Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits – Tummy Friendly Treats

Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits - tummy friendly treats
Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits – recipe in post

Ever since I was little, I’ve always had pets. From hamsters, frogs, and lizards (growing up in small house on a busy street) to cats, dogs, horses, and goats (when I moved to the country). Now, when I’m not in the kitchen, I’m a dog-walker / pet-sitter by trade… so I know just how special our four-legged family members can be!

Cody

Meet Cody – the most photogenic dog I know. Every time I break out my camera, he sits pretty, turns his head this way and that, gives different expressions… I swear, that dog’s been watching America’s Next Top Model or something. Smile with your eyes, Cody, smies!

Cody is my mom’s dog, and we’ve had the pleasure of having him as our house guest on multiple occasions. He’s been a welcomed friend to have since our old Calvin passed away earlier this year.

Calvin

Calvin was a golden / chow mix, and not really the brightest spoon in the drawer… but he was well loved, and left us with many warm memories. May he be forever chasing squirrels in doggy-heaven.

Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits, 1/3

I first started making home-made dog biscuits last year, as an extra-special treat for my own pups, and also as gifts for friends, family, and clients. My pets have never been particularly finicky, but I know a lot of dogs with sensitive stomachs and digestive troubles, and these are perfect for helping to settle their tummies.

There are some foods out there you should never feed to your pet – things like chocolate, coffee, and candy, to name a few – but there are many people foods that can be beneficial for doggy consumption. Just keep in mind that even the best foods can be not-so-good in large amounts, and what’s okay for some might no be okay for others. Know your pet, or give them a sample of something, before making any changes to their diet!

  • Pumpkin (or other squash, sweet potato, or carrots) are known for aiding in digestive health both in humans and dogs. Many pet-owners I know feed baby carrots as treats, or add a scoop of pumpkin puree to their pet’s dinners. Feel free to swap pureed sweet potato for the pumpkin in this recipe, if you think your dog prefers it.
  • We all know dogs adore peanut butter, but it isn’t just for taste – a little all-natural peanut butter has lots of healthy fats and proteins, which, you guessed it, are good for dogs just like they are for us. Just be sure to find a peanut butter with  no added sugar!
  • The other secret ingredient in these biscuits is the brown rice flour. Many dogs are fine to eat wheat, but like humans, there are plenty who have an intolerance for gluten (some minor, some more severe). If you know your pooch is okay with wheat (i.e., doesn’t get an upset tummy from a slice of bread) you can feel free to replace the brown rice flour with whole wheat flour in the recipe. If you aren’t sure, stick with the brown rice flour – even if your dog isn’t sensitive to wheat, rice has been shown to improve digestive health over-all.

That only scratches the surface of foods that can be good for pets (others include flax, honey (in small amounts) and eggs, to name a few). But let me repeat, just like people, all dogs are different – know your pet before introducing them to something new, or ask your vet if you aren’t sure.

Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits, 3/3

These are the treats I made last year – same recipe, only with whole wheat flour instead of rice flour, hence the difference in appearance. Pressing out the names of the pups was a little time consuming, and, as it turns out, didn’t make much difference to the dogs (they could care less, really). If you want to personalize your treats, though, I found the rounded end of a small craft paintbrush worked well for writing in the dough.

This year I’m gifting these treats to all my favorite furry friends for the holidays. And since they’re made entirely from natural, healthful ingredients, even the picky eaters will be pleased!

Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits, 2/3

Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits
Adapted from Simmer Till Done
Makes approximately 30-40 large, or 60-70 small

2 1/2 cups brown rice flour (can substitute whole wheat flour if you know your dog is okay with wheat)
1/2 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree (can substitute mashed sweet potato, thinned down with a little water)
1/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter (no sugar added)
2 large eggs
Pinch of salt

Method
1.    Preheat oven to 350f.
2.    In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin puree, and peanut butter until smooth. Add the flour and salt and  mix with a rubber spatula or your hands to form a stiff, dry dough. (If the dough is too dry to hold together, add a few drops of water, or a little more pumpkin puree, as needed).
3.    Dust your counter or work surface with a little more flour and dump the dough out. Knead the dough into a rough ball, and roll between 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Use any cookie cutters you like to make the biscuits. Re-roll and cut any scraps. If you’d like, use the tines of a fork to poke indentations about half-way deep into each biscuit.
4.    Place biscuits onto an un-lined baking sheet (they can be spaced as close as you like, since they wont’ spread at all) and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the tray and flip each biscuit over – return to the oven and bake for another 10-20 minutes, or until completely dry. Let cool before treating your pup!

