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Pumpkin is the perfect Fall flavour to use in homemade dog treats.

Y’all know how much I adore a nice pumpkin treat. Pumpkin is also a favourite flavour of both Kolchak and Felix, so I know any pumpkin dog treat recipe is going to be a knock out favourite. Today’s recipe does not disappoint. Upon being handed his first cookie, Koly tossed it around, threw it in the air and rolled on it, before trying to hide it in my left arm pit. This is a ritual saved for only his very favourite treats, like bully sticks, so from my sweet puggle boy, this is high praise indeed.

Carob is lesser known flavour, but another dog-friendly favourite for making DIY dog biscuits.

Carob is a rich, smoky, complex flavour. It’s somewhat similar to chocolate, but unlike chocolate, it doesn’t contain any caffeine or theobromine making it perfectly safe to use in homemade dog biscuit recipes. I was hesitant to try it at first, as I didn’t really care for the flavour – at all. But Kolchak is a huge fan and every time I use carob in a recipe, he loves the treats.

Easy dog treats are my favourite kind to make – especially when they look fancy.

Much like our banana carob marble bones, this recipe looks way fancier than it is. It’s really, really easy and these treats are so pretty that they make a great gift for friends. Just tie them together with a bit of bright Halloween coloured ribbon or toss them in a Halloween treat bag and they’re perfect to share.

Marbled Pumpkin & Carob Dog Treats

Name: Marbled Pumpkin & Carob Dog Treats
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 1 h 8 min
Ingredients: 5 tbsp. + 1 tbsp. canned 100% pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix); 2 large eggs; 3 tbsp. pure maple syrup or honey; 3 tbsp. melted coconut oil or vegetable oil; 3 cups All Purpose Flour; 1/2 c. powdered roasted carob

This fancy-looking homemade dog treat is deceptively simple to make and is filled with fall flavours your dog will love.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 8 minutes

Ingredients

5 tbsp. + 1 tbsp. canned 100% pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
2 large eggs
3 tbsp. pure maple syrup or honey
3 tbsp. melted coconut oil or vegetable oil
3 cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 c. powdered roasted carob

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 5 tbsp. of canned pumpkin, 2 eggs, the maple syrup and the coconut oil.

Stir in the flour, a little at a time, until it forms a stiff dough. (Kol's Note: You may not need all of the flour. You might need a little more or a little less, depending on how much moisture is in your canned pumpkin.) You want the dought to be smooth, stiff and non-sticky, but workable. I recommend that you get in there and get messy. Mixing this dough by hand is the fastest and easiest way to get the job done.

Split the dough into three equal portions. Set two aside. Return one portion to your bowl and knead in 1 heaping tbsp. of canned pumpkin and 1/2 c. of powdered carob. (If the dough is too stiff, add a tiny bit more pumpkin. If it's too sticky, add a pinch or two more carob.)

Place dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set and chill.

Break all of the dough balls into ~1" balls (no need to be exact). Smoosh all the balls together in a random pattern and knead them together. Try to knead the dough as little as possible! An overworked dough will be tough and the dough will become a solid brown colour if you mix it too much.

Roll out the dough to 1/4" thick and cut out with a cookie cutter (or cut into squares with a pizza cutter or butter knife).

Lay out cookies on a parchment lined baking tray. Using a toothpick or a dough docker, pierce the cookies all over. (Adding holes like this allows the steam to escape and prevents the cookies from bubbling.)

Bake for 15 - 18 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown and the dough is cooked through. If you like a dry, crunchy cookie, turn the oven down to 150F and allow the cookies to bake for an additional 3 - 4 hours or until cookies break crisp. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Notes

Store in an airtight container for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

For dogs with wheat allergies, you can sub Bob's Red Mill Baking Mix instead of all purpose flour

For dogs with grain intolerances, you can sub Garbanzo Bean Flour.