Healthy Homemade Dog Treats

I have been making treats for our two dogs for quite some time and I thought it might be fun to share the recipe I use.  These treats are wheat-free since I think commercially grown wheat is a questionable food.  I use oat flour instead, which is easily and inexpensively made by simply blending oats in a blender or food processor until a fine flour forms.

You can use any shape you like.  Here, we used hearts and biscuit circles.  The little training-size treats were stamped out of the scrap dough

The treats are flavored with peanut butter, something my dogs absolutely love.  I use organic, unsweetened peanut butter, made without hydrogenated oils.  The only ingredients are peanuts and salt.  For the health of your dog, stay away from added sugars, especially artificial sweeteners, and hydrogenated oils.

Pumpkin adds fiber, flavor and vitamin A.  It also gives these treats a beautiful golden color.  An egg adds protein and acts as a binder.

Very simple ingredients.  The dough comes together in minutes and my kids have fun stamping out the shapes with cookie cutters.  I try to keep the treats smallish so that the dogs can enjoy two or three at a time.

High quality, simple pantry ingredients that make healthy treats for your pups.  And because you made them, you know exactly what is in them.  My dogs love these and they look forward to “treat time”!

Healthy Homemade Dog Treats

3 c. oat flour (made by grinding oats into a fine flour)

1 egg

1/4 c. plain peanut butter

2/3 c. canned pumpkin

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  I like to line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up but it’s not necessary.  The treats won’t stick.

Mix all of the ingredients until a stiff dough forms.  Flour your work surface and roll the dough out to 1/2″-1/4″ thickness.  Using cookie cutter, stamp out shapes and place them on the prepared sheet.

Continue rolling out the dough and stamping until all of the dough is used up.

Bake the treats for 20 minutes.  Then, turn off the oven and leave the treats inside. Allow them to sit for another 20-30 minutes without opening the door.  This helps the treats to dry and become crispy.  They will last longer this way.

Remove the treats from the oven.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature once completely cooled.