SWEET POTATO TREATS FOR THE DOG IN YOUR LIFE || HEALTHY, GRAIN FREE, AND TASTY

This sweet potato treats recipe for dogs uses only 4 ingredients. It is healthier than many other homemade treat recipes because it is grain-free. And, if my bulldogge knows his treats, it must be one tasty little morsel because he absolutely loves these.

If you’ve spent any time at all following my blog, you know that I’m a supporter of the slow food movement. I believe that we should consume local, organic, seasonal food products as the mainstay of our daily diet. If you can apply this principle to 100% of your diet then that is a very good thing. But many of us aren’t able to do that, and so we simply do our best with what we have available to us.

Slow food is not just for humans in my house. I raised my bulldogge on a slow food diet as well. When we lived in California I was able to source almost all of his diet locally. I am not able to do that any longer, now that I live so far north in Maine. But he still eats very well; fresh meat, organ meat, seafood, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds are pretty much all that his diet consists of.

When it comes to his treats, I try to make as many of them myself as possible. I dehydrate heart, liver, and fish skins for him and I also make him canine jerky.

These sweet potato treats are among his favorite homemade snacks. He loves sweet potatoes. And at this time of year, when the humans in my house are enjoying the bounty of locally produced potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, and pumpkin available to us, I make a few batches of these treats for him to enjoy that bounty as well.

They freeze beautifully. So, I stock the freezer too. This allows him to enjoy this treat throughout the winter while saving me the time and effort of putting them together for many months to come.

4 Dog Friendly Ingredients

SWEET POTATO – Dog’s love sweet potatoes and they’re good for them. Just keep in mind that they are a carbohydrate and should be limited in your dog’s diet. In other words, don’t overdo feeding your dog these tasty little morsels. My furry friend gets 2 or 3 of these a day until the batch is gone. The surplus that I freeze to use throughout the fall and winter seasons are considered special treats. I bust a few out for him to enjoy just once or twice a week.

COCONUT FLOUR – People are increasingly becoming aware that grain is not good for dogs. Coconut flour is derived from coconuts and makes a suitable replacement for grain in dog treat recipes.

APPLESAUCE – Apples are a healthy treat for your dog. They, like sweet potatoes, should be limited in their diet, but definitely included.

EGGS – This ingredient is a no-brainer for dogs. It is a natural animal protein that is very healthy for your dog to consume.

Can’t I Just Buy My Dogs Treats?

The truth is, if you spend some time researching which ingredients your fur friend should have in their diet, and read dog treat labels while you’re shopping, you can usually find an acceptable option at the store for your dog to enjoy.

This has not always been true. But there are more and more companies popping up that make healthy treats for pets. Many times, these treats are produced by smaller companies and therefore quite pricey. But they are well worth the money, as buying them save precious time and energy while providing your dog a healthy snacking option. And, besides, supporting the little guy is always a good thing.

With all of that said … I do buy some of my canine friends treats. I pick up whatever I can find when I’m out and about. Most often I find the best treats at discount stores. It seems most pet owners aren’t buying them, so they find their way to closeout stores regularly.

But I make way more of his treats than I buy. They are pretty easy to do, much more economical, and really don’t take very much time at all.

How To Make Sweet Potato Treats For Your Dog

You will need to pre-bake your sweet potatoes for this recipe. I usually bake them off the night before when I’m making dinner. I then allow them to cool down throughout the evening. And put them in the refrigerator before bed.

The next day when I’m ready to make my sweet potato treats, I peel them and semi-mash them with a fork. They peel very easily once they’re baked, which is why I prefer baking them to boiling them.

Once your potatoes are ready to go it takes no time at all to put these treats together. It’s just a matter of mixing all of the ingredients and then baking the treats.

When mixing your ingredients be sure to leave the blend a bit ‘chunky’. It makes for a much nicer texture in the final product.

Scoop heaping portions of the batter onto a greased cookie sheet, using a household tablespoon. If you have a baking stone these treats bake beautifully on them, without a need for any extra oil. They will also bake without added oil on a silicone mat.

Bake them off and allow them to cool. And that’s all there is to it, you’ve got a tasty batch of healthy, grain-free dog treats for your best friend to enjoy!

How To Store Sweet Potato Dog Treats

A single batch of these treats will last in the refrigerator for about a week. So, if you think your fur friend is going to eat the whole batch in that time just put them in the fridge.

As I mentioned earlier, I like to make a few batches of sweet potato treats and freeze them so I have them on hand throughout the winter months.

I usually make about six batches. I bake them all off and then lay them out on lined cookie sheets to freeze them. By doing this, I can toss them all in one gallon freezer bags and put them in the freezer without the treats forming one big clump.

Your treats will remain individually frozen and you can take a few out of the freezer at a time. It’s really very handy.

Dehydrated Sweet Potato Chews vs. Sweet Potato Treats

It seems that a google search for sweet potato treats for dogs returns one article after another about making dehydrated sweet potato chews.

I’ve made these before and they’re a pretty decent little dog treat. They are the easiest way to make a sweet potato treat, that’s for sure.

I’ve also made mashed sweet potatoes mixed with egg and used my beef jerky maker to shape it into jerky-like strips before I dehydrated it. This is another decent option.

But, I think you’ll find that this treat recipe is worth the extra effort it takes to make. The texture is nice and soft, which is a pleasant change from the predominately crunchy treats they are likely used to.

I know my dog loves the change. I’m willing to bet your dog will too!

Have you ever made sweet potato treats for your dog? Do you plan to give this recipe a go? I’d love to know.

So, let’s meet in the comments and chat all about it!

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