Easy Dog Cupcakes
Easy dog cupcakes use on-hand ingredients, have no added sugar and can be made dairy free. They’re a great way to celebrate a birthday or just spoil your pup!
Yield: 6 large cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour (see notes)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 1 medium ripe banana, mashed
- ½ cup milk (see notes)
For the frosting:
- Peanut butter or whipped cream (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line a muffin tin with 6 cupcake liners and spray with cooking spray.
- Combine the flour and baking soda in a medium bowl and stir well.
- Add the egg, oil, peanut butter, mashed banana and milk and stir until just combined.
- Divide the batter between the six muffins - they will be full. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes, until set.
- Let cool completely then smear with peanut butter and serve to your dog!
Notes
Flour: I usually use whole wheat flour since I keep some on hand, but all purpose flour is just fine, too.
Peanut butter: There’s peanut butter in the cupcake batter and it’s also what I prefer to use as the frosting. You'll need 1-2 tablespoons to frost each cupcake.
Banana: The more ripe your banana, the better. It’ll mash easier and sweeten the cupcakes. (There is no other sweetener.) You can substitute ¼ to ⅓ cup of unsweetened applesauce in place of the banana if you prefer.
Milk: I tend to use soy milk to keep these dairy free. Another milk alternative, like oat milk or almond milk, would work, and skim milk is fine to use if you prefer.
Frosting: I love using peanut butter for the frosting and my dogs are big fans. You can also use whipped cream if you prefer.
Dairy: Most dogs are fine with a little bit of dairy in moderation. If yours is sensitive, or you’re not sure, just use a milk alternative in the batter and skip any whipped cream on top.
Mini cakes: I’ve baked this recipe in tiny loaf pans - they are about 5.75 x 3.25 - instead of muffin tins and that worked great, too. You’ll get 2 large or 3 small pans out of the recipe. You’ll also need to adjust the baking time, they take about 20-22 minutes to cook through.
I have not tested this, but I think you could probably also use a mini round cake pan, like a 6” one. Just keep an eye on the time and make sure the cake bakes through and a toothpick comes out clean.
Storage: Once cooled, store the cupcakes in a covered container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. You can also freeze the cupcakes. Wrap each one in a strip of aluminum foil, place them in a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 5-6 months. (Be sure to label and date your bag.) It helps to store these without the frosting, since that gets messy.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 204mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g
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