What do you bake for the ultimate puppy birthday party for your pooch? Pupcakes, of course! These tasty treats are safe for your dog to eat and feature 2 canine flavour favourites – peanut butter and banana.
I still cannot believe my gorgeous golden retriever is 1 year old! Happy Birthday Maggie! I wanted to throw her a little party for being such a good girl (most of the time) and I started recipe testing some dog friendly cupcake ideas. She was eager to help taste test.
The easy part was what flavour to make these pupcakes – 2 of her favourite things to eat in the world is peanut butter and bananas. And fortunately both of these treats are safe for pups. Although please double check the ingredient list on your peanut butter – some brands use the artificial sweetener Xylitol which is toxic to dogs.
This recipe is also fine for humans to eat if you’d like to share one with your furry friend, but I must warn you, without sugar they are pretty unexciting. I will be sharing a delicious human-friendly peanut butter cupcake recipe on the blog soon, so keep your eye out for that!
This recipe produces only a small batch of pupcakes, as too many of these surely can’t be great on your pup’s digestion. I ended up getting 3 large size cupcakes and 5 mini cupcakes out of it. But if you’re having a big party of pooches, you can easily double the recipe.
Buttercream is the standard topping for cupcakes, but no dog needs to eat that amount of sugar and butter! Instead I made a mix of cream cheese and smooth peanut butter, and added in some mashed banana for sweetness. It actually tasted quite nice and I may have licked my fingers a few times. Whilst this pup-friendly frosting isn’t as thick and creamy as standard buttercream frosting, it does pipe onto the cupcakes beautifully.
Dear Maggie was very patient whilst I set up the pupcake scene to photograph. She gave up eating her breakfast halfway through to wander over and investigate what all the peanut butter and banana smells were about!
She obediently donned a birthday hat (it’s a party after all!) and I offered her a mini pupcake. Her mouth opened and she snatched the entire thing in one bite. I quickly had to shove my hand inside her mouth to retrieve the cupcake wrapper so my tip is to remove the liner before offering them to pooch (lesson learnt!)
She was soon sniffing around the table again and this time went for one of the big pupcakes. She LOVED the peanut butter and banana frosting so much. What a cutie! 
Ingredients
Peanut Butter and Banana Pupcakes
- 1/2 cup plain flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 medium banana mashed
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp water
Peanut Butter and Banana Frosting
- 120 g cream cheese
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 mashed banana
Instructions
Peanut Butter and Banana Pupcakes
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Line your muffin tin with cupcake papers - I did a combination of mini and full cupcakes.
- Sift together flour and baking powder; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the peanut butter, mashed banana, egg, and water until combined.
- Stir in the flour mixture, and mix until smooth. Scoop into muffin pans.
- Bake mini cupcakes for 8-10 mins and the big cupcakes for 15-20 mins.
Peanut Butter and Banana Frosting
- Cream the peanut butter and cream cheese together..
- Add in the mashed banana and continue mixing for 2 minutes until well mixed (please note this won't be as light and fluffy as normal buttercream with sugar).
- Spoon icing into a piping bag and pipe swirls onto the cooled cupcakes.
- Enjoy with your pooch!
Notes
This recipe makes enough for 3 large cupcakes and 5 mini cupcakes.
I hope your dog enjoys this recipe as much as Maggie did, and if you make these for your pup I’d love to see!
86 Comments
This was very easy to make. My dogs loved them. I like baking my dogs treats as I can control what they are eating better than purchased treats. I will be making these for them often. Thanks for sharing.
I am so glad your dogs loved them!!
Can I use all purpose flour instead of plain flour?
Hi Adriana, yes all purpose flour is the same as plain flour :)
Is there an alternative flour instead of plain flour that I may use, please and thankyou
You can definitely try gluten free flour or coconut flour but would have to experiment with amounts
Can I make it without bananas
The banana is required for moisture and sweetness for both the cupcake and icing, sorry!
Hi! I just want to be sure… it is okay/ safe to use the plain flour, baking powder, and cream cheese?
