Every September our social media feeds still fill up with the tempting allure of pumpkin spice everything. So I though why not dogify the yummy taste of pumpkin and spice in a dog-friendly gummy treat? Delish! It’s springtime in New Zealand, but Kiwis cook with pumpkin all year round and our dogs love pumpkin. Just for fun, here’s the recipe and DIY details for making pumpkin spice latte gummy dog treats.
Layering Gelatin in Homemade Dog Treats
When making layered gelatin, depending on flavours, volumes, and ingredients, the gelatin base can be made in one batch and split, or prepared in separated batches. If splitting, the base needs to be kept warm enough not to gel before layering. Layered gummies are easy to make, but need careful timing. New layers are added when the preceding layer has set to a gentle touch so that the liquids don’t mix, but before it has fully set and cured in order to adhere the layers. Just like making layered jelly for humans. Too soon and they will melt into each other. Too late and they may not hold together. Don’t worry. It all tastes the same in the end, even if you miss the mark on looks.
Scaling Volumes for Pans and Moulds
The volumes below make approximately 2 cups of gummy mixture. For the pumpkin spice latte gummy dog treats shown here, we split the volume unevenly to have a smaller milky layer than pumpkin, like the smaller frothy top on our latte inspiration. You can easily scale volumes to suit your own moulds or pans. See our pet chef introduction to making homemade gummy dog treats for handy tips and info.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Gummy Dog Treat Recipe
Pumpkin Gelatin Gummies with a Milky Layer of Gelatin Latte “Froth”
These gelatin gummy pumpkin spice latte dog treats were made in moulds (affiliate link) as individual shaped treats, but they can also be made as set-and-slice treats in a pan. The process is the same for either method, other than slicing of course. Because moulds are bottom-becomes-top, you may want to flip the layer order below if making these latte treats as sliced gummies to keep the froth on top.
Treat Ingredients:
Milky Latte “Froth” Top Layer
- 1/3 cup cool water
- 2 tbsp quality powdered gelatin
- 1/3 cup trim milk (can use lactose-free or low-fat coconut milk for lactose sensitive dogs)
- 2/3 cup cool unseasoned low-sodium chicken stock or water
- 4 tbsp quality powdered gelatin
- 1/2 cup cooked pumpkin
- 2.5 tbsp additional stock or water
- Sprinkle of ground turmeric, black pepper, ground ginger, and/or Ceylon cinnamon (optional)
You can use more or less of the spices/seasonings to alter the supplementation content, smell, or taste of the gummies, or omit something completely to better suit your dog. The turmeric powder (with its companion pepper) is a colour booster. The others were for pumpkin spice latte inspired yummy scents and flavours.
Making the Pumpkin Spice Latte Dog Treats:
Preparing the milky layer:
- Measure the water into a small pan.
- Sprinkle the surface with gelatin powder.
- Wait and let sit for approximately five minutes or longer for the gelatin powder to bloom / gel.
- Gently stir the mixture over low heat until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Take care not to shortcut with high temperatures or overheat. Heat can reduce the setting strength of gelatin.
- Remove from heat.
- Measure your milk into a suitable container for mixing and pouring.
- Add the prepared gelatin and stir to thoroughly combine.
- Pour into a glass pan (cut and slice) or silicone moulds (shapes).
- Chill to set while you prepare the next layer. It will need to be added when the milky layer has set to a gentle touch so that the liquids don’t mix, but before it has fully set and cured in order to adhere the layers.
Preparing the pumpkin layer:
- Measure the stock or water into a small pan.
- Sprinkle the surface with gelatin powder.
Wait and let sit for approximately five minutes or longer for the gelatin powder to bloom / gel. - While that’s happening, you can prep the pumpkin by pureeing it with the additional water/stock and optional spices, transfer to a suitable container for later mixing and pouring, then set aside.
- When the gelatin has bloomed, gently stir the mixture over low heat until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
- Remove from heat and mix with the prepared pumpkin mixture.
- Check that the milky layer is ready, then carefully spoon or pour the pumpkin mixture over your milky layer.
- Chill to set thoroughly before removing from moulds (shapes) or slicing (pans).
For a clear distinction between layers, the pumpkin mixture should be warm (still fluid) but not too hot (may melt the layer below). Adding the warm gelatin to a cool pumpkin mix can help cool things down without extra wait time between dissolving and layering.
Gummy Dog Treat Making Tips and Tricks
- See our comprehensive post on making and storing homemade gelatin gummy dog treats for additional information.
- These treats should be kept refrigerated and can be frozen for longer storage, although freezing can affect consistency.
Recipe and Ingredient Tips and Tricks
- In my experience, 3 tbsp of gelatin powder per cup of liquid makes firm gummies. If you prefer, you can use more gelatin for added supplementation or less for a jigglier jelly treat with lower gelatin content. Individual gelatin powders may be a little stronger / weaker. Find a ratio that works for your preferences and, of course, your dog.
- Spicing thing up? Don’t be tempted to use a ready-made pumpkin spice mix instead of individual add-ins. Most contain ingredients that are not suitable for dogs, such as nutmeg. Although small amounts are unlikely to cause harm, it’s much better to avoid the risk.
- In addition to being doggone delicious and fragrant, cinnamon offers some great health benefits to dogs (and people); however, it’s not suitable for everyone. Pregnant/nursing dogs in particular should not be given cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon is the recommended variety for dogs, if/when used.
Bonus Tip: Pumpkin Prep
I like to roast entire pumpkins and then divide it into small portions and freeze for future use (both for us and for the dogs). It’s easy and efficient to do the prep work all at once and have ready-use pumpkin in the freezer. It’s economical, too!
You can substitute plain pumpkin puree or dog-safe pumpkin baby food in these treats, if you prefer. Double check all of the ingredients for suitability. Since they’re usually more liquidy than pureed home cooked pumpkin, you can swap the additional water blended with the pumpkin in the recipe above and just use extra puree or baby food, if you’d like. But there’s nothing wrong with keeping the water for a less indulgent treat either. Shhh. We won’t tell the dogs if you don’t!
Hungry for more tasty treats? There are all sorts of homemade dog treat ideas in our blog archives. You can use the category and tag labels to find other recipes that might be of interest or use our internal search tools to find something specific. Remember, treats (bought or homemade) are for spoiling your pup in moderation. We share ideas from treats that we’ve made ourselves for our pets, but different animals have different preferences (likes/dislikes), just like people. Some pets may have special dietary requirements and/or food allergies/intolerances. If you are ever in doubt or have questions about what’s suitable for your pet, have a chat with your trusted vet.
