Amazing 1 Pumpkin Holiday Dog Casserole

Oh my gosh, the holidays are here! It’s that wonderful, chaotic time of year when we just want to spoil our furry family members rotten, right? But honestly, watching everyone else feast on rich pies and heavy sides always makes me pause and think, “What can my pup have that’s special, seasonal, AND safe?” Trust me, you don’t want a bloated best friend the day after Thanksgiving.

That’s why I absolutely adore this simple Pumpkin Holiday Dog Casserole recipe. It gives you that gorgeous, festive feel—that essential pumpkin goodness—but keeps things totally dog-friendly. It bakes up beautifully and stays wonderfully moist and spoonable. I developed this when my little terrier, Gus, developed a bit of a sensitive tummy, and it became our go-to for every seasonal celebration. You can find more simple pumpkin dog treats recipes if you want even more baking fun!

Why This Pumpkin Holiday Dog Casserole is Perfect for Your Pet

When I’m prepping my own holiday goodies, I want something easy that hits that festive seasonal note for Gus, too. This treat is a winner because it nails that perfect balance. It’s got the autumnal smell we all love, but it’s designed just for them.

• Moist & Spoonable Texture: This isn’t a hard biscuit! It bakes up wonderfully moist and easily spoonable, which is perfect for older dogs or those who just prefer something softer.
• Seasonal Goodness Without the Junk: We get that beautiful pumpkin flavor because we are controlling every ingredient. No weird additives or extra sugar here, promise!
• Safety First! As you know, what’s safe for us isn’t always safe for them. That’s why taking the time to check ingredients, like making sure the peanut butter is clean, shows you truly care about their well-being. You can explore even more easy homemade dog treats for more safe baking ideas!

Gathering Ingredients for Your Pumpkin Holiday Dog Casserole

Okay, gathering the ingredients for this Pumpkin Holiday Dog Casserole is actually so straightforward! You mostly just mix wet stuff into dry stuff, which my kind of recipe is. We’re aiming for that amazing seasonal feel without getting too heavy on the tummy, so we keep the fats reasonable but flavorful.

We have our wet base first: use three-quarters of a cup of good old pumpkin puree—make sure it’s pure, not pie filling! Then grab half a cup of creamy peanut butter. This is crucial:

• Pumpkin Puree: 3/4 cup
• Creamy Peanut Butter: 1/2 cup (Seriously, check that label for xylitol—I cannot stress this enough!
• Egg Yolk: Just one nice, rich yolk

Then we have our dry bits to give it structure. You’ll need one cup each of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour, plus half a teaspoon of baking powder to help it puff just a tiny bit. See? Simple things for a fantastic result! You can find loads of safe ingredient ideas for peanut butter dog treats too.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Pumpkin Holiday Dog Casserole

I want this recipe to work for everyone, so let’s chat swaps. If your dog is wheat sensitive, you can swap out the whole wheat flour for oat flour or even chickpea flour. Just add a tiny splash more pumpkin if the dough seems too crumbly, okay? The flours absorb liquid differently.

But please, when it comes to the peanut butter, we have to be vigilant. Xylitol is a sweetener that’s totally fine for us but can be incredibly dangerous—even deadly—for dogs. Always look at the ingredients list. If you see the word xylitol, toss that jar and grab one that only lists peanuts and perhaps salt. Safety is the foundation for giving them any of these holiday treats for dogs!

Essential Equipment for Making the Pumpkin Holiday Dog Casserole

You don’t need a fancy kitchen setup for this one, thank goodness! Seriously, you probably have everything sitting in your drawers already. When I first whipped this up, I was half-asleep, so keeping the equipment minimal was a huge win for me.

First up, you absolutely need an electric mixer. We are making a semi-dense dough here, and trying to hand-cream that peanut butter and pumpkin mix will just leave you exhausted before you even get to the flour part! Trust me on this one.

Next, you’ll want a sturdy cookie sheet, and don’t forget the parchment paper—that parchment is your best friend for keeping things clean! Finally, grab whatever cookie cutters you have on hand. Since this is a holiday treat, I usually pull out my tiny star shapes and maybe a little gingerbread man cutter just for fun. It’s cute, but honestly, even just cutting squares works just fine since they get cooled and stored away quickly.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Your Pumpkin Holiday Dog Casserole

Alright, let’s get baking this seasonal favorite! Before we even touch the pumpkin, get that oven warmed up. You want to preheat it to 375°F. Pop a sheet of parchment paper onto a cookie sheet—that keeps cleanup basically non-existent, which is a huge win during holiday prep!

First, grab your big bowl and your mixer. Beat together the pumpkin puree, the peanut butter, and that single egg yolk until everything looks happy and completely combined. It might look a little weird and glossy at first, but keep going!

Next, whisk your dry stuff—both flours and the baking powder—in a separate bowl. Now, you need to add the flour mixture to the wet pumpkin mix slowly. Dump it all in at once and you risk making it tough, so add it gradually until it just comes together into a dough. Yep, it’s going to look kinda dry; that’s normal for these homemade dog treats recipes!

Time to roll! Dust your counter lightly with flour and roll that dough out until it’s about a quarter-inch thick. Use your cookie cutters to stamp out your shapes—stars, circles, whatever makes you smile! Place them about an inch apart on your lined sheet.

And here’s the important bit: take all those little dough scraps left over, smoosh them back together, roll them out again, and cut more shapes until every last bit of that delicious pumpkin dough is used up! Don’t let anything go to waste.

