These were the first homemade dog treats I ever baked, and likely the treats I have baked the most often.  For a while, I was baking them every other week.  Our ladies just go crazy for them!  With minimal ingredients, you can feel good about serving them, and they are tasty and healthy. 

I also love the long shelf life on them!  If properly dried out they can last for up to 6 months on the counter in an airtight container!  Not that they even make it that long!

You can easily double this recipe if you want to make more at once, too.  Since this is a rolled recipe, they can also be cut into adorable shapes using cookie cutters.  Since I am baking these for my own dogs, I usually just grab a pizza cutter and haphazardly cut them into rectangles.  It’s quicker that way, and our girls don’t care what shape they are!  They just want them in their bellies  😊. 

The Recipe

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups rolled oats (quick or regular)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• Dog-friendly flour

Steps

• Preheat the oven to 300F.  Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper
• Grind the oats into rough flour in a food processor or blender
• In a bowl, mix the pumpkin, eggs, applesauce, and cinnamon. Add oats.  Mix thoroughly (should resemble a thick cookie dough)
• Lightly flour surface with dog-friendly flour (I have used oat flour from ground-up oats or chickpea flour)
• Knead on the counter, adding additional flour until dough forms a ball.  You are looking for a consistency that is suitable for rolling
• Roll rough out to 1/4″ thick or less, and cut into shapes using cookie cutters, a glass or a pizza cutter
• Place on cookie sheets.  These cookies do not rise or spread, so minimal space is needed between treats
• Bake for about 50-60 minutes.  Cookies should be lightly browned and dry
• Remove from the oven and cool completely before moving

Storage

Store in an air-tight container for up to 6 months for completely dry, crisp treats

Note: Once cooled, if treats have not reached desired dryness, they can be placed back into the oven to dry out further