Turkey Pumpkin Cranberry Dog Treats
These turkey pumpkin cranberry dog treats combine cooked ground turkey with pumpkin, fresh cranberries and egg for a savory homemade biscuit. Made with coconut flour, they’re an easy grain-free dog treat and a fun way to give your dog the flavors of fall or Thanksgiving.
Made with just five ingredients, these turkey pumpkin cranberry dog treats are naturally grain-free thanks to coconut flour. The ground turkey gives them a meaty flavor dogs love, while pumpkin helps keep the dough moist and cranberries add a little seasonal sweetness. They were a hit with our dogs which we think is mainly due to the turkey flavor!
They’re especially handy after cooking ground turkey for another dog food recipe. Set aside one cup and turn it into a batch of homemade treats.
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Can Dogs Eat Coconut Flour?
Coconut flour can be used in homemade dog treats and is a useful grain-free baking ingredient. It’s high in fiber and absorbs considerably more liquid than many conventional flours. Because of that absorbency, coconut flour generally can’t be substituted cup-for-cup with oat flour, whole wheat flour or rice flour.
Coconut flour is a flour that I have made many recipes for (and even published a few recipe books) so am happy that I can also use it for my dog treats. If you want to learn more on how to bake with it, we have a Baking With Coconut Flour Guide.
Why Your Dog Will Love These Turkey Treats
If your dog prefers savory treats over fruity biscuits, these should be right up their street. Turkey is the main ingredient, so they have plenty of natural meaty aroma and flavor.
Pumpkin and cranberries add flavor without overwhelming the turkey, while coconut flour produces a firm baked biscuit that is easy to portion into different shapes and sizes.
Ingredients
This is all you need to make these tasty turkey fall treats.
Cooked Ground Turkey – Turkey provides the main flavor and protein in these treats. Use lean plain, unseasoned ground turkey that has been thoroughly cooked and cooled.
Cranberries – Cranberries give these treats a seasonal twist and pair particularly well with turkey and pumpkin. Blending the cranberries before adding them helps distribute them throughout the dough. Fresh or unsweetened frozen cranberries can be used. If using frozen cranberries, thaw them first.
Pumpkin Puree – Pumpkin adds moisture and helps bind the ingredients together. It also provides fiber, beta-carotene and other nutrients. Use 100% plain pumpkin puree, rather than pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling typically contains sugar and spices and isn’t suitable for this recipe.
Coconut Flour – Coconut flour absorbs a surprising amount of moisture, making it useful for turning the turkey and pumpkin mixture into a workable dough.
It behaves very differently from wheat or oat flour, so don’t substitute another flour using the same quantity. If you want to make these treats with oat flour, the amount will need adjusting.
Egg – One large egg helps bind the turkey, pumpkin and cranberries together and makes the dough easier to shape and roll. Eggs also provide high-quality protein, fats and several vitamins and minerals.
The egg is particularly useful in this recipe because ground turkey doesn’t naturally form a smooth biscuit dough. Combined with the highly absorbent coconut flour, it helps create treats that hold their shape during baking without becoming overly crumbly.
Curly Parsley – Gives a fresh herbal note but can be omitted if your dog is not a fan.
How To Make Turkey Pumpkin Cranberry Dog Treats
In a bowl add the ground turkey, egg, pumpkin puree and blended cranberry.
Mix, the add the coconut flour to form a dough.
Roll out the dough and cut out shapes.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until fim.
Recipe Tips
- Use unseasoned turkey. If you’re using leftover turkey, make sure it hasn’t been cooked with onions, garlic, gravy or heavy seasoning.
- Don’t immediately add extra flour. Coconut flour takes a little time to absorb moisture. Let the dough sit for 5 minutes for the flour to absorb the liquid.
- Roll evenly. Biscuits of similar thickness will bake at approximately the same rate.
- Adjust baking time to the size of your treats. Tiny training treats will bake more quickly than large bone-shaped biscuits.
- Dry them for extra crunch. After baking, leaving the biscuits in the switched-off oven can help remove additional moisture.
Variations
Once you’ve made the basic recipe, there are a few simple ways you can change it.
