Make your dog's day by baking some healthy, 3 ingredient, wheat-free & dairy-free Sweet Potato Dog Treats!
It's not only me that loves sweet potatoes. My dog Chester does too. Whenever I cook them I always share some with him.
He loves my Peanut Butter & Banana Dog Cookies but I decided to change things up a bit and make him some with sweet potato. It was a good decision because he goes absolutely nuts for these Sweet Potato Dog Treats.
Because he enjoys them so much I thought that those of you with dogs might appreciate the recipe too. With only three ingredients they are super easy to make and are much healthier for your dog than many of the store bought, processed varieties available.
SWEET POTATOES
Sweet potatoes are not only very nutritious for us, they are also extremely good for your dog. They are full of vitamins and minerals and are also high in antioxidants which aid healing and help to protect against cancer. They are also a great source of dietary fibre which is good for your dog's digestive system and bowels.
Chester suffers from chronic ear infections and we have been advised by our vet to not feed him anything with wheat in it as it can make the problem worse. Because of this I usually make his cookies with oats as the grain component.
OATS
Oats are a well tolerated grain for most dogs and rarely trigger allergies. They contain anti-inflammatory and skin-soothing properties and are rich in silicon which helps make bones strong. They help prevent high blood pressure and clogged arteries and boost the immune system.
HOW TO MAKE THESE SWEET POTATO DOG TREATS
These Sweet Potato Dog Treats are very easy to make.
- Process the oats in a food processor until they are like coarse flour
- Add the sweet potato and coconut oil
- Process until well combined and add just enough water to bring it all together into a dough
- Roll out with a rolling pin, then cut into cookies with a cookie cutter or just use a pizza cutter to cut into pieces.
- Bake
That's it! So easy!
This is the food processor that I use when making this recipe. It handles dough like this really well:
And here are some super cute dog cookie cutters:
MODERATION IS KEY
As with all cookies, remember that moderation is key (as much as your dog might disagree!) These cookies are designed as a treat and should not be fed as a complete meal.
If you make these Sweet Potato Dog Treats for your dog, Chester and I would love to know what they both think of them. You can leave your feedback in the comments below and rate the recipe by hitting the yellow stars. I would love it if you could share some pictures with me too. I want to see your fur-babies eating their cookies! I am @avirtualvegan on Instagram and Twitter. If you use the hashtag #avirtualvegan I won't miss them.
Oh, and if you love sweet potato too, treat yourself with these Vegan Sweet Potato Pancakes with Caramel Sauce. They are divine!
Sweet Potato Dog Treats
Ingredients
- 180g / 2 cups rolled oats or quick oats
- 100g / ½ cup cooked sweet potato
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 - 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Add the oats to a food processor and process until they are a course flour like consistency.
- Add the cooked sweet potato and the coconut oil.
- Process until well combined.
- Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing in between each addition, until the mixture can be squeezed into a dough with your fingers,
- Tip out and knead together a bit so it's all in a big firm ball.
- Roll out to about 3 - 4 mm thick. I rolled mine out on a silicone mat but if you don't have one you might need to sprinkle some flour on the surface to stop the dough sticking. If your dog is wheat intolerant be sure to use oat flour (just process a few more oats until they are flour). You can also roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper if you prefer.
- Cut out into cookie shapes using a cookie cutter or just cut the dough into even pieces with a knife or pizza cutter.
- Carefully transfer the cookies to a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes. Keep an eye on them towards the end as they go from ok to slightly over done very quickly.
- Cool on a cooling rack and store in an airtight container.
Notes
Estimated nutrition per serving:
Pj Adams says
I love this recipe! It's easy to make and my dogs love it❣️ My only problem is storing it. I used a plastic container and they got really soft overnight. I made sure they were done cooling on the rack before putting them in the container. Should it be refrigerated and how do you store them? Does my house temperature play a part? This isn't the only recipe i have problems with. My sweet potato and apple chips do the same thing. I made a double batch a week ago and this morning I seen mold on 1.
Melanie McDonald says
Yay! I'm so pleased your dogs are enjoying them!
I've never had an issue with storing them. I make a HUGE batch and they keep well in a big glass jar in my pantry for months. Is there a chance you're not baking them for quite long enough? They should be really hard and completely dried out. Then there's no moisture left in them and they should stay hard.
It could be humidity I guess depending on where you live. I haven't tried it but I'm sure they'd freeze well too for up to 3 months too. Bake and cool, then freeze them laid out on a baking sheet. Once completely frozen pick them off and pop them in a freezer bag or container. That way you can take out a few days supply at a time, or just defrost one at a time as needed. A dog could probably even chomp through them frozen.
Hope that helps!
Alan says
Our dogs absolutely love these, but I do worry about giving them grains. Could I sub in garbanzo flour?
Melanie McDonald says
The recipe has only been tested with oats. For it to work with garbanzo bean flour it would probably need some adjusting as its qualities and absorbency are very different.
Cindy says
Thank you for this great easy recipe! so easy to make and turns out awesome each time. I tried one to see how they taste. I know weird that they are "dog" cookies however the ingredients are only 3 things! Dogs love them.
Melanie McDonald says
So pleased your dogs are enjoying them! I have been known to eat one with some vegan cheese as a cracker!
Zia and Beau says
Made them with my grandson. His dog looooved them. I found we needed to use a little more more oats to make the dough less sticky.
Lucy says
Can I use olive oil? I do not have coconut oil.
A Virtual Vegan says
I haven't tried it but it should be ok.
Bridget Hope says
Boomer loved them. SOOO easy and I already had the dog bone cookie cutter. THANK YOU!
Shirley Smith says
Have been making them with pumpkin as I have one dog that seems to be sensitive to sweet potato. They both love the treats and the bones are not extremely hard which is great for those pups missing some teeth. It was great to find a recipe that didn't have peanut butter and/or bananas. Mine don't like either, they prefer veggies.
Jennifer Santiago says
My dog has been have stomach problems for months. I finally got her food straightened out but I was afraid to give her any treats other than sweet potatoes. I tried this recipe. I didn't have coconut oil so I used safflower oil and used chicken broth instead of water. I didn't have enough oatmeal so I added rice flour. They turned out great, she loved them and they didn't affect her stomach. I cannot lie, I nibbled on a few myself. Thanks for the recipe.
Tess Leahy says
I made these last night for my English Springer Spaniel, aged 3. She would not leave the oven while they were baking (a great 1st sign). She loves them. I have now ordered the bone shaped cutters and I am also looking forward to gifting them to my dog lover friends. Thank you for sharing.
A Virtual Vegan says
Aaaww I'm glad she enjoyed them!