Can Dogs Eat Madeleines? (Incl. Starbucks Madeleines & Donsuemor Traditional Madeleines)

My two well-behaved dogs deserve their treats today. On our walk, we stopped by Starbucks. While they both stayed outside, I headed in to grab my coffee and two small Puppuccino cups. As I was paying for my coffee, I saw these savory Madeleines and wondered if they are safe for doggy consumption.

Can dogs eat Madeleines? No, dogs should not eat Madeleines because they are loaded with sugar and high in fat and calories. These three factors would cause and contribute to a list of health issues in dogs including diabetes, obesity, dental issues, and even pancreatitis. If you must, consider giving just a small amount of Madeleines to your pooch. Moderation is key. 

What are Madeleines?

Madeleines are small french sponge cakes that have a buttery, soft, sweet, and vanilla taste. They are shaped like shells and are usually baked in a Madeleine pan which has a shell-shaped depression. 

Many people enjoy Madeleines with a cup of coffee or tea. While you can add Strawberry Jam to the Madeleines, some come coated in chocolate or coconut.

Where do Madeleines come from?

Madeleines originated from Commercy and Liverdun in the Lorraine region of northeastern France. 

What are the ingredients in Madeleines?

Some ingredients in Madeleines are extremely harmful to dogs. To find out which ingredients may be dangerous for our pooch, let’s take a look at the ingredients in both the Starbucks Madeleines and the Donsuemor Traditional Madeleines, two of the most popular brands of Madeleines. 

Starbucks Madeleines

Many people will grab a bag of the Starbucks Madeleines when they order their morning or afternoon coffee. These petite french cakes are very tempting since they are best enjoyed with a cup of hot coffee or tea. 

Below is a list of ingredients in the Starbucks Madeleines:

Starbucks Madeleines recipe

• Sugar
• Enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)
• Butter (cream [milk] and Salt)
• Eggs and Egg Whites
• Natural Flavors
• Baking Powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, cornstarch, monocalcium phosphate)

Donsuemor Traditional Madeleines

Most people buy their Madeleines from their local grocery stores like Costco. There are usually 28 Madeleines and weigh 28oz. Here is the list of ingredients in Donsuemor Traditional Madeleines. 

Donsuemor Madeleines recipe

• Sugar
• Enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)
• Butter (cream [milk] and salt)
• Eggs
• Natural Flavorings
• Canola Oil
• Invert sugar
• Nonfat milk
• Baking Powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda, cornstarch, monocalcium phosphate)

As you can see, both the Starbucks Madeleines and the Donsuemor Traditional Madeleines share some of the same ingredients. 

Fun Fact: Madeleines and Fortune Cookies share a few of the same ingredients: sugar, flour, and eggs.

In addition, both packaging labels warn us that their Madeleines are made with the same equipment that processes soy, tree nuts, and peanut products. This information is crucial because if your canine companions are allergic to soy products and nuts, eating even a tiny bite of Madeleines could be harmful to them. 

Both Madeleine brands contain wheat, milk, and egg. Let’s discuss the ingredients individually to find out why Madeleines may not be safe for dogs to eat. 

Sugar

Both the Starbucks Madeleines and the Donsuemor Traditional Madeleines are packed full of sugar. Each Madeleine contains 10g of sugar, if not more. Consuming this petite french cake can be detrimental to your pup’s health. 

Added sugar that is not part of your furry friend’s regular dog food diet or eating treats with too much sugar can cause a list of health problems including: 

• Diarrhea.
• Vomiting.
• Dental disease and oral infections (tooth decay).
• Canine obesity (weight gain)
• Diabetes (type 2 diabetes).
• Arthritis.
• Decrease in energy level.
• Dermatitis.
• Decrease in muscle tone.
• Digestive upset.
• Disrupted metabolism.
• Weakened immune system.
• Inflammation of the body.
• Immune system may not be able to fight against diseases.
• Heart complications.
• Pancreatitis.

That’s because sugar from Madeleines can spike your dog’s glucose or blood sugar level. Canines do not generally need added sugar in their diet. They should get their sugar from carbohydrates, specifically complex carbohydrates, which contain fiber or starch from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. 

Complex carbohydrates help to prevent any quick spike in your pup’s glucose level by increasing the glucose level in your dog’s body slowly and over time. 

Avoid giving your pooch Madeleines due to the high sugar content. Sugar from Madeleines does not provide any nutritional benefits to your canine friends. 

Enriched flour

The enriched flour used to make Madeleines does not provide any nutritional value to your pooch either. While it contains wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acid, it is highly processed. 

