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These easy dried sweet potato dog treats are simple to make and cheaper than store-bought goodies.
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.
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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
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.
I don’t cook the sweet potatoes before dehydrating, but some readers do. Some readers blanch the sweet potatoes before drying.
If you want to store sweet potato dog treats at room temperature, how long they last will vary.
Factors that influence their longevity are the moisture left in the sweet potatoes, the humidity where you live, and how often the container is opened. With that in mind, I’ve stored them on the counter in the winter in an airtight container for a couple of days and had no issues. I do prefer to store them in the refrigerator. If your dog prefers them softer, they may not last long on the counter because of the moisture content left in the treats after cooking.
These treats are easy and have just one ingredient, but they take a while in the oven and even longer in a food dehydrator. The oven will take 2 ½-3 hours; in a food dehydrator set at 135°F, it will take about 6-7 hours. So they’re not quick, but besides slicing, it’s a hands-off recipe.
These are my two cutie pies about to enjoy their freshly made treats! I hope your dogs enjoy these baked sweet potato treats as much as mine did.
PrintRecipe
Sweet Potato Dog Treats
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 24 slices 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These easy dried sweet potato dog treats are simple to make and cheaper than store-bought goodies.
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato
Instructions
Method 1 Oven:
- Preheat oven to 250˚ F and wash the sweet potato.
- Slice the sweet potatoes at least ½ cm thick.
- Place the sweet potatoes rounds evenly on one layer on a silicone mat or parchment paper on baking sheets.
- Cook for 2½-3 hours.
- Turn the potatoes halfway through.
- Check at the two-hour mark to see if they're done, then every 15 minutes until they reach your desired crispness.
- Let cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Method 2 Food Dehydrator:
- Wash the sweet potato and slice the sweet potatoes ½ cm thick.
- Place the slices in a single layer on the food dehydrator racks.
- Set the dehydrator to 135˚ F.
- Dry for 6-7 hours, depending on how dry you prefer the treats to be.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Method 3 Air Fryer:
- Wash the sweet potato and slice the sweet potatoes ½ cm thick.
- Place the slices on the air fryer rack in a single layer. A few of my slices overlapped, but it’s best not to crowd them.
- Set the dehydrator to 135˚ F.
- Dry for about 5-6 hours, depending on how dry you prefer the treats to be. Check at the 5-hour mark.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Inspired by Dog Treat Kitchen
Keep in mind that not all air fryer brands are the same, so you may need to adjust the time.
Make sure not to slice the sweet potatoes too thick; they will take longer to dry.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: dog treats
- Method: food dehydrator, oven
- Cuisine: american
Cheryl
Hi Allie,
I haven’t made my sweet potato treats yet but I was wondering if you could vac pack them and they would last longer, that way you could avoid opening the container constantly and exposing to bacteria.
Allie
Hi Cheryl,
I haven't tried vacuum-packing them, but it sounds like a good idea. I did a little research online and a lot of sites say dried fruit works well since the moisture has already been stripped so I would think the sweet potatoes would work too.
Brian
Very easy! I Add a couple slices of bread in my ziplock bag, see if that makes a difference.
Allie
Thanks for the tip.
Barbara
Can you tell me which Mandolin you use?
Mine cuts to thin.
Thanks
Allie
I bought mine years ago from amazon it was called Prepworks by Progressive folding mandoline slicer, but it's not available there anymore. It came with different cutting plates to insert for different sizes, ones for super thin, thin, medium, thick slices, and thin and thick julienne. There is a newer model that has thin (1.5 mm) medium (3.5 mm), and thick (6 mm) plates. I'll pop the link in the recipe card, I hope that helps.
Mindi
These are amazing. My Ginger loves them so much. I have to confine her to two a day. Thanks for the instructions. I was paying waaay to much for store bought
Allie
I'm so glad Ginger loves them and thanks for leaving such a lovely comment!
