Sweet Potato Dog Treats

The homemade dog treats only require one ingredient to make a healthy treat for your dogs that they’ll love.  Simply slice the sweet potatoes and dry them in the oven, a dehydrator, or an air fryer with a dehydrate mode.  My preferred methods are the oven and the dehydrator, but I also tested using an air fryer.

The time needed varies for dehydrated sweet potato dog treats depending on how thick the potatoes are cut and your preferred texture for the treats.  One or two sweet potatoes can be easily prepared at a time in the oven or a food dehydrator.  I prefer to make two at once for easy clean-up, but I also have two large sweethearts who will gobble them up.

Recipe features

• One ingredient!
• Cheaper than store-bought dog treats!
• Oven, dehydrator, and air fryer (with dehydrate mode) instructions!

Tips for dehydrating

• I use a mandoline slicer for my potatoes so they are all the same thickness, but they can also be sliced with a knife.  I use the medium setting for my mandoline, which cuts the potatoes ½ cm thick.  
• Cut the potatoes width-wise for small pieces and length-wise for larger pieces.  I also dry the little bites from the ends of the sweet potato.  The small pieces get crunchy (in the oven), and the big pieces will be softer.
• The time needed will vary depending on how thick the sweet potato slices are and your personal preference.  Some dogs prefer a softer sweet potato, and some prefer them crispier.  Also, if you slice them too thin, they will cook faster and may be crispy if dried in the oven.
• If they’re too thick, the potatoes may be more rubbery or take longer to cook.
• I’ve read conflicting information about leaving sweet potato peels on for dogs. I’m not a vet, so if you have concerns, I suggest asking your veterinarian.  I leave the skin on, and my pups haven’t had any issues. 

Oven instructions

To make the doggie sweet potato treats in the oven, preheat the oven to 250°F. Wash the sweet potatoes and slice them at least ½ cm thick. Place the sweet potato rounds in a single layer on a baking tray lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Dry the sliced potatoes in the oven for 2½-3 hours, turning them halfway through. Check at the two-hour mark to see if they're done, then every 15 minutes until they reach your desired crispness.  Some dogs prefer them softer, and some prefer them a little crisper.

Dehydrator instructions

Wash the sweet potato, slice the potatoes ½ cm thick, and place the slices in a single layer on the food dehydrator racks. Set the dehydrator to 135˚ F and dry for 6-7 hours, depending on how dry you (or your dog) prefer the treats to be.

Air fryer instructions

Wash the sweet potato and slice it into ½ cm-thick rounds.  If you have thicker slices, they may take longer to dry.  Place the slices in the tray and try not to overlap them if you can.  Use the dehydration mode (not the air fry mode) on your air fryer set at 135°F and dry for 5-6 hours.

I tested on a Ninja Air Fryer, which has a smaller tray compared to some brands.  I only dried one sweet potato, sliced into rounds, and the rounds were still overlapping in the tray.  This is not the best option when drying produce, but since the rounds shrink during the process, there ended up being room later on.  There are many different brands of air fryers, so you may need to adjust the time and possibly the temperature for your brand. 

Make sure to use the “dehydrate” mode, not the “air fry” mode.  Don’t pack your air fryer; for drying, it’s best to have one layer.  Mine took 6 hours, but I would check at the 5-hour mark.

Storage

Refrigerator - Let the sweet potato dog chews cool completely and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.  

Freezer- Yes, the dog treats can be frozen in an airtight container for about 3 months.  Freezing may alter the texture, creating a softer chew.

Frequently asked questions