just made: pumpkin and flax seed puppy cookies

I don’t give Barbara a ton of treats. This is partly because I don’t want to spoil her [anymore than she already has been] and partly because most of the treats I see at the store are super processed and full of crap. They’re also kind of expensive, especially when you think about how cheaply they can be made.

Look at this face, though. Doesn’t this face deserve all the treats in the world?

I know. This face is the reason I decided to bake something other than banana bread this weekend. And it turns out there are so many healthy dog treat recipes out there! I chose to use the White on Rice Couple’s pumpkin and flax seed treats as a starting point and made just a few tweaks.

I don’t have two giant dogs, so I wanted to cut the recipe in half. It didn’t halve well, though, so I had to play with the oil and egg ratios a bit. The dough was too dry at first, but I eventually found the perfect balance.

It shouldn’t be super moist anyway, since you want the treats to be crunchy and good for your puppy’s teeth.

Not only does the pumpkin add a ton of vitamins to these treats, it turns the dough a really pretty shade of orange.

I used an upside-down empty spice jar to make perfect little circles.

This lasted until I dropped the spice jar on our concrete floor and it became glass dust. (I swear, I shatter a glass a week in this kitchen, but the beautiful floors are so worth it.)

After that, I just rolled out the dough and cut it into squares.

Barbara loves them. I tried one too, and they’re not too bad. Floury and crunchy and just fine for a puppy cookie. Here’s the recipe I ended up with.

Pumpkin Flax Seed Puppy Cookies

adapted from the White on Rice Couple’s lovely recipe

• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 T brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 3 T grapeseed oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup flax seeds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the pumpkin, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add in the eggs, oil, and water. Mix in the flax, then begin to add in the flour 1/2 cup at a time. This is when I had to start kneading the dough by hand. Roll out the dough and use a cookie cutter or a pizza cutter to create the shapes of your choice. Lay out on an oiled cookie sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes.