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 (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
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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. 🙂
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
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.