First of all, I just have to say 7 DAYS UNTIL THE PRESALE OF MY COOKBOOK!!!!!!!!!!!
Whew. Ok, I can relax now. But seriously, I'm so excited. I've been counting down on social media, but there will be a HUGE presale announcement here on my blog including revealing the cover, name, some sneak peeks, a special surprise gift, AND you will be able to pre-order my cookbook so you will be one of the very first people to get your hands on one! Woot! Don't miss it, it's gonna be a party over here on this blog.
Moving on to Easy DIY Sweet Potato Dog Chews. 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, but 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.
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 (see photos for reference). Arrange them in a single layer on the baking sheets and bake 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 about 3 weeks.
Nutrition
Bon Appetegan, pooches!
Sam.
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Mary L Harkleroad says
I am making some as we speak but I wrapped mine in chicken. Some pieces were a little thick so I flattened them a bit and wrapped them around the sweet potatoes. I use to purchase these from Chewy but after reading about so many pets dying from the glycerin in them(made in China), I decided to make my own treats as I also make my own Dog food.
Alex says
Maxey loves them and gives them a 10/10 rating. I accidentally bought yams because the signs were mixed up and didn't realize until I got home. I also added some nutritional yeast flakes on top since Maxey likes that and gives it a cheese-y flavor. He prefers crispy over chewy so we're cooking ours a bit longer, but highly recommend this recipe. Super easy too!!
Mike says
My dog and I just tried this (yes, I ate "at least one" just to test it) and they are indeed PRETTY TASTY!!!!!!! Another Commenter suggested using a microwave and it really worked great! Slice into 1/4" rounds, cover a plate with parchment paper, sprinkle very lightly with garlic powder (because all dogs love garlic/ pizza crust flavor, yes?), microwave 3 minutes, turn pieces over, nuke it again 3 minutes, nuke it for 30 second intervals until slightly wrinkled, let cool, scarf 'em up. Texture will be slightly chewy. If you microwave longer they will be more dry/crunchy (too long and they will burn, so don't do that.) But either way, chewy or crunchy, we love 'em and give 'em 2 paws up!
Candice says
I heard garlic, onion, nutmeg, leeks, chocolate, raisins, grapes, and chocolate are toxic to dogs.
Mike says
If you are worried about this, definitely only do what is best for you and your dog, do your research with reliable sources and never, ever be persuaded by some anonymous person's comment online. When you say "I've heard" it tells me that you are not doing your own research and you are likely to be wrong as many times as you are right. So, you might as well flip a coin on every issue. In this case, what you "heard" is correct, solid garlic is not good for dogs and may be fatal in large amounts. As for me and my dog, a light sprinkle of garlic powder on a slice of sweet potato is tasty, healthy treat and since I've done my own research, I know that is okay. Good luck.
Gnomey says
According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, garlic and other members of the allium family, including onions, contain thiosulfate, which is toxic to dogs but not to humans. Thiosulfate causes oxidative damage to red blood cells, resulting in hemolytic anemia. This information can easily be found using many reliable sources.
Rachel says
Thank you for helping set this record straight
AC says
Garlic is extremely toxic to dogs. Please do not do this. Mike might think it's okay to give this to his dogs, but he is wrong.
Gil Knutson says
Question rather than comment: can you do the sweet potato in a dehydrator instead of the oven?
Amy says
Yep! Just made these in my Instant Pot with the dehydrator lid. My dog is obsessed.
Nick says
2.5 to 3 hours in the oven? Ever heard of the microwave?
Stacey says
the slow cooking time is necessary to get a chewy texture
Nance Limesky says
A microwave will not get the same results.
Pogi says
@Nick
Are you serious? You have to be trolling. Not cool.
Pogi says
Nick, try this recipe with a microwave yourself and tell me how it goes. Lol.
Mike says
thanks for the suggestion - worked GREAT!
Aman says
How many of these can you feed to a young golden retriever female - 2 yrs old and about 30 kgs body weight
Kristall says
Love how easy it is to make these chews. I've been making them at least twice a month for my two doggos. I do have a question though. When I take them out of the oven they are crispy/chewy but then I put them in the fridge and they all soften and shrink. I can't figure out how to store them to keep them on the crispier side. I put them in a large Ziploc bag. How do you store yours and what kind of container do you use?
