Crispy Pumpkin Dog Treat Recipe

Pumpkin flavored treats are popular with humans, especially during the fall. But many of them aren't safe for dogs because they contain too much fat, which can cause pancreatitis, xylitol, which is toxic to dogs, or they have too many non-healthy calories, which can fill your dog up and leave him not hungry enough to ingest his more nutrient-rich dog food.

But you can make your dog a pumpkin treat that is safe for him. Just stick to small amounts. Give it a try!

Serves: About 24

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats, ground in coffee grinder or food processor until they are a uniform, fine consistency or 2 cups brown rice, whole wheat, or almond flour
• 2/3 cup pumpkin pureé*
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter Be sure there's no xylitol in it**

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
3. Mix together oats, pumpkin, and peanut butter in a small bowl.
4. Place dough on wax paper and roll out until it is about 1/4 inch thick.
5. Use small cookie cutter (these are fun) to cut dough into shapes and place them on baking sheets.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes until crispy, flipping about halfway through cooking time.
7. Cool completely before giving to your dog.
8. Store in airtight container for up to a week.

*Do not use pumpkin pie filling, which has ingredients other than pumpkin. Use 100% pumpkin or make your own as follows:

1. Remove the stem and cut pumpkin (make sure you choose an edible pumpkin, not a decorative one) in half.
2. Clean out seeds.
3. Heat oven to 375°F and place halves cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet.
4. Bake until very soft, about 1 hour and fifteen minutes. Cool and remove pumpkin from shells.

**Choose natural peanut butter without added sugar. Be sure there is no xylitol in it. Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs and can result in death if ingested.

For more recipes, check out this article: "Pup-sicles: Dog Friendly Popsicle Recipes."