NOTICE 4/9/24: I recently received an email regarding the chemical Chlormequat used in farming oats. After extensive research, this is what I found: “* Exposure to Chlormequat Chloride can cause nausea and vomiting. Higher levels can cause slow or irregular heartbeat, tremors, seizures, and coma. This may be fatal. * Chlormequat Chloride may damage the liver.” When making homemade treats with oats, please select very carefully. Bob’s Red Mill is the only brand I know of that does not use this chemical.
Pumpkin is a great ingredient to use when making all natural rabbit treats and since autumn is pumpkin season, this is the perfect time to whip a batch for your special rabbit!
My rabbits get fresh greens and herbs daily along with a small quantity of veggies. On occasion they will get a small bit of fruit as a treat however, there are special occasions like “Gotcha Day”, adoption day, birthdays and of course major holidays when I spoil them with a home made bisquit like my Valentine’s Day Treats.
Showering my fluffle of 5 with treats became a bit costly when I was buying them in the store. Then I started reading the labels, and some of the ingredients I couldn’t even pronounce much less knew what they were. Many commercially made treats have added sugar, seeds, corn and other ingredients that are just not good for a rabbit. It was then that I decided my bunnies deserved the best. I wanted to have 100 percent control over what exactly went into their treats. After playing around with different recipes, these pumpkin treats have become a real hit.
Now my pet household is an all rabbit house, but I know a lot of people who have other pets that live alongside their bun(s). The beauty of this recipe is that anyone, even people, can eat these treats as long as they can tolerate pumpkin and oat flour! I always make some larger cookies for my grand puppies when I make a batch of these treats!
Benefits of Pumpkin Treats
Pumpkin can be a nutritious vegetable when used in baking. It is rich in carotene, minerals and vitamin A which promote healthy skin and eyesight, supports bone growth and reproductive health. You must note it is a high carb sugary vegetable so should be limited to the occasional treat.
Oats are a high fiber food that can help with dental disease and gut health. These pumpkin treats are baked until they are hard and crunchy which is beneficial to your rabbits teeth when chewing them.
Making Pumpkin Treats
Let’s talk about the the first ingredient in these pumpkin treats…the pumpkin. You can plan way ahead, plant, grow and harvest your own pumpkins or you can go to your local farmers market or grocery store and purchase small pumpkins. Those options are quite a bit of added work! You need to cut the pumpkin up, roast it then puree it. Tip: Skip that whole step… head to the baking aisle in the market and buy organic canned pumpkin! The work is already done. Just be sure it is canned pumpkin puree and not pie pumpkin!
The next ingredient is oat flour. Purchasing oat flour can be pricey in the market and making it is easy and relatively inexpensive. Fill up a food processor or blender with organic, non-gmo oats such as Bob’s Red Mill then blend to a fine grain powder. Make a big batch and store so you always have it on hand.
Mix the flour and pumpkin together until you have a consistency that resembles cookie dough. The treats can then be formed in one of 3 ways. The first is to roll the dough out into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle or square. Using a sharp paring knife or pizza cutter, cut into bite sized squares. Alternatively you can use small cookie cutters which are really nice for a holiday like Halloween, or you can use small silicone mold baking trays that have fun and unique shapes.
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees
- Mix the flour and pumpkin together until a cookie dough consistency is formed
- Roll out the dough and cut into shapes with a knife, pizza cutter or use cookie cutters or silicone molds
- Bake for 30 minutes, then transfer to a dehydrator for 3-4 hours (they should be hard and crunchy)
- Cool completely before giving to your rabbit or storing
Final Thoughts
Tips:
- Use a parchment lined baking sheet when baking.
- If you don’t have a dehydrator, don’t fret. Just turn your oven down to 190 or 200 degrees then bake another 3-4 hours. They should be hard and crispy.
- Make your treats an appropriate size. For rabbits, I recommend the size of a dime.
Storage:
Treats stored properly can last up to 3 months. Store in a lidded glass container away from direct sun. Do NOT store in the refrigerator. (This can create mold)
