Homemade Pumpkin Dog Treats

Today is Freya’s first birthday!

… and while I did restrain myself from going all out and throwing her a birthday party at the dog park, complete with party favors, party hats, and a pupcake, I did make some homemade dog treats to share with her friends.

Freya is a little spoiled when it comes to nutrition. She gets a high-end, grain-free kibble and nothing but the best chicken treats and bully chews. So imagine my joy when I found out how easy it is to make organic, gluten-free dog treats at home.

Just like her mama, Freya goes nuts over pumpkin. You might say we’re both basic b!tches… so here are two SUPER easy pumpkin-based dog treat recipes that are healthy for your dog, and that your dog WILL LOVE. I store them in the freezer, and set a few out to thaw on the counter about 15 minutes before we start training. I break them up into smaller pieces to use for rewards during training, and to hide in her treat puzzles. And I’ll leave a larger treat on her bed next to her pheromone diffuser before we leave the house.

Pumpkin Salmon Treats

Ingredients

• 1 can of salmon
• 1 C canned organic pumpkin
• 1 1/4 C rice flour

Directions

1. Preheat over to 350 F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray it with coconut oil.
2. In a food processor, mix together the pumpkin and salmon until finely pureed and transfer mixture to a mixing bowl.
3. Gradually stir in the rice flour, just a little at a time, until the consistency of the dough is almost like play dough.
4. Lightly sprinkle your rolling surface with rice flour and turn your dough out onto the surface. Roll, cut, and place on a prepared baking tray. These treats don’t expand as they bake so you can keep them pretty close together.
5. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes (less for small treats).  Cooking time will vary with size and thickness, so keep an eye on the oven. Let cool.
6. Store in a sealed container in the freezer.

Tip: this recipe is little “stinky.” Definitely don’t make these before guests come over. I baked some tasty human treats after these, and that seemed to help eliminate the fishy smell.

Pumpkin Chicken Treats

Ingredients

• 1 small jar of organic chicken baby food
• 1//4 C canned organic pumpkin
• 3/4 C rice flour
• Frozen peas

Directions

• Preheat over to 350 F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray it with coconut oil.
• In a mixing bowl, mix together the pumpkin and baby food.
• Gradually stir in the rice flour, just a little at a time, until the consistency of the dough is almost like play dough.
• Roll the dough into small balls with your hands and flatten slightly between your palms before placing on a prepared baking sheet.
• Using a fork, press down gently to create indentations and place a frozen pea on top of each to make them look like pumpkins.
• Bake for approximately 12-15 minutes. Let cool.
• Store in a sealed container in the freezer.

Tip: You can also use organic turkey baby food.