Baking and Cooling Tips for Perfect Pumpkin Holiday Dog Casserole

When it comes to baking time, you need to watch closely. If you cut small shapes, aim for 20 minutes. If you used bigger, chunkier cutters, let them stay in there for the full 25 minutes. They should look set but still soft.

The most crucial final step is cooling! You MUST let these cool completely on a wire rack before you share them or try to store them. Serving them warm means they’ll steam themselves soft, and nobody wants soggy holiday treats!

Tips for Success When Baking Pumpkin Holiday Dog Casserole

I’ve learned a few little tricks over the years to make sure these treats turn out perfectly every time, especially since we want them to be part of our special holiday meals. My number one tip revolves around the rolling stage for these easy dog cookies recipes.

If your dough starts feeling sticky while you’re rolling it out—and it totally might because of the pumpkin—don’t just dump a ton of flour on the counter! That will make your final cookie dry. Instead, try putting a piece of parchment paper *on top* of the rolled-out dough, and then roll right on top of that layer. It keeps everything separate and prevents sticking without mixing in excess flour deeper into the dough.

Also, when testing for doneness, don’t poke them all over! Because this is a softer, casserole-style treat, if the edges start looking just slightly darker than the center, they are done. Over-baking these makes them too hard, and we want that lovely spoonable texture we talked about!

Making Ahead and Storing Your Pumpkin Holiday Dog Casserole

This is such a perfect make-ahead recipe for the busy holiday season! You can absolutely mix the dough up a day or two in advance, wrap it tight in plastic wrap, and keep it in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake your Pumpkin Holiday Dog Casserole, just roll it out cold, maybe let it sit on the counter for five minutes, and then cut your shapes.

Once they are completely cool—remember that cooling rule!—you store the finished treats in an airtight container. Because they have that moist texture, they easily last on the counter for up to two weeks. If you make a massive batch, you can totally freeze them too! They stay great frozen for about two months. Check out these easy homemade dog treats for more tips on keeping things fresh!

Frequently Asked Questions About Pumpkin Holiday Dog Casserole

I get so many questions once people start baking these seasonal treats! It’s wonderful how much you all care about making sure your pups get something both exciting and safe, especially around the holidays. Here are a few things I hear most often about keeping this great Pumpkin Holiday Dog Casserole recipe perfect.

Can I use canned pumpkin pie filling instead of puree in this Pumpkin Holiday Dog Casserole?

Oh, absolutely not! This is the most important safety question. Pure pumpkin puree is fantastic—it’s just pumpkin! But pumpkin *pie filling* is loaded with sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and sometimes even cloves. While a tiny bit of cinnamon is okay, pie filling often has sweeteners like xylitol or excess sugar that are definitely not good for your dog’s digestion or entire system. Always stick to 100% pure pumpkin puree for that perfect, safe, seasonal feel.

How can I make this Pumpkin Holiday Dog Casserole grain-free?

I totally understand wanting to skip the grains sometimes! If you need to make this grain-free, you can swap out the all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour for things like 1 cup of chickpea flour and 1 cup of oat flour. You might find the texture changes slightly—grain-free doughs sometimes need a bit more moisture, so be prepared to add an extra teaspoon of pumpkin if it seems crumbly when you roll it. Test a small batch first to check that spoonable texture!

If you’re looking for even more ideas on mixing up DIY dog food recipes, make sure you check out those resources!

Estimating Nutrition for Your Pumpkin Holiday Dog Casserole

Okay, so while we aren’t counting macros for Fido like we do for ourselves—we don’t need that kind of stress during the holidays, right?—it’s still good to have a rough idea of what we are serving up. Since every brand of peanut butter and flour can sneak in different amounts of fats and carbs, this is just an honest guess based on the core ingredients we used.

Based on the ingredients listed for this Pumpkin Holiday Dog Casserole, here is a ballpark estimate *per small cookie* (assuming you get about 30-40 treats total, which is generous). Remember, this is a guess, not a lab analysis!

• Calories: Roughly 60-75 per treat
• Fat: Around 3-4g
• Protein: About 2g
• Carbohydrates: About 7-9g

Take these numbers with a big grain of salt, please! The true breakdown will change based on whether your peanut butter is natural or conventional, or what type of flour you ended up using. If you are managing a dog with specific dietary needs, maybe look into some specialized homemade diet dog food guides, but for a fun, seasonal indulgence, this should give you peace of mind that you aren’t overdoing the richness.

Share Your Pumpkin Holiday Dog Casserole Creations

That’s it! You’ve done it! Now you have a batch of the best Pumpkin Holiday Dog Casserole treats ready for your favorite furry friend to enjoy this season. I truly hope your dog loves the taste as much as Gus loves his!

Once they cool down, please take a picture of your pup enjoying their seasonal snack and send it my way! Drop a comment below and let me know how they reacted, or pop over to the blog space and tag me. Happy holidays, and happy spoiling!

By EMILIA, founder of MeltItClean.com – your digital space for natural weight loss, real wellness habits, and clean-living inspiration that actually fits your life.

For years, I struggled with the ups and downs of dieting. I tried everything — juice cleanses, low-carb crazes, fitness challenges — but I always ended up back where I started: tired, bloated, and frustrated. I didn’t just want to “lose weight” — I wanted energy, mental clarity, glowing skin, and confidence without sacrificing my joy or sanity.

After years of experimenting, learning, and unlearning, I discovered a simple truth: your body is already powerful — it just needs support, not restriction. That’s when I created Melt It Clean — a site dedicated to real transformation through clean, intentional, and nourishing daily habits that anyone can follow.

My goal was simple: build a place where people could feel informed, supported, and empowered without being overwhelmed by wellness fads.