This was my first whack at homemade dog biscuits. I honestly don’t know why I waited so long to try this at home. They were so easy.
With us living in Salem and it being October, I figured I’d start with pumpkin.
They were a huge hit with the wolves. (Who also love their Halloween costumes this year.)
Dexter and Penelope supervised the baking and cooling.
To say that they were ridiculously happy would be an understatement.
These dog biscuits are really easy to make, and super cost effective.
Plus, you can control the quality of everything that goes into them, a huge plus for a lot of pet owners.
This is my riff on this recipe. I upped the amount of powdered milk, but that’s about it. I cut a bunch of dog-friendly shapes…
…including a small army’s worth of the tiny bone shape.
These biscuits are slightly chewy, though if you baked them a little longer, I’m sure they’d crunch right up. If you do that, just keep an eye on them when they’re in the oven.
Is pumpkin safe for dogs?
It’s up to you to figure out what’s OK for your beast to eat. That said, generally speaking, canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling) should be fine for dogs in moderation.
But…I’m not a vet, so definitely do your research if you have any concerns. Read more about feeding your dog pumpkin here from Cesar Milan.
The short version of the recipe goes like this
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, then add enough water to make a stiff dough. Roll out, cut, bake, and let the begging begin!
I also noodled out a peanut butter version while I was at it. I’ll post that recipe soon.
Homemade Pumpkin Dog Biscuits
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons dried milk
2 1/2 cups flour
water
Make the biscuit dough
Cut the biscuits
Bake the biscuits
How long will they last?
Send me a picture of your dog!
Echo with her pumpkin biscuit
Soba and her pumpkin biscuit
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
The Hungry Mouse
Yields 2-3 dozen biscuits
These dog biscuits are really easy to make, and super cost effective. Plus, you can control the quality of everything that goes into them, a huge plus for a lot of pet owners.
Save RecipeIngredients
Instructions
- Put the eggs and pumpkin in a large bowl and mix until uniform.
- Mix in the powdered milk.
- Add the salt and flour. Mix until well incorporated. The dough will be raggy and on the dry side, kind of like biscuit dough. That’s just fine.
- Pour in your water little by little, mixing as you go.
- You want to add enough that you have a super stiff, sticky dough. (Think drop biscuits.)
- Line 2 sheet pans with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- Round the dough up and turn it out onto a lightly floured board. Toss a little flour on top of the dough and pat it down so that it’s about a 1/4-inch thick.
- Cut out as many biscuits as you can. I used a combo of my big bone, little bone, kitty, pumpkin, and squirrel. Set the cut biscuits on your prepared pans. They don’t poof up too much, so you can fit a lot on a pan, just keep ’em at least 1/4 inch apart. I did a few of the bigger shapes, and a lot of little bones (perfect single-serving size for our beasts).
- Ball up the dough scraps, pat out again, and keep cutting until you’ve used up all your dough.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Pop the cut biscuits into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes at 350-degrees F.
- After 20 minutes, yank the pans out of the oven and flip the biscuits over.
- Bake for another 20 minutes at 350 degrees F on the other side. When they’re done, yank them out of the oven. Let them cool for 10 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a rack until completely cool.
- How long will they keep? Because they don’t have any preservatives, they’re not going to last as long as commercial dog biscuits. With that, they should last a week or so, depending on humidity and how moist your final biscuits are. Once they’re cool, keep them in an airtight container on the counter, or, even better, pop them in the fridge.
Notes
Is pumpkin safe for dogs? It’s up to you to figure out what’s OK for your beast to eat. That said, generally speaking, canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling) should be fine for dogs in moderation. But…I’m not a vet, so definitely do your research and talk to your vet if you have any concerns.
