Peanut Butter Dog Treats

These four ingredient dog treats are super easy, fun to make and healthier than the store bought biscuits!

Two years ago, Drew and I had a conversation about maybe getting a dog. Football season had started and Drew felt bad about me coming home to an empty house every day. We had been married for three months at that time and thought a dog would be a great addition. 

Baby Duke at 10 weeks

Drew knew exactly what he wanted - a black English Labrador. We came across a litter of puppies in Hampstead, NC and e-mailed the breeder to see if they had a black male still available. After what felt like days, the breeder e-mailed us back and confirmed that they did have a black male but there was just one left. 

The next morning, we left Sumter at 5:30 AM to get the puppy. We had to leave super early since Drew had to be back in time to watch film for his upcoming game (#CoachWifeLife). On the way there, we stopped at a Bojangles’ in the middle of nowhere…to this day we both say that it was the best biscuit we’ve ever had.

Three and half hours after we left Sumter, we pulled up to the breeder's house and put our car in park in their driveway. As soon as I stepped out of the car, the garage door started to open and out popped two little black puppies. “The male is the one with the brown collar,” the breeder said. I picked up the male and immediately the other puppy started crying. I looked over at Drew and he looked at the breeder.

“These are the last two left in the litter,” she said.  At that point, I knew we weren’t going home with just one puppy.

Long story short – a deal was made, a check was written and we were riding back to Sumter with not one puppy but two. 

Baby Duke and Gaff – You have completely destroyed my home, forced me to vacuum every other day, eaten my favorite pair of shoes, destroyed seven (!) throw pillows, greeted me on every lunch break, watched hours of Downton Abbey with me, kept me company on late football nights, eaten the suppers that I considered failures and loved me on my not-so-loveable days. 

I posted this picture the day we brought them home!

Last year we celebrated their first birthday with hats and a dog-friendly birthday cake. I wanted to do something a little different for them this year so I decided to try these peanut butter dog treats. Against Drew’s (and Gaffney’s) wishes, we still partied with the birthday hats.

Happy 2nd birthday, D & G!

Ingredients:

• 2/3 C pumpkin puree
• 1/4 C peanut butter
• 2 large eggs
• 3 C whole wheat flour, or more as needed

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat pumpkin puree, peanut butter and eggs on medium-high until well combined, about two minutes. Gradually add 2 1/2 cups flour at a low speed, beating just until incorporated. Add an additional 1/4 cup flour at a time until the dough is no longer sticky.
3. Working on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3-4 times until it comes together. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes and place on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake the treats until the edges are golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Notes:

• My friend, Brenley, makes homemade treats for her lab all the time (she's a much better dog mom than I am) and she told me that these treats can go bad quickly if left out. She suggested that you use these within a few days and store them in the fridge.
• If underbaked, the treats will have a spongy texture so make sure you bake them long enough. Although, your dog really won't care! They love these things!
• I found my bone and lab shaped cookie cutters on Etsy a few months ago.