This is a No Applesauce Dog Cupcakes recipe. These pupcakes are topped with plain whipped cream and garnished with grated carrot and sliced blueberries.
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When I was hunting for a pupcakes recipe, most of them called for applesauce, which I did not have on hand and was not willing to make a trip to the store, hence these were born! This recipe was inspired by Love From The Oven.
Every year, I celebrate my pup, Murphy, with something a little extra special on his birthday. This year, it’s pupcakes that are just as small and cute as he is. In the mood for human cupcakes? Try my Fruit Flower Cupcakes.
Ingredients
This recipe uses dog-safe ingredients for my pup, but you should always check with your vet to make sure these foods work for your dog.
- whole wheat or all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- olive oil
- natural peanut butter
- banana
- pumpkin puree
- egg
- heavy whipping cream
- blueberries
- carrots
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here’s how to prepare the pupcakes:
Whisk together the dry ingredients.
Whisk together the wet ingredients and add them to the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
Use a small cookie scoop to fill a greased 24-cavity mini cupcake pan.
Remove baked pupcakes to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Good to know: Make sure all ingredients are room temperature for easier mixing.
Substitutions
Here are some easy ingredient swaps in case you don’t have one of my ingredients on hand:
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- No banana — In case you’re not here because you don’t have applesauce, you CAN use unsweetened applesauce in place of the mashed banana. If you don’t have applesauce or bananas you can use greek yogurt or more pumpkin puree.
- No pumpkin — use roasted and mashed sweet potato instead.
- No olive oil — Consider sunflower oil instead, but check with your vet first.
Variations
Here’s how to customize these dog cupcakes to your pup's liking:
- Apples — Garnish with fresh apple pieces. Murphy’s favorite fruit is actually apple, I just did not have any on hand!
- Bananas — If your dog really loves bananas, garnish with more bananas on top.
- Greek yogurt — use greek yogurt mixed with peanut butter instead of whipped cream on top.
Do you have any other variation suggestions? Let me know in the comments!
Equipment
I used a 24-cavity mini cupcake tin, because my dog is 9 lb. But you could also use a regular 12-cavity muffin tin.
I used a small cookie scoop to fill the cavities in my cupcake tin. It was the perfect amount of batter.
Storage
Store baked unfrosted cupcakes at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Store frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Store baked unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the freezer for 3 months.
Top tip
Always check with your vet to ensure ingredients are safe for your pet!
Lastly, if you make these No Applesauce Dog Cupcakes be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating. I love to see when people make my recipes, so please tag me @youthsweets on Instagram if you post!
📖 Recipe
No Applesauce Dog Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour (120g)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup olive oil*
- ¼ cup natural peanut butter****
- ½ cup banana mashed (1 medium banana, 110g)
- ½ cup pumpkin puree (120g)
- 1 large egg
Frosting
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream**
- ¼ cup blueberries***
- ¼ cup shredded carrots
Instructions
Make the cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, peanut butter, mashed banana, pumpkin puree and egg.
- Add the whisked wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Fold together until combined.
- Spoon or use a small cookie scoop to fill a greased muffin tin. I used a 24-cavity mini cupcake tin, because my dog is 9 lb. But you could also use a regular 12-cavity muffin tin.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Make the frosting
- Whip the heavy cream on high until stiff peaks form. Spoon or pipe onto cupcakes. Garnish with blueberries and carrots, if desired.
Notes
**check with your vet if your pup can have heavy whipping cream or substitute peanut butter or greek yogurt.
***I like to cut my blueberries in half. Murphy sometimes doesn’t think blueberries are edible if they are not cut in half. He will just play with the whole berry. I also think there is less of a choking hazard for small dogs if the berries are cut in half.
****only use natural peanut butter without xylitol. Xylitol is toxic to dogs.
