No-trick dog treats for Halloween

Posted on October 18, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Stefani Miller

If your favorite trick-or-treaters have four legs instead of two and speak in woofs, ruffs, and barks, then they’ll love these treats that are just for Fido and friends! Made with simple, everyday ingredients that dogs love, you can bet these two snacks will get their tails wagging.

Along with the ingredients listed for both recipes, you’ll need fun Halloween-shaped cookie cutters, parchment paper, and a cookie sheet.

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dog Treats

1/2 cup organic peanut butter
1 cup 100% pure pumpkin puree, canned*
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir together peanut butter and pumpkin puree. Stir in the flour 1/4 cup at a time until dough is no longer sticky.
3. Roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper until it is about 1/4 inch thick.
4. Cut fun shapes out of the dough, then place them on the prepared cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 10 minutes.
6. Once cooked, remove from oven and let cool completely.

Store treats an airtight container for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

*Make sure to buy pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. The pie filling has too much sugar for pups.

Peanut Butter Carob Banana Bites

Note: Unfortunately, chocolate is a no-go for our four-legged friends. Even a small helping of chocolate can be deadly for dogs. Enter carob, a dog-friendly alternative that still tastes like chocolate. You can find carob chips in the bulk section at most grocery stores.

1/2 cup all natural peanut butter
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup mashed or pureed banana
1 Tbsp honey
1 egg
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup carob chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 300° F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix peanut butter and warm water in large bowl. Add banana, honey, and egg and mix until well blended.
3. Mix in 1 cup of flour until well blended. Add the carob chips. Add remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until a stiff dough forms.
4. Place on floured surface, like a cutting board, and roll to 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick.
5. Cut into fun shapes and place on prepared cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

TIP: After shutting off the oven, I leave the dog biscuits inside the oven for a couple hours to make sure they are completely dry and crunchy. Then they can be stored in an airtight container for a couple of months without worrying about spoilage.

The Taste Test

For quality control purposes, I enlisted the help of my own four-legged friend, Nickleby, and my co-worker’s dog Oliver. As you can see, they both agree these treats are delicious!

Tags: baking, carob dog treats, cooking, dog treats, food, Halloween, holidays, peanut butter, pumpkin recipes, recipe