Homemade sweet potato dog chews are a healthy and tasty treat for your pet. If your dog loves to chew on things, then they will really enjoy this yummy snack.
Dehydrated sweet potato dog treats made at home are budget-friendly and so much better than store-bought. In fact, they are so easy to make, you’ll be able to make them whenever you want.
Plus, these sweet potato chips for dogs are shelf-stable too! So, make a big batch for your furry friend and have them on hand to give them a treat that will have them begging for more!
FYI – This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Why These Sweet Potato Dehydrated Dog Treats are the Best
Some dogs just love to chew, don’t they? If you have a pup that is a muncher, then sweet potato treats are perfect for them. When you follow this recipe, you’ll turn regular sweet potatoes into tasty treats your dog will love.
If you have ever looked at the price of this kind of chews in the store, you’ll be so happy you found this dog sweet potato chews recipe! Sweet potatoes are so much cheaper than a bag of chews. And you can make a whole lot more chews with a few sweet potatoes than what comes in those bags of them at the store.
DIY sweet potato dog chews are a great treat to make for your dog and to give as a homemade gift to other pet parents.
Recipe Ingredients
There’s just one ingredient in these amazing dried treats. Yep, one simple thing you can easily get at any grocery store. Well, there’s an optional ingredient to flavor them.
- Sweet Potatoes
- Ground Cinnamon (optional for flavor)
Good ‘ole sweet taters. So next time you’re at the store, grab a few to make sweet potato chews for dogs. And you can get organic ones if you want to kick it up another healthy notch.
Are Sweet Potato Chews for Dogs Safe?
Before I show you how to make sweet potato chews for dogs, I want to answer one very important question: How safe are they for dogs to eat?
These chews are a natural dog treat that is safe. However, too much of a good thing can have consequences. Sweet potatoes contain a lot of vitamin A and too much of it can cause bone problems and muscle weakness.
Please consult your veterinarian before feeding your dog any new food or treats.
Serving Size
How many DIY sweet potato dog chews you give your pet depends on what else they ate that day. This is a pretty low-calorie and healthy snack, but it is still a snack. This should not be the main source of calories in your dog’s diet.
The serving size also depends on your dog’s size. A smaller dog needs fewer calories than a bigger dog. The amount calories from these chews should not exceed 10% of the maximum amount of calories dogs can have from treats each day.
Generally, I would say no more than 4 chews at one time or per day. Give a small amount as a reward for being a good dog!
Equipment Needed
You may have the kitchen items needed to make this sweet potato dog chews recipe. But just in case, here are a few of the items you need:
- A potato peeler is handy to peel the sweet potatoes.
- A good, sharp chef’s knife or madonline slicer to cut thick slices of sweet potatoes.
- Cutting Board (if using a knife to slice the potatoes).
- Large Pot for blanching the sweet potato slices in boiling water.
- Colander to drain the blanched sweet potatoes.
- Food dehydrator, air fryer, or an oven to dehydrate the sweet potato slices.
How to Make Sweet Potato Chews for Dogs
These are the easy recipe steps and some photos of the process for making dehydrated sweet potato for dogs. I hope they help you make this healthy dog chew recipe!
You can scroll down to the bottom of this article for a printable recipe card.
Sweet Potato Prep
First things first, you’ll need to prepare the sweet potatoes and get them ready to be dehydrated.
- Wash and peel 4 medium sweet potatoes.
- Slice the sweet potatoes between ¼ and ½-inch thickness.
- In a large pot, bring enough water that will cover the sweet potatoes to a boil.
- Blanch the sweet potatoes by placing the slices in the boiling water for 4 to 6 minutes.
- Remove the potatoes from the boiling water and drain.
- Put the slices in a bath of ice water for several minutes until cool.
Dehydrate the Sweet Potatoes
The next step is dehydrating the blanched sweet potato slices. You can do this using a dehydrator, air fryer, and oven. Here are the different methods and steps for each.
In a Dehydrator
- Place the slices in a single layer on dehydrator trays.
- Lightly sprinkle cinnamon on the slices if desired.
- Place the trays in the dehydrator and dehydrate at 90°F for 10 to 12 hours. If your dehydrator does not go as low as 90°F, set it for any low temperature below 115°F.
- Remove the dehydrated sweet potatoes when the slices are slightly crispy on the outside and slightly chewy texture in the middle. Thicker slices will take longer than thin slices.
In an Air Fryer
- Place the slices in a single layer in the air fryer basket or tray.