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125 Responses to Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits – Tummy Friendly Treats

  1. leaf (the indolent cook) December 15, 2012 at 2:23 am #

    Lovely dogs! The biscuits look awesome, I’m not surprised that they were well-received. ;)

  2. Kibby December 16, 2012 at 12:46 am #

    Could you substitute homemade almond meal flour (I dehydrate my own after making almond milk) for the rice flour? I love this recipe and will try soon. Thanks for sharing!

  3. Willow December 16, 2012 at 1:10 am #

    I’ve heard that almonds are okay for dogs, but are not easily digestible and may cause stomach upset. I suppose it really depends on your dog, but not knowing for sure I wouldn’t recommend it. :/

  4. Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes December 18, 2012 at 4:38 pm #

    I love the color of these treats! What a great holiday goft for our furry friends – I miss the stories of Cody you use to share, he was SO adorable!

    Any other flour suggestions I could try – do you think spelt would be okay?

    • Willow December 18, 2012 at 4:44 pm #

      Spelt should be fine – I’ve heard it’s used to replace wheat in other gluten-free dog foods.

      • Angela Drake February 6, 2022 at 1:47 pm #

        Spelt is not gluten free. It is a grain in the wheat family. If you are making it gluten free please do not use spelt, barley, farro, rye or any wheat. Gluten free choices are oats marked gf, quinoa, amaranth, or rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch flour or buckwheat. Not spelt.
        Thanks.

    • Christianne January 20, 2016 at 8:35 pm #

      I substitute organic coconut gluten free flour in every recipe I make for my dogs due to wheat sensitivities.

      • Willow Arlen January 20, 2016 at 10:04 pm #

        Thanks for the tip, Christianne! I’ve never tried it with coconut flour before.

        • Jane September 5, 2016 at 4:38 pm #

          I did. I ended up with a grainy mess and threw it all away.

          • Willow Arlen September 14, 2016 at 2:27 pm #

            Hi Jane — I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work out!

          • Alli September 16, 2018 at 4:17 pm #

            I used gluten free organic coconut flour as well and the dough was so hard to work with! I think I added a full cup of water before I decided it wasn’t going to get better. I ended up making it work but the treats also turned a brown, almost burnt color in the oven. I will definitely try brown rice flour next time!

  5. Boston Pet Sitting December 27, 2012 at 7:34 am #

    I must be sure my lovely pet like these biscuits.

  6. Nora McDougall-Collins January 8, 2013 at 9:42 pm #

    Good idea! Those would make a great gift for our dog-loving friends! Could we have permission to post your recipe on our website with a link back to this page?

    • Willow January 8, 2013 at 11:36 pm #

      Certainly! Thank you for asking. :)

  7. wingandaprayerfarm.com February 13, 2013 at 2:48 am #

    Just made these for my pups and my pups’ friends. They look great, smell great, and the recipe was much fun to put together! Thanks!

    • Willow February 14, 2013 at 4:15 pm #

      Glad to hear it – hope your pups like them!

    • Tresia May 12, 2017 at 11:34 pm #

      Which flour did u use? I ✓ out almond flour today it’s very expensive.

      • Willow Arlen May 13, 2017 at 4:58 pm #

        Hi Tresia, I use Brown Rice Flour (gluten free and easiest on dog’s digestion), but if you know your dog is fine with wheat I’ve also used regular whole wheat flour and it works just fine. Hope that helps!

  8. lilocor March 2, 2013 at 6:16 pm #

    Do these treats need to be kept in the fridge? My Great Dane will love these!!

    • Willow March 3, 2013 at 1:09 am #

      I’m glad you asked! No, the treats do not have to be refrigerated. They can keep at room temperature for at least several weeks – I haven’t tried keeping them longer than that because the pups go through them too quickly. :)

    • Lisa May 22, 2016 at 5:01 pm #

      I do refrigerate them. Mine got moldy after a week. I actually freeze them in 2-3 containers and then pull the next one out when I need them. Mine DEMAND one every day at 5pm….their happy hour

      • Willow Arlen May 23, 2016 at 12:20 pm #

        Thanks for the feedback, Lisa! I’m sorry to hear they got moldy the first time (I haven’t had that happen before, but maybe it has to do with climate?), that’s a great idea to pop them in the freezer. Glad to hear your pups like them so much!