Grace says
I freeze the large bag, they don't take long to thaw, like 10mins max on the counter
Anna says
Thank you for posting this! Sweet potato chews are some of her favorites and I'm always buying them. My dog Ella loves her veggies and is particularly fond of broccoli and turnip. When I bring home broccoli, she thinks its all for her and stands at the fridge wagging her tail. Anyone else have a dog who loves broccoli?
Kati says
Yes! My dog adores broccoli! And almost any other vegetable!
Valerie says
These actually make a great sweet potato chip for humans! Made them for my dogs but then decided to try one myself and loved it!
Megan Pedersen says
Same lol! My dogs love them!
Nicky says
Hello!
I’m sure my dog would love these!
Before I make them I have one question....
Do the sweet potatoes make anyone’s dog’s fur orange? Like around their mouths? I remember seeing reviews of the store bought chews making an orange mess on the dog and on the floor or couch where the dog eats it. I’d definitely like to avoid that!
Sandra Garcia says
My dogs LOVE sweet potato treats! I've got some in the oven right now and they are patiently waiting in the kitchen for them to be ready. In response to the question about the dog's fur turning orange, I haven't noticed that at all. If it does though, I previously had a white pup and I always bought a "whitening" shampoo at the local pet store. It took care of any stains on his face from tears or stains on his feet from licking.
Wendy says
My dogs go crazy for sweet potatoes. I just bake them whole, slice them once cooled and they usually have them all gobbled up before I can air dry them in front of my wood stove! Or I skip the air drying and keep them in the fridge, they like 'em cold, too, lol. Skin on! No need to waste it. But I also use organic sweet potatoes.
They also love zucchini chips, banana chips and beet chips (raw, sliced and air dried).
Gail says
Made these and they turned out great. However some were hard.
Why do they have to be refrigerated? the ones in the bag do not.
Denise says
Thank you so much for this "newer" recipe!! I use to cook these for 5 hours and could never adjust it to cooking faster. I'm making over 8lbs of fresh for a PC Pound Puppies fundraiser.
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing!
Margaret Koeller says
Was just wondering if I'm wrong or not but those look like Yams your using and not sweet potatoes. So if I use sweet potatoes not yams will they still come out the same ? TIA
Tony says
I’m not sure where you live, but here in North America, what most grocery stores/restaurants call, “yams,” are actually orange sweet potatoes; they do this to make it easy to differentiate between yellow and orange sweet potatoes (there’s even purple sweet potatoes!). Sweet potatoes are in the morning glory family (cousins of potatoes), whereas real yams are completely unrelated. Yams are generally larger, starchier, and a lot drier than sweet potatoes.
As for the recipe, I made these for my dogs, and they just adore them! Will definitely make again.
Curious food obsessed hooman says
Can hoomans eat too? Anyone tried?
Sam Turnbull says
It's just dried sweet potatoes, so yes, humans can eat it. I'm afraid it would be very bland and dry tho.
Same hooman says
Right lol
Megan Pedersen says
Yes ! I had to try them! They are actually pretty good
Juliette Exupery says
I haven't made these yet, Sam, but I intend to. I just wanted to alert you that dog nutritionists, in general, warn about giving unpeeled sweet potato to dogs. It is said the skin can harm their digestive system and make them sick. Thought you might like to know what's out there. Thank you for a delightful site. I will definitely make these for my sweet puppykids.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Juliette, as far as I have read the vines of sweet potatoes are unsafe to consume, but both the sweet potato skin and flesh are safe to consume. You can read more here. Hope that helps!
Barbara Henry says
Our pups LOVE these! What a simple to make, healthy, SO MUCH cheaper treat to give them!
I will be following and sharing your articles/recipes from now on.
Thank you so much!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy your pup loved them, Barbara!
Patty says
Thank you for posting this! I bought a dehydrator from someone on Craigslist, but it doesn't have any temperature control so I've been hesitant to try it. It's nice to know I can make them in the oven if I prefer! I've been ordering them on chewy.com, but they ARE ridiculously expensive!
Can I ask what you which Vegan dog food you feed your sweet little Chickpea? I've transitioned my Pomeranian to Vegan treats, but not food yet.
