Oat Flour Pupcakes with Peanut Butter “Frosting”

My rescue puppy Sasha turned one year old a few weeks ago, and I wanted to do something special to celebrate her. I whipped up a batch of these oat flour pupcakes (dog cupcakes), and they turned out great!

I wanted to use oat flour for two reasons: it’s super easy to make at home, and it’s better for dogs than all-purpose flour. The rest of the ingredients are dog-friendly, too: peanut butter, banana, unsweetened applesauce, and more goodness.

And, they’re topped with an easy, 2-ingredient peanut butter pumpkin “frosting”. (I’ve read that a lot of dogs don’t do well with dairy, so I didn’t use any dairy in this recipe.)

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Peanut Butter Banana Pupcakes

These pupcakes are a great way to share a special treat with your furry friend(s). And if you end up with extra: they’re actually a nutritious and tasty breakfast or snack for humans, too!

I’ll be honest: I ate a couple of these myself for breakfast (without the frosting) and they were GOOD. They’re actually more like muffins than cupcakes. The ripe banana, applesauce, and honey makes them lightly sweet, and they have a lovely moist texture.

These dog cupcakes are super easy to make, with no complicated steps or fancy equipment. You just need a muffin tin and cupcake liners, plus a blender to make the homemade oat flour.

You can use a piping bag or Ziplog bag with the tip cut off to add the frosting, or just spread it on with a knife.

Dog Cupcake Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make these peanut butter pupcakes:

• bananas: These add natural sweetness, moisture, and nutrients. Riper bananas are easier to mash, and they taste sweeter.
• peanut butter: I’ve never met a dog that didn’t love peanut butter! It adds flavor to the pupcakes while helping bind them, too. Don’t use drippy peanut butter, as it won’t have the same consistency. It should be thick and creamy.
• honey: Honey sweetens the pupcakes and adds some liquid to the batter.
• unsweetened applesauce: For moisture and flavor.
• olive oil or vegetable oil: Adding a little dog-safe oil to the batter makes sure it has a soft and tender texture. I used olive oil to make my pupcakes, but vegetable oil should work too.
• eggs: These bind the ingredients and add structure.
• oat flour: Oat flour is better for dogs than all-purpose flour. Plus, it’s more nutrient-dense, and it’s easy to make at home in a blender! Old-fashioned oats are best to use. You can also purchase pre-made oat flour at many grocery stores.
• baking powder: For rise.

And for the “frosting”, I mixed together some peanut butter with a little canned pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling). Optionally, you can top each pupcake with a dog treat!

How to Make Pupcakes for Dogs

These are about as simple to make as regular muffins, just with a quick added step of blending oats into oat flour!

Start by blending old-fashioned oats in a blender or food processor. I recommend doing it in 15-20 second intervals, just to avoid your blender getting too hot. Blend until the oats reach a fine powder consistency.

(If you end up with extra oat flour, you can store it in an airtight container in your pantry! It should last for up to 3 months.)

Next, combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk well. Separately, combine the wet ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until combined.

Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Spoon the pupcake batter into the liners, filled about 3/4 of the way full. (I made a half batch in the photos above – that’s why not all the muffin wells are filled).

Then, bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a pupcake comes out clean. Allow them to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Once the pupcakes are fully cool, “frost” them (frosting instructions below) and decorate with a dog treat if desired!

Here’s Sasha sitting nice for her first pupcake (while staring at it longingly), and then digging in! She’s usually a pretty slow eater, but this was gone in about 5 seconds. I think she liked it. 🙂

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Frosting for Dog Cupcakes

The “frosting” here is a simple mixture of peanut butter (thick and creamy, not the drippy kind) with a little plain canned pumpkin. If your dog doesn’t have issues with dairy, you can mix in a little Greek yogurt in place of some of the peanut butter.

Use a piping bag or Ziploc with the tip cut off to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. If for some reason the consistency is too thin to pipe, you can chill the frosting in the fridge to help it set more.

And yep, this frosting looks a lot like a pile of dog poo – we found that hilarious! But, you can mix some softened cream cheese or plain Greek yogurt into the frosting if you want to change the color (as long as your dog can handle dairy).

Storage Tips

Store unfrosted pupcakes in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3-4 days. I recommend placing a paper towel in the container to absorb any excess moisture that the muffins might release. (Storing cupcakes/muffins in the refrigerator will make them last longer, but it also makes them dry out.)

Store the “frosting” in an airtight container in the fridge. It’s best to wait to frost the pupcakes until you’re serving them, because the frosting needs to be refrigerated.

Pupcake Topping Ideas

You can top these pupcakes with whatever you’d like! Here are some ideas:

• The little dog bone treats I used. They come in multiple flavors: chicken, salmon, and turkey. (These are some of Sasha’s favorite treats!)
• Sliced/chopped fruit (strawberries, bananas, blueberries, etc.)
• Soft and chewy milk bones (larger size than the treats I used)
• Peanut butter flavored gingerbread man dog treats (great for the holidays!)
• Mini bacon strips for dogs
• Flower-shaped pumpkin and fruit treats

Recipe Variations

Here are some simple variations for this dog cupcake recipe:

• use plain canned sweet potato instead of pumpkin in the frosting
• swap out half the oat flour for all-purpose flour
• replacements for applesauce: an equal amount of plain canned pumpkin or sweet potato, or Greek yogurt

How do you celebrate your pup’s special day? Let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear all about it!

If you make these peanut butter pupcakes, I’d love if you shared your thoughts with a rating and comment below.

More recipes with oat flour (for humans!):

• Funfetti Birthday Cake Truffles (No Bake)
• No Bake Nutella Thumbprint Cookies