        • Lynn April 1, 2017 at 6:53 pm #

          I make treats similar to these all the time and the only time I had an issue with mold was when they were being transferred from my house to a friend’s and sat in her cold car for a while (dead of winter in New England!) and were then brought into her warm house. They were bagged with a twist tie, but apparently not tightly enough, because she noticed condensation on the inside of the bag due to the change in temp, and couple of days later they were covered in mold! ? So my advice is to keep them at room temperature and they’ll be fine!

          • Willow Arlen April 5, 2017 at 11:06 pm #

            Thanks for the tip, Lynn! It definitely has a lot to do with the climate, and also how dried out they get in the oven (every oven is different). When in doubt, keep them at a steady temperature, or store them in the freezer just to be safe. :)

    • Kristy October 19, 2017 at 2:09 pm #

      Would it be better to leave them out uncovered? I’m making a lot of the for gifts and have to last for the next few weeks. If not, can do you have a recipe that you don’t have to refrigerate?

      • Willow Arlen October 28, 2017 at 6:54 pm #

        Hi Kristy, my apologies for not seeing your comment sooner. Personally, I DO leave these at room temperature and they have always been okay. That said, it depends a lot on climate and little variations in ingredients. A lot of people have commented that they go bad after several days at room temperature. If you want to extend the shelf stability, try baking them longer — the dryer they are, the less likely to mold. Again, I can’t guarantee anything, but I haven’t had any issues with keeping them out. I hope that helps!

  9. veronica nicole April 10, 2013 at 1:41 am #

    Thank you, this is a great recipe! Both my dogs love the biscuits – one of whom is very picky. I’m also happy that I can use them as daily training treats for my new puppy since they are healthy!

    • Willow April 10, 2013 at 2:39 am #

      That’s awesome! I’m glad your pups are enjoying them. :)

  10. Garnette September 11, 2014 at 9:03 am #

    My dogs love these biscuits and I was so pleased to find ones with a small amount of peanut butter. My older dog has congestive heart failure so I left out the salt. I take the pumpkin that is left over and put it in his homemade dog food that also has no salt. He is doing so much better since he is on all homemade food. Thanks so much.

    • Willow September 11, 2014 at 1:51 pm #

      That’s great, I’m glad to hear your pups like them! :)

  11. Raven December 7, 2014 at 4:08 pm #

    i have a dog with wheat allergy but don’t have the brown rice flour, could I substitute fresh ground rolled oats. My ninja can turn it into flour

    • Willow Arlen December 7, 2014 at 8:55 pm #

      I haven’t tried making these with oat flour, but I imagine it would work perfectly! Please let me know how they turn out if you try it, it’s a fantastic idea. :)

    • Penny August 3, 2015 at 9:51 am #

      I make ones like this and I use rolled oats and I don’t grind them. My dogs love them. I don’t cook them as long. My dogs like them a little soft.

  12. Jessica December 17, 2014 at 9:39 am #

    Would adding bacon ruin the recipe at all?

    • Willow Arlen December 17, 2014 at 11:21 am #

      I don’t think bacon is capable of ruining anything (and I’m pretty sure dogs will agree with me on this one) — my only concern would be that the cookies might have less of a shelf life. I might store them in the fridge, to keep the meat from going rancid, but I say go for it!

  13. Christal December 17, 2014 at 10:45 am #

    My husband is at the grocery store getting brown rice flour and I already have the pumpkin and peanut butter. I can’t wait to make these for my baby tonight, I know she will love them. Thank you.

  14. Sue December 21, 2014 at 4:56 pm #

    When did you put the dogs names in the bones?

    • Willow Arlen December 21, 2014 at 5:52 pm #

      Hi Sue!

      I added the names to the cookies before baking them. Just cut them out, then used the back-end of a small artists paintbrush (you could also use a toothpic) to make the indentations. Hope that helps!

