Air Fryer Dog Treats - Peanut Butter Pumpkin!

These homemade air fryer dog treats are made with delicious ingredients that your dog will love. These air fried pumpkin dog treats are filled with dog-friendly flavor, and they have a secret ingredient that every dog loves-peanut butter!

I love to spoil our dogs. And yes, I'm that crazy dog lady that uses our kitchen as a space to cook up dog treats as well. But when a simple air fried dog treat recipe like this comes about, I literally can't pass it up.

It's no secret that dogs LOVE pumpkin and peanut butter, so a combination of the two is definitely a no-brainer. And since I usually have these ingredients in the house most times anyway, it's minimal effort for me to cook up homemade dog treats at the drop of the hat.

I don't know how, but the dogs sense when things are being cooked in the kitchen for them. It's like they just know...and their patience is less than stellar during these times. But I still find that they're the cutest things ever, even though they're at my feet tripping me every step of the way.

What's even better-at least to me-is how healthy these treats are. My dogs may not understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy treats, but I do. I want them to have the best tasting and healthiest treats possible, so I always love making up a batch of these homemade air fryer dog treats.

History of Dog Treats

Well, here we are again. My little foray into the history of food. Unlike so many other human foods, the history of dog treats is well known and documented. It's also a quite new invention by food standards, so this will be an exceptionally brief journey back in time.

Like so many other foods, both human and pet, dog treats were an accidental occurrence. In the late 1800s, a London butcher shop owner was trying out a new biscuit recipe to serve to his customers. After trying one of this newly-baked biscuits, he came to the immediate conclusion that they were absolutely terrible and would never sell.

Not wanting to waste them, he tried giving one to his dog. His dog devoured it, and thus, the dog treat was born. The butcher used the same recipe, made the biscuits into a bone shape, and began marketing them to dog owners.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Why These Homemade Air Fryer Dog Treats are so Good

I get that some people buy treats at the store for their dogs because I do that sometimes as well. But when you stop and think about the treats that you're buying, do you really know the ingredients that are in them?

Once I sat down and started reading the back of the ingredients list, I stopped after the 4th or 5th word that I couldn't even pronounce. I don't want to fill the tummies of my pups full of weird preservatives and ingredients. I just don't.

So this is why I make the decision to start making my own dog treats at home. I've also noticed that the dogs really LOVE these treats as well. (So if you're looking for a treat that might be the perfect incentive to train them to do new tricks, this is a great recipe to give a go!)

Of course, the flavors in these pumpkin dog treats are great, but it's the health benefits of them that I really love for my dogs. It's nice to know I'm giving them something that they love and that loves their bodies. There's nothing in these treats that will make them sick or that is in any way bad for them. In fact, both the pumpkin and the peanut butter are actually good for dogs.

Health Benefits of Pumpkin

Pumpkin is a great ingredient for any homemade dog treat. It's packed with vitamins and minerals that support eye health, boost immunity, and more. Did you know that pumpkin helps keep your dog's skin and coat healthy? In addition, the fiber in pumpkin is excellent for your dog's GI health, too. It also helps you keep your dog trim and at an ideal weight because the fiber in it is so filling.

Health Benefits of Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is a great overall source of nutrition for dogs when given in moderation such as being used as an ingredient in these peanut butter pumpkin dog treats. The biggest thing peanut butter has going for it is its high fat content.

I want to pause here and say that it has healthy fats. Not all fats are created equal. The fat in peanut butter is excellent for heart health and for the health of your dog's skin and coat, as well.

Peanut butter is also protein-rich and packed with vitamins, making it a great choice for treating your pooch.

Air Fryer Dog Treats

These air fried dog treats are so easy to make, and they have a flavor your dogs will absolutely love. The combination of pumpkin and peanut butter is a taste sensation, and it's also super healthy, making it great for them and great for you as a responsible owner.

It's such an easy recipe, you might not ever buy dog treats again!

Ingredients Needed To Make Air Fryer Dog Treats Recipe

It only takes a handful of ingredients to make these delicious homemade air fryer dog treats. Aside from the canned pumpkin, you absolutely have all of the ingredients needed to make these treats in your kitchen already, which makes it even easier!

