Homemade dog treats! Dogs love this easy homemade peanut butter and pumpkin dog treat recipe! DIY dog treats are perfect for training or snacks.
My oldest daughter got the cutest basset hound cookie cutter for her birthday. After a batch of sugar cookies, we couldn’t wait to make homemade dog treats for our two boys, Winston and Walter.
Homemade dog treat cookies are so easy to make with just a few everyday ingredients all in one bowl. We have been getting our guys pumpkin dog treats from Trader Joe’s, but they like these so much more. Homemade peanut butter dog treats are a fun after-school activity for kids, and a great way to use up leftover pumpkin puree during the fall and winter season. Especially if you’ve been making our amazing Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins, Pumpkin Pie Dessert Hummus, Pumpkin Smoothie, Vegan Pumpkin Bread, or Vegan Pumpkin Pie!
How to Make Homemade Dog Treats
Step 1: Mix Together One-Bowl Dog Treat Dough
This homemade dog treat dough is easiest to make in a stand mixer, though I’ve shown how to make it by hand here. Mix together the flour and baking powder. I used organic whole wheat pastry flour here. I love baking with this flour, as it’s more finely ground than traditional whole wheat flour.
Next, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the pumpkin puree, peanut butter, and honey. You could also use maple syrup here.
Stir the ingredients together using a spoon or electric mixer. It will be quite thick and dry at first, but keep going. Add a tablespoon of water at a time as needed until the mixture forms a dough.
Knead the dough until it sticks together in a nice smooth ball, just a minute or so.
Step 2: Roll & Cut the Dog Treat Dough
Roll the pumpkin peanut butter dog treat dough out onto a lightly floured surface. You can use any size cookie cutter for these dog treats. For training treats, I like to use very small round cutters, and for gifts I like larger cute cutters like this basset hound cutter.
Step 3: Bake the Dog Treats
Bake the cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet until golden and firm. The time may vary depending on the size of your cookie cutters.
How to Store Homemade Pumpkin Peanut Butter Dog Treats
Let the dog cookies cool completely, then package them up in an airtight container. I keep these dog cookies at room temperature for about a week, or make extra and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Homemade pumpkin peanut butter dog treats would make an adorable holiday or dog birthday gift. To present as a gift, I like to package these dog treats in pint or quart-sized glass canning jar.
As you can see, Winston couldn’t wait to get ahold of one of these DIY dog cookies. While dogs love these treats, they shouldn’t be used in place of dog food. This is more of a special occasion or training treat recipe.
As always, if your dog has any allergies or specific dietary needs, check with your veterinarian to ensure all ingredients are safe for your pup. Check your peanut butter and any sweetener to be sure it does not contain Xylitol, which is very toxic to dogs.
Your dog will also love this Dog Ice Cream Recipe!
Yield: dependent on cookie cutter
Homemade Dog Treats
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time17 minutes
Additional Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 2 minutes
Homemade peanut butter and pumpkin dog cookies are fun and easy to make. These DIY dog treats are meant as an occasional treat or training snack, not in place of dog food.
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (unsweetened)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons water, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a mixer, whisk together the flour and baking powder to combine.
- Add the peanut butter, pumpkin, and honey and beat on medium speed until the mixture forms a dough. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, if the dough is too dry. This will vary depending on how much moisture is in your specific peanut butter and pumpkin.
- Once the dough comes together into a ball, remove from the bowl and knead a few times if needed.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll out to 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut shapes from the dough. Use a spatula to transfer the cookie dough shapes to the prepared cookie sheets. This recipe does not spread much, so cookies can be close together.
- Bake until golden and firm, about 15-17 minutes depending on thickness and size of your cookie cutter. Start checking on them after 10 minutes to ensure they don't burn.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Notes
Regular whole wheat or all-purpose flour is fine if you don't have whole wheat pastry four.
This homemade dog treat dough comes together much more easily and quickly using a stand/electric mixer, though a bowl and wooden spoon will work as well.
Store homemade pumpkin peanut butter dog treats in an airtight container at room temperature for one week or freeze for up to 3 months.
As always, if your dog has any allergies or specific dietary needs, check with your veterinarian to ensure all ingredients are safe for your pup. Check your peanut butter and any sweetener to be sure it does not contain Xylitol, which is very toxic to dogs.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 198Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 85mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 7g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Nutritionix. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your favorite calculator.
