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    The Heirloom Pantry » Recipes » Sweets

    Peanut Butter and Carrot Cupcakes for Dogs (Pupcakes)

    Published: Dec 15, 2018 · Modified: Dec 18, 2023 by Kathleen Higashiyama · The following content may contain paid links. When you click and shop the links, we receive a commission.

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    Carrot and peanut butter pupcake Pinterest pin.

    Peanut Butter and Carrot Pupcakes are a delicious treat made with carrots, peanut butter, and Greek yogurt topped with a peanut butter yogurt frosting. These beloved pupcakes feature dog-friendly ingredients and are a delicious dessert for dog birthdays and celebrations.

    Yorkie licking yogurt frosting off of a carrot cake.

    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 tasty 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 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.

    Jump to:
    • Why Your Dog Will Love These Cupcakes
    • Key Ingredients
    • Variations
    • Substitutions
    • How to Make Pupcakes
    • FAQ
    • How to Store Cupcakes for Dogs
    • Top Tip
    • Did You Like this Recipe?
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why Your Dog Will Love These Cupcakes

    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!

    Key Ingredients

    Ingredients to make pupcakes, shredded carrots, natural peanut butter, honey, oat flour, egg, baking soda, baking powder, greek yogurt, dog biscuits.
    • 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.
    • Oat flour - Organic oat flour is made of ground oats and is another healthy alternative flour.
    • Baking powder and baking soda - 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, 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.

    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 yogurt with equal parts mashed banana for the cupcake batter.
    • Pumpkin Puree - Replace greek yogurt with 1 cup pumpkin puree.
    • Apple sauce - Substitute greek yogurt with unsweetened apple sauce or use half apple sauce, half yogurt.
    • Coconut flour - Coconut flour is a nutritious alternative to whole wheat flour and is gluten free (gluten can be problematic for some dogs).
    • Almond flour - Almond flour is also safe and healthy for dogs in moderation. It's higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates compared to whole wheat flour.

    How to Make Pupcakes

    Steps to make pupcakes, whisk egg, greek yogurt, peanut butter, honey; fold in carrots; fold in oat flour, baking soda, baking powder.
    • Heat the oven - Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a muffin pan or line with paper liners.
    • Make cupcake batter - In a large mixing bowl, whisk 1½ cup Greek yogurt, ½ cup natural peanut butter, 2 tablespoons honey, and 1 egg until combined. Fold in shredded carrots until combined. Finally, whisk in oat flour, baking powder, and baking soda until just combined. Do not over mix.
    Steps to make dog cakes, grease and flour or line muffin tin, add batter to muffin tin, bake.
    • Bake cupcakes - Fill each muffin cup â…” full with batter. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean and the internal temperature reaches 200°F.
    • Cool cupcakes - Remove the cupcakes from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Once the muffins have cooled after a few minutes, remove the cakes from the muffin pan and cool on a wire rack. The cupcakes will look a little craggily on top, but your dogs won’t mind.
    Steps to make pupcakes, whisk greek yogurt, peanut butter, honey to make frosting; frost pupcakes and place treat on top; serve to your dog.
    • Make the frosting - In a clean mixing bowl, whip ½ cup Greek yogurt, ¼ cup peanut butter, and 1 tablespoon honey until well-mixed.
    • Frost and decorate - Frost the cakes with the yogurt mixture and garnish with dog biscuits. Cut into appropriate bite-sized pieces for your pup!

    FAQ

    Can cats have pupcakes?

    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.

    Can you add chocolate to this recipe?

    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.

    Peeps the yorkie licking his lips before eating a cupcake.

    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.

    Sign up for THP's newsletter and keep in touch on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, and YouTube. If you make this pupcakes recipe, tag #theheirloompantry so we can see your homemade creation!

