Spinach, Carrot and Zucchini Dog Treats
DIY dog treats that are nutritious, healthy and so easy to make. Plus, your pup will absolutely LOVE these!
We recently had quite a scare with Butters. It was moving day and the movers had just arrived to pack up our stuff and load up the truck. The husband took both dogs out for a walk so they can be out of the way for the movers. Five minutes later, he walked back into the house in a panic, with Butters in his arms.
He said he had no idea what happened but something was clearly wrong with him – he was lethargic, he lost all bowel movement, and just collapsed to the ground.
He handed off Ollie to me and rushed off to the ER, while the movers were still in the house loading up the truck.
It was the scariest 30 minutes of my life, waiting by the phone, hoping for good news.
Then I got that text telling me he got stung by a bee. No, wait, he first ate the bee, and then the bee stung him right at the tip of his tongue.
He recovered quickly after a few shots and some monitoring, but as I said, there’s nothing more scary than not knowing what is wrong with your pup.
Upon recovery, we surprised him with these veggie-loaded treats. After devouring his first treat in 0.00007 seconds, he forgot all about that traumatic bee sting incident.
Sorry, it’s just Ollie here. Butters wanted to be fully recovered before posing in front of the camera to make sure he looks his best.
Spinach, Carrot and Zucchini Dog Treats
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- 3 cups whole wheat flour, or more, as needed
- 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
- 1 zucchini, shredded
- 1 cup baby spinach, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat pumpkin puree, peanut butter and eggs on medium-high until well combined, about 1-2 minutes.
- Gradually add old fashioned oats and 2 1/2 cups flour at low speed, beating just until incorporated. Add an additional 1/4 cup flour at a time just until the dough is no longer sticky. Add carrot, zucchini and spinach, beating just until incorporated.
- Working on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3-4 times until it comes together. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes and place onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Place into oven and bake until the edges are golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.*
- Let cool completely.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
style=”text-align: center;”>Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian regarding possible allergies your dog may have.
Will this work the same if I substitute sweet potato puree for the pumpkin?
Should these treats be refrigerated?
How many calories in one average size treat?
I made these for my brother’s new rescue. She’s 8 and a food snob. She does not eat fruit or veggies. He has to mix them into her food. I thought this might be a good way to sneak some into her diet. I used frozen spinach. I dried it for 2 days on paper towels along with the zucchini & carrotts. I also used crunchy peanut butter. It mixed well and they baked up crisp. They were a hit. I like the idea I know the ingredients.
I don’t buy old fashion oats is it okay to use quick cook oats?
I forgot to add to my comment: for the pumpkin purée I peel and roughly chop pumpkin and bake in the oven until it’s soft. Then I mash it up with a fork and it’s ready to use. Works perfectly every time, no additives either .
I batch-bake and bag up the correct quantity of pumpkin purée and keep them in the freezer ready to use for the next batch of dog treats. One step done in advance 🙂
Greetings from Melbourne, Australia!
These are great cookies and I have made them a few times now.
For those interested, these are the tips I recommend for a smoother finish to the dough so it’s easier to get a clean shape out of your cookie cutter:
– Use oat flour instead of rolled oats
– Place the finely grated zucchini and carrot into a thin cloth or tea towel and thoroughly wring out the liquid, if you prefer a drier crispy cookie finish
– add extra flour as needed for the right dough consistency, sometimes more than other times
I only use 100% peanut butter (no salt or sugar) which I buy from health food store.
My poodle loves these!
Hi I have a question… I cant find pumpkin pure … is there something Incan substitute it for?
Thanks !!!
By the way I love your posts and food!!!
Thanksgiving turkey was a hit!!!
Everything I have tried I love!!!
Thanks!!!
I found the temp to be too high which made it too hard for my dog to chew so I lowered the temp a bit with a longer cooking time. I also didn’t have any problems with the wet zucchini. I did notice when beating the flour and oats in with a mixer, it was easier to do it with your hands towards the end. Also make sure to chop the vegetables very finely! When I tried a piece, it tasted like pure wheat flour to me. My maltese still eats it but doesn’t like it as much as the pb banana oats recipe! I am glad it has all the good veggies for her potassium though since she has low potassium.
