Your dog deserves a special treat, and this homemade carrot cake for dogs is just the thing! Whether it’s your pup’s birthday, Gotcha Day, or just a fun occasion like Easter, this tasty cake is made with wholesome, dog-safe ingredients.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
Making a cake for your dog is such a sweet way to show how much you love them. Here are the top reasons this will be a favorite dessert recipe to make for your pup:
Easy to Make – No complicated steps here. Just mix, bake, and frost.
Wholesome Ingredients – This dog cake is made with real food ingredients like carrots, applesauce, and oat flour. Plus, it is without peanut butter, which is common in dog cakes but not always necessary.
No Added Sugar or Sweeteners – It’s naturally sweetened with applesauce, carrots, and a touch of honey. There is no refined sugar or artificial stuff.
Simple to Customize – You can change up the frosting or make pupcakes. Check out the recipe variations below for ideas.
Perfect for Celebrations – From birthdays to holidays (especially Easter!), this adorable carrot cake is a fun and festive treat.
Ingredients and What They Bring to the Cake
Here’s what goes into this delicious dog-friendly carrot cake:
- Oat Flour – A gentle, gluten-free flour that’s high in fiber and easy on doggy stomachs.
- Carrot – Adds moisture, sweetness, and a boost of beta-carotene (great for vision and immune health).
- Plain Greek Yogurt – Used in both the batter and frosting, it’s a good source of calcium, protein, and probiotics.
- Unsweetened Applesauce – Adds natural sweetness and moisture without added sugar.
- Egg – A great source of protein and helps bind the cake together.
- Coconut Oil – Contains healthy fats that are good for your dog’s coat and skin.
- Honey – Just a touch for natural sweetness; it’s also rich in antioxidants.
- Baking Powder – Helps the cake rise a little.
- Ground Cinnamon – Adds flavor and has anti-inflammatory properties.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
When making this homemade dog carrot cake, there are a few things to know:
- Baking Powder is safe for dogs in small amounts. Source: Petco
- Instead of using store-bought applesauce, make your own applesauce for dogs.
- You can substitute applesauce with plain pumpkin puree, mashed banana, or mashed sweet potato.
- Make your own oat flour by blending old-fashioned rolled oats in a blender or food processor until fine.
Equipment Needed
You don’t need much to bake this dog-friendly cake. Just a few bowls, a grater for the carrot, and either 4-inch springform pans or 4-inch cake pans for the perfect pup-sized cake.
How to Make Carrot Cake for Dogs
Ready to bake? Here’s how it’s done:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 4-inch springform or cake pans.
- Grate the carrot and melt the coconut oil.
- In a large bowl, mix 1/2 cup yogurt, applesauce, egg, melted coconut oil, and honey.
- Stir in grated carrot, oat flour, baking powder, and cinnamon.
- Divide the batter evenly into the pans.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Frost with the remaining 1/2 cup Greek yogurt.
- Stack the cakes for a cute 3-layer dog cake.
How to Decorate the Cake
Make the cake extra special with these fun (and edible!) decoration ideas:
- Sprinkle shredded carrots on top.
- Insert carrot sticks as “candles.”
- Use mini dog biscuits, either whole or crushed.
Recipe Variations to Make It Special for Your Dog
Peanut Butter Frosting – Try one of these dog-friendly options:
- Just peanut butter
- Mixture of half peanut butter and half yogurt
- Mixture of 1 part peanut butter to 3 parts cream cheese
Always make sure the peanut butter you use does not contain xylitol, an artificial sweetener toxic to dogs.
Cupcakes (Pupcakes) – Scoop the batter into a muffin tin or mini muffin pan and reduce the baking time (about 15 minutes). These little cakes are perfect for small dogs, or use them as carrot cake treats.
How to Store the Cake and How Long It Lasts
Wrap the cake or slices with plastic wrap.
- Frosted: Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Unfrosted: Keep at room temperature up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Wrap with an additional layer of aluminum foil or place the plastic-wrapped cake in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Can people eat this cake?
Yep! Everything in it is safe for humans. It’s a simple, not-too-sweet cake that’s great for anyone watching their sugar intake.
Popular Homemade Dog Treat Recipes
Are you interested in making more tasty treats and desserts for your dog? Try these recipes:
- Apple Carrot Dog Treats
- Apple Oatmeal Dog Cupcakes
- Blueberry Dog Muffins
- Cheesecake for Dogs
- Meat Cake for Dogs
- No Bake Dog Cake
- Pancakes for Dogs
Find lots of easy dog dessert recipes right here on Spoiled Hounds!
Carrot Cake for Dogs
Ingredients
- 2 cups Old Fashioned Oats or Oat Flour
- 1 large Carrot
- 1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt divided use
- ½ cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- 1 Egg
- 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil melted
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease 3 small (4-inch) springform pans or cake pans.
- If using old fashioned oats, blend the oats in a blender or food processor to create flour.
- Grate the carrot.
- In a large bowl, place ½ cup of Greek yogurt, applesauce, egg, melted coconut oil, and honey. Stir until well combined.
- Add the grated carrot, oat flour, baking powder, and cinnamon to the bowl and combine well.
- Pour the batter into the greased cake pans.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove the cakes from the pans and place them on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
- To frost the cakes, spread the remaining ½ cup of Greek yogurt on top each cake. Stack the cakes for a layer cake.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Serving Amount
One slice from the 3-layer cake is plenty for a medium or large dog. For smaller pups, serve a slice from just one layer or make mini pupcakes.
Treats like this should make up no more than 10% of your dog’s daily calories. Always check with your vet if you’re unsure.
If your dog hasn’t tried one of the ingredients before, start with a small piece to ensure there are no allergies or sensitivities.
Dogs can’t ingest baking powder, it is incredibly toxic to them even in treats.
Baking powder is only harmful to dogs in large amounts, about 2 teaspoons per pound of body weight. Once baked in a cake or other baked goods, most of it is neutralized, leaving behind trace amounts of the reaction byproducts (like sodium salts). The altered chemical state significantly reduces the risk of harm.