Easy DIY Sweet Potato Dog Chews are here! After so many dogs (and people apparently) loved my Peanut Butter & Pumpkin Dog Treats, I thought it would be fun to make another one for the pooches. My pet store sells these sweet potato chews which Chickpea dog loves, but they are like $8 for a package!! Which, I swear, is barely 1 potato worth of slices. Seems a bit silly to me when there is only one ingredient.
So after doing a bit of ye ol' internet research, I found out it was super-duper easy to make your own. All I have to do is dry out some sweet potato slices in the oven at very low for a couple of hours. Boom. Done. The result was that some pieces were a bit dry and crunchy, but most pieces had a chewy jerky-like texture. And did Chickpea dog like them? Watch as she discovers the treats. ↓
Yeah, she liked them all right. Really, really went nuts for them and couldn't understand why I was teasing her with it. For photography Chickpea! You're an internet-famous dog, don't you know?
Of course, you could feed these treats to the humans of the household as well. I taste-tested them, and dried out sweet potatoes don't do much for me... But to each their own!
To make Easy DIY Sweet Potato Dog Chews:
Take 2 sweet potatoes. Or you could do just 1, or 7, or however many you like! I found that 1 sweet potato took up about 1 baking sheet, so I did two baking sheets worth.
Slice them up. I sliced mine into coins because Chickpea is only a medium-little dog, but if you have a bigger dog you could slice them lengthwise for larger chews. You don't want the pieces to be too thin or they will just get crispy and not chewy. So make sure they are no thinner than ¼ inch (see above photo for reference).
I use the mandoline attachment on my food processor so it took about 7 seconds to slice the potatoes.
Lay them all out on parchment paper-lined baking sheets in a single layer.
Then just pop the little dudes in the oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours flipping once half way through until they are shrunken, dried out, and some pieces are a bit crispy, while others are a bit chewy. Let cool, then store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
Bon Appetegan, pooches!
Sam Turnbull
Easy DIY Sweet Potato Dog Chews
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 250F (130C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a knife or mandoline to cut the sweet potato into slices. I sliced mine into coins because my dog is small, but if you have a bigger dog you could slice them lengthwise for larger chews. You don’t want the pieces to be too thin, or they will just get crispy and not chewy, so make sure they are no thinner than ¼ inch.
- Arrange them in a single layer on the baking sheets and bake for 2 ½ to 3 hours flipping once halfway through until they are shrunken, dried out, and some pieces are a bit crispy, while others are a bit chewy.
- Let cool, then store in an air-tight container in the fridge for about 3 weeks.
Nutrition
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Chris says
I'm curious: any idea how much weight the sweet potatoes lose when slow-baked/dried like this? Just wondering if it's economically smart and worth burning the nat gas for that long.
I know my dogs will love these. And I hope they might do a little tooth-cleaning as well....
Thanks! Great blog-site!
Lisa says
Just curious. What kind of dog is chickpea?
Sam Turnbull says
She's a mutt! We had her DNA tested and she is a mix of 21 different breeds!
Kim Clinger says
Excited to try this, but sweet potatoes raw are like a tock. Do you bake them first? I don’t have a food processor, besides me…
Thanks!
Bar says
You can microwave it first for a few, makes slicing it thin easiser.
Christina says
Can you freeze these? Or should you only keep them in the fridge? And when it says keep in fridge for 3 weeks, does that mean that’s how long they’re good for , or it takes 3 weeks for them to be ready? Thanks for posting this recipe, my potatoes are in the oven and I can’t wait to give them to my baby.
Sam Turnbull says
You can freeze them. They should stay fresh for 3 weeks. They are ready to eat out of the oven once they have cooled. Enjoy!
Ang says
I made these, haven't given to my Boston terriers yet, but read the skin should be taken off and it's not good for them? Your pic has the skin on, what are your thoughts?
Sam Turnbull says
Sweet potato skin is healthy for dogs and can be fed in moderate amounts after it’s cooked. 🙂
Birby says
Can this recipe also work in a convection oven or air fryer?
Michele says
Dogs love these—BUT: if you have a breed prone to digestive stones or your dog has a history of calcium oxalate stones, sweet potato must be avoided. Learned this too late after feeding my pom these healthy vegan treats —& he needed surgery for bladder stones. Not universal dangerous for dogs, just be aware & use moderation—so few vegan pet food options that overconsumption can lead to negative consequences
P Owen says
Want to dry them in a dehydrator but will peel them first. But am wondering if I will have to peel the potatoes into thin skins to dry them
Debbie says
We use a dehydrator and don’t peel them. We cut them like French fries in all different sizes so some are crispy and some are chewy Our dogs love them!!
Mary says
How long do you keep them in the dehydrator for and at what temp? Would love to do the same. Thanks!
Brian Goebel says
Is the skin toxic for dogs?
Chelle says
I had to Google it:
When feeding your dog a sweet potato, make sure it's cooked and that the skin is removed; leaving the skin on makes it harder for your dog to digest. You should never feed your dog a raw sweet potato. Not only are they difficult to chew, but they can upset your dog's stomach and potentially cause intestinal blockage.
V says
Thanks for looking that up! My dog has digestive issues and needs to be on VERY low fat food for pancreatitis. I found sweet potato treats with no fat at all at petco but they are pretty expensive so making my own seemed like a better option. I'm glad I know that I should peel them first
Gina says
I have a little Yorkie. These sweet potatoes are the only treat I give him. He loves them. He is 7 years old and his teeth look better than ever. He never has trouble using # 2, and his stools are never runny.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Awww that's so great!
Paula Filipe says
Our mini golden doodle Marlee loves these. The crispier the better. I sprinkle ground up dog liver treats on them. The first time I made them I did them chewy, she was not a fan of those. Since them I make sure they are crispy for her.
Wanetta says
Paula, when you add the ground liver treats, are you doing this before baking or once they come out, before they cool? How do you get it to stick?
Paula says
Sorry I just saw your comment. I sprinkle the ground liver powder on just before putting in the oven. I don’t put a lot, because it all doesn’t stick. But I also sprinkle again when I turn them over.
Fran says
Hello I am so glad to see the recipe to make these sweet potato treats for my yorkieshon. She is a sweet potato lover. I am paying average $8.00 per bag at the store or on line and now I am making the same amount for 99 cents - I buy my sweet potatoes from the farmer's market and they are great. Thank you a million times over.
Kirsty says
hi Paula just wondering, could you sprinkle something else like chicken stock cubes over them if don't have liver powder? can't wait for our Axel to try
Katy says
Too much sodium in chicken stock.