Buying dog treats can be expensive and a lot of the time great treat recipes are made with pantry staples you already have on hand. Follow along as we start a new series where our taste testers Jonesy and Teddy try out new recipes!
Hi everyone! My name is Zini and I have always loved making treats for my dogs especially since I starting living with my sister's dog Teddy. I often looked at the treats he was eating and saw a lot of unnecessary ingredients and if I wouldn't eat it I wouldn’t want to give it to my dog. So I started looking into good ingredients that dogs can digest and are natural + nutrient dense.
For this recipe I was inspired by fall flavors and my favorite treat: pumpkin pie. With trial and error my Peanut Butter Pumpkin Chews were born! Check out the recipe below and let me know if you try it!
Peanut Butter Apple Pumpkin Chews
Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups whole wheat flour (extra for dusting)
1 apple with skin (diced)
2 eggs
¼ cup peanut butter
½ cup rolled oats
1 cup pumpkin puree
*optional 3 to 4 strips of bacon (finely chopped)
Directions:
Prep: Preheat Oven to 350º F. Line the backing sheet with parchment or silicone mat and set aside for later use.
Combine dry ingredients together before adding in any wet items. Once all ingredients are well incorporated the dough should come together in a ball. If your dough ends up being too dry add in more pumpkin puree and if it is too wet add in more whole wheat flour. The dough should stick to itself and be slightly rigid.
Roll out the dough into a cylinder on a well floured surface until it resembles a log. Once the dough is around 2 to 3 inches wide, start cutting rounds off of it. You should be left with around 30 slices and then you will roll them out until they are about ⅓ inch thick.
Once your chews are the correct thickness take your cookie cutter of choice that is lightly floured and start pressing out your treats. Take your leftover scraps and pop them into molds of your choosing, I used little dog bones and paw prints and repurpose your dough.
Bake in your oven for about 30 minutes depending how chewy or hard your dog enjoys them! They should be crispy on the outside but still tender and soft in the middle.
Let your treats cool before giving them to your pup and seal the leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week and in your freezer for whenever you might need them.
Notes:
If your dog is allergic to eggs, substitute with a half cup of pumpkin or applesauce.
If your dog doesn’t love apples you can try finely chopped or grated carrots or sweet potatoes instead.
Bacon is not necessary for this recipe but a yummy addition!
