Soft pumpkin dog treats are perfect for older dogs or dogs with dental issues. Homemade pumpkin dog treats without peanut butter are low fat, which is also good for older dogs who aren’t as active.
These 4 ingredient pumpkin dog treats are similar to the banana pumpkin dog treats that I made a few years ago. I have yet to meet a dog (or human!) who doesn’t like them.
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Soft treats for older dogs
My dog will turn 13 this year. She’s a senior dog and I lovingly call her my old lady. She’s also had a few teeth pulled and isn’t quite as active as she used to be.
I’ve been making treats for her since she was a puppy, but when I don’t have time to make them, I buy them.
I started to notice recently that she was having trouble with really crunchy or hard treats from the pet store, so I set out to create a soft dog treat for older dogs.
DIY dog biscuits
DIY pumpkin dog treats, like this oatmeal pumpkin dog treat recipe, are less expensive than store-bought treats and I feel better knowing exactly what is in them.
Making dog biscuits is (or should be) really easy, and these are very easy.
Just a bit of mixing, rolling out and cutting cute dog bone shapes. They are the easiest cookies you’ll ever make.
soft pumpkin dog treats
This is a soft dough. It is very easy to work with and also quite forgiving. Which is helpful, because let’s be honest – we want to make these treats but we also don’t want it to be a huge hassle.
These soft pumpkin treats will puff up a bit when they are baked and they stay soft. The applesauce helps to make them moist and just a touch sweet.
Like these homemade dog treats with rolled oats, there are no preservatives in this dog biscuit recipe. You can leave them out on the counter for a few days, but after that, they should be refrigerated.
how to make pumpkin dog treats
You’ll need a few tools to make this recipe. The good news is that you probably already have everything. Just in case you don’t, this is what you’ll need:
- a heavy wooden spoon or other sturdy spoon
- a medium mixing bowl
- a baking sheet
- parchment paper (very helpful, but not mandatory, if you have nonstick cookie sheets)
- a rolling pin
- dog bone cookie cutters – or any cookie cutters you have already
In a medium bowl, you’ll mix the applesauce, pumpkin and egg together. Then stir in the flour until it forms a soft dough.
Lightly flour the counter or a cutting board, roll out the dough and cut shapes. Bake and cool before giving to your dog.
How to store homemade dog treats
If you live in a cooler, less humid climate, you can store these treats in a cute dog treat jar on the counter for about a week.
Because I live in a warmer, humid climate, I’d only keep them on the counter for a few days, then store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
You can also freeze them and take out a few at a time, which is what I do most of the time.
Homemade dog biscuits
These pumpkin dog treats make great homemade gifts too. I like to make small dog treat bags to give away to friends and neighbors who have dogs.
If you see the same neighbors walking their dogs in the neighborhood or at the dog park, getting homemade dog biscuits would be a welcome gesture.
And it’s something nice to do for someone (which we could all use a little more of). Plus, I guarantee their dogs would love it.
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Soft pumpkin dog treats
Soft pumpkin dog treats are perfect for older dogs or dogs with dental issues. They are also low fat, making them a great treat for less active dogs.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup applesauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 177°C / Gas mark 4.
- In a medium bowl, stir egg, applesauce and pumpkin together. Add flour and mix until all the flour is incorporated.
- Dust the counter with flour and knead the dough a few times to make sure it is uniform.
- Lightly flour a rolling pin, then roll out dough to approximately 1/8" and cut out treats.
- Lay on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 18 minutes. Cool completely before giving to your pup!
Notes
I used a 2" cookie cutter because my dog is small. If you use a larger cutter to make treats for a larger dog, you will need to increase baking time and the yield will be less than 85.
Make sure you buy 100% pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling. Check the can carefully!
Apple sauce should be plain, no added sugar. Ingredients should be apples, water, vitamin C.
These pumpkin treats are perishable - there are no preservatives. After a few days on the counter in an airtight container, you should refrigerate them for up to a few weeks.
If the dough is too sticky to roll out, add a bit of extra flour until you can roll it out easily. If it is a humid day, you may have to add more flour.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
85Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 22Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information calculated by a third-party company as a courtesy. It is intended as a guideline only.
Thanks for stopping by! Have a delicious day 🙂
By flour you mean all purpose flour or wheat flour ?
I used all purpose, but you can use whatever you have.
My dog is a tea cup chihuahua. So will have to roll out very thin, since it will raise during cooking. So will I need to cut down the cooking time.
Yes, you will. Also, keep an eye on them if you are rolling out very thinly – they will bake quickly.
