Carrot and Apple Pupcakes
Little carrot cake energy, dog edition. Grated carrot and apple in a soft oat muffin, no frosting required, though nobody would blame you for a smear of yogurt.
Safety Snapshot — every ingredient, checked
- Carrot — Safe · grated fine here, so no choking sized chunks
- Apple flesh — Safe · flesh only. Seeds and core never go in a dog recipe
- Applesauce — Safe · unsweetened only, and the label gets the xylitol check. Some sweetened brands hide it
Recipe Index Card
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely grated carrot
- 1 apple, grated, with the core and every seed removed
- 1 1/2 cups oat flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (aluminum free if you have it)
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a mini muffin tin, or line it with papers you will peel off before serving.
- Grate the apple on the coarse side of the grater, stopping before the core, and check the pile for stray seeds with your fingers.
- Stir the applesauce and egg together, then fold in the flour and baking powder, then the carrot and apple, until just mixed.
- Fill the cups three quarters full. They rise modestly, like polite muffins.
- Bake for 16 to 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then out of the tin completely before serving.
Pupcakes are for occasions: birthdays, gotcha days, Tuesdays that need help. These borrow everything good about carrot cake, the warm colour, the soft crumb, the natural sweetness, and leave the sugar, raisins, and cream cheese frosting with the people, where they belong.
A smear of plain yogurt on top passes for frosting around here, and a single blueberry makes a fine candle substitute for the photo.
Storage
- In the fridge in an airtight container: up to 1 week
- In the freezer: up to 2 months
Soft bakes live in the fridge on this site. Any sign of mould and the batch goes in the bin.
Serving by dog size
- Small dogs: half a pupcake
- Medium dogs: 1 pupcake
- Large dogs: up to 2 pupcakes
A pupcake is a celebration, not a meal. Keep it inside the 10 percent treat rule and let the occasion do the rest.