We all love a few treats at Halloween – we’re certainly looking forward to a few naughty treats ourselves. But when it comes to sharing the All Hallows’ Eve fun with our dogs, human sweets should never be shared with dogs. But that shouldn’t stop your pooch from enjoying their very own dog-friendly versions. You only need a few ingredients and minimal cooking skills and you’ll be able to spoil your pooch with the rest of the family. Exactly as it should be!
So after surfing the interwebs we found these simply ‘spookilicious’ Halloween dog treat recipes that’ll send your pooch’s whole body wagging. But before we dive in, remember treats are exactly that – they’re treats. Always feed in moderation. One or two at a time is plenty for any good boy or girl.
Pumpkin and peanut butter bones
Recipe by Doggy Dessert Chef
These bone-shaped beauties are the perfect treat for your pooch this Halloween. There’s not a dog on earth that doesn’t love peanut butter, while the pumpkin is an autumn favourite and has many health benefits for your dog. Pumpkin aids digestion and can help manage constipation and diarrhoea. They’re both tasty and healthy, which is a great bone-us! (Sorry.)
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups of wholemeal flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 ¼ cups of fresh or plain canned pumpkin
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
- ¼ cup of peanut butter
- ¼ cup of water
Equipment:
- Large bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Bone-shaped silicone tray or an ordinary muffin tray
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
- Add all your ingredients into a large bowl and stir until you form smooth batter.
- Spoon your mixture into the silicone tray. If you’re using an ordinary muffin tray, make sure you grease the tray with a little butter and a sprinkle of flour.
- Pop your tray into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- To keep your Halloween dog treats fresher for longer, put them in an airtight container in the fridge and they’ll keep for up to two months.
Pumpkin and cheese mummies
Recipe by Kol’s Notes
Your pooch will be in tail wagging heaven with these cheesy delights. And aren’t they just adorable! They’re reasonably low fuss to make, taking less than an hour from start to baked. With treats as scrumptious as these, your dog will be the envy of all the pooches in town this Halloween.
Ingredients:
For the dough
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup of fresh pumpkin or plain canned pumpkin
- 2 cups of shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
- 2 cups of wholemeal flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
For the filling:
- ½ cup of fresh pumpkin or plain canned pumpkin
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 heaped teaspoon of fresh or dried parsley (optional)
For the decorations:
Shop-bought dog friendly royal icing, white carob chips or low-fat cream cheese
Black food pen
Equipment:
- Large bowl
- Small bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Baking tray
- Round cookie cutter
- Pizza cutter or knife
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
- In a large bowl, beat your eggs and mix in the oil and pumpkin. Stir in the cheddar cheese, then add the flour and baking powder. Mix with your hands to combine the ingredients until you have a dough that is not too sticky but not too dry.
- Put a 1/3 of your dough to one side. Sprinkle your workspace with flour and roll out your remaining dough to a ½ cm thickness.
- To make your filling, stir your pumpkin, egg yolk and parsley in a small bowl and spread evenly over your dough.
- With the dough you set aside earlier, roll it out to ½ cm thickness. Cut into thin strips using a knife or pizza cutter and place randomly on top of your filling to create the bandaged look.
- With your cookie cutter, cut out your biscuits into circles. Pop them onto a baking tray and bake until golden brown for around 17-20 minutes.
- Allow the biscuits to cool. Roll your icing into small balls and arrange them on the biscuit to make the eyes. Use your food pen to place a small dot in the centre of the icing.
- If you can’t find dog-friendly icing you could also use melted white carob chips, low-fat cream cheese or plain yoghurt. Whatever’s easiest for you!
Apple crunch pupcakes
Recipe by Lola The Pitty
There are few things more pleasing than sweet, stewed apples on a cold autumn night. And these pupcakes are a great way to give your pooch those simple joys too. They’re an oh-so delicious Halloween dog treat and will fill your home with the gorgeous scent of baked apples and cookies. Who doesn’t want that!
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup of apple sauce
- 1 egg
- 4 tablespoons of honey
- 4 cups of wholemeal flour
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- 1 cup of chopped apples
- ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 2 cups of water
Equipment:
- Large bowl
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon
- Muffin tin
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
- With your whisk, mix together the apple sauce, water, vanilla extract, egg and honey in a large bowl.
- Then bit by bit, add your flour and baking powder to the wet ingredients and stir to combine well. Lastly, fold in the chopped apples.
- Grease your muffin tin, spoon in the mixture and bake for 35 minutes.
- Leave them to cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Your dog would no doubt wolf down a whole one in minutes, but because these are on the large side, break them up into pieces and feed over several days.
Pumpkin fro-yos
Recipe by Barking Botanicals
If you’re looking for a healthy alternative for your pooch this year, without feeling they’re missing out, these pumpkin fro-yos are a real winner. Super cute and super tasty, your dog needn’t miss out even if you’re watching their waistline. This is a simple mix, pour and in the freezer they go situation, so you know you won’t be stuck in the kitchen all afternoon.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup of reduced-salt chicken stock
- ½ cup of fresh pureed pumpkin
- ¼ cup of plain yoghurt
- 1 teaspoon of organic raw honey
Equipment:
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Pumpkin shaped silicone moulds
Method:
- In a bowl, mix together your pureed pumpkin and chicken stock.
- Pour the mixture into the moulds filling each by only two thirds.
- Pop the mould into the freezer until set.
- Mix the yoghurt and honey together in a bowl and top up the moulds with the mixture.
- Put them back into the freezer for another 1-2 hours or until frozen.
Remember, don’t give your pooch too many treats and always feed in moderation. Which one of these Halloween dog treat recipes will you be trying first? Let’s see those pooches gobbling up your creations in the comments below, or head over to Facebook and Twitter at @DogBuddyCo.