Christmas Truffles for Dogs: Cottage Cheese and Pumpkin, No Chocolate
Christmas truffles for dogs: no-bake cottage cheese and pumpkin balls rolled in toasted oats. No cocoa or chocolate, ready in 30 minutes, freezer-friendly.
- Time
- 50 min + 1 h 30 min resting
- Makes
- 30 pieces
- Type
- Treat
- Difficulty
- Easy
- 31 % cottage cheese or ricotta
- 31 % pumpkin
- 20 % oat flour
- 18 % rolled oats
Follows THE RULE. All 4 ingredients are on our safe list: nothing that could harm your dog.
If you are looking for Christmas treats for dogs that look like the ones on the holiday dessert tray, these Christmas truffles for dogs are the showiest and the easiest: balls of cottage cheese, pumpkin and toasted oat flour, rolled in toasted oats. No oven, no sugar and, above all, no cocoa or chocolate: the brown color comes from toasting the oats.
They take half an hour plus time in the fridge, and you serve them cold, in paper candy cups, like chocolates. They are creamy inside and have the crunch of the oats outside. You get about 30, at 24 kcal each, so there is enough to share through the holidays and freeze the rest for New Year's.
Why it works
Cottage cheese makes the center creamy and provides good-quality protein with little lactose. Well-drained pumpkin purée adds volume, fiber and natural sweetness. Toasted oat flour absorbs the moisture from both and makes the mixture easy to roll; toasting also gives it a color and a cookie aroma that recall a truffle. The toasted oats on the outside are the coating: they don't stain your hands and they add crunch.
Step by step
Cook and drain the pumpkin
Steam the diced pumpkin for 15 minutes, until very tender. Mash it and leave it in a strainer for 10 minutes to release its water: if it is watery, the truffles won't hold their shape.
Toast the oats
Toast the oat flour in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 4-5 minutes, until it is the color of a cookie. Transfer it to a bowl. In the same skillet, toast the rolled oats for 3 minutes, until golden, and set them aside on a plate.
Make the mixture
Mix the cottage cheese with the cooled pumpkin purée until there are no large lumps. Add the toasted oat flour a little at a time, stirring with a spatula, until you have a thick mixture that holds on a spoon without sliding off.
Chill the mixture
Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for 30 minutes. Once cold, the mixture firms up and rolls without sticking to your hands.
Shape the truffles
With slightly damp hands, take tablespoon-sized portions (about 15 g) and roll them into balls. For small dogs, make them marble-sized and you will get twice as many.
Coat them
Roll each ball in the toasted oats, pressing lightly so they stick, and place them on a tray or in paper candy cups. Refrigerate them for 1 more hour before serving so they set.
How many a day?
As a treat, keeping under 10% of what they eat each day.
— pieces a day at most
| Weight | 3 kg | 5 kg | 10 kg | 15 kg | 20 kg | 30 kg | 40 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pieces/day | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 |
Puppy, senior, very active or on a diet? Calculate the exact portion.
- Energy
- 23.7 kcal/piece
- Protein
- 20 % dry matter
- Fat
- 9 % dry matter
Values estimated from the ingredients (BEDCA/USDA data). A treat: keep treats under 10% of what they eat each day.
Storage
Fridge: up to 3 days in a sealed container. Freezer: up to 2 months; freeze them spread out on a tray and then transfer them to a bag. Thaw them for 1 hour in the fridge or give them half-frozen, which many dogs love in summer. Don't leave them out of the fridge for more than an hour.
If you don't have…
- You can't find cottage cheese or ricotta
- Nonfat quark in the same amount, plus 20-30 g (2-3 tablespoons) more toasted oat flour, because it is runnier
- Your dog doesn't tolerate dairy
- 150 g (about 2/3 cup) of cooked sweet potato purée instead of the cottage cheese; they come out sweeter and less creamy
- You don't have pumpkin
- Cooked sweet potato purée in the same amount
- Your dog doesn't tolerate oats
- Toasted rice flour for the mixture and toasted rice flour for the coating
Cooking tips
- The 10% rule: each truffle has about 24 kcal. A 5 kg (11 lb) dog can have one a day; a 20 kg (44 lb) dog, up to four. The table in the recipe gives you their number, and at Christmas it is easy to overdo it as treats pile up from every guest.
- Ask guests not to feed your dog and hand them one of these truffles instead: your dog gets the attention and nobody slips them a piece of fruitcake under the table.
- If you serve them in paper candy cups, remove the cup before giving one: some dogs eat the truffle cup and all.
Safety
- No cocoa or chocolate, not even "a little for color": they contain theobromine, which dogs eliminate very slowly and which can cause vomiting, tremors, a racing heart and seizures. The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is. If your dog eats chocolate, call your vet even if they seem fine.
- Holiday dessert trays cause many emergency vet visits in December: chocolate truffles, boxes of chocolates, fudge, fruitcake, mince pies and Christmas pudding are best kept in a high cupboard. Don't give your dog dinner leftovers or eggnog either, and watch out for grapes and raisins: they are toxic to dogs even in small amounts. "Sugar-free" candy and baked goods can contain xylitol, which is also an emergency.
- If it is their first time having cottage cheese, start with one truffle: dairy softens the stool in some dogs.
Frequently asked questions
What Christmas treats can dogs eat?
None of the ones made for people: fudge, fruitcake, mince pies, Christmas pudding, cookies and chocolates contain sugar, fat and often chocolate, nuts, raisins or spices. What dogs can have are homemade treats made for them with safe ingredients, like these cottage cheese and pumpkin truffles, always as a treat and within 10% of their daily calories.
What should I do if my dog ate chocolate?
Call your vet or a 24-hour emergency vet as soon as you find out, even if your dog seems fine: symptoms can take hours to appear. In the US you can also contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center or the Pet Poison Helpline. Have their weight, the type of chocolate (dark, milk or white), how much they ate and when at hand, and keep the wrapper. Don't make them vomit on your own.
Can dogs eat cottage cheese?
Yes, in small amounts. Cottage cheese and ricotta have less lactose than milk and provide good-quality protein, so most dogs tolerate them well. Choose the lowest-salt option and start small, because dairy disagrees with some dogs. Avoid it if your dog is lactose intolerant or on a low-fat diet.
What's in it, in detail
If they liked it, try
The fridge list
The foods your dog can eat, can have in moderation and must never eat, on a single printable page.