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Simple homemade dog treats made with pumpkin puree, whole wheat flour, and bacon.
Bet you didn’t expect to see a pup on my blog today, did you?
The final recipe in our #FAFpumpkinweek is for the dogs. All those puppers you folks love so much. They deserve some pumpkin love too, don’t you agree?
I have to say… We do not have a dog. I’m not sure we will ever have a dog, but if our boys have any say in the matter… We might.
BUT, the truth is, I’m allergic and I don’t love pets in general. The dogs on our street and in our neighborhood? LOVE THEM. My boys ADORE this dog in particular that we borrowed for photos (hi, Oliver!), but I’m currently in the mindset of never wanting animal hair or fur in my house.
Please don’t hate me.
This recipe idea came from my assistant (hi, Lauren!). I emailed her back in May or June asking her for ideas for pumpkin week. She and I were on the same page about several new recipes, but when she asked “would you be opposed to a dog treats recipe?” I couldn’t say no.
HOW SMART!
I don’t particularly need this recipe, but I know like 99% of the population of my readers probably do. So I got to brainstorming!
I did some research on dog treats on the internets. I’d say the majority of them included peanut butter. And I decided I didn’t want to do that. Not only because there were one million peanut butter pumpkin dog treat recipes out there, but also because we are a peanut butter free home.
No, no allergies and no opposition to peanut butter (HELLO, I STILL LOVE YOU PB + CHOCOLATE), but Matt developed a legume intolerance a few years ago, so we rarely have beans, peas, or peanuts in our house anymore.
Not that that’s stopped me from sharing my beloved no bake peanut butter pie recipe or loving up for life on these ultimate peanut butter cookies in the past, but… I wanted to keep this peanut free upon principal and also internet saturation!
I made one batch of pumpkin dog treats, tasted one, decided I needed to try again, tasted that one, and decided I am not a dog, so I took to 6 different dog taste testers, and the consensus was… There were no dog treats left.
So I handed recipe #2 over to one of the dog owners to make herself, her pup loved them, she proved someone could recreate my recipe, so I called it a day. And realized I can never again taste-test dog treats.
SUPER SIMPLE INGREDIENTS AND METHOD
These pumpkin dog treats are mega simple. They’re made with whole wheat flour, though you’re certainly welcome to use all purpose. Whole wheat flour just tends to carry a bit more nutritional value. Pump up the health value of those treats!
We’ll add a little baking powder so the dog treats have some rise, but one egg, pumpkin, and water or milk are the “guts” of the whole thing.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF PUMPKIN FOR DOGS
Side note… Did you know pumpkin can be good for dogs? Pumpkin without added sugar or spice can be helpful to keep things moving in the digestive tract. Pumpkin for the win!
I do add one special ingredient, though, and that’s BACON. You’ll use 4 strips of bacon per batch (the size cookie cutter I used made about 16 dog treats) plus the bacon grease. Just enough grease to hold things together but ultra bacon flavor with a little bit of crunch.
BACON ADDS A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA
Apparently, dogs love bacon. Turns out dogs are SMART.
I wound up with almost 3 dozen of these dog treats to distribute, and the opinion was the same all around– delish. And my BIL & SIL’s dogs who apparently are picky when it comes to treats had no problem gobbling these up.
So there you are, friends. A conclusion to #FAFpumpkinweek that’s one for the pups. While we may never actually own a dog, I’m happy to know that I can supply some healthier treat options to one if we ever decide to.
Until then… All the dogs of our neighborhood will be running to our driveway for more than just kiddo attention!
Homemade Pumpkin Dog Treats (Peanut Free)
Ingredients
- 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons whole wheat flour all purpose is fine
- 1/2 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
- 1/4 cup water or milk
- 1 large egg
- 4 strips cooked bacon (save the grease) chopped into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, water or milk, and egg until smooth. Whisk in the bacon and bacon grease.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix gently until everything is combined. You may need to use your hands.
- Turn out dough onto a floured surface and roll out to approximately 1/4" thick. Use desired shape cookie cutter, reroll, and cut again until there is no more dough left. Bake dog treats for 30 minutes, flipping treats over halfway through baking. Store dog treats covered at room temperature. Treats may be frozen, up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Daria Porreca says
I can’t wait to try these! Canned pumpkin is a go-to for our dogs when they’re having stomach issues. Love the idea of bacon and bacon grease!
