There are people who love summer and a few who love winter, but I personally love spring and autumn. The cool, crisp air, the wonderful smells, and the sights of these seasons of the year inspire me to create seasonal yummies for my family and for my dogs, who are of course family.
I especially like baking in autumn when pumpkin is a main ingredient in many recipes. The smell of this sweet gourd baking or simmering in a warm spicy blend of sugar and spices is all I need to feel warm and cozy.
It is also great that Pumpkin is a naturally sweet and nutritious way to treat your dogs to something yummy!
There are so many great reasons to allow your dog this great gourd not only as a treat but as an addition to their diet. Because it is high in fiber, it also helps with gland health too.
I can’t get away from giving my fur-baby some whenever I sit down to enjoy a bit myself. He begs for it. I think secretly he loves autumn too!
Baking Autumn Treats for Dogs
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My dog loves to supervise my cooking and baking. I call him my little helper, a.k.a. taste tester. I especially think he senses when I’m baking something just for him.
When looking for recipes, a lot of spiced cakes and pies call for spices that wouldn’t hurt humans. But we must be ever watchful of what we put in anything we make for our four-legged friends.
For that reason, it is extremely important that while we enjoy giving our dogs an occasional treat like this that we also keep in mind the kinds of spices we put into these treats for dogs.
Some spices can be very harmful to dogs. Here are a couple of the common ones and whether or not you should use them in dog treats.
Note: none of the recipes I give you will ever have dog-toxic ingredients in them. As a pup parent myself I do extensive research before giving my baby anything that might send him to the emergency vet.
Can Dogs have Nutmeg?
Nutmeg is a wonderful warming spice, but it can be very poisonous to dogs. According to PetMD.com:
“Nutmeg is toxic to pets due to a compound in the nutmeg called Myristicin,”
Stephani Liff, DVM
Generally speaking, if your dog gets a small amount of nutmeg in a cookie it’s not reason to panic. The quantities have to be pretty large to have an impact.
Just to be safe I avoid giving any Nutmeg to my pup at all costs because just like with Humans, Pets, and what they can tolerate varies from animal to animal.
Can Dogs have Allspice?
Allspice is not toxic to dogs (although you don’t want to give it to them in high quantities), but can cause liver toxicity in cats due to a compound called eugenol.
Flavoring a treat with a little bit of Allspice is fine for dogs.
Can Dogs have Cinnamon?
Cinnamon is not toxic to dogs according to the AKC.
But like most other spices, you should use it in moderation and not feed it to your dog by the spoonful. 🙂
A lot of the recipes I make even for myself have Cinnamon and I have given it to my dog without ill effect.
As with anything you give your pup it is up to you to use your best judgement because what is fine for some is not always good for others.
Cinnamon has been touted to be great for dogs because of it’s benefits. It can in fact be found in supplements you can purchase on the market. If you choose to look into these benefits always talk with your vet to help make the best decision.
How to Prepare Pumpkin for Dogs
Preparing pumpkin for your canine pals is the same as preparing it for humans, but you use less sugar than what’s in a typical human recipe.
All the pupcake recipes featured here are sweetened with natural ingredients like pumpkin and banana.
Important: on the peanut butter and pumpkin recipe make sure you are using all-natural peanut butter or peanut butter sweetened with real sugar. Some peanut butter brands are sweetened with xylitol, which is VERY toxic to dogs.
3 Tasty Recipes for Baking Dog Treats with Pumpkin
I LOVE these three recipes. They are wholesome, easy to make and my dog loves them.
And because they all feature human-grade ingredients sometimes I even sneak one myself because after all these could seriously be cupcakes for dogs and humans. We could both enjoy them.
Shhhh… don’t tell my dog. 🙂
Homemade Pumpkin Pupcakes for Dogs
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1 Tbsp dry milk
- 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 tspbaking soda
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cupcanned pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 large egg
Instructions:
- Arrange 24mini-muffin cups with paper liners (you can buy them on Amazon here). Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Combine the dry ingredients (whole-wheat flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, dry milk) and mix together. Add the pumpkin, water, oil, and egg. Stir to combine.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared cups. Bake for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool before topping with whipped cream. You can use pup-safe sprinkles as well, but those are optional. Don’t forget to take the liners off before giving them to your dog!
- These can be frozen as well.
For more great recipes, tryHomemade Cinnamon Bun Dog BiscuitsorFresh Apple Dog Treat Recipe.
Note: Wheat flour can be replaced with oat or rice flour if your dog has a wheat allergy.
Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pupcakes
This awesome recipe comes from Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1/3 cup + 1 T. vegetable oil
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 3 T . honey
- 1/2 tsp . baking soda
- 1 tsp . baking powder
- 1 + 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4oz. cream cheese,room temperature
- 1/3cuppumpkin puree
- 2T. peanut butter
- 1T. honey
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in your cupcake pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, add in the pumpkin puree, peanut butter, vegetable oil, egg, and honey. Whisk together until combined.
- Add in the baking soda, baking powder, and whole wheat flour. Switch to a spatula and stir until incorporated. The batter will be really thick and perfect for scooping out.
- Scoop the batter and fill the cupcakes almost to the top of the liner.
- Place in the preheated oven and let bake for 25 – 27 minutes or until done. Stick a toothpick in the center of the pupcakes and if it comes out clean or without moist crumbs, they’re done.
- Let cool completely.
Frosting Instructions:
- In a large mixing bowl, add in the cream cheese, pumpkin, peanut butter, and honey. Beat until thoroughly incorporated.
- Spread the frosting with a butter knife. I had a problem with the pumpkin puree getting caught in the bag tip while trying to pipe it.
- Store in the fridge.
Pumpkin Banana Pupcakes
Thank you to Style Sweet CA for this pawsome recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup honey
- 8 ounces pumpkin puree
- 1 1/2 bananas, mashed
- 8 ounces light cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place mini cupcake papers in a mini muffin tin and set them aside.
- Combine the first 8 ingredients until mixed thoroughly.
- Using a small ladle or cookie/ice cream scoop, place batter in the muffin tin near the top of the papers (batter will not rise much).
- Bake about 12 minutes, or until the toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cupcake.
- Cool on a wire rack before frosting.
- For the frosting, beat softened cream cheese on medium-high until fluffy.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and mix until combined.
I Sometimes Like to Bake Doggy Treats in a Dog Paw Silicone Mold or Pumpkin shaped Silicone Mold
If you use a mold like this you’ll need to reduce your baking time by about half.
For some cake recipes though you may wish to stick with the round paper lined version as they can sometimes stick to the mold if the cake is too moist.
Check with a toothpick and if it comes out clean, without batter sticking to the toothpick, the cake is done.
The Dog Paw silicone mold really ups the level of cuteness on your dog treats. Normally all three pieces are under $10! Which is a great deal. You can check the price on Amazon here.
The Bottom Line on Autumn Treats for Dogs
Baking treats for my dog is always fun and he really enjoys it too!
And just like for humans – treats should be treats and the majority of your dog’s diet should come from a good quality commercial or homemade dog food like this beef dinner.
If you like these recipes you might also enjoy these 16 healthy dog treat recipes.
Happy Baking!
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Please note: This recipe is not meant to prevent, treat or cure any ailment or disease. We are not veterinarians and you use our recipes and advice at your own discretion. We always recommend that you consult your veterinarian whenever you have health-related conditions your fur-baby is facing. With that in mind, we wish nothing but the best for your pet and their healthy and happy lives <3
