I made these pupcakes for my puppy Pixel's 1st birthday. The first time she tried them her eyes were like saucers! It was epic. If your dog likes cheese and bacon, they'll love these sugar free dog treats.
Preheat oven to 350F and line your muffin pans with 18 liners.
In a medium sized bowl combine flour, baking powder and baking soda and mix well.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, applesauce and buttermilk. Then add the melted butter and zucchini and mix again.
Fold in the flour mixture with a spatula, doing about 5-6 folds.
When the flour is about halfway incorporated, add the bacon and cheddar and fold gently until the the flour is just incorporated.
Scoop batter into muffin pans and bake for about 18-20 minutes. Pupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool before frosting.
Cream cheese frosting
Using an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese until smooth.
If using add cheddar powder and mix until light and fluffy.
Frost pupcakes with an offset spatula or a piping bag, then top with bacon and dog treats.
Notes
These cupcakes are tasty for humans too! They are like an egg-y muffin.
I used Hoosier Hill Farm white cheddar powder for the frosting. It adds some cheesy flavor and acts a bit like powdered sugar, helping the cream cheese frosting to get a little stiffer. Leftover cheddar powder is great on popcorn or in homemade crackers.
If you'd like to make a cupcake for the humans at your pup's party, our maple bacon cupcakes use bacon fat, so it's a great pairing.