Pamper Your Pooch: Peanut Butter and Cheese Pupcakes

As humans, it comes as almost a need to pamper our pooches. Whether this means, snuggling up on the couch every night, allowing excessive table scraps to be "dropped," brushing them until our hands could fall off, or loading them up on treats, even when they didn't end up doing the trick you asked for. Well, I present you with one more. These can be made for your companion's birthday party, or just because. Upgrade from those mediocre Bacon Bites that everyone else is feeding their dogs, and make your's some Peanut Butter and Cheese Pupcakes.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups wheat flour
• 1/4 cup oats
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup peanut butter, smooth
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup grated cheese

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray your muffin tins, or insert cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, mix together the wheat flour, oats, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir them together until everything is evenly distributed and well blended. Set this bowl aside for now. Blend together the yogurt, water, oil, honey, and eggs. It will be very soupy and liquidy, but don't worry! Slowly stir in the cheese. Now, add part of the flour mixture to the liquids. Mix. Keep slowly adding more of the flour until everything is nicely blended and your pupcake batter has a nice consistency.

Spoon the batter into the greased muffin tins. I used mini-muffin pans, because my doggy is smaller. However, if your canine friend is on the bigger side, or just has a big appetite, this will work with regular sized muffin tins as well. 

If you want, you can add little decorations and treats to your pupcakes. Place your dog's favorite (or 2nd favorite, after these) treat on top of the cupcakes, if you don't plan on frosting them later on. Or, place a little surprise inside some of them, to make this an even more fun treat for your pooch!

Place them in the oven. If you are using the mini-muffin pans, bake them for about 15 minutes. The regular sized ones take about 20. When they are lightly browned on the top, and you can see the melted cheese, take them out and let them sit for a few minutes. Place the muffins on a cooling rack to let some of the heat out. Wouldn't want to burn our doggy's mouths!

While the pupcakes are cooling, start to make the frosting for them. This part is completely optional. Dogs love these with or without the frosting!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup peanut butter, smooth
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk (as needed)

If you chose to make the frosting, carefully frost your pupcakes. 

If your dog wasn't already your best friend, then these pupcakes will turn 'man's best friend' into the understatement of the year. Your dog will just love this spin on people-cupcakes. I hope you and your pooch enjoy!