Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Here at The Pumpkin Patch East Bergholt, we don’t just love pumpkins…we love our four-legged friends too! These tasty treats are a great source of pumpkin goodness, as well as a tasty treat.

A delicious homemade treat for your pumpkin-loving pooch!

Here at The Pumpkin Patch East Bergholt, we don’t just love pumpkins…we love our four-legged friends too!

This lovely little recipe was created by one of our daughters, Lottie, especially for Pippin, our very ancient (and much-loved!) Border Terrier.

Lottie came up with these homemade pumpkin and peanut butter biscuits last year, and they’ve been given the paws-up by our resident taste tester!

Pumpkin isn’t just delicious for us humans. It’s also a lovely ingredient for dogs. Plain, cooked pumpkin contains fibre, which can help support healthy digestion, as well as vitamins and nutrients that contribute to overall health, including healthy skin and coat.

And the best bit? These biscuits are super easy to make!

Ingredients

• 300g wholemeal flour (approximately 2½ cups)

• 2 eggs

• 120g plain pumpkin purée (approximately ½ cup)

• 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon water (you may need a little more)

A little doggie safety note: Make sure your peanut butter is suitable for dogs and contains absolutely no xylitol (sometimes labelled as birch sugar), as this is extremely toxic to dogs. Choose an unsweetened, unsalted variety without unnecessary additives.

Method

Pumpkin Pie Puree: First, Let’s Make Some Pumpkin Purée!

Before you start making your biscuits, you’ll need some lovely homemade pumpkin purée.

It’s really simple, and a brilliant way to use some of your freshly picked pumpkins!

1. Pre heat oven to 200C

2. Place chunks of pumpkin on a baking tray and loosely cover in tin foil

3. Roast until soft (usually takes about 45min)

4. Tip away any water collected on the tray

5. Peel away the skin, use a spoon if needed

6. Blend with a food processor or hand blender till smooth

7. This is also a great way of creating a puree that you can use as a soup base, pie base or freeze for later use.

Ta-da! Homemade pumpkin purée!

Depending on the size of your pumpkin, you’ll probably have far more purée than you need for your dog biscuits.

But don’t worry! Pumpkin purée is wonderfully versatile. You can use it in all sorts of delicious recipes, from soups and cakes to muffins and savoury dishes.

You can even freeze it in small portions to use another day.

Lottie’s Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits:

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C fan (180°C conventional) and line a baking tray with baking parchment.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin purée and peanut butter.

3. Add the wholemeal flour and cinnamon, mixing everything together until you have a firm dough.

4. If the mixture feels too dry or stiff, add a teaspoon of water at a time until the dough comes together. You want it firm enough to roll out without being too sticky.

5. Lightly dust your worktop with a little extra wholemeal flour.

6. Using a rolling pin, roll out your dough to approximately 1cm thick. Try not to make them any thicker, or they may not bake evenly.

7. Cut out your biscuits using your favourite biscuit cutter. We use a little bone-shaped cutter, but stars, hearts or even pumpkins would be fabulous!

8. Place your biscuits on the prepared baking tray and bake for approximately 35–40 minutes, until golden brown and firm. Smaller biscuits may need less time.

9. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.

And finally…it’s time to treat your pumpkin pooch!

You can't also make super tasty frozen pumpkin pops for your pumpkin picking pooch pals, the recipie for these can be found here!

Pippin is a big fan of these tasty dog treats. She will snaffle them up as quickly as she can, but these biscuits are treats rather than a complete meal, so give them in moderation, particularly if your dog is on a special diet or has a sensitive tummy.

Always use plain pumpkin, without sugar, spices or other added ingredients. Avoid using decorative gourds or pumpkins that are mouldy or beginning to spoil.

Store your homemade biscuits in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze them in batches to enjoy later.