Peanut Butter Pupcakes
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
Dog-friendly cupcakes! These homemade pupcakes are so easy to make with pumpkin puree, applesauce, carrots, and a peanut butter frosting!
Featured Comment
Made these for my pups 2nd birthday and they were a huge hit! Super simple to make and apparently super tasty. His doggie friends were fighting over them!!
Why you’ll love these peanut butter pupcakes
- Uses dog-safe ingredients. Celebrate that milestone with your pup, whether it’s their birthday or gotcha-day, with these easy homemade pupcakes using dog-friendly ingredients and avoiding harmful sugars, fats, and artificial additives.
- Budget-friendly. There’s no need for a specialty dog bakery! Making a small batch of dog cupcakes at home is incredibly cost-effective using pantry staples such as flour, oats, pumpkin puree, and applesauce.
- Allows for complete customization. This recipe can easily be tweaked and adapted to be made grain-free or dairy-free to suit your pup’s dietary restrictions.
What is a pupcake?
A pupcake is a cupcake treat specifically for pups made with wholesome, dog-friendly ingredients such as whole wheat flour, pumpkin, applesauce, and peanut butter.
How to make dog-friendly cupcakes
- Prep the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease with nonstick spray.
- Combine. Combine the whole wheat flour, old fashioned oats, baking powder, pumpkin puree, applesauce, vegetable oil, eggs, and carrots.
- Bake. Transfer the batter into the muffin pan, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Pro tip: use a large cookie scoop to scoop the batter into each well to ensure a consistent size and even baking for each pupcake.
- Let cool. Let the pupcakes cool completely on a wire rack prior to frosting.
- Make the frosting. While the pupcakes cool, combine the room temperature cream cheese and xylitol-free peanut butter until smooth.
- Frost. Pipe, dollop, or spread the frosting on the tops of the cupcakes, garnishing with a mini dog biscuit (ex. Milk-Bone) or desired topping below.
Topping ideas
- Mini dog biscuits
- Turkey bacon crumbles
- Shredded carrots
- Banana slices
- Blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries
- Jerky or training treats
Tools For This Recipe
Peanut Butter Pupcakes: Frequently Asked Questions
How can I easily transfer the batter to the muffin pan?
A large cookie scoop should work very well here without making a mess.
What kind of peanut butter is best for dogs?
Use a natural unsalted peanut butter that does not contain artificial sweeteners such as xylitol (which is toxic to dogs).
What can I substitute for the peanut butter frosting?
Plain, low-fat Greek yogurt, whipped cream, or mashed sweet potatoes are all excellent substitutes.
How long do pupcakes keep?
Pupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Can I freeze these?
The pupcakes can be frozen, without the frosting, for up to 2 months.
Peanut Butter Pupcakes
Dog-friendly cupcakes! These homemade pupcakes are so easy to make with pumpkin puree, applesauce, carrots, and a peanut butter frosting!
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup old fashioned oats
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 carrots, peeled and shredded
For the frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 6 Milk-Bone biscuits, small
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with 6 paper liners; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, pumpkin, applesauce, vegetable oil, eggs and carrots.
- Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin tray. Place into oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
For the frosting
- In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and peanut butter.
- Use a small offset spatula or a pastry bag fitted with decorative tip #1M to frost the cupcakes, garnished with Milk-Bone, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
- Use a large cookie scoop. Using a small cookie scoop is a convenient way to transfer the batter to the mini muffin tin with ease and less mess.
- Fill 3/4 full. Fill each cavity in the muffin pan about 3/4 full to give the batter room to rise without spilling over the edges.
- Make them mini. Use a mini muffin pan instead, reducing the bake time to 8-12 minutes and yielding 12 mini dog cupcakes.
- Use dog-friendly natural peanut butter. Always check the label to ensure that the peanut butter does not contain any added sugars or artificial additives such as xylitol, an artificial sweetener that is extremely toxic to pups.
- Treat in moderation. Treats, including these homemade pupcakes, should make up no more than 10% of your dog’s total daily calories.
