Top 5 Dog-Friendly Muffin Recipes for the Holidays

Baking some holiday muffins and don't want to exclude Fido? Everyone loves to be spoiled for the festive season, and that includes your Christmas canine. Check out these 5 dog-friendly muffin recipes for the holidays to keep your merry mutt's tail wagging!

Dogs can eat a wide variety of human ingredients, although there are certain things you'll want to avoid. Avocados, cherries, grapes, and, of course, chocolate are poisonous to dogs. Popular safe items you can use include seedless apples and grapes, carrots, and potatoes. 

When picking out peanut butter, avoid any that contain added sugar, artificial ingredients, or xylitol. This ingredient negatively affects a dog's blood sugar and could cause organ failure. Opt for all-natural peanut butter to avoid xylitol. 

Also, try to avoid using white flour if possible. White flour has low nutritional value, so choose a nutrient-rich option like whole wheat or barley. If you have a pup with a wheat sensitivity, consider coconut or almond flour as an alternative.

This Christmas muffin recipe is sure to be a hit with puppers who love peanut butter! Straightforward and quick to make, this recipe is ideal for busy pet parents.

Muffin Ingredients:

• 1 cup oat flour

• ¼ cup peanut butter

• 1 cup pumpkin (pureed)

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil (grease)

Frosting Ingredients:

• ½ cup low-fat yogurt

• ¼ cup peanut butter

• Red food coloring (FDA-approved)

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350℉.

2. Mix in peanut butter, pumpkin, honey, and eggs. Then add flour and baking powder.

3. Grease muffin tin with coconut oil and evenly pour in batter.

4. While baking, create icing by mixing low-fat yogurt and peanut butter. Add food coloring to make the icing a festive red. 

5. Once cool, ice the top of each muffin.

Okay, so this isn't technically a muffin, but your doggo won't know the difference! A bit different from the traditional Christmas dessert, this yule log for dogs consists of meat and vegetables rather than chocolate. Avoid giving your dog the whole log at once, and instead, cut it into small pieces.

Yule Log Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef

• ½ cup oats

• ½ cup carrots (shredded)

• ½ cups peas

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil for greasing
  

Frosting Ingredients:

• 2 medium potatoes

• ½ cup water

• Peas and cranberries (decoration)

Instructions:

1. Heat your oven to 350℉.

2. Peel, chop, and boil the potatoes until mashable. 

3. Mix all yule log ingredients and shape into a log. 

4. Grease a baking tray with coconut oil. Bake the log for 30 to 40 mins until the meat is fully cooked. 

5. Make the frosting my boiling and mashing the potatoes before adding water little by little until the mixture is a solid but spreadable consistency.

6. Remove the log from the oven and let it cool. Then frost with mashed potato and add cranberries and peas for some festive flair.

Looking for a healthy Christmas snack for your winter woofer? Apple banana Christmas muffins are tasty and provide your dog with a Vitamin A and C boost. Bananas are also a great source of fiber. Grab some Christmas tree-shaped silicone molds and use green apples to decorate for a Christmassy twist.

Muffin Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour

• ¼ cup applesauce (unsweetened)

• ¼ cup apple (shredded)

• 1 banana (pureed)

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ cup water

• Coconut oil for greasing
  

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 banana (mashed)

• Green apple slices for decoration

Instructions:

1. Heat your oven to 350℉.

2. Mix apple, applesauce, and banana. Then, stir in flour and water. 

3. Grease silicone molds with coconut oil. Bake your muffins for 20 to 25 minutes or until the middle of the muffin is firm. 

4. Once cool, add banana icing and decorate with green apple slices.

It might be one of the more unusual flavors on this list, but your pup will still gobble down these delicious sweet potato carrot Christmas cakes. These can also be made in a silicone mold of a snowman or Christmas tree, or just a regular muffin tin.

Cake Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour

• ½ cup carrots (shredded)

• ½ cup sweet potato (pureed)

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ cup water

Frosting Ingredients:

• ¼ cup plain non-fat yogurt

• additional decorations (blueberries, cranberries)

Instructions:

1. Heat your oven to 350℉.

2. Mix sweet potato puree with honey and melted coconut oil. Add almond flour, baking powder, and water before stirring in carrots.

3. Use leftover coconut oil to grease your muffin tin. Add batter and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the middle of the cakes are firm. 

4. Allow the cakes to cool. Top with yogurt, then add decorations to make cakes festive.

While chocolate is poisonous for dogs, you make them an extra special sweet treat made with carob. Carob is a sweet legume and chocolate substitute that's totally safe for dogs to eat. Mix it with peanut butter, and your merry mutt is sure to have a memorable Christmas. This recipe contains butter, so only give your dog these treats in moderation.

Muffin Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ¼ cup carob powder

• 1 egg

• ¾ cup milk

• ¼ cup peanut butter

•  ½ stick butter (softened)

• Coconut oil for greasing
  

Instructions:

1. Heat your oven to 350℉.

2. Use either silicone molds or a muffin tin and grease with coconut oil.

3. Mix whole wheat flour with baking and carob powder.

4. In another bowl, mix together egg, milk, peanut butter, and butter.

5. Add flour mixture into wet mixture and stir.

6. Spoon batter into your tin or molds.

7. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out cleanly. 

8. Allow to cool on a wire rack.