Yes they are all safe for dogs :)
So in the ingredients you say baking soda but then in the instructions you say baking powder… Can you clarify please. I assumed baking powder. Also, I’m not sure what size mini muffins are where you are but I ended up tripling the recipe because of the yield and so far I have 24 mini muffins and could probably make another 48!
Thanks for bringing that to my attention, you are correct baking powder is right. I have amended the recipe :)
I don’t know if it was just me but the cupcake 🧁 came out gooey and I was really disappointed 😔
Did you bake it at the suggested time and temperature? If it’s gooey it’s undercooked
I will bake these for the RSPCA Cupcake day my day mine my not be hosted on the same day as the nation wide one but it is always within the month of August for the last 2 years i have been making cupcakes for my human customers to eat and untill i found this recipe i forgot that there are dog friendly recipes too.
thank you it will help raise more money this year than my last 2 did and its more than just cupcakes it anything thats sold to help the RSPCA do what they do everyday , i dont work for the RSPCA I’m just a 25 year old resident who cleans retirement homes and hospitals for a living as well as wanting to to help everyone and everything i can everyday and i can’t help them personally I direct them or take them to someone who can with this i receipe added to my many other home cook foods i know that more people will come to my stall and buy them i will be able to give back all the help and support i have received in many ways over the years or wished i could have done better, everyone can make a difference if we choose to give hope and help to those who on some occasions can’t do themselves every little bit helps from leftover food, blankets and pollows for the homless or even helping them get thier life back mabey not the way it was but better than what it currently is or sometimes something as simple as taking the time to just listen to them because sometimes a listening ear is all they need to find peace in thier life or helpful advice from a stranger or potential friend one time at work i was cleaning a residence room she had severe dementia she would have been 110 this year when i first cleaned her room i had only started a few days before and i knew enough to know she didn’t know who i was or who she was any more but she could remember how she helped as a medical doctor in both world wars she was a teenager in the first but she did what she could, i remember when i walked in she called out a name that wasn’t mine and asked to talk to me i didn’t bother to try to say i wasn’t who she thought i was i just listened to her stories every day as i cleaned her room untill recently when i went to her room yesterday it was no longer hers, she had no other living relatives by boss asked for me in the afternoon and they told me that her last known request before she died was to talk to the person she thought i was saying they cleaned her room every day i found out that the name she called out when i first met her was her bestfriend and colleague back in WW1 they where a cleaner who also loved to listen as i was the only one who cleaned her room my boss knew she was asking for me and thanked me for making her final years a little brighter as before i started she would look upset and frustrated that she needed someone else to feed her as she had forgotten how but the day i started working with her cleaning her room and just listening as i cleaned she had started to smile again for the first time in years and until today they never knew why my boss wants me to speak at her funeral this weekend i said i would be honored they also said that it will be held at one of my other clening locations and that all able residents and staff will be attending even if its their day off i know i will say on the day I’m just glad i gave her peace my only regret was not being there to talk and clean the moment she had asked for me as i was on my lunch break at the time and her room was my first afterwards so thank yiu again for the recipe and i hope you continue to help others i really dose make a huge difference
Sounds great- thanks!
I’m going to give it a try this weekend as a 2 layered cake for my pup’s birthday. Hopefully doubling the recipe will work well :)
Your Maggie is just beautiful!!!
Oh wow, a 2 layered cake is a great idea. Hope your pooch loves it!
Hi Meg. How long did you bake the cakes for. I’d like to try a double tier cake for my dogs birthday x
I would check the tiers at 15-20 mins Debbie
inspirational, hello nice job, i tried it and it looks good,
Glad you liked it!
Is it edible for humans
Yes it is! Just not very tasty ;) My suggested Peanut Butter Cupcakes for humans is here https://loveswah.com/2018/09/peanut-butter-chocolate-cupcakes/
How do you know when they are done. Is 180 correct because they did not seem to get done.
