Calling all dog people! I know you proudly throw birthday parties for your pooches. And what better way to celebrate than with this easy pumpkin pupcake recipe with a two-ingredient peanut butter frosting? Cupcakes have gone to the dogs!
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Our little baby, Fritz, was turning two (it has been 6 years since I first wrote that!) and we planned a little picnic but April showers got the better of our plans. We moved the PAWTY indoors. See what I did there? Love a good puppy pun. Anyways, Fritz enjoyed sharing his dog-safe cupcakes with his friends.
And we made these DIY minty dog treats for party favors. Yea, we needed out big time.
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What Are Pupcakes?
Pupcakes are just cupcakes for dogs! They're dog-friendly cupcakes made with only ingredients that are safe for our furry friends. These treats are the perfect way to celebrate your pup's birthday (or gotcha day!) and are always a huge hit.
But if you want to make a cake try out my oat flour dog birthday cake recipe.
📖Why My Dogs Love These Pupcakes
- Plenty of Peanut Butter. I mean, have you ever heard of a dog not loving peanut butter?! We have it in both the cake and the frosting!
- Texture. These dog treats have just the right amount of moisture but are dense enough to entertain your puppy. Your pup will be begging for more!
- Natural Ingredients. While your dog may not know what's in the pupcakes, they will definitely appreciate that these tasty treats don't upset their stomach.
In addition to making these for my two dogs. I often make these for my foster dogs to celebrate their adoption day. All 15 dogs (yes- I have had 15 foster dogs in the last couple of years) have loved them.
🧾What Ingredients Do I Need for Pupcakes?
- Flour- Use all-purpose or whole wheat flour. You can also use gluten-free flour blend (with xanthan gum) or rice plain rice flour plus ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum.
- Pumpkin Puree- We used canned pumpkin or sweet potato puree. But if you have fresh but that works too.
- Peanut Butter- You will need peanut butter for both the cake and the frosting. Do not substitute almond butter. Almond butter may cause intestinal distress in your dog, so I don't think it is worth the risk.
- Egg- Just one egg to hold the cupcakes together.
- Vegetable Oil- Another simple ingredient to hold the cake together and moisten it with a little fat. You could also substitute high-quality coconut oil.
- Greek Yogurt- The yogurt is great for dogs because it has healthy fats and is loaded with probiotics. Cream cheese and blended cottage cheese are also safe substitutes. Most dogs can tolerate dairy just fine.
⏲️How to Make Cupcakes for Dogs
These homemade dog cupcakes come together so quickly!
Step 1-Prep the Muffin Tins
You can kip the cupcake liners and simply brush the muffin tins with vegetable oil. Or go ahead and use cupcake liners. Unlike regular cupcakes,
Don't forget to preheat the oven.
Step 2-Make the Batter
While the oven is preheating mix all the puppy cupcake batter ingredients together. You can even use a blender if that makes things easier. Fill the muffin cups half full, or slightly more.
Don't worry if the batter seems thick. Doggie cupcake recipes tend to be denser than the human kind.
Step 3- Bake
Bake the cupcakes until cooked through. Human rules apply, a clean toothpick means they are done. Turn the pupcakes out onto a wire rack to fully cool.
Step 4- Frost
Be sure to check the ingredients, both the yogurt and peanut butter need to be all-natural, without any sweetener.
While the pumpkin pupcakes are baking, mix together the yogurt and peanut butter. I find this is easiest when the peanut butter is at room temperature. You can also pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds to loosen it up.
How to Decorate Pupcakes
Once the puppy cupcakes have cooled, you can frost them, however, you would like—as simple or as fancy as you want! Slather the frosting on top, pipe it on using a piping bag, and top it off with mini dog biscuits...you can't go wrong.
But a few other toppings beyond the mini dog treats are chopped peanuts, bacon bits, or dried banana chips.
Warning: they are so tasty that your dog probably won't take the time to appreciate your hard decorating work.
Expert Tip
If your dog is lactose intolerant or has a sensitive stomach you can substitute the Greek yogurt for another mashed banana or pumpkin puree. It will be harder to decorate the cake beyond a typical frosting (i.e. pretty designs).
🌡️Storing Leftovers
Leftover cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If unfrosted they will keep at room temperature.
More Homemade Dog Recipes
Common Recipe Questions
Yes! These homemade dog treats are made with all natural ingredients. So, not only will your fur baby love them, but they're safe to eat and your pup is getting a boost of nutrition too!
Most peanut butters are safe for dogs to eat. However, some processed, low sugar nut butters can contain Xylitol, which is definitely not safe for your pup. To avoid any risk of unhealthy, unnatural added ingredients, I stick to all-natural, no sugar added peanut butter for this recipe.
Definitely! Mini pupcakes are a great way to make these delicious cakes into smaller, bite-sized treats. To adjust the recipe for mini pupcakes, simply lower the baking time to 10-15 minutes instead of the 25 listed.
The oven temperature should remain at 350ºF. I recommend checking at 10, then adding time as needed. When a toothpick comes out of the center clean, they're done!
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📖 Recipe Card
Pumpkin Pupcakes (Recipe for Dog Cupcakes)
Ingredients
Dog Cupcake Batter
- 1 cup gluten free flour blend or plain brown rice flour or all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup peanut butter, all-natural use natural, no sugar added
- 1 egg, beaten
- ⅛ cup vegetable oil plus more for cake pan
Dog Safe Frosting
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- ¼ cup peanut butter, all-natural
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, add baking soda into flour. Add remaining ingredients and mix until combined.1 cup gluten free flour blend, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ cup pumpkin puree, ½ cup peanut butter, all-natural, 1 egg, beaten
- Brush oil inside the cupcake tin, or use cupcake liners. Fill each cupcake half full with batter. Place in oven and bake 25 minutes or until done. Turning halfway through baking. Allow to cool thoroughly before frosting.⅛ cup vegetable oil
Dog Safe Frosting
- Mix yogurt and peanut butter until well combined. Frost pupcakes once cooled.½ cup greek yogurt, ¼ cup peanut butter, all-natural
Notes
- Pumpkin pupcakes will keep for 4 to 5 days if placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Adjust the serving size according to your dog's weight. For more information on dog treat serving sizes please refer to our Dog Birthday Cake post.
Sheri says
Can these be frozen before frosted? Then frosted after thawed.
Jen Wooster says
I haven't tested it but you should be able to store in a freezer bag for a few months.
Courtney says
Easy to make and dogs loved them!
Jen Wooster says
We love happy dogs!
Anita says
I make this in a heart shaped cake pan for all of our canine celebrations!
Jen says
Awww I love this!
Jane says
Seems like it would be good. I might try it too