Homemade Pumpkin Pupcakes (Dog Cupcakes Recipe) (2024)

Calling all dog people! I know you proudly throw birthday parties for your pooches. And what better way to celebrate than with thiseasy pumpkin pupcakerecipe with a two-ingredient peanut butter frosting? Cupcakes have gone to the dogs!

This post may include affiliate links.Please read mydisclosure policy.

Our little baby, Fritz, was turning two (it has been 6 years since I first wrote that!) and we planned a little picnic but April showers got the better of our plans. We moved the PAWTY indoors. See what I did there? Love a good puppy pun. Anyways, Fritz enjoyed sharing his dog-safe cupcakes with his friends.

And we made these DIY minty dog treats for party favors. Yea, we needed out big time.

What Are Pupcakes?

Pupcakes are just cupcakes for dogs!They're dog-friendly cupcakes made with only ingredients that are safe for our furry friends. These treats are the perfect way to celebrate your pup's birthday (or gotcha day!) and arealwaysa huge hit.

But if you want to make a cake try out my oat flour dog birthday cake recipe.

📖Why My Dogs Love These Pupcakes

• Plenty of Peanut Butter.I mean, have you ever heard of a dog not loving peanut butter?! We have it in both the cake and the frosting!
• Texture.These dog treats have just the right amount of moisture but are dense enough to entertain your puppy. Your pup will be begging for more!
• Natural Ingredients.While your dog may not know what's in the pupcakes, they will definitely appreciate that these tasty treats don't upset their stomach.

In addition to making these for my two dogs. I often make these for my foster dogs to celebrate their adoption day. All 15 dogs (yes- I have had 15 foster dogs in the last couple of years) have loved them.

🧾What Ingredients Do I Need for Pupcakes?

Flour-Use all-purpose or whole wheat flour. You can also use gluten-free flour blend (with xanthan gum) or rice plain rice flour plus ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum.

Pumpkin Puree-We used canned pumpkin or sweet potato puree. But if you have fresh but that works too.

Peanut Butter-You will need peanut butter for both the cake and the frosting. Do not substitute almond butter.Almond butter may cause intestinal distress in your dog, so I don't think it is worth the risk.

Egg- Just one egg to hold the cupcakes together.

Vegetable Oil-Another simple ingredient to hold the cake together and moisten it with a little fat. You could also substitute high-quality coconut oil.

Greek Yogurt- The yogurt is great for dogs because it has healthy fats and is loaded with probiotics. Cream cheese and blended cottage cheese are also safe substitutes. Most dogs can tolerate dairy just fine.

⏲️How to Make Cupcakes for Dogs

These homemade dog cupcakes come together so quickly!

Step 1-Prep the Muffin Tins

You can kip the cupcake liners and simply brush the muffin tins with vegetable oil. Or go ahead and use cupcake liners. Unlike regular cupcakes,

Don't forget to preheat the oven.

Step 2-Make the Batter

While the oven is preheating mix all the puppy cupcake batter ingredients together. You can even use a blender if that makes things easier. Fill the muffin cups half full, or slightly more.

Don't worry if the batter seems thick. Doggie cupcake recipes tend to be denser than the human kind.

Step 3- Bake

Bake the cupcakes until cooked through. Human rules apply, a clean toothpick means they are done. Turn the pupcakes out onto a wire rack to fully cool.

Step 4- Frost

Be sure to check the ingredients, both the yogurt and peanut butter need to be all-natural, without any sweetener.

While the pumpkin pupcakes are baking, mix together the yogurt and peanut butter. I find this is easiest when the peanut butter is at room temperature. You can also pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds to loosen it up.

How to Decorate Pupcakes

Once the puppy cupcakes have cooled, you can frost them, however, you would like—as simple or as fancy as you want! Slather the frosting on top, pipe it on using a piping bag, and top it off with mini dog biscuits...you can't go wrong.

But a few other toppings beyond the mini dog treats are chopped peanuts, bacon bits, or dried banana chips.

Warning: they are so tasty that your dog probably won't take the time to appreciate your hard decorating work.

🌡️Storing Leftovers

Leftover cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If unfrosted they will keep at room temperature.

More Homemade Dog Recipes

Frequently Asked Questions

Did You Enjoy Making This Recipe? Please rate this recipe with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ or leave a comment. It helps other wonderful people connect with my food.

📖 Recipe Card