With Halloween season in full swing, we are surrounded by Pumpkins and everything pumpkin related. To celebrate Halloween we love carving faces and imagery into these orange beauties but have you ever found yourself discarding unused pumpkin after carving and wondering what else you could do with it?
I wanted to share with you this simple recipe for Pumpkin Dog biscuits. They are super easy to make and they get the seal of approval from my trusty canine taste testers. Get the kids involved and experiment with different fun shapes for your spooky doggy biscuits!
Pumpkin is packed full of healthy nutrients such as vitamin A, C and E, as well as potassium and iron. They contain the antioxidant beta-carotene which is the red/orange plant pigment found in other orange vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes and squashes. But did you know that Pumpkin grows from a flower and contains seeds so it is actually classed as a fruit in the botanical sense! As we tend to eat them as a savoury food, we call them vegetables in the culinary sense.
Pumpkin is easy to digest as it is rich in high soluble fiber and naturally low in fat and calories. With its sweet taste it can be an appealing and healthy alternative to bake into biscuits and make tasty little treats for your dog.
Ingredients
- 125g Rolled oats – use a food processor to blitz these until they resemble course breadcrumbs
- 1 Egg
- One small pumpkin cut into approximately 1 inch square cubes – Remove and discard the hard skin and seeds. Although pumpkin seeds can be consumed by dogs when cooked, and in moderation, I always find it best to remove these to avoid any choking hazards.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
- Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
- Spread the pumpkin cubes evenly on the baking tray and bake in the oven for 30 mins.
- Whilst the pumpkin is baking, blitz the oats in a food processor until they form a coarse breadcrumb consistency. If you would prefer a smoother biscuit, continue to blitz them until they are more of a flour consistency.
- Whisk the egg into the oats.
- Once cooked, blitz the pumpkin until smooth. Add this to the oat/flour mix and combine well. If the mixture is sticky at this stage, add more oats or flour until it is a smooth dough.
- Re-line your baking tray with baking parchment.
- Shape the mix into small flat rounds, approximately half a centimetre thick. If you want to use moulds this is equally fun, just ensure the biscuits are not too thick or they will be soft and cake like once cooked.
- Bake in the oven for 15 – 18 minutes or until golden brown.
- Allow to cool fully before you try the taste test on your dog!
Important – Please ensure that any pumpkin used is fit for food consumption.
These biscuits are intended to be used as treats and should therefore be given sparingly, adjusting food intake as required.
