Making treats for your dog from scratch is way easier than it sounds! Sweet potato is such a popular ingredient in dog treats and for a good reason.
It is abundant in nutrients that are exceptional for pets – minerals, vitamins, and fiber. Potatoes are easily digestible, but when consumed in the right amount.
Dogs LOVE treats with sweet potato and a tad of peanut butter, as they hit just the right taste buds. So, here are the top 10 best dog treats with sweet potato and peanut butter to make for your bestie!
Dogs like cookies, too, so biscuits, training treats, and sandwich cookies are the finest options to make! Pupsicles, frozen Kong treats, and barks are amazing for hot summery days to give your pup refreshment. Also, chews and twists are simple to make in bulk to store for a long time, so your dog can have a healthy and fresh treat anytime!
I think I’m speaking for every dog owner everywhere – we do everything for those little creatures! Making little treats for pups now and than is not overly time-consuming, but super healthy for them!
10. Homemade Dehydrated Sweet Potato Chews
This sweet potato treat is super simple to make; it just takes time to dehydrate. Wash the potatoes very well or peel them, but note that the skin is packed with nutrients, as well.
For the perfect chewy texture, slice them into ¼ or ⅛ -inch-thick pieces. A good cutting knife will do the trick here, but a mandoline is much easier, though.
Arrange the slices on the dehydrator trays, but make sure they are not overlapping. Set the temperature anywhere between 125 and 135 °F (52 °- 57 °C), depending on how strong your model is.
You will need 6 to 10 hours to achieve the right texture. The potato slices should be leathery and dry thus the timing depends on the thickness of the slices and humidity.
If you don’t have a dehydrator, the oven will be just fine, as well. Blanket the baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange them the same way, leaving space in between.
Preheat your stove to approximately 250 °F (120 °C) and dry the sweet potato slices for 3 to 4 hours. The goal is the same texture, though, so it is best to check it out before removing them from the oven.
Also, you may need to flip the slices throughout the middle of the dehydrating. This solely depends on the model of the oven.
Before storing the chews, cool them completely, as that will prevent condensation. Pack them up in an airtight canisters – plastic or glass, zip-lock bags, or vacuum-sealed ones for extra long shelf life.
They will remain crispy for up to 2 weeks in the pantry (cool and dry place) or in the fridge, but check them regularly for signs of moisture,
9. Baked Biscuits
Even dogs love homemade biscuits! If you have leftover cooked potatoes from lunch, mash a few into purée and combine them with flour, eggs, and peanut butter.
The dough should be soft but not too sticky, just easy to mold. When it comes to choosing suitable flour, wheat flour is an obvious choice as dogs digest them effortlessly.
However, flours such as oats, barley, and brown rice are also excellent choices. The key is to avoid additives and added sugars, so definitely skip regular white flour.
Keep in mind to opt for peanut butter without xylitol, as it is dangerous for dogs. It is simplest to make it at home by blending unsalted peanuts until they are creamy.
Roll the dough and cut out biscuits about ¼ inches thick. Put them out on a baking sheet and bake at 350 °F (175 °C) for about half an hour.
They will be soft fresh from the oven, but will harden after they are cooled at room temperature. If you want to make them even more nutritional, knead in a sprinkle of cinnamon in the dough.
Apple sauce is also a fine addition, but note you will need some more flour to achieve the right consistency. You can mix in chopped apples to add some texture, as well.
8. Frozen Kong Treats
Kong treats double up as toys, so the consistency is super important! You can make the filling with various ingredients, but peanut butter is a staple.
It is best to mix a few, though, to achieve the right texture. You can mix mashed sweet potato, yogurt, and peanut butter.
Also, you can swap yogurt for applesauce, pumpkin purée, any mashed fruits, or vegetables, actually. There is no strict rule when it comes to choosing a right consistency, but it shouldn’t be too thin or too thick.
It is best if the mixture is easily spreadable but not runny so it can hold its shape when you turn the Kong toy upside down. Too thick a blend could be challenging for a dog to extract from the toy, so a smooth and sticky texture works like a charm.
Freezing time depends on how big Kong is, but 2-3 hours will be enough. Of course, you can leave it for a longer, even overnight.
These treat toys are fabulous for the dental health and mental stimulation of your 4-legged best friend!
7. Peanut Butter and Sweet Potato “Pupsicles”
There is no reason why your dog shouldn’t get a popsicle on a hot summery day. Blend some cooked sweet potatoes with peanut butter to reach purée consistency.
Certainly, you don’t have to achieve a perfectly smooth consistency, as tiny chunks of sweet potato are more than fine. Transfer the blend into popsicle molds and freeze them for a few hours, just like typical popsicles.
If you don’t have the molds, there are other options, as well. Ice cube tray is an amazing option, as you can dose how many small pieces you want to give your dog and they freeze quickly, too.
Paper cups or silicone cupcake molds are excellent options, though. To add additional sweetness, consider incorporating a tad of honey in the blend, or drizzle it on top of the pupsicle right before serving.
6. No-Bake Energy Balls
These energy balls are easy to prepare and super healthy for your dog. Combine mashed sweet potato with oats, peanut butter, and some kind of natural sweetener.
When it comes to oats, make sure to use only plain, traditional rolled oats, as quick variety has sweeteners and additives in. But, certain doses of natural sugary components are actually healthy for your dog.
Go for honey, maple syrup, applesauce, or some blended fruit. 1 or 2 tablespoons of syrups are enough per 2 cups of the mixture, but you can add more fruit, though.
1:1 ratio between sweet potato puree and rolled oats will probably be perfect, but if it is too thick and crumbly, add more puree or peanut butter. On the other side, if it is too thin, add more oats – they will absorb the moisture.
