Baking for Cash: Pumpkin & Molasses Dog Cookies

Dog cookies, fresh out of the oven.

I love to bake — but it’s a dangerous hobby when there are only two humans in the house and both have a sweet tooth that’s never fully satisfied. Baking for Cash, our four-legged cookie connoisseur, gives me all the joy of making without the sugary temptations (or the pesky calories). And honestly, his tail-wagging approval is a sweet reward.

These cookies are super easy to make and just right for the fall season. Feel free to experiment with add-ins like carob chips (no chocolate!), dried fruit (no raisins!), or even a sprinkle of dog-safe herbs. And of course, play with different cookie-cutter shapes. Your dog won’t care, but your creative side will.

Pumpkin & Molasses Dog Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 can pumpkin

• 2 Tbsp molasses

• 2 Tbsp honey

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 2 tsp ground ginger

• 1 egg

• About 5 cups flour*

• Optional add-ins: carob chips, dried fruit, herbs

*I recommend avoiding wheat or corn flour since many dogs have sensitivities to those ingredients. I like using a 50:50 mix of oat and brown rice flour (hat tip to the Bubba Rose Biscuit Company for that idea). The exact amount of flour will vary depending on type and moisture absorption properties. Buying from the bulk section of your grocery store can save a few dollars.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. (I usually wait to start preheating until I’m rolling out the dough—it saves a little energy.)

2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the flour.

3. Add the flour one cup at a time, mixing and then gently kneading until a dough ball forms. Aim for a consistency that’s not wet or sticky but not dry and crumbly either. (If it gets too dry, add a bit of water.) I leave mine slightly tacky since I’ll add more flour while rolling and cutting.
   

   

   Working with dough makes me smile.

4. Roll out the dough on a generously floured surface to about ¼-inch thickness.

5. Cut into shapes with your favorite cookie cutters.
   

   

   The blank dough, rolled and ready for creative cooking cutting.

6. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheets. They won’t expand much, so you can fit them close together.

7. Bake for 22–27 minutes or until golden brown.

8. Cool on a wire rack.**
   

   

   Familiar animal cracker shapes. Familiar to humans, anyway.

9. Store in an airtight container on the counter or freeze until ready to use.

**If the cookies still feel soft after cooling, place them in an oven-safe dish and return them to the still-warm oven (after it’s been turned off). This helps dry them out so they stay fresher longer—and gives them a satisfying crunch. Cash doesn’t seem to care, but it makes me happy to hear him munching away.

Notes

This recipe makes a lot of cookies—I got 12 large bones, 55 small bones, and 70 animal-cracker-sized treats. I like to bake in volume since it uses a whole can of pumpkin. (Half a can always seems to end up forgotten in the fridge until it turns a weird color and smells suspicious.)

If your dog doesn’t need that many, share the love! Wrap up a few extras and gift them to your favorite dog parents.

Baking for dogs might sound silly, but there’s something wholesome about creating a treat that makes someone you love — even a furry someone — so unreasonably happy. Cash’s butt wiggle says it all.

Cash, ready for a good boy treat.

Tell your dog Cash and I said you're welcome.