February has entered the building. She’s ready to flaunt her 40-ounce Stanley Quencher Tumbler, dance in the living room while watching the #UsherBowl, and celebrate Valentine’s Day with the ones she loves. And yes, that includes her dog. This month’s recipe is dedicated to love. So, allow me to introduce you to these Butter Love Pupcakes.
ABOUT THE BUTTER LOVE PUPCAKE INGREDIENTS
The main ingredients for Butter Love Pupcakes are carrots and rosemary. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, vitamins, and fiber, which are good for a dog’s eyesight, skin, and coat health. Rosemary contains antioxidants and can strengthen a dog’s digestive system. These Butter Love Pupcakes also contain honey, which is a natural sweeter and is safe for dogs in small quantities. And these pupcakes include a dog-friendly favorite, peanut butter. Not only is peanut butter a good source of protein, but it also includes vitamin B and E.
WHEN TO BAKE THESES BUTTER LOVE PUPCAKES
The name of these pupcakes is no accident. These Butter Love Pupcakes are great to bake for a Valentine’s Day treat for your dog. This pupcake is also great for bakeries, restaurants, and other food businesses that want to provide a dog-friendly treat for Valentine’s Day customers. And for the charcuterie board lovers out there, this recipe adds a nice gourmet touch to your dog’s Valentine’s Day barkcuterie board.
BAKING BARKFIRMATION & VALENTINE’S DAY OPPORTUNITIES
“Bake with love.” In 2021, pet owners spent a $2.14 billion on Valentine’s Day gifts for their pets, which is estimated to be approximately $31 per household on dogs. In addition to purchasing gifts, more than half of pet owners also plan activities to celebrate Valentine’s Day with their pets. These activities can range anywhere from romantic dog walks to cooking a special meal for their dog.
So, these Butter Love Pupcakes are a great addition to Valentine’s Day festivities. And for business owners, this pupcake recipe is a great way to expand your Valentine’s Day offerings to dog parents. Even if you’re not a pet business, you can provide a special Valentine’s Day “Doggie Bag” or “Dog Mom & Me” Package to help people celebrate. And remember, National Love Your Pet Day is February 20th, which means you can keep the Butter Love Pupcake train going.
WHERE TO GET THE BUTTER LOVE PUPCAKE RECIPE
This pupcake recipe was created with love and you can find it below. We’d also love to hear your Butter Love Pupcake baking stories. How did you use this pupcake recipe to celebrate with the ones you love? Stay connected and share your pupcake stories with us @pupcakesugar.
BEFORE YOU GET STARTED
Speaking of love. I love my dog, Sugar, and her daily shenanigans make me laugh. So, I created an illustrated character inspired by her and her love of pupcakes. Sugar’s character is a “pupcakepreneur” that owns and operates her own pupcakery called Pupcake Sugar. I know. That was a tongue twister. But stay with me.
Sugar shares her stories of life, love, and favorite pupcake recipes. We invite you to her world. Sign up for the Pupcake Sugar mailing list to get Sugar’s favorite birthday pupcake recipe to try at home with your dog. Also, check out the Shop page for more of Sugar’s pupcake recipes and the stories that inspired them.
As with any dog treat, these Butter Love Pupcakes should be given to your dog in moderation. They should not replace or serve as your dog’s primary diet. Please consult with your veterinarian on your dog’s diet.
Yields
- 8 – 10 Mini Pupcakes
Ingredients
Butter Love Pupcakes
- 1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Chopped Rosemary
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Pure Honey
- 1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Baked Carrots
- 1/3 Cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce
- 1 Egg
Peanut “Buttercream” Frosting
- 1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter (Unsalted with no added sugars)
- 1/4 Cup Plain Yogurt
- 1/4 Cup Baked Carrots for Garnish (Optional)
Baked Carrot Garnish (Optional)
- 1 Cup Chopped Carrots
- 1 Teaspoon Chopped Rosemary
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
Instructions
For Butter Love Pupcakes
- 1Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 8 – 10 1.75-inch mini-muffin pan with paper bake cups and set aside.
- 2In small bowl mix together, flour, baking powder, and rosemary. Set aside.
- 3In a large mixing bowl add olive oil, honey, applesauce, baked carrots and egg. Beat on medium speed about 2 minutes or until combined.
- 4Add dry ingredients into the mixture and blend for approximately 2 minutes until well mixed.
- 5Fill each cupcake liner with 1 tablespoon of pupcake mix.
- 6Bake pupcakes for 13 – 15 minutes. Pupcakes are done when you can stick a toothpick into the cake, and it comes out clean. The top of the pupcake should also be firm. If pupcakes aren’t done after 13 – 15 minutes, let them bake for another 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.
- 7Pipe or spread peanut “buttercream” frosting on each pupcake.
- 8Add 1 teaspoon baked carrots to each pupcake for garnish (optional).
For Peanut “Buttercream” Frosting
- 1In a large mixing bowl beat yogurt and peanut butter together on medium speed. Mix until creamy.
- 2Pipe or spread peanut “buttercream” frosting on each pupcake.
- 3Add 1 teaspoon baked carrots to each pupcake for garnish (optional).
For Baked Carrots (Optional)
- 1Preheat oven to 425° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- 2Peel carrots and chop them into small pieces.
- 3Place chopped carrots, rosemary, and olive oil into a bowl. Toss until carrots are completely covered.
- 4Placed seasoned carrots onto baking sheet.
- 5Place baking sheet into preheated oven and bake for 10 – 15 minutes. Carrots are done when they are tender on the inside and firm on the outside. This recipe will produce more baked carrots than you’ll need for a garnish. However, you can save the extra baked carrots for a snack or treat for your dog.
Notes
Pupcake Sugar in no way provides any warranty, express or implied, relating to any recipes on this website. The recipes are based on Sugar’s personal experiences with them. Please be aware that your pup may have allergies or other conditions that may make the recipes not suitable for their lifestyle— consult with your vet as needed or roll with your judgment as the pet parent in charge. Pupcake Sugar is not liable for upset tummies or any other outcomes of experimenting with our recipes on this site.