Hate to say this is on my to do list but how did you get your Dog’s name on the buiscuit?
Hi-
I noticed that many people have found this recipe too wet. In your directions, it did not mention to wring out the water from the zucchini. The moisture from zucchini can be beneficial in many recipes but not in all. Could this be the reason? Was wondering why you did with your zucchini after it was shredded.
Thanks so much.
Hi-
I am reading all the comments and it seems many people are finding these to be too wet. I am wondering if you should have mentioned in the directions to strain out the water from the zucchini? The moisture from zucchini is good in certain recipes but not for everything. Did you strain the water from your zucchini?
Thank you so much.
Amazing recipe, easy to bake.
Tried the pumpkin n peanut butter treat. My four month plus old beagle puppy loves it so much.
Tqvm.
How do you know when they are out of date? I have made a bunch for my pup but I’m unsure when they have gone bad?
what peanut butter brand do you recommend??? dying to try to this for my dog Jiro.
Just made these for the first time 🙂 Was curious HOW TO STORE??
I Put them in a sealed container, but wanted to know do they need to stay refrigerated or not and How long should these remain fresh for??
I make her treats all the time for my pup and usually double. I keep them in the freezer and just take out a little at a time.
How do you store these? Are they kept in a bag or container? Do they go bad after a certain amount of time?
My treats turned out sticky even adding flour but I made it work, puppy loves them!
These turned out great and my dog LOVES them! Due to the pandemic a lot of grocery items are sold out so I used oat flour instead of wheat flour and sweet potato baby food instead of pumpkin. I can’t waut to share these with all the other dogs in my family.
How should these be stored?
Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
you can replace the pumpkin with apple sauce made them turned out great
Hi, I made them today. I love the concept but wanted to know better. Are these a chewy treat or crunchy treat? The texture of yours looks smoother. I’m new to puppy/ dog treats.
They are a bit more chewy than crunchy. 🙂
While I like the idea, didn’t have much luck with them. You didn’t say if you squeezed the water out of the zucchini before adding so I didn’t- found the dough not sticky but very wet, after 35 min and turning up oven still too soft inside. I make my dogs treats all the time and haven’t had this happen- so I’m going to say should have squeezed out water from zucchini. Might try again as Ilike the idea of them- but lesson learned
Thank you for sharing these. I can’t really afford the store treats anymore. It is gone up to 12 and 20 dollars a bag. I am going to start making my own. Hoping they will be healthy for my frenchie. Thanks
Is there a way to make these grain free?
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
was wondering the same thing! i am celiac so i don’t (can’t!) have whole wheat flour in the house.
There are several flours you can sub to make them grain free. The most popular in dog treats would probably be coconut flour. Make sure you research the ratio though. It’s not always a 1:1.
These turned out great! A bit sticky even after adding the full 3 cups of whole wheat flour, but I just added in some more oats and flour to fix that up. My corgi Walter (@thecuriouscorgi) loves these! The first time he tried one he looked at me wanting more, then started sniffing up toward the counter where the later batches were cooling – good thing he’s not tall enough to counter surf!!
These will also make for a great gift. Thank you for the recipe – looking forward to trying more out!!
Thank you for sharing!
I made these , but I skipped the veggies and added blueberries instead,. Our dog loves them. Thanks for the recipe.
Awesome!
How long do they last at room temperature? Do they have to be refrigerated?
A few days at least but as I am not an expert on food safety, I cannot really say with certainty. Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with.
Can these be frozen?
Unfortunately, we cannot answer this with certainty as we have never tried freezing this ourselves. Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I have been making this recipe for my dogs for about 3 years now. Each time is for their birthdays. They love it and are obsessed. But instead of dog treats i make it as a cake. Thank you for the recipe!
Aw that’s so sweet Melissa! Awesome!