- Freeze without the frosting. The cupcake base is very freezer-friendly, keeping in the freezer for at least 2 months.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
I’m adopting a greyhound tomorrow and today was his birthday so I wanted to make him a special treat. I only had chunky peanut butter so the frosting was a little thick. I added a tiny pit of water and maple syrup and it did the trick. These came out perfect!! Thank you!!
Do I need pumpkin, if so what can I use to replace it other than bananas
Made these for my mini Poodle’s first birthday. She can be picky so I wasn’t sure what her reaction was going to be, but she gobbled it up! I made mini cupcakes instead because a full-sized cupcake would be like a meal to her and got 20 cupcakes. Will definitely save this recipe for the future!
I made these for my pup’s birthday and they were a huge hit. SO easy to make and I love being able to know exactly what’s in the food I’m giving to my dog. The recipe says it makes 6 pupcakes but it actually makes 12, the video also shows 12. I doubled the recipe because I wanted 12 but ended up with 24, luckily they seem like they will be easy to freeze!
I made 6 from this recipe. They were pretty big – shaped like muffins with a domed top.
I was wondering if I don’t have to use applesauce?
How many pupcakes will this make.
It says 6.
Do you need to keep theses if a fridge
Yes, because of the cream cheese, they would need to be kept in the fridge or, even, the freezer for later use.
4 ounces seems like a lot for the cream cheese. Is there any way I can maybe do 2 ounces instead?
Absolutely ADORABLE! I made them for my girl Addison! They turned out perfectly! She thought that they were DELICIOUS!! Thank you for the recipe!
Laurie
Update: OMG, Lexi and Toby loved them! Lexi literally licked the plate clean. We froze the other 4 and Lexi kept pacing in front of the freezer looking for more.
Made these for my doggos first birthday.. batter was a hit and the pupcakes are awesome. Turned out super cute with heart shaped dog cookies on top. thank you for the great recipe!
This recipe is awesome my dogs loved it mine did take a lot longer than the recipe said but still looked and smelt amazing my doggie gobbled them up and had a great birthday ten out of ten would bake again
I just made these for my goldendoodle’s birthday. They just came out of the over and look and smell great. I can’t wait to give her one. I didn’t have whole wheat flour so I used all purpose. Baking time was a little longer (extra 5-7 minutes). I will give her one and share the others with her play date friends. Thanks for the recipe!
can steal cut oats be used in place of the old fashioned oats?
Yes, steel cut oats can be substituted. You can expect a slight difference in texture and flavor but it’ll still be tasty to your pup all the same! 🙂
I made them for my dogs 15th birthday. Her and my younger dog loved them and were begging, barking and jumping for more than one!
What kind of dog do u have? I have a 15 and a half year old peekapoo (Today’s his half bday)
How long is the shelf life for these treats? Without being refrigerated.
Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with. Hope that helps, Linda!
This was a simple easy recipe and our dogs loved them
Even our older picky guy. My Bernese mountain dog was paciyall day waiting for these cupcakes l. Will definitely make again!
I made these for our dogs gotcha day celebration. I used gluten-free flour and they needed to bake 25-28 minutes. Excellent recipe and my dog devoured them!
My Fiancé and I were looking for something special for our Goldendoodles first birthday when I found this recipe, she is a super picky eater but devoured a full sized one of these in seconds! Super stoked on this recipe, thanks!
Made these for my pups birthday. Both dogs absolutely loved them! Super easy to make and healthy ingredients make for an easy on the belly treat.
My puppy, Max, is OBSESSED with these Pupcakes. He licked the bowl from the batter and kept walking to the kitchen and barking at the Pupcakes as they cooled…he’s never done that for any other treat. I was able to make 24 from the recipe (I doubled up the frosting) and I shared with the neighbors and coworkers.
Everyone loved them!
That is too cute! Thanks so much for sharing with us, Amanda!
Made these for my boy, Brock for an Easter treat and he loved them! Of course he insisted on licking the batter and frosting bowls clean.
Baking time took longer than stated but that could have been my fault as I had made a double batch for 12 cupcakes and I forgot to remove lower oven rack which was lined with foil and moving rack to a higher baking position may have helped.
Frosting was a breeze. Mixed easily once cream cheese was warm.
Bottom line prep is very easy. Baking time may need to be adjusted. This treat is 100% Brock approved.