During the preparation process, many of the nutrients were lost. As a result, the following were added back in to match its nutritional value when it was unrefined. 

• B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, folic acid, and niacin)
• Iron.

Dogs can get these B vitamins and iron from vegetables like Brussel Sprouts or regular dog food so there’s no need to feed our furry friends snacks or treats with enriched flour.   

Dogs that ingest enriched flour can suffer from the following symptoms: 

• Bloating.
• Digestive upsets.
• Organ inflammation such as swelling of the large intestines and colon.
• Dog colitis.
• Inflammatory bowel syndrome. 

It’s also important to make sure that your furry friend is not allergic to any of the ingredients listed under enriched flour before you hand over those Madeleines. Since enriched flour with added minerals and vitamins have gluten, be sure not to feed Madeleines to your pooch if they are allergic to gluten. 

When it comes to feeding your pooch, keeping the ingredients simple is key. 

Overall, enriched flour is not safe for doggy consumption so it’s best to avoid feeding your four-legged friends these Madeleines no matter if they are from Starbucks or Donsuemor.

Butter (cream [milk] and salt)

Butter is a dairy product. The cream is made of milk. Most dogs are lactose intolerant, which means that they are not able to digest milk, Whipped Cream, and other dairy products properly.  

If your four-legged friends are lactose intolerant, it’s best to keep Madeleines away from them because they contain butter, milk, and cream. 

Older dogs generally lack the lactase enzyme that is responsible for breaking down lactose, which is the sugar found in milk. Due to this, your pups may experience the following symptoms after having milk or ingesting milk products: 

• Bloating.
• Vomiting.
• Passing gas.
• Diarrhea.
• Loss of appetite.

Avoid feeding your pooch butter on a regular basis. If you are unsure whether your pooch is lactose intolerant or not, we recommend that you start by giving him very little milk or dairy product. If he reacts negatively to it, then it’s best not to give them milk or dairy products again.  

Additionally, The butter has added salt. Other than your dog’s regular dog food diet, they should not have excessive salt intake. Too much salt intake can lead to sodium poisoning. 

Signs of salt poisoning include:

• Dehydration.
• Jerking.
• Shaking. 
• Confusion.
• Shortness of breath and breathing difficulty.
• Convulsions.
• Heart beating fast.
• Fainting.
• Loss of water in the muscles leading to stiff muscles.
• Shrivel or wrinkle of the skin due to loss of moisture.
• Hypernatremia (when there’s an excessive amount of salt in your dog’s blood).

Be sure to provide your furry friends with a bowl of fresh cool water so they can stay hydrated after eating salty snacks or food. If your pooch is experiencing salt poisoning, contact your vet right away. He or she will need immediate attention. Early detection and treatment are key.

Eggs

Eggs are great for dogs. They provide the following vitamins and minerals for dogs: 

• Protein.
• Vitamin A.
• Iron.
• Riboflavin.
• Vitamin B12.
• Selenium.
• Fatty acids.
• Folate.

Before feeding your dog eggs, make sure they are fully cooked. Raw eggs can contain salmonella, which can cause lethargy, fever, diarrhea, and vomiting in dogs. When dogs contract salmonella, they are at risk of getting Salmonellosis infection. Raw eggs can also cause biotin deficiency.  

The Starbucks Madeleines uses egg whites. If the egg whites are raw, they can contain an enzyme called avidin, which can prevent biotin absorption in your dog’s body. Eggs are safe for dogs. Make sure the eggs are cooked fully before letting your pooch have them. 

While eggs are safe for dogs, when they are mixed with other harmful ingredients to make Madeleines, they are no longer beneficial to dogs so it is best to keep Madeleines away from dogs. 

Baking Powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, cornstarch, monocalcium phosphate)

Baking powder is not toxic to dogs in small amounts. If your canine friends consume large quantities of baking powder, then they may be at risk of toxicity. 

The baking powder in both the Starbucks Madeleines and Donsuemor Madeleines contains baking soda or sodium bicarbonate. If your pooch consumes anywhere around 5 to 11 teaspoons per pound of his body weight, he should be fine. 

Ingesting more than this amount can cause toxicity in dogs. For example, your typical baking soda box contains 277g of baking soda. Consuming this much can cause toxicity in a 10-pound dog like a Chihuahua. 

Please note that smaller dog breeds like Chihuahua are more prone to toxicity than larger dog breeds.

Some signs of baking soda toxicity include: 

• Diarrhea.
• Vomiting.
• Shortness of breath. 
• Seizures.
• Disorientation.
• Depression.
• Tremors.