    📖 Recipe

    Peeps the yorkie licking the yogurt frosting off of a pupcake.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 7 votes

    Cupcakes for Dogs

    Peanut Butter and Carrot Pupcakes are a delicious treat made with carrots, peanut butter, and Greek yogurt topped with a peanut butter yogurt frosting. These beloved pupcakes feature dog friendly ingredients and are a delicious dessert for dog birthdays and celebrations.
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time20 minutes mins
    Total Time35 minutes mins
    Course: Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 9 pupcakes
    Calories: 241kcal
    Author: Kathleen Higashiyama

    Equipment

    • 1 measuring cup
    • 1 measuring spoon
    • 1 silicone baking spatula
    • 1 Mixing bowls
    • 1 muffin pan
    • 1 wire rack

    Ingredients 

    Pupcakes

    • 1½ cup Greek yogurt
    • ½ cup natural peanut butter DOG-SAFE, no additives
    • 2 tablespoon honey
    • 1 egg
    • 1 cup oat flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ cup carrots shredded plus more for garnish
    • 9 dog biscuits optional

    Peanut Butter Yogurt Frosting

    • ½ cup greek yogurt
    • ¼ cup peanut butter
    • 1 tablespoon honey
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Heat the oven - Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a muffin pan or line with paper liners.
    • Make cupcake batter - In a large mixing bowl, whisk 1½ cup Greek yogurt, ½ cup natural peanut butter, 2 tablespoons honey, and 1 egg until combined. Fold in shredded carrots until combined. Finally, whisk in oat flour, baking powder, and baking soda until just combined. Do not over mix.
      1½ cup Greek yogurt, ½ cup natural peanut butter, 2 tablespoon honey, 1 egg, 1 cup oat flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ cup carrots shredded, ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • Fill the muffin cups -  Grease and flour or line a muffin tin with foil liners. For taller muffins, add a liner to every other cavity. The extra space will allow the hot oven air to circulate, resulting in larger muffin domes. For smaller muffins, add a liner to each muffin pan cavity. Fill each muffin cup â…” full with batter.
    • Bake the cupcakes - Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean and the internal temperature reaches 200°F. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Once the muffins have cooled after a few minutes, remove the cakes from the muffin pan and cool on a wire rack. The cupcakes will look a little craggily on top, but your dogs won’t mind.
    • Make the frosting - In a clean mixing bowl, whip ½ cup Greek yogurt, ¼ cup peanut butter, and 1 tablespoon honey until well-mixed. Frost the cakes with the yogurt mixture and garnish with dog biscuits. Cut into appropriate bite-sized pieces for your pup!
      ½ cup greek yogurt, ¼ cup peanut butter, 1 tablespoon honey, 9 dog biscuits

    Video

    Notes

    Top Tips

    • Cut the cupcakes into small bite-sized pieces for your dog. While they are cute to serve whole, it’s safer to serve the cupcakes in small pieces.
    • Add a foil muffin liner to every other cavity. The extra space will allow the hot oven air to circulate, resulting in larger muffin domes. For smaller muffins, add a liner to each muffin pan cavity.
    Storage
    • 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 let them thaw before serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 231mg | Potassium: 267mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1216IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @theheirloompantry or tag #theheirloompantry!

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    About the Author

    Kat Higashiyama and Alec Totto are recipe developers, food photographers, and the authors behind The Heirloom Pantry. Since 2017, they have shared recipes inspired by their Japanese and Italian heritage and California and Hawaii roots. They reside in San Jose with their two dogs, Peeps and Paisley. Read More…

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kelly

      December 10, 2021 at 4:58 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks, my pup loved this!

      Reply
    5 from 7 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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    Alec and Kat with Paisley and Peeps on the beach

    We're Kat and Alec, the culinary duo behind The Heirloom Pantry, where family recipes from our Italian and Japanese heritage meet fresh California ingredients and Hawaiian sunshine. Our chef-tested dishes help you conquer weeknights and wow guests with effortless entertaining. Join us on this delicious journey – let's cook up confidence, together!

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