Vicki Skonieczny says
Lynn, This was an amazing dog treat recipe. I make some type of treat every year for 4 dogs and these were hands down the BEST!! The dough was a fabulous consistency to work with and the dogs went crazy for these. This will be the annual recipe for the holidays now. Thanks for sharing!
Allie says
I’ve never made dog biscuits but my son wants to make some for his older sister’s dogs for Christmas and these look amazing! With the bacon in them, do you know how long they keep? And do you refrigerate them?
Lynn says
You should not need to refrigerate them, and they will last awhile before going bad or stale. I’m honestly not sure because all of my taste testers ate them up pretty quick!
Aaron says
Dogs are lactose intolerant. Or are not able to digest it. So you may want to stick with water in the recipe. Just fyi!
Lynn says
Dogs are mammals, which by definition means they eat their mothers’ milk. You know your dog best.
Chelsea says
Ooh, these cookies look delicious!! My dog loves bacon and pumpkin — I bet she’ll love this combination. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I love your site!
Lynn says
Thanks so much, Chelsea!
linda says
Hello lynn,Tomorrow i will be having a go at your pumpkin treat receipe with bacon of course,but i have one question, will i need to cook the pumpkin before pulping it ? and can i add brown rice,that’s all,thanks linda
Lynn says
Hey, Linda! My recipe calls for canned pumpkin, so if you’re using that, too, no need to bake before. If you’re using fresh pumpkin then yes, you will want to cook it before mashing it. I don’t see a problem with adding brown rice, but I would pulse it in a food processor with the pumpkin before putting everything together.
Wanda Marinic says
I just made a double batch and so easy to make. The consistency was so easy to roll and cut with my bone cookie cutter. My boy Griffin loved them! This is definitely a keeper!I’ll proudly put some in bags for a few doggie friends!
Thanks so much for sharing 🐶
Lynn says
I love this! I’m so glad Griffin liked them and hope his friends do, too 🙂
sophia says
my dog loves them soo much i will be making them again for sure!!
Maya says
instead of bacon i used cheese cos that morning i had a bacon and egg roll
i gave some to my friend’s dogs they al loved it
Lynn says
I’m so glad to hear that 🙂
Megan says
My 11 year old is trying to start up a business making dog treats. She made this one and I handed out samples at work. Everyone’s dogs LOVED them. She is so excited and we will be making MANY of these.
Lynn says
That’s so awesome, Megan! Good luck to your daughter!
Olivia says
I personally have never made any type of dog treat before, but my puppy graduated puppy training today so I decided I wanted to celebrate her success with a fun treat, she as well as my older goldendoddle loved these biscuit and I did as well! Highly recomend adding a little more baking powder so they become a airy treat. I will definitely be making these often!
Lynn says
Thanks so much, Olivia!
Pam says
Look into adopting a Havanese or a Poodle or a Bichon – they have hair not fur and do not shed and most people are not allergic!
Cody says
There is no need to add baking powder it is an Unnecessary ingredient. I bake dog cookies all the time for my 3 dogs and do not use baking powder or baking soda. These are not good for dogs And can cause intestinal problems
Lynn says
Hey, Cody– thanks for your concern. You’re right, ingesting large amounts of RAW baking powder or baking soda is not good for any mammal, but in baked goods or treats should be just fine, especially given how little is in these treats.
Bonnie says
Just wondering… Can you freeze them?
Lynn says
I imagine so! I will add in freezing instructions. Thanks, Bonnie!
Jam says
Can I omit the bacon? Will the dogs still enjoy it as much?
Lynn says
You can try it, but there will be significantly less fat and a pretty bland taste.
Heather Kimbler says
Any thoughts on using Ready-Bacon? I’m making these with a group of kids and I don’t want them to use the stove. I know there won’t be any bacon grease to add if we use microwavable bacon…do you think I’d need to add some additional fat like vegetable oil or shortening?
Lynn says
Hey, Heather! Great question– I’d probably just let it go, but you can assess the dough after adding everything and if it feels like it needs more moisture, you can add 1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon of extra fat and see if that helps. Let me know how it turns out!