Also, I wanted you to know I have your cookbook and love it, although I just made the first thing from it yesterday - the chickpea salad for sandwiches (I don't remember the exact name). Anyway, I loved it! Thank you so much!
Sam Turnbull says
So thrilled you are enjoying my book, Patty! Chickpeas favourite dog food is called V-Planet (known as V-Dog in the US). Enjoy!
Patty says
Thank you! I made the sweet potato chews last night and the smaller, thinner ones turned out just like store-bought chews. My Bubba loved it!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy to hear that!
Martine says
Sweet potato chews are so loved by dogs 🙂 And much cheaper to make them than buying them.
Thank you for posting this recipe. I always forget the optimal temp to roast/dry them.
To Patty who asked about a vegan dog food... providing treats that are vegan are perfectly fine but it is completely irresponsible to put a dog on a vegan diet. Dogs are omnivores. If you are opposed to a pet that eats meat, please get a guinea pig, rabbit or some other pet species that thrives on a vegetarian diet.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Martine, dogs are omnivores, not carnivores. At first, I thought it was terribly mean to make a dog vegan, but then I started noticing a lot of healthy dogs on Instagram being tagged as vegan. So I started researching and it turns out dogs can totally thrive on a properly balanced vegan diet. To be sure (because you can’t always trust the internet), I called three local vets, and every single one said dogs could be happy and healthy on a well-balanced vegan diet. Then to seal the deal when I took Chickpea to the vet when I first rescued her, the vet actually ended up prescribing her allergy friendly dog food, which upon inspection I realized was vegan! Of course, as a vegan, the last thing in the world I would want to do is hurt an animal, so if it wasn’t working for her I would change her diet, but she’s been on vegan ever since I rescued her and is happy, healthy, and has endless amounts of energy. Not to mention that one of my closest friends is an emergency vet. She plays with Chickpea weekly, so if she saw any signs of malnutrition she would point them out ASAP. She approves of the vegan diet for Chickpea, and she isn’t even vegan herself. :)
Sarah says
Yes, thank you! Dogs are actually omnivores although my research has led me to believe that they definitely need more meat than vegetables. If someone doesn't want a pet that eats meat then they should really get a pet that is a vegetarian like you suggested.
Sam Turnbull says
My dog is happy and healthy on a vet approved vegan diet. 🙂
Lili says
If anyone is sketchy about the vegan diet for dogs, ask your vet and go with prepared brands. Both dog and cat food are under strict regulations in the US and have guidelines as far as nutritional balance. Sometimes it's hard for us to get those balances right but even the crappiest food companies have regulations in place to make sure there is right amount of taurine etc for cat foods and the right amount of supplementation for dog food. Cats are obligate carnivores and are way more difficult to balance. Dogs usually do fine. That being said if you have a dog with health issues you might need to change for dietary reasons as stated above.
Sue Evans says
Can't wait to try this, i've been buying these for over a year and have spent a small fortune. Just a quick question, you say to store them in the fridge for 3 weeks, is that just how to keep them fresh, there's no reason we can't feed them to the dogs the same day as baking is there?
Sue Evans says
Nevermind, just saw where it says they will last up to 3 weeks. The dogs LOVED them, somehow they knew what i was baking was for them
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Sue, that's correct! You can feed them to your dog right away. 🙂
Esther Johnston says
Hi Sam ,
I am going to make these tonight... I need to have them in 1/4 squares so I can use them for our mini dachshund Petal for clicker training. She is restricted from meat protein products.Would you suggest cutting them that small first or after baking them ? Thanks so much in advance,
Esther Johnston
Sam Turnbull says
Cut them before baking, but then keep an eye on them in the oven as they will probably take less time to bake. Hope that helps!
Elissa says
Thank you so much for this recipe Sam! I made 2 small batches over the last 2 weeks. My pups love them so much they have been great for rewards for training, I give them each 1-2 a day and they go nuts everytime! Training has been easier than using store bought dehydrated chicken livers. I currently have a double batch in the oven. I'm so happy to have found this easy recipe that they absolutely love! Thank you again 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Aww that's so wonderful!! Thrilled your pups love them so much 🙂
Elissa says
Just a follow up, to my previous comment. I have made these more than I can count. My dogs still go nuts for them. Their grandma even brings over trays of sweet potatoes now for us to make them as she's seen how much they love them! Thank you again xo
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Amazing!!! 🙂
Cory says
We're in our RV for the winter and are going to make these for our 11 month old, 70# Goldendoodle, Darby. The decision we're trying to make is whether to make them on our convection oven or in the air fryer.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww lovely. I would recommend the convection oven. Enjoy!
