Pumpkin Peanut Butter Dog Treats

When the pumpkins came home Troy (the pup) started licking the outside and biting at the skin to open up the pumpkin to eat as much as he could get. I saved the pumpkin before he got inside, and roasted it a few days ago. So it was finally time to make something with my bounty of roasted pumpkin.

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Dog Treats
prep time: 15 mins
cook time: 30 mins
oven temp: 350 degrees
yield: 35 cookies (various sizes)

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup pumpkin
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1 Tbsp oil (you can use canola, vegetable, etc.)
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile measure out all of your ingredients and place them in a bowl. Mix until all of the ingredients are incorporated. It will form a stiff dough that you can then roll out and cut out your shapes. Don't forget to flour your board and rolling pin.

Place cut out treats (mine were fish, frogs and flowers) on a nonstick cookie sheet. Place in the oven for about 30 minutes. I like to flip them about half way through to make sure they are browned evenly on both sides. Let the treats cool a bit before handing out to the pups.

Store in an air tight container for a few weeks. I already know I'm wont last that long because Troy has been drooling over these treats since I made them. 

Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Ok it's been longer than I intended...but I'm back as of now. :)

A lot has happened since my last post. We now have a bigger family, a puppy who was born June 6th 2009. I'm actually his Mama, and I literally sometimes think I birthed him. We love him so much. Also big news Ben and I bought a house!! So we did all those open houses, paper work and moving, but we have settled in, and now that I have a new kitchen, all my own I've started up cooking and baking again.

Here is my first attempt at making Dog Treats. I forced Ben to try one to make sure they were safe, but I knew we had a winner when Troy (yes the puppy, ok not so much a puppy any more, but our 2 year old dog) started staring at me in the kitchen.

Peanut Butter Dog Treats

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth)
2 Tbsp ground flax seeds**
1 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp chicken broth
1/4 cup milk (skim)
1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, flax seeds and Parmesan cheese. Then stir in the peanut butter, chicken broth and milk until mixture forms a ball. You want the consistency not to be sticky, it should be a firm ball, so add a little more flour if necessary.

Using a floured board roll out dough to an 1/8 of an inch thick. Use cookie cutters (I used circles, hearts and paw prints) to shape your dog treats. I would recommend this just because the dough is so firm this is the easiest and cutest way to make your cookies, however if you are short on time you can always just form balls. These treats will not spread at all so make sure you push those balls flat so they cook fully through. Place on your non-stick baking sheet. They can be grouped close together because they will not grow. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown. If you would like each side browned evenly I would suggest flipping the cookies over about 1/2 way through the cooking time, however if you just don't care that much you can leave them for the full 20 minutes and they will not burn.

Let cookies cool on a cooling rack for 5 to 10 minutes before serving to your dogs. I was able to yield 35 cookies from this batch, however your numbers will vary depending on the size cookie cutters you use. Store in an air tight container. These should be good for a couple weeks, you can always freeze part of the dough or some of the cookies if you have a smaller dog. But my 80 lbs doberman will eat these up in a few weeks, if they last that long. :)

**Flax seeds are super healthy for both you and your dog. Those Omega 3s will help with a healthy shiny coat. However make sure you don't over feed your dog flax seeds as they can cause constipation. I wouldn't worry unless you plan on giving your dog like 20 of these cookies in one day.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

I've been on a bar making kick lately. I found a recipe that I have sited before for Blondies that can be turned into just about anything you want. Today I had left over peanut butter, and peanuts from the No-Bake bars that I made earlier this week and decided to make some Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars. Yum!


Hopefully everyone at work will love this new creation.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped peanuts*
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

*I used Cocktail peanuts, salted but really any kind you have on hand will work for this recipe.


In a medium sized bowl melt the butter and whisk in the sugar, once combined add the peanut butter, vanilla and the egg. Stir until homogeneous. Slowly stir in the flour. Once all combined add in a little less than 1/2 a cup of each of the chips and the nuts.


Pour into a greased pan, sprinkle the remaining chips and nuts over the top of the bars. Place in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for at least an hour before cutting. And serve or freeze.


Chocolate and peanut butter a classic, yummy combination that will always be loved by all.

No-Bake Butterscotch Treats

I rarely make something a second time, when I'm not satisfied with the outcome the first. Honestly I think these no-bake bars look gross. The ingredient list seems like there is too much going on, but people love these bars, and I'm not sure why. They have said that they taste like cookie dough and they're great. So they're really easy to make, being no-bake bars so try them and see for your self...The recipe comes from better homes and gardens cook book.


These are going to Abby, Ben's younger sister who is going on a semester away in just a few weeks. A year after I made these the first time she was still talking about them as the best thing she had ever had, so I want to send her away with a little bit of home baking before she is gone for 5 or 6 months. So good luck Abby, have a wonderful, wonderful time and don't forget about us at home while you're experiencing everything and anything out there in the big world. We love you.



No-Bake Butterscotch Treats

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 cup creamy peanut butter*
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 9 oz package chocolate wafers, crushed**
1 12 oz package butterscotch chips
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup cocktail peanuts, chopped

*I used skippy natural peanut butter, anything you have on hand will work.

**I bought a snack bag of mini Oreos (8 oz) and crushed them in the bag. This was a good way to not have left over Oreos hanging around.


In a medium sized bowl whisk together the melted butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, then stir in the chocolate wafers. Press mixture into a 13 by 9 pan (ungreased.)


In a small saucepan melt the butterscotch pieces with the whipping cream over low heat, stir until smooth. Pour over top of wafer crust. Sprinkle the peanuts over the top and gently press into the butterscotch so they stay.


