorite treat for my dog! Thanks for a simple and wonderful recipe!
Cait says
Thank you so much for this recipe. My two 15lb dogs (Havanese and terrier mix) LOVE them. I searched high and low for a simple recipe with ingredients that I am positive my Hav's tummy can handle to help him through some digestive troubles. So many recipes use eggs or whole wheat flour or added oils. These give him a fiber boost while still appealing to him (he's extremely picky). I ended up with about 50 pieces, each a little over an 1/8 inch thick and in roughly cut 1.5" squares.
Cat says
My Yorkie and Lhasa both love these treats. I love that I get to control what goes in them. I freeze the organic pumpkin purée in 1/3 cup portions so when I need to make a batch I just take one out to defrost. I had a small organic overripe banana one day and added that in (along with 1 cup more organic oats) and the organic peanut butter, pumpkin, banana has become their new favorite. I eat organic real food, why shouldn't my pets? I use a 3" biscuit cutter to make "cookies" and break off pieces to give them, I don't usually have the patience to cut out 50 to 100 small bones, despite purchasing the mini bone treat cutter.
If they don't get crispy enough after baking 30 minutes, I cool them on a rack then bake them again for another 15-20 minutes. That is usually enough to dry them out really well.
Thanks for a great recipe, that can be whipped up in minutes, that my fur babies absolutely love!
Julie says
Don't forget to read the labels on your peanut butter. Some brands contain xylitol which is toxic to dogs
Donna says
My two little dogs love these, even the one with only 8 teeth left. After I process the whole thing, it is not really sticky, more granular but I can squeeze it together to roll out. Just a bit harder to work with since it falls apart easily. Should I add more pumpkin or peanut butter or does this sound right as is? They still come out great.
Polly says
Yes. I added more pumpkin and they came out perfect. The first batch came out soft though and so I backed the next batch for 10 minutes longer. 40 minutes total. And I put the 1st batch In again and baked them for another 10 minutes, they were even crisper. My dog loves them.
Michelle says
I’ve made these for a while now. Everyone I give them to (in a cute mason jar) says their dog loves them! I usually double the recipe and freeze half of the treats after I bake them. They thaw out perfectly at room temp in a jar.
Karen says
Instead of cutting those adorable bones, I put 1/2" balls on the sheet pan and squish them with a fork like peanut butter cookies.
These came together perfectly when I (ahem!) followed the recipe. Today I forgot to grind the oats before dropping in the pumpkin. I processed the daylights out of it, but the dough refused to come together. In fact it was just like that play snow made from adding water to flecks of polymer. I had an extra egg white languishing in the fridge, and that saved the day.
Donna says
Love all your people recipes and thrilled to discover the ones for our pups too! ❤️ The Sweet potato chews are a hit with one of my pups but will try this one for the one who doesn’t have many teeth left because much to his chagrin he can’t chew the sweet potato ones.
Any dog food recipes coming?
chinese food says
Chinese Recipes- In a nation where the traditional way to greet someone translates to 'have you eaten yet?
Diane says
Made these with the grandkids, easy recipe to follow and they turned out great except for one thing. My puppy does not like peanut butter! Can you believe that??? Do you know what could I replace the peanut butter with?
Sam Turnbull says
Any nut or seed butter that is suitable for dogs will do 🙂
Becky says
Could this be used with a silicone baking mold instead of rolling out?
Victoria Crownover says
Yes!!! I use a silicone mold and they just pop right out. They need to bake longer to get crispy.
Stephanie C says
I made these for my dog Bailey (Dachshund/Terrier mix), my niece's two dogs Arlo (Chihuahua/Terrier mix) and Penny (Pomeranian/Terrier mix), and my sister's two other dogs Remy (long haired, medium in size) and Buddy (Terrier mix). We let the kids roll them out thin and cut them with Christmas cookie cutters. We had to bake them for 45 minutes for them to get crisp.
My nieces and I all ate a piece of the treat to see how it tasted and it didn't really have any flavor. It was like a super dry piece of lightly flavored graham cracker, so I didn't think the dogs would like them. HOWEVER, all 5 dogs chose these treats over store bought ones!!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! That's amazing! Dogs have different taste palettes than us 🙂
Sara says
I love the receipe, and the furbabies love the snacks more. I volunteer for a rescue program, we are raising money mostly for the homeless dogs, furbabies that live on the streets with their moms and dads, we had a event, I made these snacks for the furbabies that attended the event, they loved them! I'm making more for another event that we have comining soon. Some of the moms/dads were unsure to feed ther babies with something homemade, I had to eat some my self. Two questions, how long do they last? And can cats eat these snacks?
Sam Turnbull says
I would say about 2 weeks depending on how much yours dry out. I don't have cats so I have no idea! Haha
MELANIE LEVINE says
I'm starting to volunteer at an animal shelter. One thing you can do is make dog treats. I found your vegan recipe and want to thank you! Simple recipe which is very healthy. I'm excited to make these and hope they make their lives a bit better while they're there...Also even though it's pretty straight forward it was great to watch the video 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thank you so much, Melanie! Thrilled these treats are going to animals who need them most 🙂
Renee says
Can you substitute the oats for something else? Coconut flour?
Sam Turnbull says
Any dog-friendly flour should work just fine. You just may need to add a little more or less to reach the right consistency. ENjoy!
Mary Moore says
These are so easy to make, and my dog loves them! She’s an older dog, and has arthritis and hip problems, so I add some turmeric and also apple cider vinegar, thanks for sharing!
Sam Turnbull says
You're welcome, Mary! So happy your dog is a fan 🙂
Sally says
I also add tumeric
Nikki Renico says
How much tumeric?
Corinna says
My two little ones absolutely love these. Every so often I toss in a handful or two of oven-dried diced apple pieces as an extra goodie during the harvest season.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy the recipe is such a hit, Corinna 🙂
Cecilia says
I want to give this recipe a try for my Baby and Cookie. Could this work with sweet potato instead of pumpkin? I will probably switch from sweet potato and pumpkin depending on what I have on hand.
So nice to read all the comments on this recipe. So making these soon!
Sam Turnbull says
Absolutely that would work wonderfully! Enjoy 🙂
Steph says
My "granddoggy" loves these!! My peanut butter was a bit dry, so. the dough not as sticky. I rolled them in oats and was eating them before I had a chance to bake them!
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome!