Peanut Butter and Carrot Pupcakes are a delicious treat made with carrots, peanut butter, and apple sauce topped with a peanut butter yogurt frosting. These beloved pupcakes feature dog friendly ingredients and are a delicious dessert for dog birthdays and celebrations.
While we love to cook food for people, we adore making treats for our dogs Peeps and Paisley. Whether it's an easy broth or a sweet treat, we truly enjoy how happy they get when we change up their everyday kibble diet. One of our favorite treats to make is Peanut Butter and Carrot Cupcakes for Dogs, aka pupcakes. These pupcakes are a healthy, dog-friendly spin on carrot cake and are great for celebrating any special dog day. From their birthday to just being them, there are endless reasons to celebrate.
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There are several reasons we love to make these pupcakes. First, they contain healthy dog friendly ingredients. They are also a great serving size, easy to transport, and are topped with a healthy Greek yogurt and peanut butter frosting. These peanut butter and carrot pupcakes are an excellent treat and will absolutely make your dog's day!
This recipe was inspired by our Carrot Cake with Chai Spiced Frosting, but is safe for dogs!
Pupcakes Ingredients
- Peanut butter - A healthy source of protein and vitamins B and E. Use a natural peanut butter to avoid any unnecessary additives or fillers. Most natural peanut butter brands do not contain Xylitol, an artificial sweetener that is unhealthy for dogs.
- Carrots - A great source of vitamin A, potassium, and fiber. They will also help clean your dog’s teeth.
- Apple sauce - A great source of fiber to help with your pup’s digestion.
- Vegetable oil - A light and mild oil great for baking.
- Whole wheat flour - Healthier for your dog than white flour. Its made by grinding whole wheat kernels so every part of the grain is used and the flour retains its full nutritional value.
- Baking powder - Contains both the base and acid needed for the pupcakes to rise.
- Honey - Known to soothe dog allergies and boost energy
- Eggs - Packed with protein and essential amino and fatty acids, vitamin A and B12, as well as folate, iron, selenium, and riboflavin. Eggs contribute to improved skin and coat health and stronger teeth and bones.
- Greek yogurt - The best base for the icing because it is low in lactose (which dogs have trouble digesting) and contains probiotics which are good for your dog’s gut health. Some recipes call for cream cheese, but we do not recommend this ingredient because it is high in lactose and can upset your dog's stomach.
How to Make Cupcakes for Dogs
- Heat the oven - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Make cupcake batter - In a large mixing bowl, mix peanut butter, oil, apple sauce, and honey. Mix in egg, then stir in flour and baking powder until just mixed. Fold in shredded carrots until well-mixed.
- Bake the cupcakes - Take a greased muffin pan and fill each muffin cup â…” full with cupcake batter. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and cool for 10-15 minutes. Once the muffins have cooled after a few minutes, remove the cakes from the muffin pan and cool on a wire rack.
- Make the icing - Using a clean bowl, whip Greek yogurt, peanut butter, and honey until well-mixed. Frost the cakes with the yogurt mixture and garnish with shredded carrots.
Variations
- Mini cupcakes - If you have a small dog, you can make mini cupcakes, just reduce the bake time to 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean.
- Plain pupcakes - Omit the greek yogurt frosting and make these pupcakes muffins for dogs.
- Dog bone biscuits - Add dog bone biscuits for decoration and an extra special treat.
Substitutions
- Banana - Replace apple sauce with 1 mashed banana for the cupcake batter.
- Pumpkin Puree - Replace apple sauce with ¾ cup pumpkin puree.
- Oil - Use sunflower seed oil if you prefer it to vegetable oil.
- Coconut flour - Coconut flour is a nutritious alternative to whole wheat flour and is gluten free (gluten can be problematic for some dogs). Its made ground coconut pulp and as a result is high in both plant proteins and fiber.
- Almond flour - Almond flour is also safe and healthy for dogs. It's higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates compared to whole wheat flour.
- Oat flour - Oat flour is made of ground oats. It's antioxidant rich, low in sugar, and gluten free.
FAQ
We don't recommend giving these pupcakes to your cat unless your vet approves. One of the main ingredients is peanut butter and that can cause your cat to have an upset stomach.
NO! Chocolate is toxic to dogs due to its theobromine content, which dogs are unable to metabolize effectively. Chocolate also contains caffeine, which can speed the heart rate of your dog.
Equipment
This pupcakes recipe requires common kitchen essentials. You need a measuring cup, measuring spoon, silicone baking spatula, mixing bowls, muffin pan, and wire rack.
How to Store Cupcakes for Dogs
Refrigerate these homemade dog treats in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them for up to to 3 months. If you freeze them, just remember to let them thaw before serving.
Top Tip
Watch serving sizes! For small to medium size dogs, we recommend giving your dog half of a cupcake per sitting or making mini cupcakes using a mini muffin tin. For reference, our fox terrier-shitzu (23 lbs) and our yorkshire terrier (17 lbs) share one full size cupcake per sitting. Large dogs can have a whole cupcake. Cut the pupcake in half or into smaller pieces if necessary for your dogs.
Did You Like this Recipe?
If you and your dog loved this pupcake recipe, check out our beef bone broth for a delicious and nutritious dinner for your pup.
Peanut Butter and Carrot Cupcakes for Dogs
Ingredients
Cupcakes/ Pupcakes
- ½ cup carrots shredded, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ¾ cup apple sauce
- ¼ vegetable oil
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 egg
Peanut Butter Yogurt Icing
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Heat the oven - Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Make cupcake batter - In a large mixing bowl, mix peanut butter, oil, apple sauce, and honey. Mix in egg, then stir in flour and baking powder until just mixed. Fold in shredded carrots until well-mixed.
- Bake the cupcakes - Take a greased muffin pan and fill each muffin cup â…” full with cupcake batter. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and cool for 10-15 minutes. Once the muffins have cooled after a few minutes, remove the cakes from the muffin pan and cool on a wire rack.
- Make the icing - Using a clean bowl, whip Greek yogurt, peanut butter, and honey until well-mixed. Frost the cakes with the yogurt mixture and garnish with shredded carrots.
Notes
Cut into bite-size pieces before serving!
Nutrition
Food safety
- Wash hands after touching raw eggs
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Kelly
Thanks, my pup loved this!