      • Jennie May 6, 2016 at 3:20 am #

        Hi,

        If you are going to make a lot of biscuits with names on them, you could try to use cake letters or cookie letter stamps depending on the size of the biscuits versus the size of the letters.

        I think that will save you some time!

        • Willow Arlen May 6, 2016 at 12:14 pm #

          Thanks for the tip, Jennie! I hadn’t thought of that. :)

  15. Tina baum February 13, 2015 at 10:55 am #

    I made these for my little girl they were fun to do and look amazing. Would be great in gift bags or containers for your friends furry friends . Thanks for sharing

    • Willow Arlen February 16, 2015 at 12:52 pm #

      You’re welcome, I’m glad she liked them!

  16. Kelly February 19, 2015 at 10:04 am #

    Thanks for sharing this recipe! I made pumpkin dog biscuits for our cockapoo that has food allergies and intermittent bouts with diarrhea. She is on a limited ingredient diet and finding treats she can tolerate is challenging. After watching her patiently wait for her morning peanut butter treat (she would sit for hours for peanut butter!) I was in search of peanut butter treats for sensitive stomachs. Your recipe is very similar to the one I used last night, instead of peanut butter, the recipe I used called for 2 TBS of dried milk. There was also 1 tsp of dried parsley as an optional ingredient. I read that parsley can also help settled the stomach. I’m going to try your recipe today since she loves peanut butter. I may also try adding the dried parsley to your recipe! Thanks again for sharing!

    • Willow Arlen February 19, 2015 at 10:22 am #

      Thanks for your comment, Kelly! I hope she likes these treats. I hadn’t heard about parsley before, I’ll have to try adding some the next time I make these. Thanks for the tip!

  17. Jaime February 22, 2015 at 5:38 pm #

    is it ok to just use white flour?

    • Willow Arlen February 22, 2015 at 8:37 pm #

      If your dog doesn’t have any wheat sensitivities, it should be fine!

  18. Megan March 10, 2015 at 11:57 pm #

    Do you know approximately how many calories are in each treat? Just curious how many treats a day it is safe to feed my german shepherd puppy!

    • Willow Arlen March 12, 2015 at 6:02 pm #

      Hi Megan, I’m not sure how many calories are in each treat. It will depend a lot on the size you cut them to, but you could definitely add up the calories from all the ingredients and then divide by the number of treats. German shepherd pups are pretty big, so I’d say a few treats a day would probably be fine. Hope that helps!

  19. Indie March 21, 2015 at 7:51 pm #

    Thanks so much for the recipe my border collie pup loved them so much and its really hard to find treats she likes.

  20. Rachel April 22, 2015 at 12:34 pm #

    thanks for the recipe! Do you know what the shelf life is for these treats?

    • Willow Arlen April 23, 2015 at 1:18 pm #

      That’s a great question, Rachel. I haven’t tried testing them to see how long they’ll last, but I’d say I’ve had them around for up to a month or two without any issues. I have a bigger dog, so he can go through a batch pretty quickly. If you have a smaller pup and are worried they might go bad, you can try halving the recipe so there aren’t so many treats. Hope that helps!

    • Lisa July 7, 2015 at 2:53 pm #

      I have made a few batches. I keep a couple days worth out and freeze the remaining in small batches. The first time I made them, they got moldy after about 5 days.

      • Willow Arlen July 7, 2015 at 3:14 pm #

        Thanks for the input, Lisa! Sorry to hear yours got moldy, that has never happened to mine. I think it helps to make sure they’re well-dried out in the oven — if they’re still moist when they’re done, keeping them in the freezer is definitely best!

  21. Elsabe Grobler April 30, 2015 at 1:55 am #

    I have a 4 year old and a 1 year old Saint Bernard… They LOVED the biscuits. Preferred it to retail bought biscuits. You should see those smiles. Thankyou so much for sharing this recipe. ;-)

    • Willow Arlen May 7, 2015 at 12:32 pm #

      Wonderful, I’m so glad they liked them! :)

  22. Lluvia June 10, 2015 at 10:53 pm #

    Can I use natural almond butter instead?

    • Willow Arlen June 15, 2015 at 11:57 am #

      Hi there, sorry for taking so long to reply! I’ve never tried making these with almond butter, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! :)

  23. Adriana June 20, 2015 at 10:17 pm #

    Just made these and my 2 fur babies and they loved them. Thank you for the recipe and for sharing.

