5 SPOOKY GOOD DIY DOG TREATS

Halloween in right around the corner – don’t forget about your dog! Some homemade treats will tell him he’s special (even if you do make him wear a costume). Here are some recipes for yummy treats that have four ingredients or less. Don’t worry if they aren’t perfect, your dog will still love them.

1.  Frozen Pumpkin Dog Treats

Ingredients

• 1 C plain yogurt
• 1 C pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

Directions

Mix pumpkin and yogurt together in a bowl (add a few drops of water if it is too thick).  Divide the mixture evenly into an ice tray or molds. Freeze for 24 hours.  Pop the treats out of the mold and put into a freezer bag for storage. You can also leave them in the ice tray if you have space in your freezer!

Puppy Dog Paw Silicone Molds  (Feeds 35 shelter animals)

2.  No Bake Pumpkin Peanut Butter Treats

Ingredients

• 1/2 C flour of your choice
• 1/4 C natural, unsweetened peanut butter
• 1/2 C canned pumpkin puree
• finely chopped peanuts or wheat germ for rolling

Directions

Combine flour, peanut butter, and pumpkin. If the dough is a bit crumbly, add small amounts of peanut butter, working the dough in your hands to help the oil bring the dough together. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat; sprinkle it first with peanuts or wheat germ. Then spread out the dough, top with more peanuts or wheat germ, cut into little squares with a pizza cutter, pop in the freezer until firm, remove and break up the pre-cut little squares. Store one week in fridge or longer in freezer.

3.  Cheese and Garlic Dog Treats

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 C     flour of your choice
• 1-1/4 C     grated Cheddar cheese
• 1              egg, beaten
• 1 clove      garlic – crushed

Directions

Grate the cheese and let stand until it reaches room temperature.  Cream the cheese with the egg, garlic, and flour.  Add enough water to form into a ball.  Chill for 1/2 hour.  Roll onto floured board.  Cut into shapes and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until slightly brown and firm.  Turn off oven and let biscuits sit in oven until oven is completely cool. This helps to dehydrate the biscuits for better storage.

Greyhound, squirrel and bunny cookie cutters

4.  Doggie Liver Bites

Ingredients

• 1 lb         raw liver
• 2 Cloves  garlic
• 1 Box      corn muffin mix

Directions

Heat oven to temperature listed for the corn muffins. In blender or food processor, mix liver and garlic until liquid.  Mix in box of muffin mix.  Scrape onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and pat to about 1/2 to 1 inch thick.  Bake until very firm but not burned.  Cut into squares. Store one week in fridge or longer in freezer.

5.  Pumpkin Oat Dog Biscuits

Ingredients

• 3 C whole wheat flour or flour of choice
• 1 C whole oats
• 1 1/2 C pumpkin puree
• 2-4 tbsp water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 1 or 2 baking sheets (depends on size of biscuit cut) with parchment paper. Mix all ingredients, except water. Add only enough water to make a workable and rollable dough. Roll out to 1/8-1/4-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Turn off oven and let biscuits sit in oven until oven is completely cool. Makes about 3 dozen “medium” (about 3-inch long) dog biscuits.

Here’s a bonus recipe for my dog’s fave: Sweet Potato Jerky

Buy 4 or 5 large sweet potatoes, scrub, poke and wrap in plastic wrap.  Microwave for 5-6 min. or till slightly tender.  Cool.  Peel and slice into “jerky sized” pieces.  Poke with a fork for air holes.   Lay on cookie sheet and bake in a low oven (200-225) for about 1 hour to start the drying process.  Remove to racks to dry, turning frequently or daily until quite dry (hard).  Be careful that the pieces do not get moldy.  These times are all approximate, please check it yourself and see what works for you. Store in an air-tight container.

Skip the oven if you have a food dehydrator: prepare the slices and put in a single layer in the food dehydrator for about 12 hours, depending on the humidity and the power of your unit.

Other notes:  you can leave the peel on, it has more nutrients for your dog, maybe doesn’t look so pretty.