Hi… So wanna try this recipe for my puppy, Ruffles…
Can u tell me if i can replace pumpkin puree with anything else?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
Sooo, I saw your question and decided to leave my two cents. You can bake sweet potatoes and scoop out three potato, blend with filtered water (if needed) to consistency and oz. Unfortunately cannot say how many sweet potato due to varying sizes. Eyeball eat what is left! I do not understand not wanting to user the puree as it is so very good for dogs and people! I use it inn smoothies for consistency, flavor, natural sweetener or a pumpkin spice w/turmeric for a breakin healing smoothie. If that dog head a sensitivity to pumpkin the potato may as well though. Similar in nutrients and vitamins…
Forgive the grammatical errors as my MS brain goes up and down in processing. I cannot edit my comment on this blog, but I hope you get the jyst?
Be careful of commercial peanut butters that they do not contain that toxic sweetner beginning with X not sure how it is spelt Xy…. it apparently is lethal to dogs. You are best to get your peanut butter from freshly churned at Health Food Store. Cashews, are deadly.
Xylitol. It’s an artificial sweetener that dogs should NEVER be given. It can cause everything from a slight laxative effect (which it also causes in humans) to death. Most commonly it causes hypoglycemia and/or organ failure.
It’s never really safe to give a dog any artificial sweetener. (Unless of course your vet says differently.)
Unsure of what to think. Was way to wet when I tried, so I added more flour to make more of a “cookie” textured dough. I tasted a couple but mostly I get flour taste with peanut butter after taste. Wish a texture would have been posted on recipe (pre and post baking). Also, this made waaaay too many cookies for my little and now I’m wondering how long they’ll be good for. I wanna donate to a shelter but stuck inside for covid19 quarantine… ugh!
My dough was WAY too wet… I think it’s because the veggies created so much water. I didn’t see to squeeze the water out so I had to add more four to get a “cookie like” dough. I too had way too much dough. I froze the rest after cutting 2 dozen bone shapes out. I’m going to see how it holds up in the freezer to later thaw to make more… I hope my doggos don’t have a mouth full of flour :/
Xylitol
Hi my dough came out really sticky and I added a bit mor flour and oats and still really sticky. What did I do wrong?
Did you follow the recipe exactly as written without any substitutions?
Help made them yesterday and the they are soft are they suppose to be crunchy or soft
They are meant to be soft but they can be more crunchy if baked for a longer period of time.
Oh my gosh, this sounds like a terrifying experience! I can’t imagine. So glad he was ok 🙂 Thanks for the recipe, I will definitely be trying them for my pup!
So i was wondering if the treats will turn out the same without the spinach and zucchini.?
Yes!
Same happened to my little shih tzu …rushed to vet spent the night on an iv with antihistamines as apparently hes allergic. Scared me to death so now needless to say im a vigilant bee/hornet guard now. Hes a fussy guy when it comes to treats so will try these. ..they sound like something he will love.
Ty for the recipe
connie and dozer
Sounds more likely that his poor little tongue and mouth swelled and he had a hard time breathing more than anaphylactic shock.
All animals are allergic. It’s why we have a histamine reaction at all. It’s the severity that varies. But being stung in the mouth is particularly tricky because it swells the area close to the trachea and can cause us (or our pups) to struggle to breathe. I’m so glad your pup is ok!!
These sound awesome, however, not everyone knows MANY KINDS of PEANUT BUTTER CONTAIN ZYLETOL ~ ZYLETOL IS LETHAL TO DOGS! Within as little as 30 minutes your dog (s) Can Die. Their blood sugar drops incredibly fast and without immediate veterinarian help…well you know. MANY PRODUCTS HAVE ZYLETOL ADDED TO THEM such as sugar free GUM, DIET DRINKS and hindreds of other food & drinks. I’ll be making these Dog Treats asap with an alternate to PB. IF they turn out I’ll let you know what works. Thank you for the receipe!
No need to omit the PB. Just check the ingredients list. It Xylitol will be listed if it’s there. Considering it’s an artificial sweetener you’ll have no trouble finding it on the ingredients portion of the label.
I gotta get my dog to try them. Thanks for the recipe.
I cannot believe how nuts-o my dog went over these. Excited that I will have something more to do with all my zucchinis next summer. Thanks for the fantastic recipe 🙂
Poor Butters! All of these years later and I feel for him. I’m making these! What I want to know is what you used to stamp letters on the treats.