Generally, it’s not a good idea to give your pooch baking soda. It’s best if your four-legged friends stick to his regular dog food diet filled with nutritional benefits. 

Fun Fact: It’s best that our pooch stay away from treats that contain enriched flour, sugar, canola oil, baking soda, baking powder, and butter such as Vanilla Wafers because these ingredients are not healthy for dogs. We highly recommend sticking to natural ingredients when feeding our canine friends.

Canola oil

Canola oil is used in Donsuemor Madeleines. Many argue that canola oil is processed and may come from GMO or genetically modified crops. For this reason, they claim that canola oil is not safe for dogs.

Although canola oil is not dangerous or immediately toxic to dogs, it doesn’t mean that you should feed your pooch food that contains canola oil on a regular basis.

The most natural and healthy oil we recommend that you use for your dog is olive oil, fish oil, and coconut oil. It’s best to stay away from other oil types.

Since the canola oil used to make Madeleines is mixed with other harmful ingredients, we advise that you avoid feeding your pooch these sweet sponge cakes.

Invert sugar

Invert sugar is a sweetener used to make the Madeleines taste sweeter. It is also used to make the smooth and soft texture you’re expecting of these little french cakes. 

The Starbucks Madeleines does not contain this ingredient, but the Donsuemor Madeleines does. 

Sugar in general adds calories to the food. Our dogs do not need the unnecessary extra calories and sugar. We recommend that your pooch stay away from food with sugar or invert sugar.

Madeleines calories

Now let’s find out the calories in both of these Madeleines. Since there are 3 Madeleines in the Starbucks package and 28 Madeleines in the Donsuemor Traditional Madeleines box, we did an apple to apple comparison of 28g since 1 piece of Donsuemor Traditional Madeleines is 28g.

Starbucks Madeleines calories

Here is our finding on how much calories, fat, and sugar content the Starbucks Madeleines have:

Nutritional Profile of Starbucks Madeleines (28g)

Name, Unit	Amount
Calories, cal	126.3
Total Fat, g	6
Saturated Fat, g	3.3
Cholesterol, mg	38.4
Sodium, mg	54.9
Carbohydrate, g	17.6
Total Sugar, g	10.4
Protein, g	1.1
Calcium, mg	0
Iron, mg	0.2
Vitamin A, μg	39.5

Donsuemor Madeleines calories

To understand the calories in Donsuemor Traditional Madeleines, let’s take a look at its nutritional profile.

Nutritional Profile of Donsuemor Traditional Madeleines (Per Piece or 28g)

Name, Unit	Amount
Calories, cal	130
Total Fat, g	7
Saturated Fat, g	3.5
Cholesterol, mg	45
Sodium, mg	65
Carbohydrate, g	15
Total Sugar, g	10
Protein, g	2
Calcium, mg	8
Potassium, mg	19

What this means is that a single piece or 28g of Madeleine has about 126.3 to 130 calories, 6 to 7 grams of fat (3.3 to 3.5 grams saturated), and 15 to 17.6 grams of carbohydrate (10 to 10.4 grams of sugar) depending on which one you buy. 

As you can see, if your furry family member eats just one piece of Madeleine, it’s like eating raw fat and sugar. If you must share it with your pooch, it’s best to share a tiny amount and not the whole piece. 

Since Madeleines are tasty, your pup may accidentally eat a lot of them. To prevent this from happening, be sure to keep them out of your pooch’s reach and place them in an area that is out of their sight or in a higher shelf or cabinet.  

Eating Madeleines regularly could lead to both immediate health issues and long-term consequences since ingesting so much fat, sugar, and calories can be dangerous. 

When shouldn’t you feed Madeleines to your dog?

Avoid feeding Madeleines to your pooch if he is diabetic, overweight, or has existing health problems like pancreatitis, arthritis, obesity, dental disease, and heart problems. 

Canine-friendly and safe alternatives to Madeleines

Whenever my family and I are enjoying our Madeleines with our morning coffee or tea, we give these to our dogs so they have treats to munch on as well: 

So, can dogs eat Madeleines?

While dogs can eat Madeleines, it doesn’t mean that they should. These petite french cakes are packed full of sugar, fats, and calories. Consuming a tiny amount occasionally should be fine. Try not to feed your pooch Madeleines regularly and keep them out of your dog’s reach. 

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The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your veterinarian or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding dietary needs.

Resources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_(cake)

https://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/24/travel/fare-of-the-country-of-memories-and-madeleines.html