Cover and chill at least 2 hours. Slice into bars and serve. I would refrigerate or freeze until you need them they will stay better together cold. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pretzels and Kosher Salt

Yeah, it's a mouthful of a name, but I'm not sure how else to title these chock full of stuff cookies. I was so excited when I saw this recipe this morning on a blog that I regularly follow. So excited that I needed to run downstairs and try these out. Who doesn't like pretzels, chocolate and peanut butter? Everyone. So one cookie that has it all. Amazing. Topping this cookie with Kosher salt put it over the top for me, made me need to make them today.


The original post can be found here. However I made some minor changes as I always do to recipes, to make it better in my eyes. My version is below, but check out the original too and if you try this recipe add the things that you know and love too.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 generous tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup chunky peanut butter (I used JIF Chunky)
1 cup salted pretzel pieces (I used Rold Gold)
1 cup chocolate chips semi-sweet
kosher salt for toppings

Mix the flour salt, baking soda and baking powder in a bowl and set aside. Beat the butter and sugars in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and the vanilla. Make sure the first egg is incorporated before adding the second. Mix in the peanut butter and then once incorporated slowly add in the flour until just mixed. Add in the pretzel pieces and let the mixer go for a minute. This will crush any pieces that are too big. Then add in the chocolate chips.


Scoop onto baking sheets, flatten slightly with your fingers and sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt on top. Place in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 13 minutes. I came out with 15 big ones (2 tbsps) and 24 small ones (1 generous tbsp) from this recipe.

Now the reviews of this cookie aren't fully in yet. I will update as they pour in, however my Dad liked that they were so interesting and had a lot going on. One strange this was that he didn't know that they were peanut butter cookies, which baffles my mind, because they are peanut butter cookies. I think he was so distracted by the salt on top that he couldn't taste anything else in the cookie.


Ben will be the real test to see if these cookies are good. He is a lover of salt openly and I think a secret lover of sweets. One of his favorite treats are chocolate covered pretzels so I'm going to just take a guess at this and say that he will love them. The first thing that Ben said was that he tasted the peanut butter and that they weren't too salty for him. I'm a little concerned that without explination as to what these cookies are supposed to be, people are just going to think I made super salty cookies, which isn't the intent. So I'm not sure on these...mixed reviews. They will go in my holiday packages and hopefully people will understand these wild cookies.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's a mouthful. Literally, of sweet, salty, oatmealy goodness.


Lately I've been seeing a lot of different peanut butter cookie recipes that include cinnamon in them. I'm not sure if this was a secret ingredient in some bakers arsenal of cookies, but I just found out about it, and needed to try it. These cookies mix three different favorites all together and come out with the perfect balance of flavors. "Really good," everyone said.


Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 cups Old-Fashioned Oats
1 cup All-purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter*
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 extra large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
9 oz bittersweet chocolate chips

*I used reduced fat smooth peanut butter, it worked fine, it was just what I had on hand. Smooth, chunky, reduced fat or not, I'm not sure it matters either way.


The original recipe called for fresh grated nutmeg, but I didn't have that, so I substituted ground, also it called for bittersweet chocolate chunks. I would have rather used chunks I think, but my grocery store only had bittersweet chips and I wasn't about to chop the chocolate. I'm too lazy for that. The original recipe can be found here.

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Set aside.


In a large bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time,waiting until each in incorporated before adding the other, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add dry ingredients, mixing just until blended. Add the in chocolate, stir to combine.


Drop onto cookie sheet in balls, do not flatten, they will spread a bit, leave about 2 inches between cookies. Bake about 15 minutes until edges are golden. Take out of oven leave on cookie sheet for 2 minutes to cool and harden before putting on the cooling rack. Repeat until all dough is used up. These will stay good for a few days on the counter or a few months in a plastic container in the freezer.


I took these to work as a treat for my co-workers. I try and bring in something once in a while, just as a little surprise. Everyone was excited for the new recipe, and I even got a request for a copy of the recipe right after trying them. They are a different take on classic cookie flavors. I will defiantly be making these again. They were a winner according to everyone.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chippers

So these are soooo good. One Saturday morning I made two different kinds of cookies. And like always I brought samples over to Ben's house for a taste test. There is a little secret I have, I can't eat chocolate and therefore cannot taste many of the things that I bake, yes a sad existence. Growing up my favorite anything and everything was chocolate, but due to some stomach issues I can no longer eat any chocolate. I gave one of these to Ben and a sheepish, boyish smile crept across his lips, and instantly I knew. These were good. Not only good, but great, a perfect balance of saltiness from the peanut butter and sweet from the sugar coating and chocolate pieces. The original recipe can be found here. I did like always make a few changes, but nothing too major.



Peanut Butter Chocolate Chippers
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup smooth peanut butter at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (for sprinkling) sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips (generous)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (generous)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, then set aside to use later.

Beat the softened butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy, will become a little lighter in color and may take a minute or two. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix until fully combined. Add the milk (can use skim, whole anything you have on hand) also add in the vanilla extract. Finally slowly add the flour mixture to the rest of the batter and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter chips and the chocolate chips, I think total I had closer to 1 1/2 cups of chips total than the 1 cup in the original recipe. Place sprinkling sugar on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar and coat fully, then place on cookie sheets. Leave a bit of room for the cookies to expand, however they are not going to grow significantly.


Classically peanut butter cookies have a criss-cross of a fork pattern top partially to flatten out the cookies so that they bake properly and also to be able to instantly pick out which cookies are peanut butter. I wanted these to be a little bit classier and therefore did not use the fork pattern but instead slightly flattened the cookies with a knife. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, do not over bake. I would stick closely to the 12 minutes. You need to let these cool for a few minutes on the warm cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack so that the cookies stay together.


Once cool, eat, but try and keep some for the freezer to use later. This will be hard, but you'll be happy the week after you made these that you still have a special treat to go pull out of the ice box.