No-Bake Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Treats

Close up of no bake peanut butter and pumpkin dog treats.

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Fall is here (well almost here but the weather sure feels like it is fall) and that means pumpkin spice time. 

I’ve heard so much about pumpkin spice this or that on the radio for the last week or so already.

While I’m not a big pumpkin spice fan, I do enjoy baking with pumpkin. 

Pumpkin cake, pumpkin bread, pumpkin bars… all are good.

But none of these can be shared with our dogs as most baked goods (including pumpkin baked goods) have too much sugar and other things that dogs shouldn’t have. 

Including pumpkin spice (the nutmeg in it is toxic to dogs).

While we shouldn’t share our pumpkin or pumpkin spice flavored foods with our dogs, we can make them their own pumpkin treat.

No-Bake Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Treats have only three ingredients and are easy to make, no oven needed.

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Pin image for No-Bake Dog Treats with a can of pumpkin, jar of peanut butter, and a container of quick oats all behind a glass bowl of prepared dog treats rolled into balls.

How to make no-bake pumpkin and peanut butter dog treats

These homemade dog treats are made with just three ingredients: pumpkin puree, peanut butter, and oats.

Always consult your veterinarian before giving your dog new foods.

Ingredient list

1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) fresh or canned is fine

½ cup creamy peanut butter (make sure it doesn’t contain xylitol)

2 ½ cups oats, Old-fashioned or Quick Oats

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well combined. You can start with a spoon, but eventually, it becomes easier to just mix with your hands.

A peanut butter and pumpkin dog treat ball on a hand.

Once combined, take a small amount of the pumpkin mixture and roll it into a bite-sized ball. Bite size will vary based on the size of your dog.

I made the larger balls around ping pong ball size for Luna (as she’s a 100-pound German Shepherd). I made smaller balls for Morgan (since she’s only 23 pounds).

Peanut butter and pumpkin dog treats on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Place them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper and place them in the fridge for about an hour. 

After they have chilled for an hour, they should hold their shape enough to be able to be placed in an airtight container for storage.

Store in the fridge and use within a week. Or store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

More information about the ingredients

Pumpkin puree

Pumpkin has many benefits for dogs and is a great source of fiber and vitamins A, C, and E.

When shopping for pumpkin puree make sure you get the can that says 100% pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie filling. 

Unfortunately, it can be confusing as they both have a picture of pumpkin pie on the can.

You can also use homemade pumpkin puree if you have some.

Peanut butter

Peanut butter helps to hold these treats together. 

It also provides an added flavor that most dogs enjoy.

When choosing a peanut butter to use it’s best to use all-natural peanut butter with no added sweeteners.

But you can use any brand you want as long as it does NOT contain xylitol. 

I recently switched to 100% Peanuts peanut butter from Walmart for use in dog treats but I’ve used whatever I have in my cupboard in the past.

Oats

Like the peanut butter, I use whatever type of oats I have on hand, which is usually either old-fashioned oats or quick oats.

Both old-fashioned and quick oats work well in this treat, though I do prefer the quick oats as they seem to mix a little better.

Luna and Morgan get to taste test

A German Shepherd and a poodle terrier waiting for two homemade dog treats.

Every recipe I make gets to be taste tested by my dogs, Luna and Morgan.

A German Shepherd eating a dog treat.

For this recipe, both Luna and Morgan enjoyed the treats so much that it was hard to get a good picture of them.

A white poodle terrier with her mouth open eating a dog treat.

Like any treat, give these to your dogs in moderation. And if your dog has allergies or food sensitivities, check with your vet before giving these to them.

I hope your dogs enjoy these homemade treats as much as mine do.

Related posts

Soft Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Treats

Frozen Applesauce and Pumpkin Dog Treats

Pumpkin Ice Cream for Dogs

Pin image of peanut butter and pumpkin dog treat balls with a text overlay that reads no-bake pb & pumpkin dog treats.

No-Bake Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Treats

Close up of no bake peanut butter and pumpkin dog treats.

