Most dogs love their veggies. Fed raw, cooked or incorporated into home-baked treats, vegetables add valuable vitamins, minerals and roughage to the diet. These sweet-smelling and yummy-tasting sweet potato and pumpkin spice bones are wonderfully festive, and make perfect gifts for all the dogs on your holiday list.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Poke some holes in a large sweet potato and pumpkin squash. Place them in a microwavable dish with a little water and cook until soft, about 15 minutes, turning once. Let the potato and squash cool, remove the skin, then use a food processor, blender or potato masher to puree until smooth.
Beat the egg in the measuring cup with a fork, add honey and blend together. Pour into the bowl of pureed vegetables, add water and mix together until all ingredients are well-incorporated.
Combine flours, oat bran, ground flaxseed and spices in the other bowl. Add the vegetable mixture to the dry ingredients a little at a time and mix well until a dough forms.
Roll the dough out on a lightly-floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into bone shapes. Place on an ungreased baking sheet close together. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until evenly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
Tips
Sweet potato and pumpkin spice bones may be stored in the freezer for quick and easy treats. Substitute different fresh, cooked vegetables such as carrots, cauliflower, winter squashes or zucchini for variety. Try fresh raw vegetables, such as finely-grated carrots or zucchini and other soft-skinned squashes with the peel, lettuce, mixed greens and alfalfa sprouts. Many dogs love spices, but if yours turns up his nose, simply omit the ginger or cinnamon. Add some beneficial herbs such as organic parsley or rosemary. For extra nutritious treats, add a tablespoon of kelp, cod liver oil or apple cider vinegar. These treats make perfect holiday gifts. For small dogs, pack a bunch of little bones in a mason jar and tie raffia or a ribbon around the lid. For large dogs, make giant-sized bones and package them individually in cello, tied with a colorful ribbon or twine. For even more pizzazz, pipe on a mixture of low-fat cream cheese sweetened with a little stevia or raw honey. Outline the shape of the bone or make polka dots, stripes or write your dog's name. You can tint the icing red with beet juice, the juice of crushed raspberries or sugar-reduced cranberry juice. Pump up the flavor and drama with a drizzle of melted carob chips, or dip each end of the bone and place them on waxed paper to set.
Warnings
Although these treats are high in fiber and relatively low in fat, hold the treats if your dog is overweight, or feed only occasionally. Fresh produce is sprayed with pesticides at some point in their production, so it's best to select organic vegetables.
Warnings
Although these treats are high in fiber and relatively low in fat, hold the treats if your dog is overweight, or feed only occasionally.
Fresh produce is sprayed with pesticides at some point in their production, so it's best to select organic vegetables.
Tips
Sweet potato and pumpkin spice bones may be stored in the freezer for quick and easy treats.
Substitute different fresh, cooked vegetables such as carrots, cauliflower, winter squashes or zucchini for variety.
Try fresh raw vegetables, such as finely-grated carrots or zucchini and other soft-skinned squashes with the peel, lettuce, mixed greens and alfalfa sprouts.
Many dogs love spices, but if yours turns up his nose, simply omit the ginger or cinnamon.
Add some beneficial herbs such as organic parsley or rosemary.
For extra nutritious treats, add a tablespoon of kelp, cod liver oil or apple cider vinegar.
These treats make perfect holiday gifts. For small dogs, pack a bunch of little bones in a mason jar and tie raffia or a ribbon around the lid. For large dogs, make giant-sized bones and package them individually in cello, tied with a colorful ribbon or twine. For even more pizzazz, pipe on a mixture of low-fat cream cheese sweetened with a little stevia or raw honey. Outline the shape of the bone or make polka dots, stripes or write your dog's name. You can tint the icing red with beet juice, the juice of crushed raspberries or sugar-reduced cranberry juice. Pump up the flavor and drama with a drizzle of melted carob chips, or dip each end of the bone and place them on waxed paper to set.
Items You Will Need
- Food processor, blender or potato masher
- 2 mixing bowls
- Mixing spoon
- Rolling pin
- Measuring cup
- Fork
- Baking sheet
- Cookie cutter, bone-shaped
- Wire rack
- 1 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1 1/2 cup brown rice flour
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1 cup oat bran
- 1 cup sweet potato puree
- 1 cup pumpkin squash puree
- 1 tablespoon raw honey
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
References
- Dr. Pitcairn's Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats; Dr. Richard H. Pitcairn, D.V.M., Ph.D. and Susan Hubble Pitcairn
- The Organic Dog Biscuit Cookbook: Jessica Disbrow Talley and Eric Talley
- Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog; Wendy Volhard and Kerry Brown, D.V.M.
Resources
- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: Dog Care
- Three Dog Bakery Cookbook; Dan Dye and Mark Beckloff
Tips
- Sweet potato and pumpkin spice bones may be stored in the freezer for quick and easy treats.
- Substitute different fresh, cooked vegetables such as carrots, cauliflower, winter squashes or zucchini for variety.
- Try fresh raw vegetables, such as finely-grated carrots or zucchini and other soft-skinned squashes with the peel, lettuce, mixed greens and alfalfa sprouts.
- Many dogs love spices, but if yours turns up his nose, simply omit the ginger or cinnamon.
- Add some beneficial herbs such as organic parsley or rosemary.
- For extra nutritious treats, add a tablespoon of kelp, cod liver oil or apple cider vinegar.
- These treats make perfect holiday gifts. For small dogs, pack a bunch of little bones in a mason jar and tie raffia or a ribbon around the lid. For large dogs, make giant-sized bones and package them individually in cello, tied with a colorful ribbon or twine. For even more pizzazz, pipe on a mixture of low-fat cream cheese sweetened with a little stevia or raw honey. Outline the shape of the bone or make polka dots, stripes or write your dog's name. You can tint the icing red with beet juice, the juice of crushed raspberries or sugar-reduced cranberry juice. Pump up the flavor and drama with a drizzle of melted carob chips, or dip each end of the bone and place them on waxed paper to set.
Warnings
- Although these treats are high in fiber and relatively low in fat, hold the treats if your dog is overweight, or feed only occasionally.
- Fresh produce is sprayed with pesticides at some point in their production, so it's best to select organic vegetables.
Writer Bio
Based in Ontario, Susan Dorling has written professionally since 2000, with hundreds of articles published in a variety of popular online venues. Writing on a diverse range of topics, she reflects her passion for business, interior design, home decorating, style, fashion and pets.