- Turkey & Sweet Potato: Replace the pumpkin puree with plain cooked mashed sweet potato. You may need to adjust the coconut flour slightly depending on the moisture level.
- Turkey & Pumpkin: Leave out the cranberries for an even simpler savory turkey biscuit.
- Turkey & Blueberry: Replace the cranberries with a small amount of mashed or blended blueberries.
- Turkey & Carrot: Add a little finely grated carrot to the turkey and pumpkin mixture.
- Mini Training Treats: Instead of using cookie cutters, roll or press the dough into a rectangle and cut it into small squares before baking.
Storage
Because these biscuits contain cooked meat and pumpkin, they contain more moisture than a very dry traditional dog biscuit.
Once completely cooled, keep the treats in an airtight container in the refrigerator for around 4–5 days.
For longer storage, freeze them.
Freezing
Place the cooled treats in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 2–3 months.
You can separate layers with parchment paper if necessary. Defrost individual treats in the refrigerator before serving.
Can I Use Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey?
Yes, but only if you have plain, unseasoned turkey. Traditional Thanksgiving turkey may have been cooked with butter, salt, garlic, onion, stuffing or other seasonings. Rather than using heavily seasoned leftovers, it’s better to set aside some plain turkey when preparing your meal.
You can also make these treats with cooked plain turkey breast. Finely chop or process the meat before mixing it with the other ingredients.
Can I Use Dried Cranberries?
Fresh or frozen unsweetened cranberries are our preference for this recipe. Many packaged dried cranberries contain added sugar, so check the ingredient label carefully. Some dried fruit products may also contain ingredients you don’t want to give your dog.
For the simplest option, stick with plain fresh or frozen cranberries.
How Many Turkey Treats Can I Give My Dog?
These should be given as a treat rather than a complete meal. The appropriate amount depends on the size of your cookie cutter, the dog’s size, activity level and the rest of their diet. Smaller biscuits are particularly useful for training because you can reward your dog without adding too many extra calories.
As a general guideline, treats and other extras should make up no more than about 10% of your dog’s daily calories.
If you’re making these for a small dog, consider cutting the dough into tiny squares rather than using a large biscuit cutter.
If you’re looking for a simpler version, try our turkey cranberry dog treats.
More Homemade Turkey Dog Treat Recipes
If your dog enjoys the flavor of turkey, try these other recipes:
Turkey Pumpkin Meatballs For Dogs
Turkey and Cranberry Dog Treats
Turkey Pumpkin Cranberry Dog Treats
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Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked ground turkey lean
- 1/4 cup cranberries
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon curly parsley, chopped optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Blend or finely process the cranberries until they form a coarse puree.
- Add the turkey, blended cranberries, pumpkin puree, egg and parsley to a large mixing bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Stir in the coconut flour until a dough begins to form.
- Leave the mixture for 2–3 minutes. Coconut flour absorbs a lot of liquid, and the dough will become noticeably firmer as it sits.
- The dough should be soft but firm enough to roll without sticking excessively. If it's still too wet, add another tablespoon of coconut flour. If it's dry or crumbly, mix in a little extra pumpkin puree.
- Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll to approximately ¼ inch/6 mm thick.
- Use your favorite cookie cutter to cut out the biscuits. Gather and reroll the scraps until you've used as much of the dough as possible.
- Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and bake for approximately 20–25 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of your biscuits. Flip over half way through cooking for an even color. They should feel firm and be lightly browned around the edges.
- Transfer the treats to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
FAQs
We recommend cooking the ground turkey before making the treats. It makes the recipe easier to handle and ensures the turkey is thoroughly cooked before serving.
You can make a version with oat flour, but don’t use a 1:1 substitution. Coconut flour absorbs far more moisture than oat flour, so considerably more oat flour would usually be required to produce a rollable dough.
No. Plain cranberries are a better choice. Cranberry sauce is generally made with a large amount of added sugar and may contain other ingredients.
Yes. Roll the dough slightly thicker and don’t leave the biscuits in the oven to dry after baking. Store them refrigerated because softer treats retain more moisture and therefore have a shorter shelf life.