Margot, I purchased it from etsy.com at Name That Cookie.
What size can pumpkin?
An entire can of pumpkin is not needed as the recipe only calls for 1 cup.
I just baked them and my 2 dogs love them. I am going ti freeze half ’cause i cooked too many. I hope after that they are still as good. Thank you.
Sorry if this is a “second timer” but there are too many comments for me to read them all. I just wanted to warn people that you MUST check the label on your peanut butter to make sure it does not contain Xylatol (I really hope I spelled that right). It is a sugar substitute, and is DEADLY to dogs. They started using it without any notice, and dogs have been made ill and died because no one knew about the switch.
These I make with buckwheat flour instead of wheat flour. They’re too good for dogs… And perfect nutrition bars for trail runners, kids, and toodles! I’m lucky my dog will share lol
Hi there, you have a really cute dog and so relieved that your other baby is doing better. Your doggie biscuits look awesome and I was wondering if it would be ok to use this recipe for my potential doggie treat business. I honestly think they would be a hit. I would of course give your credit for the recipe. Thank you so much. Going to give it a try with my boy this weekend.
Can I substitute or skip eggs in this recipe?? My pup is allergic to eggs..
Yes, absolutely, but you may need to substitute something else to act as a binder. Here is a great forum discussing possible substitutes. Hope that helps!
Try organic unsweetened applesauce
Hi! I live in Spain and unable to get hold of pumpkin puree – please can you recommend a substitute as I see it’s in all your doggy recipes!
Thanks x
Pumpkin puree can actually be made from scratch! There are many DIY recipes available online. Hope that helps!
Hi! How did you stamp Butters’ name in the treats?
You can purchase personalized cookie cutters here.
Hey. Do you know how long these could keep in the freezer? I saw one week in the fridge. Thanks!
It can last up to a few weeks, but as always, please use your best judgment.
Made these about 2 weeks ago for my 2 dogs. They loved them! Not only did it have a little sweet in it but veggies too so I feel as if they are much more healthy for them. My vet approves of home made treats because they don’t have pork fat in them for taste. I have to say it mixed up well and baked very evenly. I will be making this recipe again.
Everything looks very good and healthy for my Y
orkie’s but I am so not for flour or any grains for my girls, do you have a suggestion for a sub? thanks!
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment.
hello ChugAh, I really love your recipes, they’ve changed my life!
Question! Can the peanut butter be replaced ny any other ingredient? Thanks!
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment.
So happy your baby’s okay. These look soooo healthy and delish! When you say pumpkin puree do you mean Libby’s pumpkin in a can is okay? Thanks, Peg
Yes, Libby’s is great!
Hey there! These look soooo good! Just curious though, have you ever tried making them with gluten free flour and oats? I’m wondering how drastically they will alter the recipe… Either way, I’m glad to hear your Butters is okay! Thanks for sharing!
Unfortunately, I have not tried gluten-free flour and oats – sorry!
I used gluten free oats and fan them through a coffee mill to make a flour. It worked fabulously! I started with 2cups and moved forward a tablespoon at a time till it hit the right consistency. Hope that helps.
Hello!
Is there something else I can use besides Peanut Butter? Our home is peanut butter free due allergies
Thanks so much for all your great recipes!!
Adriana, here are 5 dog friendly alternatives to peanut butter. Hope that helps!
These look amazing! I can’t wait to pick some fresh produce up to try out the recipe. I love baking treats for my Princess Zelda. Gorgeous pictures-I definitely just went and ordered a custom bone cookie cutter 😉
Hello, I’ve been eyeing this recipe for a while, I have finally decided to make, but one problem, I can’t find sugar free peanut butter where I live, is there a substitute? Regular unsalted butter or maybe coconut oil?
Thank you 🙂
I use DOG for DOG Dogbutter Original Peanut Butter with Flaxseed for Dogs, 16-Ounce for my pups.
It’s possible to grind your own. Purchase raw peanuts and grind them in a food processor or blender until they form a paste. Hope that helps!
What a fabulous recipe! I wonder, though, what you could substitute for the oats….
Thanks so much for sharing; I’m glad that I found you through a friends’ blog links.
