Dog cupcakes may seem like fancy treats saved for special occasions. However, they can be healthy snacks that you can make for your dog at any time of the year. Homemade dog cupcakes use natural ingredients, and you can control what goes inside them. This makes them a great alternative for dogs with sensitive stomachs.
Our collection of dog cupcake recipes is here to inspire and help you make some tasty treats that your dog will love. Many of the recipes use common pantry ingredients. So, you might even be able to bake a batch right away. As with all dog treats, make sure to give your dog appropriate servings based on their size, weight, and age. And check for food allergies prior to serving.
The 7 Dog Cupcake Recipes
1. Savory Birthday Cupcakes
Savory Birthday Cupcakes
Equipment
- Muffin tins
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Spatula
- Stand mixer
- Cheese grater
Ingredients
- 12 strips reduced-sodium uncured bacon
- 1½ pounds lean ground meat beef, turkey, or lamb
- 1 egg
- 2 large carrots shredded
- 1 apple shredded
- ¾ cup old-fashioned oats
- 16 ounces cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Dog treats optional topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Cut 1 inch from a bacon strip and place it on the bottom of each muffin cup. Line the sides of the muffin cup with the rest of the bacon strips.
- Use a cheese grater to shred the carrots and apples. Make sure to core the apple and remove the seeds before shredding.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the lean ground meat, egg, carrots, apple, and old-fashioned oats and mix until well combined.
- Scoop the mixture into the muffin cups. Press down firmly to remove gaps between the bacon and the mixture.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the meat has cooked thoroughly.
- To make the frosting, add the cream cheese, yogurt, and honey into a bowl and use a stand mixer to combine the ingredients fully.
- Let the cupcakes cool before topping them with the frosting.
- Decorate the cupcakes with dog treats.
Notes
2. Pumpkin Pupcakes
While these pumpkin pupcakes are perfect treats for the fall season, your dog will love eating them year-round. When shopping for ingredients, make sure to buy pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. This recipe doesn’t include added sugars, but it does contain molasses and honey. You can always cut down or omit these ingredients if you want to reduce the sugar content.
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Bake time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
- Servings: 7 cupcakes
- Difficulty: Easy
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- Muffin tins
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Stand mixer
- Spatula
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Combine pumpkin, molasses, honey, and egg in a mixing bowl.
- Combine baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and flour in another mixing bowl.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until fully mixed.
- Spray muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place ¼ cup of the batter into each muffin cup.
- Bake for 14–16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out cleanly.
- To make the frosting, combine the heavy whipping cream and peanut butter in a mixing bowl.
- Use a stand mixer to beat until stiff peaks form.
- Wait for the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
3. Blueberry Dog Cupcakes
This blueberry dog cupcake recipe is a healthy and tasty snack for dogs. It uses low-fat options, and each cupcake will be packed with nutritious blueberries. While fresh blueberries look the prettiest when decorating these cupcakes, frozen blueberries will also work just fine with this recipe.
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Bake time: 15 minutes
- Total time: 25 minutes
- Servings: 6 cupcakes
- Difficulty: Easy
- 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons ground dry dog kibble
- ⅓ and 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup low-fat milk
- ⅓ cup blueberries and extras for decorating
- 2 ounces light cream cheese
- Muffin tins
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Spatula
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the ground dog kibble, flour, and baking powder and mix until well combined.
- Add the honey, eggs, milk, and blueberries and mix until well combined.
- Spray the muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray and scoop even portions of the mixture into each muffin cup.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely.
- Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on each cupcake and top with a few blueberries.
4. Bacon Cheddar Pupcakes
This bacon cheddar pupcake recipe is another excellent treat for dogs that love savory foods. It contains a tasty blend of bacon crumbles and cheddar cheese and is topped with a cream cheese frosting. These cupcakes are very rich, so it’s best to bake them in mini muffin tins and serve them as bite-sized treats.
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Bake time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
- Servings: Mini cupcakes
- Difficulty: Easy
- 4 bacon slices
- 3 tablespoons of bacon grease
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- Mini muffin tins
- Frying pan
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Stand mixer
- Spatula
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cook bacon strips over the stovetop until crispy. Crumble into smaller pieces when cooled. Set aside.
