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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
KERIN ANN GORDON says
well she's going to try to make it in the air fryer I don't really use my oven anymore that's a lot of electricity to waste I do have a dehydrator so I'll use that if the air fryer doesn't work too well. I did see the comment about the dog not liking this with potatoes.... my dogs will eat raw potatoes cuz I eat raw potatoes that's the way I was brought up eat it right from the garden fresh... but just like people dogs have their preferences too. I just adopted a dog that was covered in tumors and the people were not going to get them removed so they gave me their Chihuahua and all she eats is vegan chicken nuggets she won't eat anything else and it's getting really expensive.
Allie says
I haven't tried the sweet potatoes in the air fryer yet, let us know if it works out. I hope your Chihuahua is doing well and I can see were vegan chicken nuggets would get very expensive.
Ashley says
I made a mix of the white sweet potatoes and orange ones in my dehydrator. The texture came out good, but for some reason my dog wont touch these but he'll eat the expensive ones from costco. I bit into one and they do have a raw potato taste even though they are fully cooked. Im not sure what i did wrong.
Allie says
I'm sorry your dog won't touch them. I'm not entirely sure what went wrong if they are fully cooked. One thought is that they may have a raw potato taste to me if I ate the dried sweet potatoes because I don't eat plain potatoes, I add at least salt when I cook them for my family (not dogs). Unseasoned cooked potatoes especially with the skin on tend to have an earthy taste, and white sweet potatoes are suppose to be less sweet than an orange sweet potatoes. I'm not sure why your dog doesn't like them.
Carol says
Have made them this way and dog won’t touch. Boil for a few min in boiling water and then dehydrate. Those she will eat!!
KERIN ANN GORDON says
I'm going to try making the dehydrated sweet potato slices for my dogs. one of them starts training this week and I don't want to buy the dog snacks cuz it's just a bunch of garbage plus it's got a bunch of dead animals in it. I saw some other interesting recipes also that I'd like to try simple and vegan is the way to go.
Allie says
I hope the recipe works out for you and that your dog enjoys the sweet potato treats. Also, I wish you luck with the dog training!
Jeffery says
Since the oven method is set at 250 degrees, they are essentially being cooked...is this something I can enjoy with my dog?
Allie says
I think you can but depending on the thickness of the pieces they may have a rubbery texture.
Katina says
I have a batch in the oven right now. My two Multi-Poo’s keep checking the oven door. They love sweet potatoes, pumpkin and carrots.
Allie says
That is so cute! I hope they enjoy their snacks!
PJ Taylor says
Is there any reason these could not be stored in the freezer?
Allie says
They can be frozen in an airtight container. I haven't frozen them in a few years so I don't remember if the texture changed once thawed.
Susan M says
Thank you for sharing this simple recipe! It worked great for us, used a NESCO Gardenmaster dehydrator. It was my first time and after it shut off my friend said to let them sit and cool since they were a tad moist. Ended up leaving them sit over the weekend, took them out yesterday and they are perfect. Stored them in ziplock bags. Costco quit carrying the big bags and Amazon overcharges so it's nice to make these at home as my dog loves them.
Allie says
Thanks for leaving a comment! I'm glad the recipe worked out for you and I hope your dog enjoys them.
Wyatt says
Would dehydration work on apples work?
Allie says
I haven't tried so I can't say for sure, but that sounds really delicious. But I did find this site that might be helpful https://www.schneiderpeeps.com/dehydrating-apples/
Kristi says
Could these be frozen after they are made? I am thinking of making them for gifts. I Have some time to make them right now but I want to give them as Christmas presents. Wondering if I could make them, freeze them, and take them out the day I give them to people?
Allie says
Yes, they can be frozen, but once they are and thawed they should be kept in the fridge and not on the counter. I haven't frozen them in a couple of years so I don't remember if the textured changed.
Lenny Schartau says
What dehydrator do you recommend for this?
Allie says
I use a Westinghouse WFD201W Food Dehydrator, 550 Watts, Black Base, with 6 Stackable Trays model. It's no longer available on Amazon so I can't link to it. It has the fan at the bottom and 6 rectangle trays. It works well for what I use it for, but since buying that years ago I've read that having the fan at the side is best for more even dehydrating.
Peggy Granberg says
Sometimes you'll find that they have labeled yams as sweet potatoes. The flesh of a yam is a lighter almost creamy color
They taste essentially the same but the sweet potatoes have that great taste
JoAnne says
My sweet potatoes are not orange like yours. Is there a reason why?
Allie says
Were they orange when you cut in to them? What color are they? Are they a darker or a lighter orange? Some sweet potatoes are a lighter orange than what I have in the picture. Others are white or purple on the inside.
JoAnne says
They were definitely orange sweet potatoes! But maybe lighter orange than yours? I guess I just never realized there were different shades of sweet potatoes lol
Allie says
Yes, there are different varieties, though my grocery store never labels them. It just says "sweet potatoes", lol. There is a type called Jewel which is a lighter orange color or the color difference could be from editing the photo. Here's link if you're interested about different types of sweet potatoes. https://www.jessicagavin.com/types-of-sweet-potatoes/
JoAnne says
Thank you!
Allie says
You're welcome!
Mama Duke’s says
I live on SW Florida, so humid! I skipped the pan, placed slices directly on my oven racks & lined the bottom rack of with aluminum.
They’re cooling now before I pack them. Plan on placing a piece of bread in the container as earlier mentioned.
Thanks for sharing this healthier & cost effective recipe💕
Allie says
You're welcome and thanks for leaving a comment!
Judy says
Can yo do these on an airfryer?
Allie says
I haven't tried them in air fryer so I'm not sure. If you try it let us know how it goes.
Peggy says
Thanks for the great information. My standard poodle loved them. I getting a new puppy (small breed)🐶 they make great healthy snacks.
Allie says
I'm glad your poodle loved them, and thanks for leaving a comment.
Elizabeth J MONACO says
do you cook the sweet potato before slicing and dehyrating?
Allie says
No need to cook beforehand, just thinly slice and then dehydrate.
Nancy says
Thank you so much for this information! You just made my day, as I've been meaning to replace my dogs expensive (and processed) dried sweet potato treats. Who knows how old they are, and much healthier made from scratch! I will also try it with turkey twists and other ingredients I'm used to grabbing off the pet store shelf in small 5oz bags. Feeding a raw diet is my preference, which is already time consuming but I just want the best for my dogs.
Allie says
I'm so glad you found the information helpful, I hope your dogs enjoy them as much as mine do!
Nancy Stuart says
The black spots appeared on my treats as well, and others had mentioned this. They started to mold within 2 days. I won't try this again as there is no way to get them fully dehydrated without ruining their nutritional value by adding preservatives. Perhaps blended, pureed and baked with a gluten free filler might produce an acceptable treat.
Allie says
As per the post, it does say if they are soft they may not last long on the counter because of the moisture content left in the treats after cooking. That's why I suggest storing them in the fridge. I'm not sure where you stored yours, but food shouldn't be molding after only 2 days if stored in air-tight containers in the refrigerator.
Nancy Stuart says
Once they were fully cooled, I placed in airtight container in fridge and did not keep them for more than 2 days. The black spots must be something specific with sweet potato because I dehydrate and bake other vegetables. I won't make these again because they never crisp, no matter how long I bake or how thin I cut them. I will try carrots, beets, other vegetables next. As a French trained Chef, I know ingredients but I thank you for the dog treat inspiration!