Pupcakes piled high with dog friendly frosting to celebrate Dozer’s 8th birthday! Easy dog cupcakes made with banana and peanut butter – the smell drives them crazy! The crowning glory is fluffy frosting made with no butter, no cream cheese, sugar free. Aren’t you dying to know the secret?? 😉
Pupcakes – dog cupcakes with fluffy frosting!
Dogs eat anything, but in my world, that’s no reason to lower the bar! So these cupcakes are everything you want in YOUR cupcakes – except they’re sugar free and made with dog friendly ingredients 😂:
Tender crumb that’s soft and fluffy
Moist, not dry – no pooch will ever choke from dry cake in MY house!
Peanut butter banana smell that dogs go crazy over
As for the frosting? The secret ingredient is potato made creamy with yogurt and sweetened with honey! Far better for dogs than using copious amounts of butter, cream cheese and icing sugar used in normal fluffy frostings.
The thought of potato frosting mightn’t appeal to US. But pooches love it!
What you need for pupcakes
Here’s what goes in these cupcakes – these are all dog friendly ingredients. It won’t upset your dogs’ stomache and you won’t have a mess to clean up on your lawn tomorrow (sorry to gross you out 😂).
Dozer ate 5 of these yesterday, and 4 the day before (many photo and video retakes!) and it didn’t affect his digestion at all.
How to make dog cupcakes
The making part is no different to making your favourite blueberry muffins – ie super duper easy. Except you might have extra unwanted “help” in the kitchen if you let your pooch get involved…. (wait until you see Dozer “helping” in the recipe video!!)
Frosting for dog cupcakes
The secret ingredient in the creamy, fluffy frosting you see on these cupcakes is potato. A proven hit used in last years’ birthday cake for Dozer’s birthday!
You’ll see plenty of dog cakes and cupcake recipes online with sky-high swirls of frosting made with loads of high fat ingredients like cream cheese and peanut butter. Looks great. Bad for dogs.
At most, you’d limit it to a smear on each cupcake – which pooches wouldn’t complain about, but lacks the wow factor visually.
So I use potato instead. Made creamy with yogurt plus water, and a touch of honey to sweeten it = perfect piping consistency, looks totally authentic and far better for dogs than cream cheese so you can use plenty.
You and I wouldn’t eat it. But your dog is going to LOVE it!
What goes in dog friendly “frosting” for Pupcakes
Here’s what you need:
How to make Pupcake frosting
The trick here is to cook the potatoes until very, very soft – literally fall apart – so when you “whip” it up with yogurt, water and honey, it will become smooth with a fluffy buttercream frosting consistency!
Looks so real, humans will eat it!!
After last years’ hilarious incident when my friends’ husband ate Dozer’s Birthday Cake because it looked so REAL (while my friend watched silently, just for the amusement of seeing his reaction 🤣), I decided I better play it safe this year and top it with dog biscuits!!!
But actually, dog biscuit aside, these cupcakes are perfectly safe for humans to consume. They just taste rather…….interesting!!!
Virtual doggie birthday party!
Given that children aren’t allowed to have birthday parties in this new world order, it didn’t seem very fair that Dozer should have one. Also because after experiencing the carnage at last years’ party (which ended with me having to dive in to grab the cake and run away with it), I knew that the frenzy of excitement created by taking treats down to the beach with 20+ golden retrievers would cause chaos that would likely lead to inadvertent breaches of social distancing requirements!! 😂
So this year, I packed up the pupcakes and distributed them among his friends – here are a few pics of Dozer’s buddies enjoying them!!
Happy Birthday Dozer!🎉
Happy 8th birthday Dozer!! I’ve loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you, that fateful day when I went out “just window shopping” for a puppy. As a pure bred golden retriever, you’re riddled with flaws with your double joints, your long legs, and your abnormally large size.
But to me, you’re perfect – and I wouldn’t have you any other way! – Nagi x
PS Wait, I lie. If you could just stop shedding fur everywhere, that would be terrific. That’s the only thing I’d change about you!
PPS Also, picking up your own 💩
Watch how to make it
Dozer “helping” me make Pupcakes….(not!)
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Pupcakes! (dog cupcakes with “frosting”)
Ingredients
Pupcakes:
- 2 ripe bananas (150g/5oz after peeling, ~2/3 cup mashed)
- 1/2 cup peanut butter , smooth or creamy (Note 1)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups flour , all purpose/plain OR wholewheat/wholemeal (Note 2)
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup oil , vegetable, canola, peanut or olive oil
- 3/4 cup water
Fluffy dog friendly "frosting":
- 500g / 1lb potatoes , peeled and cut into 2 cm/1″ pieces
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/2 cup yogurt, plain low fat (any unsweetened type) OR sour cream
- 2 – 4 tbsp water
- 12 small dog bone biscuits , for decorating (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Line a 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Place bananas in a bowl and mash with a potato masher until smooth as you can get it.
