Mini Banana Pupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Mini Banana Pupcakes | veggieandthebeastfeast.com

Fair warning: this is a post about my dog….and cupcakes that I baked for my dog….for her birthday.

Eeeek. I feel crazy. If you’re not into dogs, you may not care about this post – that’s okay! Let’s hang out next week with our people food! Deal? Deal.

Mini Banana Pupcakes | veggieandthebeastfeast.com

Teia turned 1 this past Sunday. I can’t believe it’s coming up on a year since we decided to get her on a whim. I convinced Ryan to get a dog on a Thursday night in October, we found Teia online the next day, and took her home that night.

Despite an uncharacteristic lack of research on both our parts, Ryan and I ended up with the sweetest, quirkiest, most lovable little thing. For real, she’s the best.

Mini Banana Pupcakes | veggieandthebeastfeast.com

Mini Banana Pupcakes | veggieandthebeastfeast.com

Mini Banana Pupcakes | veggieandthebeastfeast.com

For a number of reasons that are too overshare-y to post on my internet food space, this year has been a difficult one. On days when I came home as a fiery block of anxiety, seeing excited little Teia greet me at the door made everything feel a little brighter and more manageable.

Mini Banana Pupcakes | veggieandthebeastfeast.com

Good friends and family make all the difference when things are tough, but having a dog squeal and jump so high that they fall on their face (/pee a little) every time they see you? It’s hard not to smile, no matter the circumstances.

Mini Banana Pupcakes | veggieandthebeastfeast.com

I bake to show my love and appreciation, so I figured this pup of mine deserved a treat on her birthday, even though to her it’s just another day in her very exciting world.

Mini Banana Pupcakes | veggieandthebeastfeast.com

These PUPcakes (which are really muffins) come together quickly, require 1 bowl and NO mixer, and are made up of ingredients you probably have on hand. The mini muffins are fluffy and lightly sweet, so you (or your kids) can enjoy them along with your pup. That being said, the frosting isn’t sweetened (because dogs don’t care), so if you’re giving them to humans either 1) eat them without the frosting or 2) add sweetener to taste (maple syrup or honey would work well).

Mini Banana Pupcakes | veggieandthebeastfeast.com

Happy birthday Teia! You da best.

Mini Banana Pupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Quick and easy "Pupcakes" that can be enjoyed by both dogs and humans! One bowl, simple ingredients, fluffy and lightly sweet.

Yield: 16 pupcakes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅓ cup peanut oil (or other vegetable oil)
  • ⅓ cup mashed banana (one small/medium over-ripe banana)
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 3 tablespoons natural salted peanut butter
  • 3 tablespoons 2% or nonfat Greek yogurt

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon.
  3. Add the oil, banana, egg, and honey, and use a fork to mix until incorporated.
  4. Grease a mini muffin pan. Drop 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin tin.
  5. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until lightly golden on top.
  6. Let cool completely. While cooling, use a fork or whisk to mix together the peanut butter and yogurt.
  7. Spread the peanut butter/Greek yogurt mixture on the top of each cupcake.

Adapted from The Scrumptious Pumpkin.

The ingredients in this recipe are safe for *most* dogs, but obviously make sure you know if your dog has any food allergies before baking.

If you're serving these to people, you'll want to sweeten the peanut butter and Greek yogurt mixture so it's more of a frosting - stir in a little honey or maple syrup to taste.

   

11 Responses to “Mini Banana Pupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting”

  1. 40aprons — August 21, 2014 @ 7:56 am (#)

    Oh my goodness, my pup would LOVE these. And you have the [almost] best pup ever.. second only to mine! :)

  2. Lucie A.S — August 21, 2014 @ 8:29 am (#)

    Sooooo cuuuuuute! She is beautiful and has such good eyes :)
    Happy birthday little Teia! Enjoy your PUPcakes!

    • Katie — August 21, 2014 @ 10:39 am (#)

      Well thanks! I think she’s pretty cute too :)

  3. Little Misadventures — August 21, 2014 @ 9:03 am (#)

    Oh my gosh, this is the cutest! Haha my sister and I made cat treats for our cat when it was his birthday. It’s just a thing that you do for your fur babies. Also, Teia looks like the cutesttttttt puppy ever! What breed is she?

    • Katie — August 21, 2014 @ 10:38 am (#)

      Thank you! Her mom was a dachshund/terrier mix, and her dad was a mystery – best guess is cavalier spaniel? She’s a little puppy cocktail of sorts :)

  4. Liz @ Floating Kitchen — August 21, 2014 @ 3:40 pm (#)

    Love all these adorable pictures! My dogs b-day is coming up. I’m totally going to make her these “pupcakes”!

  5. Pingback: Puppy Treats | Seattle Lunchbox

  6. Archana | My SoCal'd Life — January 18, 2015 @ 6:43 pm (#)

    This sounds just perfect for my golden retriever’s upcoming 2nd birthday! I know you have the caveat about food allergies, and though I’m not 100% sure my dog can’t handle wheat, I have a hunch. Do you know any grain-free flour alternatives? Would that drastically change the proportions of the other ingredients?

    • Katie — January 18, 2015 @ 10:53 pm (#)

      Unfortunately I don’t know how to adapt this for a different type of flour, as I haven’t tried it myself – I’m sorry! Let me know if you give it a try, and how it works.

  7. Vanessa Ortega — September 6, 2016 @ 9:34 pm (#)

    My dog looks exactly like yours!

    • Katie — September 7, 2016 @ 9:44 am (#)

      Awesome! Must be a cute dog ;)