Easy to make 3 ingredient no bake dog treats.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) fresh or canned
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter (make sure it doesn’t contain xylitol)
  • 2 ½ cups oats, Old-fashioned or Quick Oats

Instructions

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well combined.
  2. Take a small amount of the pumpkin mixture and roll it into a bite-sized ball. Bite size will vary based on the size of your dog.
  3. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper and place them in the fridge for about an hour.
  4. Once chilled, place in an airtight container.
  5. Store in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

154 thoughts on “No-Bake Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Treats”

  1. Thanks for this recipe. I don’t have a dog of my own [yet!] but the neighbors have 2, and I plan to make some treats for them. This is an easy recipe and I am sure they will like them.
    Your dog Luna reminds me of my girl Natasha, who I had in the 1990’s. I’ve always loved Shepherds, and she was one of a kind.

  2. I have 3 dogs and a cat.
    They ALL LOVE these.
    I make in 2 sizes smaller for the cat and big ones for the dogs.
    I also adjust the recipe just a bit by adding no sugar added apple sauce, a bit of cinnamon and about half a teaspoon of honey.
    I roll the balls for the dogs in extra oatmeal.

    I give one each once I am done making. then freeze the rest.

    In the summer, I live in the SW US, it gets over 100 here so I give as a frozen treat.
    these also make great “pill pockets” without having to buy them.

  3. These are very easy to make. Our Boston/English Bulldog LOVES!!! them. If the grandchildren are over they enjoy them also. They ask if “Jake can share his treats?”

  4. Thank you so much for this recipe. Our 65 lb. shepherd/husky/saffie mix is on prozac and we always need new pill pockets. She loved these and they’re easy to do!

  5. Just made these and gave some to my dog before putting in fridge but he wouldn’t touch it. Maybe after they set up?

  6. This is probably a crazy question but can I use homegrown squash instead of pumpkin? We are now living in a country that grows squash instead of pumpkin and until we can move out of our apartment we can only get squash . Sheba Scott

      1. You can store them in the fridge or in the freezer. They will last longer in the freezer but will need to be thawed before you give them to your dog.

  7. I double the recipe for two reasons. The pumpkin purée comes in 15 1/2 oz cans and also my dog Rickie loves them. Thanks for the recipe.

      1. They last up to a week in the fridge. Any that I wanted to keep longer I put in the freezer. Just let them thaw a little before giving them to your dog if you freeze them.

    1. Yes they can, just let them thaw before giving them to your dog. The texture may change a little, but my dogs didn’t seem to care.

  8. My dogs loved these so much that my big dog knocked the whole pan off the counter and ate all the treats in one sitting!!! I would say they definitely enjoyed these lol

      1. I can’t answer this question as I’m not a vet. Please speak to your vet for questions regarding your dog’s health.

  9. We give our dogs a little butter on the end of our finger and the next bite we have the pill in it, they seem to go down very easy. We use soft butter.

    1. Thank you for sharing that, Dawn! I just started to give my girl pills for pain twice a day! And her nose is amazing. So far I’ve used meatballs but these pumpkin balls will work and I never thought of cream cheese! Good idea!

      1. I’m going to have to try that My LuLu has been on Prozac for a long time and now she’s discovered her pill after over a year of hiding it. So she’s been not wanting to eat like she was she’s going to the Vet tomorrow for a Checkup. will ask about this and the Peanut butter balls .

  10. These look like great dog treats. I know my dog, Henry will love them. I really like another commenter’s idea of using them as a pill pocket. That’s a great idea too! I’m definitely trying these for my pumpkin-loving pup! Thanks for the easy recipe! 😊💖🐶

  11. To much pumkın will gıve your Dog .Diarrhea becouse i gıve my dog some every now and then to help her go. When she has a lıttle trouble. Just wanted to share that

    1. My vet said just the opposite. We give my dogs pumpkin to help with their diarrhea. They also have pumpkin powder supplements for dogs with diarrhea.

    2. My vet told us to give our dog 2 tablespoons every day, which can’t express her anal glands (even though she is 50lbs) it makes her go poop 2 times a day instead of once but it’s never diarrhea. It makes my other dog go more often even though he doesn’t need to lol.

  12. Just a tip— to make rolling these out easier spray a little non stick cooking spray on your hands. My baby loves them.

  13. I just made these & then had made a double batch lol..while making them all 4 of my girls were at my feet wanting some lol…so I made them a tiny ball & they snarfed it..so can’t wait for them to try them when they are done 😊

    I checked them at an hour & they were still a lil wet so is it ok to leave them in the fridge overnight?

    1. I wished that worked for Luna. She’ll chew it up enough to find the pill and spit the pill out before finishing the treat.