Paul mahoney
Can you Freeze dried sweet potatoes? My dog's love them and seem to be tolerating them but they take a while to make. It would be good to have a pretty good supply stored up, but I wanna be sure that it's safe
Allie
You can freeze them, but if your dog enjoys them crispy I don't think they'll stay crispy after thawing (but I personally haven't frozen them to know for sure on texture). Also once frozen and then thawed, they'll need to stay in the refrigerator and not on the counter.
Claricia
Awesomely easy to make thank you for sharing this idea!
Allie
You're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Kathy
I made the sweet potato chips for my dog and hand cut and baked in my convection oven for 2 hours and a Little! at 270 degrees, they turned out great and crispy. I cut them maybe an 1/8 of an inch....glad I found this recipe, Thank you
Allie
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Ggls
Couldn't we add just a little salt to preserve them a bit longer. I would like to make a large batch to send to SaveAFox Rescue and they would need to be a bit more stable than lasting just a few days. How about Fruit Fresh which is ascorbic acid or something else that will not bother the animals. We can eat it so I'm thinking in very small amounts it would be safe for animals.
Allie
I avoid any added salt in my pet's diet, so I don't preserve the sweet potatoes with it, and I don't know if Fruit Fresh preserver is safe for animals. It's the moisture content that will determine how long they last. I'm not sure how long you need them fresh for delivery, but if the rescue can store them in a refrigerator or freezer they'll last much longer.
Charlotte
https://www.gettystewart.com/how-to-dehydrate-sweet-potatoes/ So I read on this website that blanching or steaming the sweet potatoes help retain color/flavor for longer periods of time and takes less time to dehydrate if you use a dehydrator.
Allie
Thank you for the information, I'm sure the readers will appreciate it.
Erica
It does say thought that if you are using the sweet potatoes within 3 months there is no need to blanch them first.
Jax
Can the skin stay on?
Allie
Yes, the skin can stay on. I hope your pup enjoys the recipe.
Nicki Velasco
My Captain Jack loves these, and omg yours are soo cute too!!
Allie
I'm glad Captain Jack loved them, and I bet he's adorable too!
Rob
Perfect, used to buy, but easier and cheaper and tastier to make following these instructions!
Allie
Thanks, I'm glad they worked out for you!
Sara
Thanks for sharing! So easy and my babies love them!
Allie
Hi Sara, I'm so glad your babies enjoy the treats!
Matt
Easy, healthy and my boy Finley is obsessed!
Thank you so much!
Matthew and Finley 🐶
Allie
Thank you for leaving a comment, and I'm so glad they were a hit with Finley!
Kellsey
How long can you store these at room temp in an airtight container?
Allie
I don't have a set time for you that they'll last because there a few variables that will hinder the shelf life of the dried sweet potatoes. It depends on the moisture content left in the potatoes after drying, the humidity where you live, and how often the container is opened. Every time the container is opened moisture and bacteria are introduced to the potatoes that could contribute to mold growth. With that being said I've stored them on the counter in an airtight container for a few days with no issues, but for long-term storage, I store them in the fridge. I hope that helps!
Wanda
My baby loves them. Thank you for sharing.
Rhett
Allie
I'm glad your babies love them, mine do too!
Frida
I tried making these but I saw some black spots on my dehydrated potatoes, is there a way to avoid that?
Allie
It depends on what the black spots are from. By chance did you cut the sweet potatoes and not cook them immediately? If so, it might be oxidation which may not look appealing but save to eat. The discoloration from oxidation will be surface black specks. If they are deep large black spots it might be from bruising or rot. If it's rot they are not safe to eat. Another reason is sometimes sweet potatoes produce runners while growing, these can be peeled off or cutaway. If it's from a chemical reaction during the cooking process, I've read that blanching the sweet potatoes before dehydrating can prevent them from turning black. I haven't tried that method, so I'm not positive it works. I hope this helps!
Carm
It could just be burnt spots.