I made these today and my dog loves them! Thanks for an easy and yummy recipe!
Thank you so much, Katt! I’m so happy that your pup loves them! 🙂
The recipe calls for applesauce but the video says to add mashed banana. Can you use either one? How much banana?
Hi Robin, The video is for a different dog treat recipe (with banana), so just follow the directions in the Soft Pumpkin Treat recipe post. I hope this helps to clear the confusion! 🙂
Just baked these treats for my senior hounds. They are soft and taste almost like a tea biscuit! I used a spice jar as my cookie cutter, as suggested my another reader.
Hi Rebecca, Thank you so much for that lovely review! I’m so glad they turned out well for your senior dogs 🙂 That tip was a good one!
What size can of pumpkin do you have to use??
The recipe calls for one cup of pumpkin puree. A smaller can is fine.
I made these for my dog today with some fresh pumpkin and he loves them! I tasted them and I agree with Fluffy that the treats are tasty.
Thank you so much!
Do you know if these are safe for goats? I know they can have the pumpkin but not sure on the rest.
Hi Anita, I’m sorry, but I have no idea if they are safe for goats 🙁
I’d consult a veterinarian and see what she/he has to say.
I’ve read this page repeatedly and I see the ingredients needed but I don’t see where it tells you how much of each. Could someone please tell me the amounts of each ingredient? My dog has barely any teeth, doesn’t play with toys and can’t eat the store bought snacks she loved. So I wanted to make these for her for Christmas so she’d have something to enjoy. Can anybody help??
Lesa, the ingredients and full recipe are listed at the end of the post. Below is copied and pasted from the recipe card.
3 1/2 cups flour
1 cup pumpkin purée
1 egg
1/2 cup applesauce
Thanks so much!!!
My pleasure! 🙂
Hi. Do you think I can use rice flour instead, for grain free purposes?
Hi Debbie, I’ve never used all rice flour before, so I’m not sure how they would turn out. If you are trying to avoid flour, try grinding oatmeal in the food processor and using that instead. I hope that helps!
Just made these and they’re great! Wanted to add that I used an empty spice jar as my cutting shape and they turned out great following the same rolling and baking instructions. The texture and shape turned out like tiny pita pockets.
Hi Elizabeth! That’s fantastic! And totally genius. I’m so glad you liked them and they turned out well 🙂
I made the soft pumpkin treats which were very easy to make. My dogs loved them more than their usual treats.
Thank you so much for the feedback, Barbra! I’m so glad your pups loved them 🙂
My dogs absolutely love these dog treats! They won’t quit begging for them. I used oats in the food processor instead of flour omitted the egg and used wheat flour for rolling them out.
Hi Sherry! I’m so happy to hear that your dogs loved these treats!!! Glad to know that the oats worked well too 🙂
Love the idea of oats instead of flour. Should I be measuring the oats amount before putting them in the food processor?
Hi Marie 🙂
Yes. I measure the oats before grinding them.
Great! Can’t wait to try this recipe out this week. I’m sure my little senior is going to love them 🙂
Thank you, Marie! I can’t wait to hear how they turned out 🙂
Do you think baby food carrots would work as good as the pumpkin?
Hi Denise, As long as carrots are the only ingredient, I think it would be ok. I’ve never done it, so I can’t say 100%, but in theory, it “should” work just fine 🙂
Hi…
Can anybody tell me what gas mark to bake the treats at please and for how long ?
Hi Kat, It’s Gas mark 4
I made these for my poor little girl (5 lb) who had 9 teeth pulled yesterday. I used the end of a piping tube for the shape, and eve those are too big for her. We break them into bits. She was able to eat one and liked it, I’m so glad to have them.
Her vet said her kidney enzymes were a little elevated so we need low fat treats. I made half the recipe and froze the other half.
Hi Brigid, I’m glad this recipe worked for your little baby. Having teeth pulled is no fun at all. I hope she is feeling better <3
Hi,
Can I give this soft treat to a 9 week old puppy? Thank you.
Hi Nao, I wouldn’t give these to a young puppy. Wait until the pup is a month or two older before you give them any treats.
Will do! Thank you!
Making these for the first time. Can you add peanut butter to the recipe as well? If so how much?
Hi Nadine! If you want to add peanut butter to the pumpkin treats, I’d suggest this recipe: https://www.pookspantry.com/pumpkin-peanut-butter-dog-treats/
To keep them soft, reduce the baking time by a few minutes and store in the fridge.