Birthdays just wouldn’t be the same without cake. But if you’re planning a celebration for your pup, pause before you pick up a bakery creation or whip up a boxed mix at home. These human treats are often loaded with ingredients – like sugar, chocolate or xylitol – that can be disastrous for a dog’s digestive system. Instead, stick a candle in a homemade “pupcake,” like this one, made with pure pumpkin puree, peanut butter, applesauce and oats. Your furry, four-legged family member will wish he could devour this tail-waggingly delicious dessert every day of the year.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
1/2 cup rolled oats, ground into a flour (or use oat flour)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup pure pumpkin purée
2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter*
1/4 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
1/2 tsp. non-alcoholic vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. baking powder
Frosting
1/4 cup plain dairy-free yogurt, such as unsweetened coconut yogurt
2 tbsp. plain peanut powder (not peanut butter)*
1/3 of a fresh, ripe banana
Optional: 1/4 tsp. non-alcoholic vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a small ramekin with non-stick spray; set aside ramekin.**
- In large bowl, combine ground oats and baking soda; stir well.
- In blender, combine applesauce, pumpkin purée, peanut butter, non-dairy milk and vanilla; process until creamy.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir well (mixture should be thick but incorporated).
- Scoop mixture into prepared ramekin and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and a fork comes out clean.
- Let cupcake completely before frosting (or place in freezer to cool or 20 minutes while frosting is made).
- To make frosting, combine all ingredients in small blender or food processor; pulse several times to whip thoroughly. (Note: The peanut powder will help thicken the mixture; do not use real peanut butter for best results. Frosting will be thick.)
- Remove cupcake from ramekin and frost. Add some non-toxic natural sprinkles if desired.
*If your dog has a peanut allergy, simply replace peanut butter in the cupcake recipe with cashew butter and replace peanut powder in the frosting recipe with coconut flour.
**If you don’t have a small ramekin, spray one or two cups in a muffin pan with non-stick spray or line them with paper liners instead. Muffin cups are slightly smaller than ramekins, so you’ll have some extra batter.