Aida is our little trash bag dog; we adopted her six years ago from a local shelter in NY, who found her and her litter at the side of the road in a garbage bag. So sad; it just breaks my heart to think that someone could even do that. But Aida quickly became one of the most spoiled pooches around. Car rides, walks, endless snuggle time, cookies, treats, toys and all the attention she could want; she’s really got it made. She has come quite a long way from her garbage bag days, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
I love to making dog treats for Aida. She is such a happy, well-tempered dog, with loads of personality and she gets so damn excited when I’m making something for her. Usually she lays in the entranceway to the kitchen when ever I’m cooking, scanning for scraps that may fall , but when I’m making something for her, she’s glued to my side the entire time.
This dough is really easy to work with. The food processor makes these cookies come together in a cinch. A few quick pulses and you have a soft, easy to roll ball of dough, which can be cut into shapes or cut with a pastry cutter into squares.
Aida gets pretty darned stoked once the cookies are done. It’s always a challenge getting her to sit still for a cookie shot. There’s usually lots of drool, and speaking, followed by her attempting to cycle through every trick she knows to get that cookie. About 90-percent of the shots I get are blurred action shots, but 10 cookies later, I’ve usually got something that is halfway decent to use.
Pumpkin Peanut Butter Dog Treats
Adapted from Use Real Butter 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 2 large eggs 2/3 cup pumpkin purée, canned or fresh 3 tablespoons peanut butter 1/2 teaspoon cinnamonPre-heat the oven to 350°F.
Place all ingredients in a the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until dough forms into a fairly cohesive mass and there aren’t any pockets of dry ingredients remaining. The dough should be soft, but not sticky. If the dough is dry, add water by the tablespoon full, until it is no longer crumbly; alternately, if the dough is too sticky, add flour until it easily releases from your fingers when pinched. Dump dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead a few strokes to form into a ball. Roll out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into squares using a knife, or cut into shapes using a cookie cutter. I used a 1-inch round circle cutter. If using a cookie cutter, you can re-roll the scraps to cut more cookie.
Place cookies onto sheet pan(s) to bake. I was able to load the entire batch onto two standard size sheet pans, with the cookies placed close together. Bake for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F , and remove sheets from oven. Turn cookies over, and return to oven to bake for an additional 10 to 20 minutes or until cookies are dry and hard. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Makes 100+ 1-inch dog treats. Store in an air-tight container.
Mom says
I’m going to have to agree she is the most spoiled pooch I know.
Lisa M. says
What a gorgeous dog! We have 2 adopted pups, too. They are the best 🙂 I’ll have to make these for them!
Nancy Anne says
I found your website while searching for homemade dog treats and I’m so happy I did! The site is laid out brilliantly and the pictures are gorgeous. Just made these treats for my own two dogs and my two “granddogs” (all from shelter/rescue) and my guys just loved them. I made the recipe in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (not the dough hook) and it literally took just seconds to ball up into an easy to roll out dough. Thanks for this fantastic site – can’t wait to try your other recipes : )
heather says
So glad your pups enjoyed the treats…and glad you like the site!!!
fundamentallycomplicated says
Just made two batches of these! Great recipe. Pretty easy…just time consuming to roll out and punch the cookies out. Definitely will make them again. thanks!
Tonkas mom says
Yummmm and easy to make! I added 1/4 cup of wheat germ for added nutrition. Thank you!
JEvans says
Made these for Foster and some of his friends. Bagged them up to deliver, left the house for 45 min, and he ate 60! What a bad dog/bad mommy! I’ll have to make more! 😉 Thanks for the recipe!
heather says
Oh no…at least it wasn’t more Chili! Glad you and Foster liked them!
Stephanie Crosby says
Just made these treats and so easy and healthy for my pups! They are in the oven right now and smell so good! Wally and Jakie are already crying for them! Thanks so much!
heather says
Aww, too cute!
Christa says
These cookies were a HUGE sensation with my two yorkies, and every other pup who has tried them!
Thanks!!!
Nancy Anne says
I’ve made these several times and they are so easy to prepare and all of our dogs love them. The last time I made them – just a few days ago – I realized I was out of peanut butter so I increased the amount of pumpkin (about an additional 1/2 cup) and added about a cup of oatmeal. I’ve received no complaints : )
heather says
So glad your dogs are enjoying them! Thanks for the non-pb version!
Alison says
These are great I made them gluten free using Domata Living Free Flour and eggless by using Flax…They are awesome! Thanks so much for posting this recipe. With the gluten free flour I decreased the amount to 2 cups because otherwise it is way too dense!
Carrie says
I’ve tried a couple of different dog cookie recipes and this is my favorite one so far. I substituted oat flour for the wheat, rounded the peanut butter up to 1/4 cup, and doubled the cinnamon. They came out great!
stunkard says
You just saved the day! I went to the store to pick up a can of pumpkin to make dog treats but (ugh) when I got home I realized my recipe called for sweet potato. That’s what I get for trying to do it by memory! So, I took to the internet and found your recipe. Except I am going to make them as dog bone shapes. I pinned ya and will probably put these on my blog too (with a link back, of course). Thanks!
Judy says
Thanks for the great recipe. With all the bad things in bought treats it makes us all feel better to give our loved ones a good healthy treat
Hope says
Can i use all purpose flour instead of whole wheat flour?
heather says
Hi Hope! You can, but the dough may be a little wetter. If it seems tacky and unmanageable after mixing just add in a bit more flour to compensate.
