Pupcakes are the cutest dog-friendly treats for your furry pals! Easy pumpkin peanut butter dog cupcakes with peanut butter yogurt frosting!
Make your pooch feel extra special on their doggy birthday with homemade treats like peanut butter Pupcakes! These easy Cupcakes are safe for dogs to eat with dog-friendly ingredients! If you want a full cake, try my Dog Birthday Cake.
What better way to spoil your furry family members than with cupcakes for dogs! Making them homemade is way less expensive than buying them, and it’s super easy too. Plus they double as a healthy treat for your doggy.
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Sabrina’s Pupcakes Recipe
My Pupcakes, or Doggy Cupcakes, are the cutest and most delicious treat for your furry friend! These mini cakes are made with dog-friendly ingredients, so no need to worry about any tummy troubles. This recipe includes pumpkin puree, peanut butter, honey, vegetable oil, eggs, whole wheat flour, baking soda, and shredded carrots. And don’t forget the frosting – made with Greek yogurt and peanut butter, it’s a creamy and savory topping your pup will love!
Important Note about Dogs and Peanut Butter
It is safe for dogs to consume peanut butter, however it is crucial to check the ingredients to ensure that it does not contain Xylitol, a sugar substitute made from birch extract that is harmful for dogs. Typically, Xylitol is added to diet-oriented or specialty peanut butter and not to natural or unflavored peanut butter.
Ingredients
- Pumpkin: Pumpkin is a health superstar for dogs, loaded with vitamins A and C to keep your pup’s immune system strong and their eyesight sharp. Make sure it’s 100% pumpkin with no added sugars or spices, or make your own Homemade Pumpkin Puree to guarantee it’s pet safe.
- Peanut Butter: Peanut butter is a nutritious food dogs love and provides healthy fats, protein, and vitamins B and E. It’s important to avoid peanut butter that contains xylitol, which can be harmful to them.
- Honey: Natural real honey can provide a slight sweetness and potential health benefits, such as aiding with allergies and decreasing inflammation. For dogs with digestive problems, applesauce (without nutmeg) or mashed banana can be used as a substitute for honey.
- Carrots: Carrots are a good source of fiber, beta-carotine, and vitamins A and K, which are important nutrients that promote eye and bone health. When adding carrots to dog treats, make sure to finely grate them to avoid your dog choking while eating.
- Flour: To give these cupcakes a little extra boost in nutrition and fiber, I used whole wheat flour. However, you can use regular flour if you prefer.
- Yogurt: Greek yogurt is rich in probiotics, protein and calcium, which aid digestion, boost the immune system, and support bone and muscle health in dogs and humans alike. Use either plain Greek yogurt or regular plain yogurt with no added sugars or flavors.
- Mini Milkbones: As a easy, cute decoration, I added little miniature bone dog treats on top. Feel free to swap them out with other dog treats or see my Ideas to Serve for other topping ideas.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Muffin Tin: You’ll need a standard 12 cup muffin tin to make these cupcakes. If you want to make jumbo cupcakes or mini cupcakes, you’ll need to adjust the baking time slightly.
- Whisk: You just need a mixing bowl and whisk to whip up the easy cake batter.
- Piping Bag: To perfectly frost these dog-friendly cupcakes, use a piping bag and star tip just like you would for human cupcakes.
How to Make
Time needed: 1 hour and 5 minutes.
- Prep for Baking
Preheat the oven and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- Mix the Batter
Whisk the pumpkin puree, peanut butter, honey, and oil in a mixing bowl until well combined.Stir in the egg and vanilla until smooth. Fold in the flour, baking soda, and grated carrots until the flour is just mixed in with no dry streaks.
- Bake the Cupcakes
Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups, filling no more than ¾ full. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean with moist crumbs. Let cool a little before removing the cupcakes from the pan. Cooling completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- Make the Frosting
Whisk the Greek yogurt and peanut butter in a large bowl until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag with a large star or round tip.
- Decorate and Serve
Pipe frosting into swirled mounds on each cooled cupcake. Top each cupcake with a mini dog treat. Refrigerate until serving and keep chilled.
