Grain-Free Dog Treats with Chickpea Flour and Pumpkin
Grain-free dog treats made with chickpea flour, pumpkin purée and egg. Three ingredients, an easy dough to roll out and about 60 crunchy biscuits.
- Time
- 1 h + 1 h resting
- Makes
- 60 pieces
- Type
- Treat
- Difficulty
- Easy
- 47 % chickpea flour
- 39 % pumpkin
- 14 % egg
Follows THE RULE. All 3 ingredients are on our safe list: nothing that could harm your dog.
These grain-free dog treats are made with nothing but chickpea flour, pumpkin purée and one egg. They are for dogs that don't do well on wheat, or for when you want a change from the usual oat biscuits: chickpea flour has quite a bit more protein than wheat flour and gives a golden, firm biscuit with a toasty edge.
The fresh dough smells like raw beans; in the oven that smell disappears and turns into a toasted chickpea aroma that really gets dogs' attention. It rolls out well between two sheets of parchment paper and holds up to small cutters without breaking, which makes it a good recipe for training treats.
Why it works
Chickpea flour provides the structure along with plant protein and fiber; baking makes it digestible and takes away the bitter taste it has raw. Pumpkin adds moisture, a gentle sweetness and some soluble fiber, and it replaces fat, which is why the recipe needs no oil. The egg binds the dough and, as it sets in the oven, keeps the biscuit compact so it doesn't crumble in your pocket.
Step by step
Cook the pumpkin
Cut the pumpkin into 3/4-inch (2 cm) cubes and steam it until it falls apart when pressed with a fork. Mash it into a smooth purée and let it cool down: if it's hot, the egg starts to set when you mix them.
Preheat the oven
Heat the oven to 170 °C / 340 °F (conventional, top and bottom heat) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the dough
Beat the egg with the pumpkin purée. Add the chickpea flour in three batches, mixing first with a spatula and then with your hands, until you have a dough that doesn't stick to your fingers. If it sticks, add flour a tablespoon at a time; if it cracks, add a tablespoon of water.
Roll and cut
Roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick. Cut out the biscuits with a 1 1/2-inch (3.5 cm) cutter, then gather and reroll the scraps until the dough is used up. Place them on the baking sheet about a finger's width apart.
Bake
Bake for 25 minutes, until golden underneath and firm when you press the center.
Dry them in the switched-off oven
Turn off the oven and leave the biscuits inside with the door ajar. As they cool there they finish drying and turn crunchy all the way through, which is what lets them keep for weeks.
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 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 11 |
Puppy, senior, very active or on a diet? Calculate the exact portion.
- Energy
- 14.9 kcal/piece
- Protein
- 25 % 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
Well dried, in an airtight jar in a cool place: 2 weeks. In the fridge: 3 weeks. Freezer: up to 3 months in a freezer bag; they thaw in 20 minutes at room temperature. If they have gone soft, 10 minutes at 120 °C / 250 °F brings them back. If you see any mold, throw the whole batch away.
If you don't have…
- You don't have pumpkin
- Cooked, mashed sweet potato in the same amount
- Your dog can't have egg
- 60 g (about 1/4 cup) more pumpkin purée and 1 teaspoon of olive oil; the biscuit is a bit more fragile, so cut them at 3 cm / 1 1/4 inches
- You want a paler, milder biscuit
- Swap 80 g of the chickpea flour for 80 g of rice flour
Cooking tips
- The 10% rule: treats shouldn't make up more than 10% of your dog's daily calories. The table in the recipe tells you how many biscuits fit their weight; on days you give more, trim their meals a little.
- For training, roll the dough to 4 mm (a scant 1/4 inch) and cut it into 5/8-inch (1.5 cm) squares with a knife before baking; 15-18 minutes in the oven is enough.
- Chickpea flour clumps easily: sift it or break up the lumps with a fork before adding it.
Safety
- Chickpea flour is never given raw: raw, it is hard to digest and still contains antinutrients that cooking deactivates. Make sure the biscuits are fully baked inside, with no soft center.
- Legumes can cause gas. If your dog has never had them, start with one or two biscuits a day.
- The egg is fully cooked in the oven; don't let your dog taste the raw dough.
Frequently asked questions
Can dogs eat chickpea flour?
Yes, as long as it is cooked, as in these baked biscuits. Chickpea flour provides plant protein, fiber and starch, and most dogs tolerate it well in treat-sized amounts. Raw, it is hard to digest and can upset the stomach. If your dog hasn't eaten legumes before, start small and watch for gas or loose stools.
Are grain-free treats better for dogs?
Not necessarily: well-cooked grains are safe for almost all dogs. Grain-free biscuits make sense if your dog has a diagnosed allergy or intolerance, or if you just want some variety. A possible link with heart problems has been studied in grain-free, legume-rich kibbles and complete diets, with no firm conclusion; in an occasional treat it is not a concern.
How long do homemade dog treats last?
About two weeks in an airtight jar if they are well dried inside, and up to three months frozen. The key is the final drying in the switched-off oven: the less moisture they keep, the longer they last. If you break one and the center is soft, or you notice a damp smell, keep them in the fridge and use them up within a few days.
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.