- Add peanut butter, honey and eggs. Whisk well until smooth.
- Add flour, baking powder, oil and water. Whisk until smooth.
- Divide between cupcakes until 3/4 full. Bake 22 minutes until the top is golden, or skewer comes out clean.
- Transfer to cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes before topping with “frosting”
Frosting
- Place potato in a large pot of water. Bring to boil, then cook potato for 20 minutes until very, very soft and starting to crumble on the edges.
- Drain, then return into empty pot. Add yogurt, honey and water (starting with 2 tbsp). Beat with electric beater for 1 minute on speed 3, increasing to speed 5, for 1 minute or until smooth and creamy. Add more water if needed – it should have a soft consistency like frosting.
- Transfer to piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm / 3/5" round nozzle (Note 3 for other nozzles). Pipe in swirling motion onto cupcakes, top with dog biscuit.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Just because this ENTIRE post is dedicated to Dozer, doesn’t mean I’m going to skip the Life of Dozer section! 😂 Here he is, on the job during this recipe video shoot. He scored many, MANY Pupcakes in carrying out his job….
HAPPY BIRTHDAY dear sweet Dozer. May you have many, many more wonderful birthdays with your Mom.
Thanks Robin! N x
Happy birthday gorgeous Dozer
Thanks so much Maggie! N x
Happy Birthday Dozer. I never miss reading your page after looking at the delicious recipes.
You are a star, especially today. Enjoy, you lucky dog.
Thanks so much Hana! N x
Happy Birthday Dozer! May you have just as many more.
The only thing better than a senior dog is a senior Goldie 😀
Thanks so much Beth! N x
HAPPY 8TH DOZER….I know ‘your Ma’ has showered you with love and gifts on your birthday. Just a little more ‘luv’ sent from Northern Ontario CANADA….stay well and safe both of you.
Oh, & Happy Pupday Dozer!
Hi Nagi, This brought a huge smile to my face watching Dozer indulge. My Abbey’s birthday (#13) is not until Nov 1st, but she I’ll not be waiting ’til then to try these pupcakes out. I’ll repost, hopefully with video. Your video of Dozer ‘helping’ you make these pupcakes is beautifully adoring! Thank you for sharing.
You’re so welcome Judy!! No doubt Abbey will LOVE them! N x
Most greatful to you and Dozer and all you do for us… all over the world! Good food is even better medicine! I have been revisiting your older recipes (Mom’s too) and adding them to the rotation!
Thanks so much Kristin! N x
Happy 8th Birthday Dozer we think you are beautiful and your Mum is amazing too. Big birthday pats. Your pupcakes look delicious. 🐾🐾🧁
Thanks so much Dianne ❤️
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to gorgeous boy Dozer 😍💕🐾🎉🎈🎁♥️ y you have many more – and you’re very lucky to have such a loving Mum xx
Thanks so much Helen! N x
A HUGE HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DOZER. We just love him to bits as he reminds us of our dear Zac who passed away 2 years ago. My husband loves seeing the Life of Dozer each time you post pictures and comments. You are a wonderful and kind lady, Nagi. Big hugs from me to you both.xxxxx
Oh sorry to hear that Coral!! Sending much love! N x
Happy birthday Dozer. My boy Nacho will love these. He just shared my banana. I hope you had pawsome birthday!
Happy Birthday Dozer. I really enjoy catching up with you and your mum each week via email. Look forward to your next adventures 🙂
Thanks Susan! N x
Happy 8th Birthday, Dear Dozer. 🙂 xxx
Thanks Deb!! N x
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Dozer, you truly look like you enjoyed helping your mum make your pupcakes. I so miss my beloved dogs, our Bear went to Heaven 1 year ago. Magic enjoy every moment with your beloved Dozer, You truly are a wonderful pet mum.
and a truly generous person.
Thank you so much Connie, that’s so sweet of you ❤️
Happy Birthday Dozer Handsome Boy & Many more to come. Your Mum is wonderful, please
Nagi give Dozer a BIG kiss for me & one for you too
Thanks so much Sharon! N x
Happy Birthday Dozer
Wish we could share your pup cakes. Love from Rudy and Jo your doggi fans in NZ.
We wish you could share them too!! N xx
Happy Pup-Day To You Dozer!!
Wishing you a very wonderful year ahead. I am so glad to be an internet friend, that way I can learn from your clever Mom and make Shelby some Pup cakes too!! Yay for doggies and birthdays and the love we share!!! Thanks Nagi!!!!
Thank you so much Sherry!! N x
Happy birthday Dozer! He’s just perfection isn’t he!
I think so Tiff 😉 N x
Thank you Nagi and Dozer for always bringing a smile to our faces.
Happy birthday ‘big boy’.
Thanks so much Suzanne 🙂 N x
What a way to brighten the day for everyone!! Happy birthday DOZER….many..many more of them.
🙂 Thanks Roslyn – N x