It says C. If you work with F then it’s 350-360. I almost undercooked mine because I didnt see C…💔
This recipe looks great I’m excited to try it. My dog turns 6 this month so this recipe will be perfect.
Just a quick question.. is the egg safe to eat for dogs? I’m always cautious when giving them food that contains eggs… so is this still okay?
Yes eggs are very safe for dogs (unless they have an allergy) and I actually give mine raw eggs now and then for a shiny coat :)
Forgot to mention, after we made her batter and put in cupcakes, I added a tablespoon of sugar to the rest of batter for the rest of us. Was wonderful! Tasted like banana bread with a little peanut butter. LOVED
Oh such a brilliant idea Cathy!!
Our dog loved them!!!
So glad to hear!
I think it is amazing I just had some of the frosting left over so I made little dollops and freeze them for later for a cold treat.
What a brilliant idea! Thanks for sharing
Hi, I was just wondering how long the muffins would keep for after they’ve been made? And would you recommend putting them in the fridge?
Hello, they will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container. I keep mine on the benchtop unless it’s summer
My dogs absolutely loved them! Thanks for the recipe!
Oh wonderful, this makes me so happy!
Omg! My 10 yr old daughter and I made these today for our 13yr old dachshund’s birthday and the whole family LOVED them! When I put the mini cupcake in my dachshund’s bowl, she literally put the whole thing in her mouth and swallowed it!😳 Absolutely LOVE this recipe!! This was the 1st time we baked her a treat. Thank you so much!!
You are very welcome, so glad your pooch loved them!
Is the recipe right? You only bake at 180 degrees? When I tried it, they came out more like mush than like a cupcake. Not sure I can remove them from the liners I used.
Hi Marcy, they are baked at 180 degrees celsius (I am in Australia and we use the metric system). That would convert to 400F
Love love LOVE this recipe! Thank you for helping me make the best pupcakes EVER! I have one question: which piping tip did you use to get the perfectly swirled frosting? Thank you!
You are very welcome Megan! I used an open star tip to pipe them :)
Hey I’m thinking of making these as treat for family and friends dogs and wanted to ask is the quantaty 6 or 3 for the big ones as in the main part it says 6 but in the little note area it says 3 and 5 mini so I’m confused about that just want to know as I need to know how many times I need to double the recipe to get enough so each dog gets one I’ll be making big ones please get back to me soon as I plan to make them on August 13th I live in Australia so the 13 will be the second Friday in August
I’m excited to try this recipe. It’s my 2-yo husky’s birthday today. There are lots of recipes on-line, but I chose yours because you didn’t add sugar (honey, etc.) and I can leave the dairy off the frosting if I want to. (Not all dogs handle dairy well.)
Thank you for sharing your work. (There’s something wrong with the rating application. I was unable to give 5 stars…??)
Thanks for your feedback Erin and I hope your husky loved it! Not sure why the rating won’t let you score 5 stars, how frustrating!
My doggo turned 11 today and whenever I would moves the cupcake plate she would STARE ME DOWN I made 12 minis out of this she loved them! So easy too!
Haha! Don’t touch my pupcakes, Mum!!!
Going to make this for my vizsla’s 3rd birthday! Could I substitute coconut flour? Thanks :)
Yes definitely give it a go. The rule of thumb is to substitute only 20 percent of coconut for wheat flour. Good luck!
Oh Maggie is just perfect looking 😍
I’ve got 3 golden retrievers and all birthdays are coming up I’m sure to make these cupcakes
Thanks for the recipe
3!! I am so jealous. Enjoy!
Hi, thank you so much for this recipe! I made them for my chihuahua’s 7th birthday. I was wondering if I was able to freeze them and for how long.
Hi Mariah, you can freeze the pupcakes for up to 3 months, just make sure they are sealed well (I recommend 2 layers of cling wrap and 1 layer of foil)
I’m going to make these for my Boston terrier’s first birthday today. I have a dog bone shaped mold so I’m going to try doubling the recipe. Can’t wait to see how it turns out!
That is a great idea Lori!!
