Why should you leave out your little furry friends when Halloween comes around? Try these easy DIY recipes to make some tasty baked treats to give to your pups or kitties. They can enjoy them any time, and you can feel good knowing that you’re treating them to some wholesome and delicious goodies.
Baked Pup-kin Balls
These tasty little pumpkin balls are nutritious and will have your pup wagging his tail for more! It’s got tons of Vitamin A, Beta-Carotene, Fiber, Iron, and Potassium.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of pureed or canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
4 tbsp water
4 tbsp molasses
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
To Make:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the wet ingredients together (pumpkin, molasses, vegetable oil, and water) in a bowl.
In another bowl, mix your dry ingredients together (whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon).
Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until the dough softens.
Take small amounts of your dough and roll into balls using your hands (it’s easier if you start with wet hands).
Place each ball of dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.
Flatten the balls with a fork.
Bake for around 25 minutes until your pup-kin balls are crispy and browned.
Storage Tips:
Keep your homemade dog treats in an airtight container and put them in the freezer to keep them fresh. Before feeding to your pet, let the treat thaw for 10-20 minutes. In the freezer, your treats can last up to 6 months!
Tuna Catnip Kitty Treats
Don’t leave your cat out of the fun! These are easy to throw together, and are addictive and protein-packed for your furry feline.
Ingredients:
1 5oz. can of no salt added tuna, packed in water, drained
1 cup of old-fashioned oat flour
1 egg (bigger is better)
1 tbs. of olive oil
1 tbs. of dried catnip, heaping
Note: Making your own oat flour is easier than you probably realize. Just grind up some old-fashioned oats into a soft powder in a spice grinder (or an extremely clean coffee grinder) or use your high-powered blender. It just takes a second. You could also use oatmeal baby cereal in place of oat flour.
To Make:
Place your oven’s top rack in the upper third section of the oven.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a food processor, add the tuna, oat flour, catnip, olive oil, and egg. Blend until it makes a smooth dough. It should be thick and pliable, but not too sticky.
Take ½ a teaspoon of dough and roll into a ball. Add the ball to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Take a skewer or a toothpick and press an X into the dough. This helps the treats to cook more evenly.
Bake these little treats for 10-12 minutes. They are done when they are dry on the top and lightly browned.
Be sure that these are totally cooled before feeding them to your kitty!
Storage Tips:
Keep treats in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Like this, treats will keep for up to 7 days.
Now your pets can join in on the Halloween fun with treats of their very own! The best part is that they’re nutritious and simple to make.
