Easy DIY Sweet Potato Dog Treats
I have pinned so many recipes for cat and dog treats that I say I will totally make someday, but let’s be real...I totally won’t. In an effort to try, I figured an easy one-ingredient dog treat would be a great way to start. All you need is a sweet potato, which is inexpensive and something that we buy on the regular for ourselves anyways.
Sweet potatoes are not only safe for dogs, but offer health benefits, such as improved digestion, since they are high in dietary fiber, low fat, and contain beneficial ingredients like vitamin B6, vitamin C, and manganese. They are also packed with the antioxidant beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A in your dog’s body and helps with your dog’s vision, growth, and muscle strength. These treats especially appealed to me as Bullett does have a sensitive stomach, and we’ve given him pumpkin puree and raw sweet potato to assist with his digestion.
We used three sweet potatoes for this recipe since it was our first time making it, but you could really make as much as you want, and in hindsight I wish I would have doubled the batch.
Begin by washing the potatoes as you do with all your produce. Then, thinly slice the potatoes lengthwise, creating ¼ inch thick discs. Be careful not to cut them too thin, or they will bake to a burnt crisp. While you do this, preheat your oven to 250. My hope is that these will become Bullett’s morning treat, so I cut each disc in half horizontally to have more pieces. Make sure to leave the skin on--there’s lots of good stuff in there, such as iron.
Place them on a baking sheet with parchment and put them in the oven for 3 hours. You want them to come out dehydrated and chewy, not too crispy. Let them cool, and then give them to your dog as desired.
I checked on my batch every hour or so, and some were crispier than others, but most were perfectly chewy with just a little bit of crunch. I knew Bullett would love them, and of course he did. These treats are low-budget, easy to make, and great for your dog’s health. You can’t really go wrong with that!
As an added bonus, since these are dehydrated, they have an amazing shelf life and do not require refrigeration.
I know Bullett will look forward to these after our walks every morning, and your dog would too!
Sincerely,
The Girl in the Unicorn Pajamas