- Lightly sprinkle cinnamon on the slices if desired.
- Place the basket in the air fryer and set the temperature to 90 degrees.
- Air fry for about 6 hours. My air fryer was set at 90 degrees F and it took 6 hours to dehydrate the slices. Some other brands may take longer.
- Remove when the slices are slightly crispy on the outside and slightly chewy in the middle. Thick slices will take longer than thinner slices.
In an Oven
- Place the slices in a single layer on a wire rack on top of a cookie sheet or baking sheet.
- Lightly sprinkle cinnamon on the slices if desired.
- Preheat your oven to its lowest setting for temperature.
- Bake for 4 to 6 hours, or until the dried sweet potatoes are the texture you desire. Depending on your oven, you may find you need more or less time. For a hotter oven, you can leave the oven door slightly open to avoid overcooking them.
How to Store Dehydrated Sweet Potatoes
Store dried sweet potato slices at room temperature in an airtight container or thick plastic resealable bag (like a freezer bag). Be sure to label the container or bag with the date you made the chews. You can note an expiration date too.
How long do dehydrated sweet potatoes last?
The length of time dehydrated sweet potatoes last depends on their level of dryness.
- Softer chews have more moisture and will not last as long as drier, crispy ones. Depending on the moisture content, it can be from 2 weeks to several months.
- Crispy, crunchy chips with little moisture can last up to a year.
Can you eat sweet potato dog chews?
Absolutely! You sure can eat these dried sweet potatoes! They are completely safe for human consumption. In fact, you may want to make a double batch so you’ll have some to enjoy too.
More Homemade Dog Treat Recipes
Want to make some more tasty treats for your dog? If you enjoyed these sweet potato chews, then I have some more treats you should check out. Here are a few different types of dog treats to make:
- 3 Ingredient Dog Treats
- Air Fryer Dog Treats
- Apple Dog Donuts
- Banana Dog Treats
- Blueberry Dog Treats
- Chicken Wrapped Sweet Potato Dog Treats
- Homemade Dog Breath Mints
- Homemade Apple Dog Treats with Rolled Oats
- Liver Dog Treats
Find even more recipes for the best homemade dog treats here on Spoiled Hounds!
Sweet Potato Dog Chews
Ingredients
- 4 medium Sweet Potatoes
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon optional
Instructions
- Wash and peel 4 medium sweet potatoes.
- Slice the sweet potatoes between ¼ and ½-inch thickness.
- In a large pot, bring enough water that will cover the sweet potatoes to a boil.
- Blanch the sweet potatoes by placing the slices in the boiling water for 4 to 6 minutes.
- Remove the potatoes from the boiling water and drain.
- Put the slices in a bath of ice water for several minutes until cool.
Dehydrator Method
- Place the slices in a single layer on the dehydrator tray.
- Lightly sprinkle cinnamon on the slices if desired.
- Place the trays in the dehydrator and dehydrate at 90°F for 10 to 12 hours. If your dehydrator does not go as low as 90°F, set it for the lowest temperature.
- Remove the dried potatoes when the slices are slightly crispy on the outside and slightly chewy in the middle.
Air Fryer Method
- Place the slices in a single layer in the air fryer basket or tray.
- Lightly sprinkle cinnamon on the slices if desired.
- Place the basket in the air fryer set the temperature to 90 degrees.
- Air fry for about 6 hours. My air fryer was set at 90 degrees and it took 6 hours to dehydrate the slices. Some other brands may take longer.
- Remove when the slices are slightly crispy on the outside and slightly chewy in the middle.
Oven Method
- Place the slices in a single layer on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.
- Lightly sprinkle cinnamon on the slices if desired.
- Preheat your oven to its lowest temperature setting.
- Bake for 4 to 6 hours, or until the dried sweet potatoes are the texture you desire.
- Depending on your oven, you may find you need less time, or more time. If you find that your oven is naturally hotter, then you may want to leave the oven door slightly open to avoid overcooking them.
Cooling and Storage
- Allow the treats to cool completely.
- Store them in an airtight container.
I tried to dehydrate sweet potato slices. Almost 3 days later the edges were finally starting to change but I decided to finish them in the oven. While transferring to the oven rack on a baking sheet I found more than half of the slices had grown mold 🙁 Great effort in futility I am sad to say 🙁
Oh my, I’m perplexed as to why they didn’t dehydrate as they should have. Perhaps your dehydrator is not functioning properly? That’s the only thing I can think of.
