Happy Halloween everyone! It’s finally here, that special day for spooky traditions, crazy costumes, and ghoulish treats. The best part about Halloween these days (in 2018) is the resurgence of homemade Halloween costumes and simplified treats. These DIY projects unleash the creative spirit in all of us and are gentle on both the environment and our bodies. Thank you Pinterest and Instagram! Typically, we post a special recipe for the little ghosts and witches coming to your door; however, this Halloween we thought it might be fun to provide a recipe for the family dog. With just a few pantry items, you’ll have fresh Pumpkin Doggie Treats that any pooch is sure to love. Our treats are allergy-friendly and made without gluten or eggs. BONUS!
Chocolate and Dogs
According to the American Kennel Club, “…chocolate contains both theobromine and caffeine, both which can speed the heart rate and stimulate the nervous system of dogs.”
Here are a few types of chocolate listed in order of theobromine content:
- Cocoa powder (most toxic)
- Unsweetened baker’s chocolate
- Semisweet chocolate
- Dark chocolate
- Milk chocolate
- White chocolate (not very toxic)
Waylon Jennings as Sherlock Holmes
Many of you have seen our sweet Waylon Jennings in a photo or story on Instagram or Facebook and have inquired about him, his breed, etc. Here you go, a few facts about our sweet little man:
- Waylon is seventeen months old and a bundle of love.
- He’s a Bernadoodle and Aussiedoodle mix. (Poodle, Bernese Mountain Dog, and Australian Shepherd) Yup, that’s a thing!
- My daughter Megan purchased him as an emotional support dog for her anxiety. She brought him home at eight weeks old and has been an incredible “dog-mom”.
- No, he is not specifically trained as an emotional support animal and still has a long way to go in the behavior department. (The cost for training has been too great for her at this time).
- The focus he has provided Megan and love he has brought to our family is priceless.
- Waylon absolutely LOVES our Pumpkin Doggie Treats!
Waylon as Prince
Mr. Waylon as himself in the backyard having fun!
Okay, enough about our pet. Let’s get baking!
Simple ingredients for your Pumpkin Doggie Treats come straight from the pantry:
- Gluten-free, organic rolled oats
- Brown rice flour (optional, could use more oat flour)
- Unsweetened, organic pumpkin purée
- Unsweetened, organic smooth peanut butter
- Organic ground cinnamon
- Organic ground turmeric
Whisk together dry ingredients in one bowl and combine peanut butter and pumpkin in another.
Using clean hands is the easiest way to combine the wet and dry ingredients. You may need an extra 1-2 Tablespoons of water if the dough is too dry. When dough is well combined, roll out between two pieces of parchment paper.
Cut out desired size using seasonal shaped cookie cutters.
Pumpkin Doggie Treats
- 2 cups organic and gluten-free, old-fashioned rolled oats (207 grams)
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1 cup unsweetened, organic puréed pumpkin
- 1/2 cup unsweetened, organic peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1-2 tablespoons water if needed
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add 2 cups of oats to a food processor or Vitamix. Blend until a medium to fine flour forms.
- After blending the oats, you will end up with just over 2 cups of flour. You will use all of this flour for the recipe.
- Use a medium-size mixing bowl to combine dry ingredients: oat flour, brown rice flour, ground turmeric, and cinnamon. Whisk well to combine.
- Using a small bowl, combine peanut butter and pumpkin. Stir until well combined.
- Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. This is where your hands work best.
- Start folding and kneading with your hands, adding 1-2 tablespoons of water if needed until your dough comes together nicely. It should be firm, not crumbly, or too wet. This makes it easy to roll out.
- Roll dough out using two pieces of parchment paper. One on the bottom and one on the top which prevents the rolling pin from sticking to the dough.
- My dough ended up being about 1/4 inch thick. Of course, feel free to roll out thinner if you like a crispier biscuit.
- Use cookie cutter shapes to cut dough out. Carefully place each shape onto your lined baking sheet.
- Bake 15 minutes and then remove the pan from the oven and flip the biscuits over. Return to the oven for an additional 5 to 15 minutes. This time varies depending upon how thick or thin you have rolled out your dough. My treats took an extra 15 minutes at 1/4" thick.
- Cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
- We hope your furry friends ENJOY!
- 1. I find using a spice grinder for rolled oats helps create a fine textured flour.
- 2. Remember to adjust the baking time after flipping your biscuits over and returning to the oven. This time varies according to how thick or thin your dough is.
- vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free
- All recipes and images are protected under copyright laws and owned by Kris Kelly and Goofy Foot Foods.