The blend should be easy to roll between your palms and glossy but not sticky. 1 teaspoon or 1 tablespoon-big energy balls are enough, determined by the size of your dog.
You can also roll the energy bites into unsweetened shredded coconut or seeds (chia and flaxseeds) to add some healthy fats and fiber, along with texture. One more option is chopping some nuts or dried fruit and mixing them into the blend, as well.
5. Sweet Potato and Peanut Butter Bark
Bark is a super quick dog treat to make, especially if you already have some cooked sweet potatoes. In a bowl, mash potatoes into purée.
You will need a baking sheet layered with parchment paper or a silicone tray to spread purée thinly. Don’t go for a paper-thin layer, though, as it will crumble completely, but rather a tad thinner than a chocolate bar.
Melt some peanut butter, so you can drizzle it effortlessly on top of the sweet potato. Swirl the butter to create some kind of marble effect, thus you can mix it directly into the purée if it is easier for you.
Freeze it entirely for about 2 to 3 hours so you can break it into pieces. If you prefer to cut it, do it when halfway frozen, after an hour or so, and leave it to stiffen fully.
Pack them up into airtight container so they can keep fresh. Also, avoid zip-lock bags as the treats are easy to break and crumble.
4. Mini Training Treats
These training treats are such a great idea! They are, as well, sweet potato-based. Besides, you will need some peanut butter and dog-friendly flour.
Knead the dough with mashed sweet potato, peanut butter, and oat flour. You can opt for different flour, too, like rice, barley, or wheat. Ground rolled oats are also top-notch, plus they give some texture.
Add an egg so your dough is easy to handle and able to roll out. It should be slightly crumbly, something like sugar cookie dough, so you can roll it out thinly.
When you have ¼ or ⅛ thick sheet of dough, cut it up into bite-size pieces. Make sure they are tiny enough that your dog can gobble them so he/she doesn’t lose concentration. If it’s simpler for you, you can make mini-balls, but this takes loads of time.
Pea-size bites are ideal, as you can offer a bunch of them to your dog until he/she feels overfed while maintaining focus and motivation. These treats should be crunchy, so even though they are tiny, you will need to bake them for about half an hour.
Definitely check the doneness; once the treats are golden on top and hardened, you can remove them from the oven. Leave them on the tray to chill thoroughly before you store them in airtight containers so they can stay crispy for a long time.
3. Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Jacket potatoes are one of the best potato dishes, so there is no reason your dog won’t love them, too! When speaking of choosing the right size potato, definitely avoid those huge pieces you see in the store.
If you have a smaller breed dog, choose tiny potatoes and larger ones for bigger breeds. Even though sweet potatoes are healthy, they can be a tad heavy to digest if consumed in excessive quantities, so don’t go for those larger than a fist.
Wash up the potatoes thoroughly, poke them with a fork, and cook them in the oven or microwave. When preparing them on the stove, bring them to 380 °F (190 °C) and arrange them on the baking tray.
Don’t forget to cover it with baking paper or aluminum foil, so you can catch all the juices. You can also wrap them in foil.
About 45 minutes of baking will be enough for potatoes this size. They are done when soft and effortlessly pierced with a fork.
You can achieve the same effect by cooking them in the microwave, too. For this method you will need about 5 to 7 minutes, depending on the voltage.
You will need to turn them over halfway through cooking, and if they are not done, continue for a minute or so. When potatoes are ready, cut them in half lengthwise.
Use a spoon to scoop out most of the flesh and place it in a bowl. Mash it and mix with peanut butter, but it doesn’t need to be smooth, chunks of potato are more than fine.
You can mix in some yogurt, pumpkin purée, bananas, or even some kind of cooked meat. Anything your dog likes!
2. Sweet Potato and Peanut Butter “Sandwich” Cookies
For these cookies, you can use the same dough as for training treats. Make a slightly crumbly, but pliable dough out of mashed sweet potato, peanut butter, and oat flour.
The dough will be trouble-free to roll out if you toss it in the fridge to stiffen a tad; for half an hour or so, just swathe it in plastic wrap. Roll out the pastry in between two parchment papers into ¼ inch layer.
Use biscuit cutters to make interesting shapes and arrange them on a baking tray with space between them. Oven-bake the cookies at 350 °F (175 °C) for about 15 to 20 minutes for normal-size ones.
If you’re making them really tiny, about 10 minutes will be enough. They just need to be golden on top. Leave them to chill and they will harden, as well.
Smear a tad of peanut butter on one cookie and make sandwiches. Instead of butter, you can go for cottage cheese or mashed banana, plus almond, cashew, coconut, and sunflower seed butter, which are smashing, too.
If you have a super fancy dog, drizzle any kind of butter on top of cookies to decorate them!
1. Dehydrated Sweet Potato and Peanut Butter Twists
You can make these twists two different ways – with the dough or with potato only. For the dough recipe, use the same one as for cookies – mashed sweet potato, peanut butter, egg, and oat flour.
Flaten it out to a 1/4 inch thick rectangle and cut the strips lengthwise, about ½ inch wide. Melt some peanut butter and drizzle throughout the middle.
Twirl each strip to form a spiral shape and arrange them on a tray. They require 6-8 hours of dehydration at 130 °F to 150 °F (54 ° – 65 °C), depending on the model.
They should be dry and crispy, so it’s best to check them out.
The other way is to cut the thin strips (¼ inch thick) of sweet potato on the mandoline. This gadget is must as thats the only way to achieve same and thin enough slices.
Do the same here, drizzle peanut butter in the middle and lightly twist each into spiral shape. Dehydrate them the same way as dough twists or toss them in the oven for 3-4 hours at 200 °F (90 °C).