Mine dehydrated just fine. I set it for 165° for 10 hours. Perfect
This recipe worked great for me!! I did the majority in the oven and one batch in the air fryer on dehydrator mode at the same time to see if there would be a difference. I ended up cooking them for a total of 10 hours and both batches came out the same.
The only thing I would have liked to see in the instructions, especially for us first timers, would have been that, even though they still feel a bit soft with a slight crispy outside, it only takes about 5 minutes of them sitting to cool before they harden.
Needless to say, mine are a bit more on the crunchier side now but the dogs still love them and lesson learned for next time. I’ll try just the 8 hours and take them out to cool to see how they feel.
My air fryer dehydrated them for 2 hours , do I need to do it again ? How do you know when they are done ?
You need to dehydrated them for 10 to 12 hours using a dehydrator. They are done when the slices are slightly crispy on the outside and slightly chewy in the middle. If any moisture comes out when you squeeze one between your fingers they need to be dehydrated more.
When you say they last in an airtight container for a year, does that mean you aren’t opening it at all? Like I will need to keep any I’m using each week on their own container?
It does not mean not opening the container at all. But storing in portions is a good idea.
Using Vortex Pro Air Fryer. I airfry at 200 for an hour/ hour and 1/2. I slice at 1/4″ or less. Rub slices sparingly with coconut oil and sprinkle some cinnamon. One tater spread over both trays with space and rotate trays during. Flip the thicker slices too.used to do regular oven at 250 for 2 hrs. They turn out better this way and less energy use, I think.
Less energy use is what I’m looking for, thanks. The tip to use a bit of coconut oil is also useful.
I bought a bag of sweet potato chews to see if the dogs like them, and they do. I’m going to copy Sam’s Yams’ method:
– thick slices (1/4” dry)
– skin on (higher nutrition)
– vertical cuts (to help drying, made with a multi-blade herb roller/slicer I have)
– experiment with marinades (bouillon, tamari…)
Air fryer only goes down to 140
Then use that temperature and air fry until they are done.
My oven has a air fryer that I set at the lowest it goes at 170 but it shuts off. Why? Thanks
I have no idea. You need to ask your air fryer’s manufacturer.
Renee, Do you have a recipe for Chicken wrapped Sweet Potato dehydrated Dog Treats? I would love to try that for my Ruby girl!
I do not have a recipe for dehydrated chicken-wrapped sweet potato dog treats. I’ll add that to my list of recipes to do.
We’d like this recipe also; will try dehydrating the potato chips, thanks
Did everyone blanch the sweet potatoes first??
I have had some people tell me not necessary, but I’m assuming that cuts down on cook time.
Blanching protects against loss of color, texture and flavor. It also decreases the time it takes to dehydrate sweet potatoes.
Is it necessary to remove peel? I feed mine a small portion of steamed sweet potato, skin intact, with no issues.
Thank you for the recipe (and your patient answers to readers’ questions)
You don’t have to remove the skin of the sweet potato, just be sure to scrub the potatoes to remove any dirt.
My dog is loving them. I store them in a mason jar and keep them in the refridgerator…..getting a lil slimy?……
I’m so glad your dog is enjoying the chews. The moisture in them is causing them to get a little “slimy”. You should toss them and next time be sure to dehydrate/dry them longer. The drier they are the longer they will last.
I have several dogs on my Christmas list and would like to make these well ahead of the holiday. Can I use the oven method and freeze them?
Yes, you can can use the oven method and freeze them. They’ll last in the freezer for months.
Great website and outstanding recipes. thanks!
Thank you!
GREAT website. Awesome recipes. Thank you so much for posting!!!
I am making sweet potato slices for our dog as I type this. We will see how it works. I set our oven on the air fryer mode that automatically sets at 400 degrees F. I will let you all know how it went. I really love that you reply to everyone’s questions. Very very nice. 🥰🐶
I ran in our dehydrator set to 95° for about 15 or 16 hours. They seemed pretty good at thar point, but after a few days in airtight container with a silica gel packet in there to absorb any moisture, they were still sweating and felt like they weren’t gonna last very long. Fed them out shortly thereafter.
Thanks for sharing what happened. Sweet potato chews can sometimes need a longer drying time depending on how thick the slices are and the temperature of the dehydrator. At 95°F they will dry more slowly and can take up to 24 hours to fully dehydrate. If they start to feel damp or “sweat” in the container, that usually means they need more time in the dehydrator. You can just put them back in for several more hours until they feel dry.