Pumpkin Mini Pies for Dogs

Pumpkin mini pies for dogs are a healthy treat for your four legged best friend. As I was roasting kuri squash this weekend, it occurred to me that I could make a variation of my mini pumpkin pies for Daisy, our dog. While Daisy always gets a bit of turkey in her Kong toy at Thanksgiving, we avoid giving her any processed foods, like pumpkin pie. However, she absolutely loves pumpkin puree and it’s a key ingredient in the homemade dog biscuits I make her. It occurred to me that I could use the dog biscuit dough that I usually make with a modified pumpkin custard and make pumpkin mini pies for dogs.

As it turns out, these were a huge hit.

So now your canine companion can enjoy pumpkin pie right along with everyone else. I found that these slice in half nicely and fit pretty well in the Kong toy. It keeps Daisy about five minutes to dig them out. They are also treats that have motivated her to go play fetch outside in the wet grass, which is a major feat this time of year.

These are very easy to make and there is enough dough leftover to freeze to make dog biscuits later. Be sure to use pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie filling. If you are inclined, it’s super easy to whole roast a pie pumpkin or red kuri squash by cooking it for an hour or so in an oven at 350 degrees. I do highly suggest cutting a few slits in the pumpkin so it doesn’t explode in the oven. Once cooled, it’s easy enough to cut the squash in half, pull out the seeds, and puree the flesh.

We are pretty careful about keeping Daisy on a mostly gluten free diet, so I use brown rice flour for all of her home made treats.