  24. Amanda July 5, 2015 at 4:20 pm #

    How long are they good for?

    • Willow Arlen July 5, 2015 at 9:38 pm #

      I’ve kept them in an airtight container at room temperature for about a month (that’s when they run out, usually). I’m guessing you could safely keep them longer than that, but if you’re concerned you can always store them in the freezer. Hope that helps!

  25. Michelle July 17, 2015 at 9:12 am #

    i made these for my son’s golden lab he loved them! Also shared with friend’s pups and they loved them too!! I added a little parsley to the recipe. This is a winner!

    • Willow Arlen July 17, 2015 at 10:00 pm #

      Glad to hear it, Michelle! Thanks for taking the time to comment!

  26. Yvonne Cox July 19, 2015 at 10:05 am #

    Made these this morning for my Great Dane and Border Collie! They loved them and I am thrilled! Was worried the Dane wouldn’t as he is really picky! Thanks for sharing! Trying to not have to buy store bought treats any longer!

  27. Debbie September 20, 2015 at 12:03 pm #

    Just a fun tip….first I use gf oats and grind half and leave the other half for texture. When I give these as gifts I use fun shape cutters. For my dogs lol I roll out the dough and just use a pizza cutter to make squares so much faster or sometimes I just spoon it on but cook these longer as they are thicker…I also toss some cinnamon and ground flax seed for extra bennifits

    • Willow Arlen September 21, 2015 at 12:36 pm #

      Hi Debbie, thanks for the tips! That’s a great idea to use a pizza cutter. It’s so cute to have fun little shapes, but it does take a lot of time and really, the dogs don’t know the difference, haha! Love the idea of adding a bit of cinnamon and flax, will have to try that next time. :)

  28. Kate M October 4, 2015 at 3:05 pm #

    Thank you for sharing this recipe! My roommate and I fostered a pup who wasn’t interested in eating. We made these in the hopes that it would help with tummy issues and she loved them! I’m making another batch now for the newest member of our family and I’m sure she will love them too!

    • Kate M October 4, 2015 at 3:07 pm #

      Also, because our foster was so tiny, I rolled these out into thin logs and chopped them. Worked great, and she had perfect bite-sized treats!

      • Willow Arlen October 5, 2015 at 12:03 am #

        That’s a wonderful story, Kate, thanks for sharing! I’m so glad your new pup liked them!

  29. Deb October 14, 2015 at 7:37 pm #

    My dogs love these. Would you mind if I share this recipe on their Facebook Page?

    • Willow Arlen October 15, 2015 at 11:11 pm #

      Hi Deb, so glad your pups like them! You’re more than welcome to share one of my images, with a link back here for the recipe. Thanks!

  30. Christina November 2, 2015 at 3:58 pm #

    My dogs loved the original recipe!
    Do you think using applesauce as an egg substitute would work in this recipe? I’m trying to come up with a mostly allergen free treat recipe to give to friends with dogs for the holidays. I’m going to try to alter the recipe to be:
    1/2 cup + 2 TBSPs coconut flour
    1/2 cup canned 100% pumpkin
    1/4 cup peanut butter
    1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
    pinch of salt

    Gonna try a test run this weekend. :-)

    • Willow Arlen November 2, 2015 at 9:30 pm #

      Hi Christina,

      I’ve never tried making them with applesauce in place of the eggs, but that’s a great idea. I’d love to know how they turn out!

  31. Erika November 28, 2015 at 10:40 pm #

    Hey! I love this recipe! Has anyone tried it with coconut flour? I have some at home and wanted to try making doggie biscuits with it.
    Thank you for sharing!

    • Willow Arlen November 29, 2015 at 12:18 am #

      Hi Erika, I’m so glad you like the recipe! I haven’t tried it with coconut flour, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. If anyone else has tried it and can report on the results, feel free to chime in!

      • Candice December 15, 2015 at 7:16 pm #

        I made them last year with coconut flour – gave them as gifts. My friends’ furbabies (as well as my pups) looooved them! :oD

        • Willow Arlen December 15, 2015 at 8:51 pm #

          That’s great, Candice, I’m so glad they liked them! Good to know that coconut flour works, too. Thanks for sharing!

