Homemade pumpkin and turmeric truffle dog treats. This is an easy homemade pumpkin truffle (bliss ball) style dog treat recipe. It’s a doggone delicious way to make special harvest or holiday treats, although healthy pumpkin is always in season in our dog-treat kitchen.
Making Homemade Truffle and Bliss Ball Dog Treats
Truffle (bliss ball) dog treats can be made using any combination of dog-friendly ingredients, as long as it will set firm. This usually requires using either ingredients that set when chilled (coconut oil is one of my favourites) and/or ingredients absorb moisture to firm up with time (coconut flour is one of my favourites). They’re usually best when stored chilled because of their set state or to keep their ingredients safe for eating, and can usually be frozen for longer storage. See our post on frozen and chilled homemade dog treats for more ideas and tips.
Pumpkin and Turmeric Truffle Dog Treat Recipe
Homemade Pumpkin Truffle Dog Treats with Turmeric
This recipe uses both coconut flour and coconut oil, making a lovely set chilled truffle treat. The turmeric (optional) helps to boost the beautiful natural orange of the pumpkin back to a vibrant hue that would otherwise be muted by the coconut flour in the mixture. Plus it adds delicious scent and flavour, and it doggone healthy too. It can be omitted, if you wish, or swap in a different dog-friendly seasoning to suit your preferences and pup’s palette. Turmeric stains, so choose your kitchenware with care, wash up quickly, and mind your hands.
Treat Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup pureed cooked pumpkin
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, warmed to liquid
- Sprinkle of turmeric (optional) for added colour and scent/flavour
- Approximately 1/3 to 1/2 cup coconut flour
- Optional: Ground flax mixed with panko crumb or other optional rolled coating(s)
The amount of flour needed will depend on the moisture of your pumpkin. I’ve made variations of this recipe a few times and amounts vary depending on how I’ve prepped my pumpkin and whether any other add-ins or seasonings are used. Mix incrementally and if in doubt, I prefer to err on the side of wet. A slightly soft set truffle is better than a crumbly truffle. Additionally, coated truffles are best kept a little on the wet side so that the coating sticks well. Uncoated truffles can be made to suit your personal preferences. Wetter dough may make a softer finished truffle, but is often easier to shape when forming the balls.
Making the Treats:
- Combine the pumpkin puree and coconut oil in a mixing bowl.
- Mix in the turmeric (optional).
- Add the coconut flour incrementally, mixing thoroughly, until you’ve reached the desired consistency for shaping. The the truffle dough may feel slightly loose and wet/oily when warm, but should hold shape when pressed. Not quite right? You can use a small amount of additional flour, additional oil, or warm water to adjust consistency to a nice sticky dough for shaping/pressing into balls. The finished balls will firm up with set time for moisture to absorb into the dry ingredients and when the coconut oil is chilled.
- Roll into small bite-sized balls.
- Coat (optional) or leave plain.
- Refrigerate until firm.
As with any treat, be mindful of treat size and consumption relative to your pet’s size and any other individual factors. Just like human bliss balls, you can break truffles into smaller pieces for serving and/or safety if your pet tends to gulp treats instead of chew.
Truffle Treat Making Tips and Tricks
- Truffle treats can be stored in the fridge short term or frozen for longer storage. See our comprehensive post on making and storing chilled dog treats for additional information on frozen and chilled homemade treats.
- I like to cube and roast pumpkin/squash, then freeze it for ready use. It’s a convenient way to add sweet roasted pumpkin goodness not only to dog treats, but also to human meals. Cooked pumpkin is also great to have on hand in the event of upset dog tummies.
- If sold in your area, you can substitute pumpkin puree (plain pumpkin, not spiced or sweetened pie filling) and play with the flour quantity to get a good consistency. Ready-made puree may have different moisture levels than home cooked mashed/pureed pumpkin.
- Coconut flour is a good option for gluten-free / grain-free pet treats, but is also a fairly healthy flour. It is high in fibre, high in protein, and low-GI relative to alternatives. Coconut flour is very absorbent, which is key to getting a nice consistency and balance in these treats.
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.
