Pumpkin-turmeric oat dog treats

Homemade dog treats are healthier than most store-bought ones with simple natural ingredients and can be adapted to your dog’s tastes and specially sensitivities. If your pup likes the cookie-kind treats made with processed wheat flours which some dogs are sensitive to, these oat-based ones are a good alternative. Adding ingredients like natural pumpkin puree which has digestive benefits and turmeric which is antiinflamatory adds health boosting properties to this already super-yummy treats your pup is going to love!

They’re super easy to throw together and full of healthy ingredients! Recipes like this are the perfect activity for the family, what better plan on a sunday evening for board kids than to make their favourite furry friend some yummy treats with their own hands and natural ingredients. We used bone shaped cookie cutters but make sure to get out all the fun shapes you have and play with them.

These pumpkin-turmeric oat dog treats also make for great gifts since they are baked, last quite a while and don’t need to be refrigerated. You can adapt the ingredients a bit if you know the dog you are giving them to is sensitive to any of them. For example the oat flour can be substituted by rice flour.

We made a double batch last year for Halloween and gave a few to all the four-legged trick-or-treaters and of course to all the little witches and zombies that we knew had a puppy at home. And yes, we considered the fact that some of the kids might actually have a taste of the cookies themselves but since all the ingredients are natural human-grade they are actually more than safe to eat for humans (maybe just a bit bland since they don’t have any salt in them).

If giving them out to pup nieces and nephews or park friends make sure to put them in a container or ziplock bag with the baking date and ingredients on a sticker in case any of them is allergic or sensitive to those ingredients.

Ingredients

Only 4 human-grade ingredients are needed for these tasty treats! All are easy on your dog’s stomach and some have added health benefits. Of course like any other treat are to be consumed in moderation but Olivia and all her friends in our neighbourhood have give them their seal approval!

• Pumpkin puree: you can used canned for convinience but I usually just bake a bunch of pumpkin of any kind, put it in the blender and freeze it in ziplocks.
• Rolled oats or oat flour: I just blend my rolled oats before mixing them with the other ingredients but you can use oat flour instead and skip this step.
• Eggs: like always, the better quality the better (and the happier the hens).
• Ground turmeric: The curcumin in turmeric is known to be both an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory so it using it in recipes like this can help with inflammation associated to osteoarthritis and other conditions and boost their immune system.
• Some water: or bone broth if the dough seems to dry to roll. The consistency of the dough will depend on the oat flour, how big the eggs are and how thick or watery the pumpkin puree feels so don’t hesitate to add a bit of liquid if it’s a bit too dry. You can do some more pumpkin puree but a bit of water or bone broth will also work.

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 350° F / 180º C and line your baking tray with parchment paper.
• Put the oats in the blender and blend until you get an oat-flour texture. Take about 3 tablespoons out of the blender and save for later.
• Add the turmeric to the flour and blend until mixed.
• Add the egg and pumpkin puree to the blender and blend until you get a doughy mixture, similar to a cookie dough.
• Flour your surface with the oat flour and shape your dough into a ball.
• Roll out the dough until it a bit thinner than ½ inch thick and cut out shapes with a cookie cutter. You can make smaller o bigger sized treats according to your dog’s size, cutting it in squares with a knife will also work.
• Re-roll out the scraps and repeat or cut them into small pieces to make training treat bites.
• Place the treats on a parchment paper-lined baking tray, they don’t spread much so they can be quite close together.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Once the treats look dry and crunchy but not too dark, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
• Let your puppy enjoy the treats over the next days! Store them in an air-tight jar or zip-lock bag. They can also be frozen if your puppy is not going to have them all in a few days.

Recipe tips

Make and freeze pumpkin puree ahead of time

For a cheaper and more natural option bake, blend and freeze your own pumpkin puree to use in recipes like this instead of canned.

A friend always gives more pumpkins that we can consume during season from his vegetable garden. Sometimes they are not the yummiest for soup but in recipes like this where they are mixed with other flavours it doesn’t matter so I make sure not to waste them and bake them and freeze them pureed to use during the year.

Freeze your pureed pumpkin in bags that fit the same oz as a can so you substitute a can in any recipe for one of your bags.

Cut some treats in little training bites

Make sure to cut some of the dough into small training bites you can use throughout the day and in walks. This will help you get through the treats before they get bad and have something to give your pup when you feel like a couple cookies is enough for the day but they keep asking (and of course deserving) for more.

I usually do this with the edges from cutting the dough with the cutter if I’m in a rush. Make sure you check these little pieces while in the oven since they’ll be done before the bigger cookies.

Swap ingredients

Oats are more than safe for pets and a good source of carbohydrates and fiber and have benefits for their digestive system and skin health but if your pup is sensitive to them you can substitute the oat flour to rice flour for example.

Eggs are a good source of protein and totally safe for dogs if cooked but they can be substituted by kefir or egg substitute made with flaseed meal. For each egg: combine one tablespoon of flaxseed meal and three tablespoons of water and allow to sit for about 5 minutes before adding to the batter.

Pumpkin is a superfood for dogs and it has digestive benefits promoting the perfect stool consistency, I don’t know a single pet that is sensitive to it but if your is or, if you want to change things up or are out of pumpkin, you can substitute for baked sweet potato.

How to store

These homemade pumpkin-turmeric baked treats don’t have any of the preservatives you find in store-bought dog treats. The only downside to them is their shelf-life being shorter than typical treats but you can extend their shelf life by keeping them in the fridge or freezer instead of at room temperature.

Watch out for mold, specially if they are baked a bit on the softer side. Make sure to throw them away if you see any mold in any of them, once it has started in some of them it is not safe to consume any that are stored together.

• At Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature for up to 7 days.
• In the Refrigerator: Your dog treats will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag for best results!
• In the Freezer: When stored in a resealable freezer bag, your treats will last 3 months. Allow to thaw before serving.

I hope your pup loves this treats as much as my close ones do and that you enjoy making them.

Make sure to leave your feedback and any suggestions in the comments and please tag me if you try it and post the result @carelikeavetblog!