        1. I found that if I give them one treat with the pill and hold another in front of their face, they’ll swallow the first in anticipation of the second. Never had a problem with this.

        2. We use what I call squeeze cheese. It comes in cans and sits on a grocery store shelf just fine. No refrigerating needed. I put a little on the end of my finger & let each dog lick it. Then put a small amount again and put the pill on that and another little dab on top of the pill. Keep your finger in front of the dogs mouth and they will lick and lick as long as your finger is there. The pill goes right down to the tummy.

        3. My boxer/pit bull Mickie would not take a pill in any food, hot dogs, cheese, nothing, until I realized she could spot it..so I now hide it by adding either rice or macaroni and she doesn’t notice it. She has kidney disease and I make her dog food as she can’t have regular dog food and the prescription food is cost prohibitve for me. Hope this works for your lady.

      1. I started crushing my dog’s pills and blending the powder with peanut butter. She loves the pb! I think she will love this more!

      1. Try pimento cheese. And gave a treat in each hand. Show them both to your pup at the same time. She will eat the pill really fast in order to get to the next treat.

  14. I have made these several times a total pup hit! I have added ground flax as well. Today I ran low on pumpkin puree so I added some apple sauce. LOVE this recipe, so easy and always a hit. They are full of moisture so when storing in the fridge I put a paper towel inside the container to absorb the moisture. Fridge 1/2 and freeze 1/2.

    1. Almonds are considered non-toxic to dogs though it is not recommended to give them whole almonds do the choking hazard they pose. Almond butter is considered safe though not all dogs can digest it and it should be given in small quantities.

      1. I don’t cook the oats first. I haven’t tried using cooked oats, so I’m not sure how well the treats would hold together.

  15. o my gosh! i just came across this recipe last night, tried making them this morning, Max, our mini goldendoodle couldn’t even wait for an hour to hold it’s shape in the fridge! He didn’t care, he just loves them! Thanks for sharing this recipe! Stay safe!

  16. I am rolling these into balls as my Aussie/huskie mix is “talking” to me because he can’t wait to try one. He’s going to have to be a little more patient! LOL

    1. I’ve frozen some of the ones I’ve made and they seem to be fine. I would just recommend only thawing a few at a time as you want to use them. I’m not sure how freezing and then thawing affects the time they last.

      1. Hi, Shannon.
        I’m going to try your no-bake Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog treats. I think my dog will love them!

        I have a question for you…
        Your cute little white dog, Morgan, caught my eye because she looks JUST LIKE my little white dog, Cuddles! I’ve never seen another dog that looks so much like her and I’ve always wanted to know what breed mix she is. In fact, I had her DNA tested and the results were ridiculous! They tried to tell me she’s 37.5% American Staffordshire Terrier (Pitbull), 25% American Eskimo, 12.5% Cardigan Welsh Corgi and 25% unknown mixed Herding, Companion and Sporting Group breeds. Majority Pitbull? Seriously?! No way. Anyway, what breed mix is your Morgan? Please let me know, Shannon. If I can manage to include a pic of my Cuddles, I’ll do that too.
        Thanks so much, Shannon, and Happy Holidays!
        -Martina (& Cuddles)

        1. We got Morgan from a shelter when she was a puppy. We were told the parents were poodle/terrier mix. I can’t remember now if it was just momma that was poodle/terrier or if it was both parents. Morgan definitely resembles a terrier with her facial fur when we let it grow out and she definitely barks like a terrier. I don’t really see poodle in Morgan, but I haven’t been around many poodles to say for sure.

        2. VIRGINIA A ALTMILLER

          Hi, Her dog looks like a Maltese. I have a Maltese that’s how I .know. Just thought I’d throw my $.02 in there.Hope it helps! Stay safe & healthy!!

      2. It can be a great hot summer time snack for them to eat frozen or partly thawed as long as they don’t swallow it whole. Perhaps change the shape to a log or stick so they can eat it frozen in the summer time.

    1. I have not tried these with anything other than peanut butter so I’m not sure how they would turn out. I would think other dog safe nut butters would work, but I have never used any of those for either my dogs or myself, so I can’t say for sure. Just be sure that whatever you try is safe for your dog.