These were easy to make and my dog loved them. I made them for his first birthday and he wolfed it down. I would share a photo but there’s no place to post it. Birthday Boy is begging for more. Lol.
Oh wonderful!! So glad he liked them :) Feel free to tag me on Instagram to share the pics @loveswah
I love this recipe, I make it all the time for my grand doggy. It always makes 12 mini cupcakes for me and the topping is way too much, it can be cut in half or as one person suggested freeze for a treat later. Thank you so much for such a simple, tasty, healthy doggy treat.
Yes great idea to freeze the leftover icing for a treat later!
Hi! Great recipe. I just decorated 12 mini pupcakes but it was far too much icing. I’m sure it won’t go to waste but for the next baker, maybe half the frosting recipe…
Thanks for your feedback Maya! The amount of icing was if you were piping them like in the photos – if you want less icing by all means halve the ingredients
is it required to use banana’s my dog doesn’t like bananas a lot its not his favorite so do we like have to include them
The banana is required for moisture and sweetness for both the cupcake and icing, sorry! Maybe look for a pupcake recipe that uses apple sauce instead?
These were perfect! So easy to make, and my pup loved them! I baked them for my dachshund’s first birthday, and he DEVOURED his. I actually ate one myself. The portions were just right, as I didn’t want a lot of ingredients to go to waste. They were quick also. I’ll be baking these for years to come. Thank you for this!
You are very welcome Carissa, so glad you both enjoyed them!
Thanks so much! My husky loved these pupcakes for his first birthday! He even shared them with our other husky who’s birthday is a few months away. I know what recipe I’ll be using for hers! 😊
Aww yay! So glad he enjoyed them x
Simple and (going by my dogs enthusiasm) tasty recipe. Thanks for sharing, today I celebrated my good girl’s second birthday :D
Haha wonderful! So glad your pooch loved them
My pups absolutely love their homemade pupcakes!!
Yay! So glad they enjoyed them
Hi, just wondering would this work with a flax egg rather than a normal egg?
I haven’t personally tried this – please let me know if you have any luck!
Hey I have a dog bone cake pan but it’s for microwave. Can you bake this in microwave? 🙉
Yes you definitely could – I would cook it in 30 second bursts on medium in the microwave until a skewer/toothpick comes out clean!
They looked so good and easy to make. i really like that there isnt sugar. The reason i give 3 stars is because i made 3 big pupcakes and they did not take15- 20 mins to bake. It did not even rise until after 13 minutes. They were still gooey after 20 mins so i added more and more time. I made some for my family as well with sugar and it came out liquid and gooey. I know thats my fault so dont add too much sugar. The frosting did come out very good and i liked how it tasted. I did everything the recipe told me to do so im confused why the pupcakes were gooey.
Hi Jazzy, just double checking you baked them at 180°C?
Hi! I made these and they are amazing! How long would you say that they would last? I am holding a fundraiser this weekend for a local animal shelter and am selling them in a park. Also, how would the frosting keep? We would be in the shade, but it would be in about the 70s. Would they last longer if stored in coolers? Thanks!
Glad you loved them! The pupcakes keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container. The frosting should do ok in the shade but it may start to melt a bit!
I baked this for my puppy for his 1st birthday and he loved it. These cakes turned out perfectly thank you so much!
You are very welcome Gen!
Hi! Made these for a second pup birthday! He loved them but we have quite a few left. I was wondering how long these keep (and maybe we can freeze the rest we still have left then). Thanks so much!
Hi Yaya, glad your dog enjoyed them! These pupcakes last up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature, and up to 5 days in the fridge. Otherwise they freeze beautifully!
I am looking forward to do this recipe for my dogs birthday next week 😍
Just 2 questions can I skip the baking soda? And can I use whole wheat flower instead of allpurpose flour as I read its better for sofs. Thankyou
Hi Analise, you can definitely use wholewheat flour that’s no problem! If you skip the baking soda please note the pupcakes won’t rise, so they will be very dense. I definitely recommend using some kind of leavening.