Peanut Butter & Banana Pupcakes

It’s no secret that I love to celebrate. So of course it only makes sense that my love of celebrations spills over to my sweet pup Ollie! From birthdays to “gotcha” days to everyday occasions that are celebration worthy, I love whipping up something special to show him that I love him. For those of you who haven’t met Ollie yet (where have you been?), He’s my little 4-pound bundle of Morkie cuteness and truthfully, I’m kinda obsessed with him. I dress him up. I carry him around in my front pouch. He even has his own car seat. So, it only makes sense that I would make a huge deal out finding ways to make him feel special. Since, for me, food is love in so many ways, I wanted to create an everyday “pup”cake (get it?) topped with the new Pup-Peroni® Jerky Bites treats from Walmart that Ollie is crazy over right now. I knew that by topping a dog friendly baked treat with these tender, mouthwatering snacks would be a treat. The jerky bites are easy for dogs to chew and made with real pork and beef giving the indulgence that dogs love about Pup-Peroni. With premium ingredients that us pet parents want to feed our dogs, I could create something unforgettable. With just a little time, a few bags of Pup-Peroni Jerky Bites and some love, I was able to whip up these crazy easy, Ollie-approved Peanut Butter and Banana Pupcakes that are the perfect way to celebrate birthdays, adoption days or just any old day with your four legged friend.

These fun, dog-friendly little pupcakes are such a fun way to celebrate special occasions or everyday moments with your pooch and my little Ollie adored that I combined some of his favorite dog-friendly ingredients with his newly favorite Pup-Peroni Jerky Bites. Can you guess why Ollie loves them? Real pork or beef is the number one ingredient! They are also made without any grain, meat-by-product fillers, or artificial flavors! In fact, if I’m truthful, first thing he did was ate the Pup-Peroni Jerky Bites out of his cupcakes….but more on that later! First, let me share with you how to make these easy Peanut Butter and Banana Pupcakes!

These Peanut Butter and Banana Pupcakes are quick and easy and trust me when I say that they make special moments with your pup delicious! To start, I mashed up my banana in the bottom of a mixing bowl.

Next, I added in 1/2 cup of peanut butter and mixed my ingredients together until they were creamy.

As soon as I had a creamy texture to my peanut butter and banana mixture, I added in my eggs. Then, with my wet ingredients ready, I poured in my whole wheat flour, rolled oats and baking powder. The batter got sticky quickly so, to thin it out, I added milk – a little at a time until I had a pupcake batter that was smooth and fluffy. Then, I immediately filled each of my small cupcake tins 3/4 of the way full with the mixture.

Into the oven my Peanut Butter and Banana Pupcakes went on 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes (until a toothpick inserted into the middle of them came out clean). Once they were baked to perfection, I removed them from the oven, placed them on a cooling rack, and started whipping up my pupcake frosting. To do this, I simply whipped together my remaining 1/2 cup of peanut butter, Greek Yogurt and honey. Once the mixture was smooth and creamy, I added it to a piping bag and piped a little onto each of my pupcakes.

Now, this is where things got really fun for my Ollie! I knew he would like my creation but I wanted him to love it so I decided to top each of my Peanut Butter and Banana Pupcakes with his favorite Pup-Peroni Jerky Bites.  I had picked up both the pork and beef varieties on my last trip to Walmart and I knew from our everyday interactions that these tender jerky bites with big meaty flavor were a way to take my pupcakes to Ollie worthy level! After opening my bags of new Pup-Peroni Jerky Bites, I quickly and easily tore them into smaller pieces that were the right size for my small pupcakes. Then I simply placed one piece of Pup-Peroni Jerky Bites into each of my Peanut Butter and Banana Pupcakes, pushing it down into the top to secure it.

Since Ollie has such a hard time deciding whether the pork or beef variety of Pup-Peroni Jerky Bites are his favorite snack, I alternated with each pupcake so that he would be surprised each time he got to taste one. With my creation complete, all that was left to do was celebrate Ollie as part of our family, and celebrate we did! I laid out his Peanut Butter and Banana Pupcakes, and gave him a treat that he thought was just as special as we think he is.

He immediately started licking his little snout, tried to get to the Pup-Peroni Jerky Treats bite in the top of each of the Peanut Butter and Banana Pupcakes.

While he admittedly loved every part of his celebration, it was easy to see that the Pup-Peroni Jerky Bites stole the show as his favorite part of my pupcakes!

While I know some may say he’s just a dog and I went a little crazy whipping him up this fun treat, I simply say that Ollie is a member of the family and this was the perfect way to celebrate the fact that he always brings a smile to our face.

Now it’s your turn! Whether you’re celebrating a special milestone in your four-legged friend’s life, or simply looking for a way to treat him or her daily, I encourage you to try new Pup-Peroni Jerky Bites. You can find them in the dog snacks aisle at Walmart and since you can easy tear them into smaller pieces or keep them whole, they are perfect for every dog, from the biggest of the big to the smallest of the small. They are great to use as a treat or snack daily as part of your dog’s healthy diet and they are extra fun to use as part of a fun way to celebrate special moments in your pup’s life!

So, don’t wait! Head to Walmart and stock up today on Pup-Peroni Jerky in either Pork or Beef flavor. Then whip up my Peanut Butter and Banana Pupcakes for a special or everyday celebration or simply use them as a way to give your dog a snack or treat you can feel great about.

Now tell me, how does Pup-Peroni Jerky help you make your four legged friend feel special?