Paula Schelk says
I am making these right now. I used to buy them but figured it can't be that hard to make your own and they won't have any preservatives in them. My dogs love these!!
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome! SO happy to hear that 🙂
Karen Kemp says
I made these today. I used 3 large sweet potatoes and 1 very large pan that fits the entire oven! I may have cut them a bit thin, I'm not sure, but they only needed 1 hour and 45 minutes at 250 F. Otis my dog loves them! We tried them too. The crunchy ones turn brown but taste awesome and the chewy ones are good too! Thank you for the recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy Otis loved them! 🙂
Jennifer W says
I have so many comments! First, I have a little countertop oven, making this an awesome recipe. Secondly, since there's controversy about skins, I roughly took some off, let some on. YOUR DOG IS SO CUTE! Mine constantly looks for treats, shop this should be perfect.
If this turns out, I'm making extras to give as little Christmas gifts to friends and family.
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! I hope your pooch loves them!! 🙂
Marie says
Did you bake both sheets at once, or one at a time?
Any idea if adding a bit of peanut butter would work?
Really love this idea and will try it out this weekend 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Yep, I baked everything at once. I wouldn't recommend adding peanut butter to these but you could try my pumpkin and peanut butter dog treats.
Dawn says
Can you freeze these after baking?
Sam Turnbull says
Yep!
Deborah says
Hello,
Would it be ok to use aluminum foil instead of parchment paper?
Can the chews be made using a microwave oven (no aluminum foil of course).
Thanks!! 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Yep that should work fine. Enjoy!
Alex T says
Chickpea is sooo cute! Ad that's a great name. I am preheating the oven right now to try your treats. I'll let you know how my puppy likes them.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much! I hope your puppy loves them as much as Chickpea does 🙂
shahram tork says
I am from Iran.
I wanted to thank you for the good website.
You have a very good website
Thank
Sam Turnbull says
You're welcome 🙂
Roe says
I noticed that the skin is on, is that good for the dog to eat? I read other websites where they say the skin is not good for the dog. I really like this treat but was concerned about the skin.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Roe, I'm not an expert in dog health, but according to this site the skin is good for dogs. If you prefer to remove the skin first, then you can absolutely do that.
Marine says
Found them! I will try the recipe this weekend.
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Yay!
Jana says
These were so easy to make and the whole family enjoyed these treats. I have never been a fan of sweet potatoes and even I liked them lol
Sam Turnbull says
Hahahaha! Love it.
Sam says
where have you been my entire life? i have been searching for a vegan, cheap and easy recipe for my poochie.
this blog is exactly what ive always been looking for! so thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww yay!! Thanks so much, Sam! Glad you found me 🙂
Kathy says
LOVE this! I used to bake Mojo cookies all the time but he would have loved these chews. I don't know if I have enough heart left to get another dog but if I do, these will be great to make!
Sam Turnbull says
Awww! If you have friends with pooches, it would make a great gift too 🙂
Sarah Prescott says
These are a 5 star dog treat! Easy peasy and delicious, my two four loggers loved them!
Love the shots of your Chickpea! Big hugs to both of you and CONGRATULATIONS on your new cookbook!!!!!!!!!
P.S. I'd leave 5 stars, but it's not working when I click on the stars 🙁
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much, Sarah. Cookbook pre-order begins Sunday, woot woot!!! So happy your pooches loved them as much as Chickpea does. Yes, there is an error with the star rating on mobile/tablet I think... hopefully it gets fixed soon 🙂
Leigh says
I LOVE The pictures of her eating them - so cute!
My dog also loves orange veggies 🙂
Thanks for sharing.
Sam Turnbull says
Hahaha, glad you enjoyed! I hope your pooch goes crazy for them like Chickpea does 🙂
Lee | LifeNaturalee says
My pup is nuts for sweetpotato (which I found out when I found him alone looking guilty after eating a raw one that he had stolen...) and carrots 🙂
Thank you for sharing!
Sam Turnbull says
Hahaha! He will love these then. Enjoy!