Making carrot cake for dogs in the form of pupcakes is easy and lets your furry friend have a delicious treat! This healthy, dog friendly version uses simple ingredients and can be topped with a peanut butter yogurt frosting.
I love making dog-friendly carrot cake for a special treat like a dog birthday celebration or even so the pup can have a treat on Easter. This recipe for homemade pumpkin dog treats or sweet potato dog treats are other great options for your furry friend.
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Why I Love It
- Healthy for your pup - I love to make my own dog treats so I know exactly what my dog is eating.
- Perfect for a Celebration - Great to celebrate your dog's birthday or so they can join in any holiday celebration, like Easter, with a treat.
- Simple Ingredients - You may already have everything on hand!
Ingredients and Equipment
- Whole Wheat Flour - While you can use regular white flour, I prefer to use whole wheat flour for my dog treats as it adds more nutrients the pupcakes are healthier for them.
- Baking Powder - A small amount of baking powder in a baking recipe is safe for dogs to eat.
- Shredded Carrots - It's best to grate the carrots by hand using a box grater. It doesn't work as well with pre-shredded carrots because they're too dry.
- Canned Pumpkin Puree - Do NOT use pumpkin pie filling. The only ingredient in the puree should be pumpkin.
- Unsweetened Applesauce - Using applesauce lets us use way less oil and keeps the recipe healthier.
- Coconut Oil - Melted
- Water - This adds the needed extra liquid to the batter without having to add more calories.
- Egg
- For the 'Frosting' - Plain greek or regular yogurt and peanut butter (you can use chunky or smooth, but you must use peanut butter that does NOT contain xylitol. I use a natural peanut butter that is just peanuts)
- Muffin Pan and Paper Liners - I like to bake the doggy carrot cake in a muffin pan, but you can bake it in a regular cake pan and adjust the bake time.
- Box Grater - For shredding the carrots
Step by step instructions
This recipe for dog-friendly carrot cake is easy to make!
- Prep - Start by preheating the oven and lining a muffin pan with paper liners.
- Mix Wet Ingredients - Start by mixing the wet ingredients in a mixing bowl. You can do this by hand - no need for an electric mixer.
- Add Dry Ingredients - Mix in the dry ingredients then fold in the grated carrots.
- Bake Pupcakes - Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. They should be ⅔-3/4 full. Bake in the preheated oven until they are set on top and a toothpick comes out clean with no wet batter.
- Frost - If using, mix up the greek yogurt and peanut butter to make the frosting. Spread on top of the cupcakes and share with your favorite pups!
Leftovers and Storage
I prefer to store leftover pupcakes without the frosting. The carrot cake can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Leftover frosting can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. Give the frosting another stir and frost just before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Toothpick Test for Doneness - This dog-version of carrot cake does not puff up and rise in the same way that regular carrot cake does. The best way to test for doneness is the same, insert a toothpick in the center and it is done when it comes out clean or with some crumbs, but not wet batter.
- Fresh Grate Carrots - It's best to freshly shred your whole carrots using a box grater. This makes them smaller and more moist than the store bought shredded carrots.
Frequently Asked Questions
If the cake isn't chocolate, most cakes for 'humans' are not toxic for dogs but can upset their stomachs due to the high levels of sugar, fat, and other ingredients. It's much better to make a 'dog-friendly' cake recipe!
If you want to make your dog's birthday extra special, you can make homemade dog treats or homemade dog-friendly cupcakes! Your pup will love the special treat and it won't upset their stomach like some 'people food' can.
Yes, you can substitute regular all-purpose flour for the whole wheat. I prefer to use whole wheat flour as it is more nutritious for your pup.
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PrintRecipe
Carrot Cake for Dogs (Pupcakes)
Making carrot cake for dogs in the form of pupcakes is easy and lets your furry friend have a delicious treat! This healthy, dog friendly version uses simple ingredients and can be topped with a peanut butter yogurt frosting.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 pupcakes
- Category: Dessert, Dogs
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree, NOT pie filling
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- ½ cup water
- 1 egg
- ½ cup fresh shredded carrots, use a box grater
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Frosting
- ½ cup plain greek or regular yogurt, I use nonfat
- ¼ cup peanut butter, chunky or smooth
Instructions
- Prep - Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F and lining a standard muffin pan with paper liners.
- Mix Wet Ingredients - Start by mixing the wet ingredients (pumpkin, applesauce, coconut oil, water, egg) in a mixing bowl. You can do this by hand - no need for an electric mixer.
- Add Dry Ingredients - Mix in the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder) then fold in the grated carrots.
- Bake Pupcakes - Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. They should be ⅔-3/4 full. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until they are set on top and a toothpick comes out clean with no wet batter.
- Frost - If using, mix up the greek yogurt and peanut butter to make the frosting. Spread on top of the cupcakes and share with your favorite pups!
Notes
Peanut Butter - IMPORTANT. You must use peanut butter that does NOT contain xylitol (very toxic for dogs!). I use a natural peanut butter that is just peanuts.
Carrots - It's best to freshly shred your whole carrots using a box grater. This makes them smaller and more moist than the store bought shredded carrots.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pupcake with frosting
- Calories: 107
- Sugar: 2.4 g
- Sodium: 14.6 mg
- Fat: 5.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.5 g
- Fiber: 1.9 g
- Protein: 3.9 g
- Cholesterol: 15.9 mg
Shelby says
Made this for my dogs birthday and they turned out great! We didn’t have applesauce and just doubled the pumpkin and still worked well 🙂
Kathleen Hansen says
I’m so glad the recipe worked well for you! Happy belated birthday to your pup!
Katie says
My dog is obsessed with this recipe!