Happy September! I know fall doesn’t officially start until later this month, but I feel like September 1 is an appropriate time to get out your fall decor and people can’t judge you for it. For me, it also kicks off pumpkin season, even though Starbucks has already released their PSL. Pumpkin is a great addition to so many recipes, from oatmeal to chili to a creamy pasta sauce, and these pumpkin spice dog cookies are a fun way to include your dog in the fall festivities!
They are easy to make, your whole house will smell amazing after baking them, and you won’t end up eating half the dough like you do with human cookies…or is that just me?
A Simple Dog Cookie Recipe
This dog treat recipe is simple. It uses only 5 ingredients, all of them common. If you go with oat flour, the dough can be a little weird to work with– stickier and tougher. BUT, dogs don’t really care about a tough cookie like humans do. In fact, I think they prefer it.
All of the ingredients aren’t just safe for dog; they also add real nutritional value! Pumpkin is full of fiber and supports your dog’s digestion, as does fresh ginger. Blackstrap Molasses offers a hint of sweetness along with a heaping pile of healthy minerals and vitamins like iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6, and selenium. Even the oat flour adds healthy whole grains and fiber, as well as thiamin, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium.
Because these cookies have no oils or fats, they are also low calorie: just 23 calories per cookie, depending on the size of your cookie cutter! This means they aren’t too rich, either. Of course, it’s always important to be aware of what foods your dog does and doesn’t tolerate, and treats should never make up more than 10% of your dog’s daily intake to prevent weight gain and nutritional imbalances.
Lastly, these cookies make great gifts for your puppy dog friends! They are really allergy friendly, especially if you stick with the oat flour instead of whole wheat. These pumpkin spice dog treats are wheat-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and even gluten-free! If you have neighbors or friends with dogs, sharing a couple of cookies (and letting them know the ingredients) is such a sweet gesture!
If you love baking these pumpkin spice dog cookies, be sure to check out my other dog friendly recipes!
Tips for Making Pumpkin Spice Dog Cookies
This recipe is easy, but since the dough can be tough and sticky, I have a few tips to follow. Dust your dough with additional flour if it’s too sticky to handle. Since the dough is stiff, it can be a bit of a workout to roll it out. Working in batches can make this easier.
Next, bust out your festive cookie cutters, because these treats need to be cut out! You can find cute dog bone cookie cutters online, or get extra spooky with some Halloween/fall inspired shapes like my jack-o-lantern cookie cutter. Check the Target $1 bins for cheap cookie cutters, or just go ahead and buy a pack online. The serotonin boost is worth it, trust me.
Lastly, I recommend killing the heat when the cookies are done and then leaving them in the oven overnight (or for at least 45 minutes to a few hours) to fully dry out. This gives you the best *cronch*, but if you are short on time, no biggie. Just make sure the treats are fully cooled before storing them in an air tight container. They might not be as crunchy, but I promise your dog probably won’t care.
Pumpkin Spice Dog Cookies
Equipment
- cookie cutters
- baking sheet
- rolling pin
Ingredients
- ½ can 100% pumpkin puree (pumpkin should be the only ingredient)
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses
- 1½ cups Oat flour, plus some extra to work with (you can grind Rolled Oats in a blender to create your own oat flour, but make sure to gind it very finely)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 °F
- Combine the pumpkin, molasses, cinnamon, and ginger until thoroughly mixed.
- Slowly add in oat flour and mix with a spoon or your hands to form a dough. Once dough is formed, let it rest for about 10 minutes to come together. Sprinkle more oat flour on the dough if there are super sticky spots.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface until its ⅛–¼ inch thick. Work in batches if needed, and use parchment paper to prevent your roller from sticking. NOTE: the thinner you can roll the dough, the crunchier the cookies will be.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut out cookies. Keep the size of your dog in mind when choosing a cutter.
- Bake treats on a baking sheet for 20-25 minutes, then turn your oven off and let them sit IN THE OVEN for another 45 minutes to an hour to dry out. You can also let them sit overnight!
Storage
- Store these cookies in the fridge for 1–2 weeks, or store them in the freezer for several months. OR share your treats with all your dog friends and you don’t have to worry about storage at all!
Notes
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