  17. My dogs loved them and they were so easy to make so I made a double batch. Can I freeze them ?
    Thank you for this amazing recipe

    1. I think these can be frozen but the texture may change some. I have some in the freezer now to try it out but my dogs have so many treats I haven’t taken any out to check the texture yet.

    1. I have not tried banana in this recipe. You could try it but the banana may go bad faster than the rest of the ingredients. All the recipes I’ve made with banana have either been baked or frozen.

  18. I’m making a batch now. I added a little wheat germ and a little brewers yeast. So far everything IS LOOKING GREAT! I Know Kaley will LOVE THEM! Yummy for dogs…

    1. The oats is what holds these together. You could try using flour but you would have to bake them since it isn’t recommended to eat raw flour.

      1. Some dogs have issues digesting almond products, like almond butter or almond flour, so start with small amounts and monitor your dog. Or check with your vet if it’s ok to give to your dog.

      1. We had a girl that was allergic to wheat so we used an alternative flour. Coconut flour works well and they like the taste.

  19. If you bake them for 30 min or so at 250 it might help keep the texture/shape then I think they would freeze fine.
    Ronda

    1. i agree, or cook up thick oats and add with mixture. it will serve its purpose until you get them in frig to hold .. Kaley is teething so every bit counts!

    2. i agree Ronda, cook up thick oats and add with mixture. it will serve its purpose until you get them in frig to hold .. Kaley is teething so every bit counts!

    1. These seem to freeze fine, at least my dogs didn’t complain when I froze them. They ate them just as fast as they do when they are fresh.

  20. Well my Chihuahua/Dodson mix adores them❣️ I was hoping my almost 16 year old Bassett would love these so I could use them as a pill pocket, but unfortunately he must be tired of peanut butter ☹️

    Super easy and quick treat👍🏻

    1. I would change the peanut butter for one of the other nut butters and maybe he will have a renewed interest in his treats.

    1. I can’t say for sure that these would be ok or not for a 10-week old puppy. I would double-check with your vet to make sure it’s ok to give them to a puppy that young.

    1. I have not tried freezing them, but I have frozen pumpkin puree plenty of times. I think the texture may change some, but I know my dogs don’t care about texture.

      1. I did some research and didn’t find anything about raw oats mixed with wet foods like pumpkin. I did find that the AKC does not recommend feeding dogs raw oats because it’s harder for them to digest that way. But they were talking about plain oats not mixed with other food. You could cook them first to be safe, or check with your vet.

        1. Thank you for sharing about the AKC ! 👍I have two toy aussies that im going to be cooking for real soon. Its great getting these recipes 😋

        2. They are actually steamed to destroy pathogens and then rolled so it is actually fine for them to consume them. However steel cut oats are not steamed so not safe.

          1. I just made these treats for a couple of black lab pups. They are six months. I think I’ve created a monster. They love peanutbutter and could smell as I was mixing. They didn’t wait for them to set to try them. Next time they will be outside when I make them
            Thanks for sharing

        1. I’ve frozen some of the ones I’ve made and they seem to hold up just fine. I would just recommend thawing a few at a time, just what you can use in a day or so instead of thawing several days worth at a time.

          1. I have a child with a peanut allergy so can’t use peanut butter in case the dog licks him. Do you have any ideas about what I could use instead of peanut butter in this recipe?

          2. I have a child with a peanut allergy so can’t use peanut butter in case the dog licks him. Do you have any ideas about what I could use instead of peanut butter in this recipe?

          3. Other nut butters and seed butters should work in this recipe but I haven’t tried them myself. Dogs can have almond butter, hazelnut butter, cashew butter, and sunflower butter. Just make sure that there aren’t added ingredients, like xylitol, in it. As long as it is made from a dog-safe nut or seed and has a similar consistency to peanut butter I would think it would work. Also, some of these are higher in fat content or may be harder to digest, so it is recommended to start with small quantities to see how your dog does with it.

        2. I freeze them in snack size bags with a week’s worth in each bag. Then put the snack bags in a gallon freezer bag. Every week I take one of the bags out and let thaw in the refrigerator. My dog has to take pills every day so this recipe lasts about 2 months.

        3. I’ve froze some in food saver bags & it worked great for summer treats @ least for my family since we’re in Az. But you can also defrost them a bit before giving them when your ready.

      1. That sounds good to me. I’m definitely going to dip mine in melted carob. White carob for Christmas. Snow balls!

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