Can Dog Cupcakes be made ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare these Dog Cupcakes ahead of time. You can bake the pupcakes in advance and store them, without frosting, in an airtight container at room temperature. The frosting can also be made ahead of time and stored separately in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The day of your party, let the frosting sit at room temp to soften enough to whisk it fluffy again. Pipe frosting and decorate cupcakes as usual.
Nutritional Facts
This pupcake recipe is a great way to get your dogs healthy nutrients, as long as they are eaten in moderation. Pumpkin puree is high in fiber and low in fat, aiding digestion. Peanut butter provides protein, healthy fats, and vitamins B and E. Honey is a natural sweetener and can boost the immune system. Greek yogurt contains probiotics, aiding digestion and immune system health. Carrots offer fiber, beta-carotene, and vitamins A and K, supporting eye and bone health.
How to Store
Serve: Since the frosting has yogurt in it, once the pupcakes are frosted, they need to be kept chilled and stored in the fridge after no more than 2 hours at room temperature.
Store: You can store frosted Dog Cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Unfrosted Pupcakes can be kept at room temperature in a sealed bag for up to a week.
Freeze: It’s best to freeze these Pupcakes without the frosting. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. Bring to room temp to frost or give your pup a cool, frozen treat in the summer!
Ideas to Serve Pupcakes
- Add a touch of whimsy with some homemade whipped cream, served as a “puppuccino” in a cute little cup. Instead of adding vanilla or sugar, just whip the cream by itself.
- You can add some extra protein that your dog will love with cooked meat, just only add in moderation to keep the fat and calories down. Add some Cooked Bacon on the frosting like sprinkles, or make mini Meatballs to decorate like a beefy cherry on top instead of the mini milkbones.
Frequent Questions
Treat your furry friend to this healthy, pup-approved cake, but don’t go overboard! Stick to one pupcake per day to keep their tummy happy and their waistline in check. Check with your vet if your dog has a sensitive stomach or you are concerned about their existing health issues.
No, in general cupcake recipes made for humans are not safe for dogs to consume. They usually contain ingredients such as chocolate, raisins, and artificial sweeteners, all of which can be toxic to dogs. Additionally, regular cake recipes are often high in fat and added sugars, which can lead to obesity and other health issues for your dog.
This pupcake recipe can be eaten by humans, and is just as healthy. Keep in mind though, it will taste more like dense pumpkin peanut butter bread than peanut butter cake because it has no added sugar and only a little honey. If you want to treat guests with two legs as well as your four-legged guests, make sure to only add milk bones to the cupcakes you plan to give to dogs.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Dog Cupcakes (Pupcakes):
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup peanut butter , see note very important
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole wheat flour , regular okay too
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup carrot , shredded, use fine side of box grater
Dog Friendly Frosting:
- 2 cups whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1 cup peanut butter , see note very important
- 12 mini Milk Bone dog treats , for decoration
Instructions
Dog Cupcakes (Pupcakes):
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin tin with muffin liners.
- To a large mixing bowl add the pumpkin puree, peanut butter, honey and oil, whisking well until combined.
- Add in the egg and vanilla extract, whisking until smooth.
- Add in the whole wheat flour, baking soda and carrots, stirring until flour is just mixed in.
- Fill muffin liners ¾ full and bake for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before frosting.
Dog Friendly Frosting:
- In a large bowl whisk together Greek yogurt and peanut butter.
- Place into a piping bag.
- Pipe the frosting onto the pupcake and top with mini Milk Bone Treats.
- Keep refrigerated until serving or ice immediately before serving.
- Note: Please make sure your peanut butter does not include Xylitol, this is toxic to dogs.
Notes
Nutrition
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Variations
Veggies: Instead of pumpkin puree, you can substitute mashed sweet potatoes or canned sweet potato puree. Other dog safe veggies you can puree and swap for pumpkin include green beans, zucchini, beets, and white potatoes. You try shredded zucchini instead of carrots too.
Fruits: Fruits that are safe for dogs include apples, bananas, blueberries, watermelon, and pears. You can substitute unsweetened applesauce or mashed bananas for the vegetable oil. In the summer time, use watermelon puree for the honey. Instead of the carrots, you can add shredded pears or chopped blueberries, or do a combination of fruits and veggies.
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