      • Cheryl February 11, 2016 at 5:29 pm #

        Hi Willow. Is coconut flour ok in this recipe? Also, what about apple sauce instead of eggs? What is the shelf life? Refirgeration needed?
        Thanks
        Cheryl

        p.s. having trouble fionding suger free peanut butter. any tips where?
        Cheriyl

        • Willow Arlen February 11, 2016 at 5:43 pm #

          Hi Cheryl,

          I have not personally made these with coconut flour, but I imagine they would turn out just fine (and coconut flour is generally safe for dogs, as long as your pup doesn’t have some weird coconut allergy). I’ve also never tried replacing the eggs with apple sauce, but that might work out fine, too — it might make the treats a bit more crumbly, but I would say go for it!

          You can get sugar free peanut butter at places like Whole Foods, or of course online, or you can make it yourself really easily. Just take roasted and salted peanuts, and grind them in a blender or food processor until they are as smooth as you can possibly get them (they’ll look dry and crumbly at first, but don’t add any liquid, just keep blending, stopping to scrape down the sides every now and then). You won’t be able to get it perfectly smooth like the stuff in the stores, but after a few minutes the nuts will release their oils and you’ll have a nice, spreadable peanut butter. Hope that helps!

  32. Diana December 6, 2015 at 10:11 pm #

    Hello Willow, just wanted you to know that I made these treats today & my picky eater, Cody loved them.

  33. Maggie December 18, 2015 at 5:10 pm #

    I made the recipe today, and my picky, 10 year old mutt loved them! He ate it, and with sad puppy eyes, begged for more ;-) Since my (2 legged) kids have moved out, there’s no more cookie baking in the house, so this was a fun project.
    Glad to know they don’t have to be refrigerated, but I’m sure they won’t last very long anyway!
    Thanks for posting the recipe!

    • Willow Arlen December 18, 2015 at 5:54 pm #

      Hi Maggie — so glad to hear your pup liked them!

  34. Sasha January 2, 2016 at 5:13 pm #

    GREAT recipe. My beagle is a picky eater who has a sensitive stomach. She LOVES these. I passed extras out to other friends who have dogs and they’ve given me such great feedback. Thank You.

    • Willow Arlen January 2, 2016 at 10:26 pm #

      Thanks for the feedback, Sasha! So glad your pup liked them!

  35. Tammy Shoe January 20, 2016 at 9:19 am #

    Hello Willow … thank you for the fabulous recipe! I can’t wait to try it :) What size did you make (in inches) and what would you say is ideal?

    Thank you in advance!

    Tammy

    • Willow Arlen January 20, 2016 at 9:34 am #

      Hi Tammy,

      I think my dog-bone cookie cutter is about two inches long, by maybe 3/4 of an inch wide (that’s approximate) and I roll the dough to maybe 1/4 inch thick. You can really make this in any size you want, though, and I would suggest doing smaller ones for small dogs, and larger ones for bigger dogs. You can also use a pizza cutter or knife to cut them into little squares, instead of using a cookie cutter, if that’s easier, too!

      • Tammy Shoe January 20, 2016 at 12:48 pm #

        Thank you so much for the quick reply, Willow! One more question … could I use flaxseed meal or almond meal instead of the flour?

        • Willow Arlen January 20, 2016 at 1:04 pm #

          No problem! I’ve seen people use oat flour or other gluten-free flours with great success (I usually use brown rice flour when I’m not using wheat flour), but I’m not sure about using all flaxseed meal or almond meal. You could definitely add some of either of those, but while flaxseed is great for dogs, I don’t know how appetizing it would be to them if it were the main ingredient, since it has a very strong flavor (but what do I know, I’m not a dog). I would also be concerned that it would give the treats a shorter shelf life, because it has such a high fat content and tends to go rancid quickly. As for the almond meal, I’m not sure if you use all almond meal it might be hard on some dogs digestions — it’s hard to say for sure, though. You’re welcome to play around with adding a bit of either of those things and seeing what your pups think of it — they’re the real judge of whether it will work or not!

          • Tammy Shoe January 20, 2016 at 1:56 pm #

            Okay … perfect! I am just starting to venture out on this and so appreciate your insight!

  36. Anna February 17, 2016 at 4:18 pm #

    Hi is it okay to use white rice flour instead of the brown rice flour?