• flour
• canned pumpkin
• peanut butter
• egg
• salt
• water

I told you this recipe was simple, right? It doesn't get much better than this!

Making Homemade Air Fryer Dog Treats

Can you believe that you'll be using your air fryer to make treats for your dog? This still makes me giggle and I love it so much. This is one of the simplest recipes you'll ever make for a dog or a human. All you'll be doing is mixing, rolling, and air frying. That's it.

The complete recipe is in the card at the end of the post, but you'll see from the following how incredibly simple the recipe really is.

Mix the Ingredients

Do a good job of mixing together the ingredients so that it's smooth and without lumps. Once you start to add the water, the "dough" will form and make it less sticky.

Cut Out the Treats

I tend to like rolling out the dough and then using a pizza cutter to cut them into cute little squares. But if you're feeling really creative you could even use a bone cookie cutter or something cute like that, too.

Add the Dog Treat to the Air Fryer

The biggest thing to keep in mind is that as you're adding the treats to the air fryer, you want to give them space to cook. They shouldn't be touching or overlapping at all.

Cooking the Dog Treats

These treats will only take about five to seven minutes to cook. Once you notice them turning golden brown, that's your clue to pull them and let the cooling process begin.

Air Fried Dog Treats Tips

There are a few things to keep in mind when making these peanut butter and pumpkin dog treats. Although this is an easy recipe, you'll want to take a look at the following tips, especially the ones that relate to choosing your ingredients. That is of utmost importance, as you'll soon find out.

Canned Pumpkin Only

Only use canned pumpkin in this recipe. Be absolutely certain that you don't buy pumpkin pie filling. These are two completely different things. Canned pumpkin is nothing but pumpkin puree in a can. However, pumpkin pie filling is packed with spices and extra sugar.

Not only is the added sugar in pumpkin pie filling bad for your dog's waistline, but it can actually give him diarrhea or other GI upset issues. So be extra careful that you only buy pumpkin puree.

Natural Peanut Butter

When making these homemade air fryer dog treats, only use natural peanut butter. Other kinds of peanut butter are made with hydrogenated oils which are just as bad for your dog's health as it is for yours. Even more important is that you never, ever, under any circumstances use peanut butter with artificial sweeteners.

Artificial sweeteners can cause death in dogs when eaten in large amounts. That probably wouldn't happen if you used peanut butter with artificial sweeteners in your dog treats. However, your dog might get GI upset.

Let the Treats Cool Completely

It's important to let these peanut butter pumpkin dog treats cool completely before giving them to your pooch. You don't want them to burn their mouths, after all.

The easiest way to tell if the treats are cooled down is to break one apart and feel the inside. This is going to be where most of the heat is stored so if the very middle is cool to the touch, the entire thing is likely cooled enough to feed to your pup as well.

Storing Homemade Air Fryer Dog Treats

These air fried dog treats should be stored in the refrigerator for optimal freshness and longevity. Store them in an air air-tight container like a Tupperware dish or a mason jar, and they'll last for about a week.

It's been my experience that you won't have to worry about storing them for longer than that. These treats go fast, especially if you have more than one dog. And don't worry about them being cold. I guarantee that your dog will absolutely not care about that. That's how good these peanut butter pumpkin dog treats are.

You can also freeze these treats if you want to make up a big batch ahead of time. Simply place them in an airtight, freezer-safe container or heavy duty freezer bag, and they'll keep well for up to three months. To thaw them out, just put them in the fridge for about a day.

Your Dog Will Love These Air Fryer Dog Treats

See how simple it can be to make homemade air fryer dog treats? And if you're really curious about how they taste, you can always take a nibble and see. They're made from easy ingredients that we all eat, so you don't have anything to worry about.

Although, you might get a few odd looks from your dog if they catch you chowing down on their dog treats! Knowing that you're feeding your puppies something simple and delicious should make you feel great as well. Your dogs will love that you're taking the time to feed and make them something that is this delicious.

More Peanut Butter Sweets and Treats

• Easy No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
• The Best Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
• Peanut Butter Nutella Brownies with Cream Cheese Icing

Air Fryer Dog Treats - Peanut Butter Pumpkin Video