Have a great day! 🙂
If you need a substitute for the oats, you can omit it completely and add more flour to compensate.
These sound great! I’m excited to make these for my two Boston Terriers and their friends! How many cookies does this recipe yield? We are having a Birthday PAWty tomorrow and I want to make sure to make enough (and buy the right amount of ingredients)
Awwww, happy birthday to your pup! Now this recipe varies quite a bit on the size of the cookie cutter but I had about three dozen 3-inch treats. Hope that helps!
I am looking for a softer smaller treat for our old dog who has a lot of health problems.
She has pancreatitis, heart disease, and fluid on her lungs. But in spite of all this and a lot of medication, she loves her food. It has to be as fat free as possible, and easy to chew. We used to give her fruits for treats but she has gone of them now, and I am at a loss. Any ideas.
Therese, this may be best consulted with your veterinarian.
The biscuits look delicious, I didn’t know dogs could eat spinach. Can’t wait to make them.
My Dog Magnet Puggle was stung by a Wasp we gave him antihistamines and in a couple days was back to normal.
Hi! I was wondering where you got your Butters stamp from? Thanks!!
CobyLyn, I purchased it from etsy.com at Name That Cookie.
So scary! And horrible timing! Not that any time is good for that kind of a scare… So happy Butters is alright! Yay for yummy treats to cheer him up, these look great – pinned!
For anyone out there that has a dog with nut issues try WOW Butter instead. It is made with soy beans and is so similar to the taste of real peanut butter your dog won’t know the difference.
What a scare you had with Butters! I would have been frantic as well. Glad Butters is recovering!
Thanks for sharing all of the “dog friendly” recipes. Our dogs love them:)
Dumb question….You say 1 zucchini….I have HUGE ones in the garden….can you give a measurement? Using 1 zucchini I could have either 1 cup or 3 cups shredded.
thanks sooo much. Would like to make these as gifts.
Not a dumb question at all! I’d say an average-sized zucchini, so anywhere from 1-2 cups shredded should be fine.
I’m so sorry about Butters but very happy he is all right. We gave one of our Pit Bulls treats from China and she got very sick. This will be something good to give them. Thank you.
Can you use King Arthur reg white flour or must it be wheat.?
All-purpose flour will work just fine, but whole wheat flour does have more nutritional value.
Do you suggest anything that can be subbed for peanut butter? These sound great for pooches except mine does not do well with peanut butter.
You can try substituting additional pumpkin puree (or sweet potato puree).
You could probably use almond butter or any other nut butter that your dog does OK with and probably even tahini (ground sesame seeds with olive oil).
I would NOT used almond butter. Almonds are toxic to dogs.
Check it out further, I don’t think so. I give my Bichon almonds all the time because I found them on a list of acceptable human foods for dogs. Just sayin’
Almonds are NOT toxic for dogs!!!!! Macadamia nuts – yes – but not almonds
My daughters helped me bake these for my sister’s dog. They are allergic to peanut butter so we used sunflower butter in its place. Seemed to work fine!
Could rice flour be used instead of wheat? I have Westies and due to possible wheat arrergy do not give them wheat Products.
Yes, absolutely! Rice flour is a great alternative for dogs who are sensitive to wheat products.
These looks delicious and healthy. I am going to try them for my little guy. Where did u get that adorable doggie bowl from??
I purchased them from Amazon.com. Here’s the link!
Poor Butters!! What a perfect treat to nurse the little guy back to health. Could this have happened at a worse time? Moving day!?!
Think these might freeze OK?
Yes, absolutely!
Poor Butters! D: Glad to hear everything turned out alright. Can’t wait to make these for my own pup. Any idea how long they keep? I’m also assuming they need to be refrigerated?
They should keep for a few days at room temperature and up to one week in the fridge.
Hello, I have never made my 2 dogs treats before, I have written down your recipe but I do not know how long to bake the treats and on what temp should my oven be on? I live in uk.
Marion
This can be baked at 350 degrees F for about 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Baking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of the treats.
will they last longer in the fridge if you put them in avacuum bag(s)?
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without trying it myself, it’s hard to say with certainty – sorry!