Made with real pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling!)…pumpkin is known to have several health benefits for dogs!
Doughnut Ingredients:
- 1 cup organic whole wheat flour (sub Buckwheat flour for grain-free)
- 1/2 cup organic ground flax
- 1 Tbsp organic cinnamon
- 2 organic eggs
- 1/3 cup unsweetened organic applesauce
- 3/4 cup organic pure pumpkin
- 1/4 cup organic almond milk, unsweetened and plain
- 1/4 cup chicken broth (I make my own. If you purchase – please check that there are no traces of onion or onion powder in the broth).
Glaze Ingredients: (Optional)
- 2 Tbsp almond milk
- 2 tsp honey
- 5 Tbsp plus 1 tsp tapioca flour
Doughnut Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350° F
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, flax and cinnamon. Set to the side.
- In a large bowl, beat the two eggs.
- Then stir in the applesauce, pumpkin, almond milk and chicken broth until combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet. Stir to incorporate after each addition.
- Spoon the dough into a disposable pastry bag fitted with a large whole tip.
- Lightly spray each cup of the donut pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Fill each cup to the top with the dough.
- Bake for 12 minutes.
- Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 3 minutes before turning the doughnuts out onto the wire rack.
- Repeat steps 7-10 until there is no more dough.
Glaze Instructions:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the almond milk and the honey.
- Add one tablespoon of tapioca flour at a time and stir together until dissolved.
- Once all the tapioca flour is added, drizzle the glaze on the cooled doughnuts.
- Let the glaze dry before serving.
- You can make the doughnuts ahead of time and then make the glaze and decorate 15 minutes before serving.
Storing – Baked doughnuts, like these pumpkin dog treat donuts, will be good in the refrigerator for about one month. Keep them fresh in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Yield – Using a mini donut pan, you’ll have 3 dozen little pumpkin doughnuts.
Tips & Techniques
- Mini Donut Pan – You may not have one of these in your supply yet, but they’re just too cute to resist. Get a Mini Donut Pan to create these little delicacies. Or, if you can’t wait, use a mini muffin pan instead. Increase the baking time by a couple minutes, or until the muffins pull away from the pan.
- Adjustable Measuring Cup – Measuring pumpkin can be a pain. I love myadjustable measuring cup and use it whenever an ingredient is tricky to measure. In this recipe it works great for the pumpkin and the applesauce.
- Round Like a Doughnut – Your pumpkin dog treat donuts won’t come out round like a human donut. We’ve omitted the sugar, salt and baking powder to keep this homemade dog treat as healthy as can be. The top will be rounded, and once it is glazed it looks more like the “real” thing.
- Pumpkin in a Can – Make sure to use only pure puree pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, in your homemade dog treats. If you purchase a large can of pumpkin, you can always freeze the left over in 1/2 cup measurements, or smaller, to use at a future time. Be sure to label and date a freezer bag before storing your pumpkin.
- Using a Pastry Bag – The doughnut pan has small openings for each mini donut. That’s why we recommend using a pastry bag. A disposable one saves on clean up time and makes the whole effort easier. While each batch bakes, stand your pastry bag upright in a tall drinking glass in between uses. If you want to skip the pastry bag, slowly spoon the dough into each cup. Wipe away any excess dough from around the raised indention to get a more uniform donut shape.
Warm cinnamon and pumpkin dog treat donuts make a sweet smell. Reward your sweetie with a batch of glazed or plain doughnuts that will satisfy a sweet tooth, and be healthy, too.