Going a bit stir-crazy? If you are bored at home, why not try this fun activity that the whole family, even the dog, will love! Need a gift for a dog or dog lover in your life? Make some of these yummy treats, type out the recipe on a pretty card, and put them both in a tin, basket or dog treat jar. That way, the owner can make the treats themselves next time too. Here is how to make your own dog treats.
Ingredients for Dog Treats
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour (you will want a bit extra for rolling out the dough. You may need to change this amount depending on the type of flour you pick)
Directions to Make Homemade Dog Treats
These treats are a snap to make. I use an electric mixer, but you can also mix by hand if you would like or have the kids helping you.
- Preheat oven to 350
- Mix together eggs and pumpkin until smooth.
- Add ginger.
- Gradually add flour in, combining with mixer or spatula until a semi-dry dough is formed. If the dough is too dry and won’t stick together, add a splash of water. Not dry enough, add a touch more flour.
- Wrap in saran wrap and chill or freeze for an hour or so, until firm.
- Roll dough out on a floured surface.
- Cut out cute shapes – dog bones, dogs, whatever you wish! If the dough starts to get sticky again, stick back in the refrigerator for a bit.
- Put parchment on a cookie sheet and leave some space between the cookies
- Bake for 30 minutes until just starting to brown.
- Allow to cool completely and thoroughly before feeding to your dog.
Makes approximately two dozen treats depending on size of cookies. Remember these treats have no preservatives, so they should be eaten up within a week or so, or frozen.
Get Creative Making Your Homemade Dog Treats
We used a gluten free flour, but you can use whatever you like. Some people like rice flour for dog treats, as it’s easy to digest. Once you have the dog treat recipe down, feel free to play with it and add your dog’s favorite foods or treats to the cookies, to make them extra special. Things you can add to homemade dog cookies include blueberries, no sugar added applesauce, peanut butter, carob, shredded carrots, diced apple (no core or seeds!), and sweet potato. All of these are fine for dogs as long as they don’t have allergies.
