Grain-Free Pumpkin Dog Treats

One of our readers, Elliot, asked us to come up with a few grain-free recipes for Asterix, his German Shepherd, and I was happy to oblige. You’ll be seeing some more in the weeks to come. This is my first crack at using buckwheat, which is grain-free, despite its name… it’s actually a seed! Buckwheat is a low glycemic food, so it won’t spike your dog’s blood sugar. As well, it contains magnesium – this chills out your dog’s blood vessels, which improves blood flow, nutrient delivery and the overall cardiovascular system. How’s that for a super-healthy treat!

Makes 25 cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups buckwheat flour

2 large eggs

1/2 cup flax seed meal

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/4 cup of beef broth

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large mixing bowl put the buckwheat flour and flax seed meal (you can make your own with flax seeds and a food processor).
3. Add the pumpkin puree, eggs, and beef stock to mixture.
4. Stir until all of the ingredients are combined. The dough will be stiff but a bit moist.
5. Roll out on a buckwheat floured surface to 1/2 to ¼ inch thick. Cut out treats using cookie cutters and place on non-stick cookie sheets. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Let cool on cooling racks. Place in airtight containers.

If your dog eats a grain- or gluten-free diet, feel free to send us your recipes. I’d be happy to try them out and put them on the site for everyone to sample.