    • Willow Arlen February 18, 2016 at 9:51 am #

      Hi Anna! That’s a great question. I haven’t personally tried it, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work!

  37. Sophia April 12, 2016 at 12:43 pm #

    Hi Willow, about to make these for my four month old puppy, Hunter! Thank you for the great recipe!

    • Willow Arlen April 12, 2016 at 1:35 pm #

      Thanks, Sophia, I hope your pup likes them!

      • Sophia April 12, 2016 at 4:49 pm #

        He loves them! One question i made them with whole wheat pastery flour and they turned out a little soft. what do you think?

        • Willow Arlen April 12, 2016 at 5:53 pm #

          Hmm… I’ve made them with a few different types of flour, but they’ve always turned out crunchy. I suspect they may need a little longer in the oven to crisp up — then again, if your dog likes them chewy, maybe not! If they are soft, however, I’d suggest keeping them in the fridge, because if there’s moisture still in them they will likely have a shorter shelf life. Hope that helps!

  38. Sophia April 13, 2016 at 10:49 pm #

    Thank you I will try that

  39. Ereka May 11, 2016 at 10:53 am #

    My Chihuahua Pixie loved these! I added some color to the dough. The first ome was a bright yellow one using turmeric powder. Turmeric is good for dogs’ bones and muscles and also aid in digestion. The second one was a beautiful orange one for which I used red turmeric powder. The third one was almost dark pink in colour for which I added beetroot powder. They look cute when kept in Mason jars :)

    • Willow Arlen May 11, 2016 at 2:12 pm #

      That’s awesome, Ereka, I’m glad your little pup liked them! The turmeric and beet powder are a great idea!

  40. Chelsea November 3, 2016 at 2:09 am #

    Hi Willow,
    Do you know if these would work with silicone molds?

    • Willow Arlen November 7, 2016 at 1:18 pm #

      Hi Chelsea, great question! I’ve never tried them in silicone molds, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. The dough is fairly stiff, so you might have to press it firmly into the molds to make it work — also, if you bake them in the molds, you may need to bake them a bit longer to get all the moisture out (treats that aren’t dry have a pretty short shelf life). It should work though, and would make super cute treats!

  41. Cassidy January 8, 2017 at 4:02 pm #

    I’ve been making these treats for our chow chow for years. They are his absolute favorite. He sweetly accepts other treats but quickly puts them down and won’t eat them. Nothing but homemade for my guy. I made a special batch to welcome our newest addition with her name on them and was so surprised how easy it was to personalize them and how well they came out! Thank you so much for helping me spoil my favorite family members with healthy food that tastes great! Your recipe is a staple at our house.

    • Willow Arlen January 8, 2017 at 5:12 pm #

      Hi Cassidy — this is so wonderful to hear! Thank you for taking the time to tell me, your comment put a big smile on my face. I’m glad your pup enjoys them so much, and your new pup too. :)

  42. pat marino January 22, 2017 at 2:46 pm #

    I am having a problem with having to add a lot of liquid to get right texture of dough.
    seems like two and one half cups of brown rice flour is to much. am doing something
    wrong. thank you. pat .

    • Willow Arlen January 22, 2017 at 7:03 pm #

      Hi Pat! I’ve never had a problem with the amount of moisture. The dough should be fairly dry and stiff, but it should hold together easily for rolling and cutting with a cookie cutter. If it’s a little on the dry side, that could be an issue with humidity or variations in the flour itself, and you should be able to add a spoonful of water to make up for it. If it’s really dry and crumbly and you’re having to add a ton of liquid, is it possible you missed one of the other ingredients? Usually the eggs, pumpkin puree, and peanut butter are all I need for the 2 1/2 cups of flour. If you can give me more information I’d be happy to try to troubleshoot it further.

      • pat marino January 25, 2017 at 9:03 am #

        I think I know the problem I replaced the 2 eggs with flax egg replacement. do you think
        that if I increase the amount of the flax egg that would work. the dogs can have eggs
        I just thought the flax would be healthier. thank you. Pat.

