Pumpkin Oatmeal Dog Treats
It's October which means... THE PUMPKIN SPICE RECIPES ARE COMINGGGGGGGG!!! Guilty as charged. But before I get into today's recipe let me just say I have a sweet orange pup named Pumpkin, although we call her P for short. She's a 4 year old cavalier king charles and she's pretty much stolen my whole heart. I got her my last semester of college, while living in NYC. Nate and I drove six hours down to Virginia to get her and six hours back in one day (although he'll tell you he drove about 10 of those hours while I spent quality mother-puppy bonding time). She is the world's greatest companion and my absolute best friend. Sometimes when I look at her I fear my heart may explode and even though she's a dog, I do believe I know what it must feel like to love a child because my love for this little one is intense.
But like all dogs, she's got her quirks. This one's quirks happen to be a very very sensitive belly. So after a rough start to the week, I decided to make her some pumpkin treats. Pumpkin is known to really help with digestion (fiber!), and allows her to participate in the seasonal pumpkin spice craze along with everyone else.
These treats are super simple, freeze well, and are a great alternative to a lot of the store-bought treats which are filled with preservatives and mystery ingredients. And Pumpkin can certify they are delicious because yesterday when I baked them was the BEST DAY EVER. I think she knew the baking was all for her. And I cringe a little when I admit this, but I too gave them a little nibble and am happy to report they were surprisingly moist and flavorful.
Pumpkin Oatmeal Dog Treats
Makes about 44 cookies
1 can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 egg
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
3 tbsp peanut butter
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour + more for rolling
In a stand mixer, mix together pumpkin, egg, coconut oil, peanut butter, and sea salt until smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl mix together oats and flour. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture until completely combined.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment. Transfer 1/4 of the batter to a heavily floured work surface. Sprinkle a good amount of flour over your dough, and using a floured rolling pin roll it out until the dough measures about 1/3 inch thick. Use a cookie cutter dipped in flour to shape the treats; I used a bone-shape. Transfer treats to a baking sheets. Bake 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Recipe Notes: Since there's no baking soda, the cookies won't rise or expand, therefore you can really pack them tightly on the backing sheets. For softer more human-traditional cookies bake for 15 minutes, for more more traditional dog treat crunchiness bake for 20.