Are you looking to spread seasonal cheer to your canine family members?

If your pet doesn’t have any known dietary sensitivities, you can try whipping up these dog-friendly Snowball Pupcakes (devised by the UK Kennel Club). Your pet will think that Christmas has come early!

Ingredients:

1. For the pupcake

• One ripe banana
• 75g natural peanut butter (containing only peanuts +/- a small pinch of salt)
• One egg
• 35g honey
• 50g wholemeal flour
• 35g rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 60ml water

2. For the snowy topping

• One tsp of Greek yoghurt per pupcake

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees (or 160 degrees Fan-forced)
2. Mash the banana in a large bowl
3. Mix in the peanut butter, egg and honey
4. Add in the dry ingredients (flour, oats and baking powder) and stir until well combined
5. Gradually mix in the water
6. Divide the mix into 12 mini cupcake cases, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden-brown
7. Leave to cool
8. Remove the pupcakes from their cases
9. Top each pupcake with a dollop of Greek yoghurt (or yoghurt smiley faces or paw prints if you’re feeling creative)
10. Delight your pet with your culinary creation*

* Even if your pet tolerates most foods, offering new foods in small amounts for a few days is always safest so their gut can adjust gradually. For any pet, a sudden change in diet can trigger gastrointestinal upset, with potential nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, or very smelly smells.

Therefore, we’d recommend only half a pupcake per day for the first few days for small dogs, and 1-2 pupcakes per day for medium to large dogs.

For more information on safe Christmas foods for your pet, consult our snack-happy team!