- Save the remaining bacon grease in a bowl. Set aside.
- Combine the eggs, milk, and 3 tablespoons of bacon grease in a large bowl.
- Add flour, baking powder, bacon crumbles, and shredded cheese and mix until well combined.
- Spray the muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray.
- Pour the batter into each muffin cup until they’re ⅔
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before topping them with a layer of cream cheese.
5. Peanut Butter Pupcakes
These peanut butter pupcakes are made with the perfect combination of peanut butter and bananas. The recipe also includes instructions for making a unique dog-friendly frosting made with potatoes and yogurt.
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Bake time: 25 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
- Servings: 12 cupcakes
- Difficulty: Easy
- 2 ripe bananas
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter
- ⅓ cup and 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 eggs
- 1½ cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
- 2½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup oil (vegetable, canola, peanut, or olive oil)
- ¾ cup water
- 1 pound of potatoes
- ½ cup plain low-fat yogurt
- Muffin tins
- Frying pan
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Spatula
- Electric beater
- Peel and cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces.
- Place them into a large pot of water and bring them to a boil. Let them cook thoroughly (approximately 20 minutes).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F while you wait for the potatoes to boil.
- Place the bananas into a mixing bowl and mash until smooth.
- Add peanut butter, ⅓ cup of honey, and eggs and whisk until smooth.
- Add flour, baking powder, oil, and water and whisk until smooth.
- Spray the muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray. Fill each muffin cup with the batter until they’re ⅔ full.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes.
- Transfer to a cooling rack.
- Drain the pot of boiled potatoes.
- Add the yogurt and honey and 2 tablespoons of water. Mix with an electric beater until smooth and creamy. Add more water as needed.
- Top the cupcakes with frosting.
6. Banana Pumpkin Pupcakes With Frosting
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Bake time: 12 minutes
- Total time: 22 minutes
- Servings: 24 mini muffins
- Difficulty: Easy
- ½ cup ripe bananas (about 1½ bananas)
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
- ¼ rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ cup Greek yogurt
- 4 ounces low-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
- Extra coconut oil (for greasing muffin tins)
- Mini muffin tins
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Spatula
- Hand mixer
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease the muffin tins with coconut oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas and mix in the pumpkin puree, egg, and coconut oil until well combined.
- Stir in the flour, rolled oats, baking soda, and baking powder, and mix until well combined.
- Split the batter evenly in the muffin tins and bake for 12–14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- For the frosting, place the cream cheese in a medium bowl and mix it with a hand blender until softened.
- Add the Greek yogurt and maple syrup and blend for 1 minute.
- Top the cupcakes with the frosting once they’re completely cooled.
7. No-Bake Pupcakes
You’ll be able to serve your dog a tasty cupcake in no time at all with this easy no-bake recipe. It also uses common pantry ingredients, so you just might be able to whip up a batch and have treats ready for your dog right away.
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 12 minutes
- Total time: 27 minutes
- Servings: 4 cupcakes
- Difficulty: Easy
- 4 tablespoons oats
- 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- 1 egg or flax egg
- 3–4 tablespoons applesauce
- 2 tablespoons dairy-free yogurt
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
- Blueberries
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Spatula
- Microwave-safe cupcake molds
- Microwave
- In a mixing bowl, add oats, applesauce, peanut butter, and egg and mix well.
- Scoop even portions of the batter into the cupcake molds.
- Microwave on high for 90 seconds.
- For the frosting, add the dairy-free yogurt and cream cheese in a mixing bowl and mix until a creamy texture forms.
- Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, top them with the frosting and blueberries.
Final Thoughts
With just a few ingredients, you can make some tasty treats that will make your dog feel special and loved. You can also add more nutritional value to these recipes by adding pieces of fruit or vegetables. If you want to adjust fat content, opt for low-fat varieties such as cream cheese, yogurt, and peanut butter. Just make sure to give these cupcakes to your dog in moderation because your dog won’t be able to resist eating more.
See Also:
- 8 Dog Birthday Cookie Recipes to Treat Your Pup With
- 6 Homemade Dog Cake Recipes: Vet-Reviewed Nutritious Options
Featured Image Credit: Wiktory, Shutterstock
The 7 Dog Cupcake Recipes