        • Willow Arlen January 25, 2017 at 9:19 am #

          Ah, yes, that could be the issue. Try increasing the amount of liquid in the flax egg mixture and see if that solves it for you. You could also try making the recipe with eggs, as written, and then add some flax seed or ground flax to the dough for the added nutrition. Flax is such a great source of omega-3’s, and now that you’ve mentioned it I’ll have to try adding it next time I make these. :)

  43. Pamela December 17, 2017 at 1:14 pm #

    I’m making these for all of the dogs in my family for Christmas. My dog couldn’t wait for them to come out of the oven, She has been hanging around the kitchen while I cut them all out. Great recipe and easy to make. I substituted rice flour for oat flour- made my own.

    Thanks Merry Christmas

  44. Mandy January 18, 2018 at 6:43 am #

    I make something very similar to these for our doggie neighbors. They freeze well and thaw in the microwave in 30 seconds or less, just long enough for my husband to give a good ear scratch while I go fetch.

    P.S. We’re very popular among the canine set in these parts. Dogs start looking half a block away to see if we’re sitting on our front porch.

  45. Kathy July 1, 2018 at 10:15 pm #

    Hi, I just made a big batch of these but made tiny balls instead. My dog is tiny and anything too big she tends to not like. I didn’t think much of shelf life tbh. I did let them cool completely. She tried them and loved them. So I put them in a ziplock bag and put them in her treat jar. Idk what made me think of it, but I thought to check how long to have them and came along this site. I quickly took them out, put the big bag in the freezer and the little bag she’s been eating, in the fridge. They were still hard but one did feel kind of soft. Do you think they’re still safe for her?

    • Willow Arlen July 3, 2018 at 10:19 am #

      Hi Kathy! It’s hard to say without seeing in person what you mean, but if it’s only been a little while since you made them they should be fine. The dryer they are, the longer they will last at room temperature (if there’s a lot of moisture still in the middle of the treats they will start to mold). You’ll have to use your best judgements on any of that have gone soft — that isn’t something I have personally experienced. I think the freezer / fridge is a great idea if you have a lot of treats that will take a while to be eaten, and will definitely make them last. Sorry I can’t be of more help on this one!

  46. DIANA SBARRO August 5, 2018 at 11:50 am #

    Hi….do you have to refrigerate these?

    • Willow Arlen August 21, 2018 at 12:24 pm #

      Hi Diana, sorry I wasn’t able to reply to this sooner! If the treats are thoroughly dried out in the oven, they can be stored safely at room temperature in a cool dry place. If it’s humid though, or if the treats have any moisture left inside, you can keep them in the fridge or freezer. I hope that helps!

  47. Jessica September 9, 2018 at 12:25 pm #

    Thank you! Simmer no longer has the original recipe posted and my dogs loved them. I am glad you still have your version up. Note to self, print out. lol

  48. Vanessa September 27, 2018 at 2:13 pm #

    Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?

  49. Nancy myers January 26, 2019 at 3:18 pm #

    Can you use white rice flour in these treats. I could not find brown rice flour.

  50. sandra cave February 12, 2019 at 1:51 pm #

    A church member made these dog biscuits. and she shared with us. So needless to say I went straight home and treated my 10 month teacup Yorkie to one and she dearly loved it. So I will be making them for her. Thanks for the wonderfully awesome recipe

  51. Debbie January 9, 2020 at 10:43 pm #

    I love this recipe. I use gluten free rolled oats for the flour. I out them in the blender till they are flour consistancy. I normally double the recipe and use the entire small can of pumpkin to offset the oats which suck up moisture. I add about a tbsp of cinnamon also and if I have them I will grind up some flax seed. I make half a bunch and then freeze or fridge the other half. I usually make them for coworkers also for small dogs I just make bite size ones. I have found putting them in silicone molds is really easy or using an ice cream scoop and then flattening them works well also instead of trying to roll them out which can be sticky

  52. Alberto February 11, 2021 at 6:01 am #

    Brewer s yeast is rich in B vitamins and antioxidants and has been found to help repel fleas in dogs. Turn the ingredient into a treat your pup will love to eat with these biscuits.

  53. Laura May 26, 2021 at 1:39 pm #

    I love this recipe! so easy to follow. I’m having issues with the cookies developing air bubbles while baking…any tips on how to avoid that and get the beautiful, even looking biscuits you picture!?

  54. laura May 26, 2021 at 1:41 pm #

    I love this recipe! I’m having issues with the biscuits developing air bubbles while cooking and coming out looking awful..any tips on achieving the polished look of yours!?

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