Hope says
Thanks for the response.
Peter says
Lollypop Farm?
heather says
Scottsville Veterinary Adoptions. We really liked them.
cheryl says
So, I’m a makin them right now with all 3 dogs watching and tasting…….seems to be huge hit.
Pamela Welch says
I have been making “homemade” dog treats for years…recipe with lots of ingredients…all the puppies I gift them to…love them…anxious to try this easier recipe…will get back with the comments/reviews…LOL! Thanks for the recipe and I agree…lovely site/pictures!
heather says
Thank-you!! Hope your pups enjoy….
Angel says
Hi! How long do these treats keep?
heather says
If you completely dry them out, like I do, you should be able to get a month out of them in an air-tight container. However if you’re worried, you can always freeze a portion of the baked cookies for later.
Nancy Anne says
These treats are a staple in our home for our four rescue dogs and the fosters who find themselves in our care. If I don’t have the time to bake them all at once, I split the dough and freeze half of it, and when I’m running low I already have half the work done!
Angel says
thanks Heather =)
Chandra says
I’ve made these both in the oven and in a dog cookie maker. Every time I make them I have an audience of two at my kitchen door. The neighbors are always so surprised that I bake my own dog cookies. With this recipe there’s never a reason to buy dog cookies again. These are also so much more flavor than store bought.
Beth says
Angel, Bubba and Jed say “thank you.” I’ll never buy treats again. I’m always baking anyway so it’s great to be able to make them something so healthy and delicious.
God Bless.
Lisa says
great recipe easy and my dogs love them, they sit in the kitchen and wait patiently for them to come out of the oven 🙂
Pam Parent says
Great recipe!! (finally able to get back into site) Love to make my own dog treats. I have a small dog so I freeze portions to have later. Also I give as gifts when visiting homes with dogs. The owners are always so impressed! TY again
heather says
Thanks Pam! So glad they were a hit!
Tracy Suwala says
I was wondering if I could use rice flour… I bought a whole bag and was trying to find dog treats I could make with it… This sounds like one my little dogs would love.. Was making a pumpkin dip today and they were in the kitchen waiting for pumpkin…
heather says
Hi Tracy! You can substitute rice flour but you’ll probably have to add some additional flour to get the right consistency. The dough should be soft, but not sticky.
Marilyn Guthaus says
Yep,i used rice flour ..needed to use more then the recipe asked for…
worry about allergies with this boxer. I also added some tumeric! I hate to say it like this,but it’s her crack! Lolol
Anita T says
Heather,
Thanks for this amazing recipe!!! I made it for my rescue pooch (stray in W VA and now spoiled happy pup in DC) and he LOVES it! His tail wags and he gets excited when I open his treat jar. I also shared them with neighbors and friends who have said their dogs love it as well. In fact, my friend said her dog won’t eat the store bought treats anymore!!!
The best part of the recipe is the food processor trick! Thanks for sharing that amazing tip!!!
Anita
heather says
Hi Anita! That’s too cute – I’m so glad your dog likes them! And that you enjoyed the processor tip!
Laura says
My old girl LOVES these! And they have been great in helping with her old dog tummy troubles, as well as being super easy to make. I use a shot glass as a cookie cutter – great size.
heather says
That’s awesome! Great shot glass tip too! Thanks!!
Sue johnson says
I don’t have a doggie of my own right now but I love making these for pups of family and friends. And they all LOVE them! Thanks!!!
Jessica says
Quick question, once you freeze a portion of the baked cookies, how long will they be good in an airtight container after thawing? I’m a dog groomer , and give small bags of dog treats to the owners when they pick their babies up. I’m just trying to be extra careful. (:
heather says
If you freeze them right when you make them, once thawed, I would assume that they would last about the same amount of time as the unfrozen cookies. However, I am not a food safety expert – I’d give it a try and see if you’re happy with the results. Let me know how it goes!
meghan11 says
Wheat isn’t good for humans, much less dogs. Can I substitute directly with oat flour?
heather says
To be safe, I’d start start with two cups, and add in the additional 1/2 cup if needed to reach the right consistency. Carrie, above, substituted oat flour and got good results.
Let me know how it goes!
Carrie G. says
I was just going to chime in and say that I’ve tried this recipe with both oat flour and rice flour, and it’s come out great both ways. 🙂
Carol says
Is it possible to make them any softer? My pups aren’t such big fans of hard treats. They’ll eat it if it’s a bit crunchy, though. (Aida is beautiful!)
Stacy says
Apparently cinnamon is not good for dogs.
Vanessa says
Are you sure it was a 1 inch circle cutter? I have a mixed set of circle cutters and the 1 inch is huge, I don’t think I will get 100+ cookies with it.
They also look so small in your photos, similar to a smartie in shape…
heather says
It’s just slightly under an inch (15/16″). If you have a smaller one in your set, just size down by one.
Vanessa says
So I made a batch of bone shaped biscuits for a friend and they turned out all cracked. The only thing I changed as I used fresh, homemade pumpkin puree instead of the canned version so I am wondering if I didn’t have enough moisture in my dough.
Had anyone tried adding an oil, like coconut, to this dough to help with moisture?