Autumn marks the season for all things pumpkin. Dogs, too, love the taste of pumpkin, and it can even offer some health benefits (like relief from both diarrhea and constipation). Although dogs can’t enjoy pumpkin spice products, we’ve found five pumpkin dog treat recipes you can make this fall.
Make sure you offer only canned and pureed pumpkin, not canned pumpkin pie mix, which has added sugars and spices. As with any treat, give your dog these snacks in moderation.
Pumpkin Dog Treat Recipes
Here are five simple pumpkin recipes for dogs. Each has just a few ingredients, all of which are dog-safe.
Frozen Pumpkin Dog Treats
Ingredients
1 cup plain yogurt 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
Directions
Mix pumpkin and yogurt together in a bowl. Divide the mixture evenly into an ice tray or molds. Freeze for 24 hours. Pop the treats out of the mold and put into a freezer bag for storage. You can also leave them in the ice tray if you have space in your freezer! Lilun_Li via Getty Images
Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Treats
Ingredients
2 cups flour 1 cup canned pumpkin puree 1/2 cup dog-safe peanut butter (Make sure it has no xylitol, an artificial sweetener toxic to dogs.)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin and peanut butter. Stir in the flour and combine the mixture into a dough. Roll out the dough onto a floured surface. Cut the dough into shapes with your favorite cookie cutter. Place the treats 1/2 an inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. ©zphoto83 – stock.adobe.com
Banana Pumpkin Dog Treats
Ingredients
3 cups whole wheat flour (and extra for dusting the counter) 2 eggs 1 cup canned pumpkin puree 1 banana, mashed
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix together eggs, banana, and pumpkin. Add flour and mix until all the flour is incorporated. Lightly dust the counter and a rolling pin with flour, then roll out dough to approximately 1/8 of an inch in thickness. Cut out the treats with a fun cookie cutter. Lay on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 20 minutes. Let the treats cool completely before giving to your dog. Michele M Vogel/Shutterstock
Pumpkin and Carrot Treats
Ingredients
1 cup flour (If you substitute coconut flour or potato flour, your batter will be a little more crumbly.) 1 egg 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree 1 4-ounce jar pure carrot baby food 1 4-ounce jar pure green bean baby food (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Add all ingredients together and mix. If the batter seems wet and sticky, add a little more flour. If it seems crumbly, add a little water. Scoop out a spoonful of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. The batter should make around 24 treats. If your batter is relatively dry, then you can try forming the dough into shapes (like a pumpkin). To create a green stem on the pumpkin shape, add the green bean baby food to a little bit of the dough. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until edges start to brown. Allow treats to cool completely, and then give them to your dog to enjoy.
Pre-Made Dog Pumpkin Treats
Life with dogs can be busy. Thankfully, there are plenty of pumpkin treats for your dog that you can buy instead of cooking. Your dog may enjoy doggie health bars baked with cinnamon and pumpkin or soft and chewy pumpkin and blueberry snacks. Puppies can even get in on the fun, thanks to pumpkin-flavored teething ring treats.
