Dogs are part of the family. Treat them like one with these super easy to make sweet potato dog treat biscuits!
I apply the same standards to what I bake for my pups as I do for my human family: quality ingredients and reliable techniques.
These homemade sweet potato dog treat biscuits check all the boxes. With just four ingredients, you can bake up a batch of crispy biscuits that will have your pup doing tricks you didn’t even know they knew!
Why Make Homemade Dog Treats
You know exactly what’s in them. Commercial dog treats can contain preservatives, fillers, and ingredients you’d never feed your pet if you knew they were there. When you bake at home, you control every single ingredient.
They’re surprisingly economical. These treats cost pennies each compared to boutique dog bakery biscuits that run $3-5 per treat.
Your dog will actually love them. The touch of honey adds natural sweetness that dogs go crazy for.
Dog Biscuit Ingredients
The secret? BABY FOOD!
Baby food is the perfect base for dog treats. Instead of roasting, cooling, and pureeing a sweet potato (which takes a bit of time), simply grab a jar of sweet potato baby food.
- Sweet Potato Baby Food: Look for pure sweet potato with no added salt, sugar, or seasonings
- Gluten-Free Flour: I use Cup4Cup or King Arthur Measure for Measure, but all-purpose or whole wheat works if your dog has no wheat allergies
- Rolled Oats : Old-fashioned oats work best; quick oats get too mushy
- Honey: Just enough sweetness to make them irresistible
- Egg : for egg wash to give the biscuits shine
How to Make Dog Treats
Step 1: Mix the Dough
Combine sweet potato baby food, flour, oats, and honey in a medium bowl. Use a sturdy spatula to bring it together – the dough will be slightly sticky but manageable.
Step 2: Knead and Roll
Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times until smooth. Roll or pat to ¼-½ inch thickness.
Pro tip: Thinner treats get crunchier, thicker ones stay slightly softer in the center.
Step 3: Cut Shapes
Use cookie cutters to punch out shapes. Stick with similar sizes so they bake evenly – nothing worse than some treats burning while others stay pale. (I used the heart from this metal cookie cutter set.)
Step 4: The Baker’s Secret
Brush the tops lightly with beaten egg wash. This is what gives them that gorgeous golden color and professional bakery finish.
Step 5: Bake!
Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. You want them crispy and golden. Let them cool completely in the pan – they’ll crisp up even more as they cool (same principle as biscotti!).
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
For dogs with wheat allergies: Use the gluten-free flour as written, or try oat flour or coconut flour (you may need to adjust liquid).
Flavor variations: Swap sweet potato for pumpkin, banana, or carrot baby food. All work beautifully.
Shape it up: Use bone cutters for classic appeal, hearts for Valentine’s Day, or tiny shapes for training treats.
Make them softer: Reduce baking time by 5-10 minutes if your senior dog has dental issues. Store in the fridge to keep them softer.
Storage Tips
Room temperature: Airtight container for up to 4 days
Refrigerator: Up to 2 weeks (this also keeps them slightly softer)
Freezer: Up to 2 months in a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature or give them straight from the freezer for a cool summer treat.
FAQ
I always do! They’re basically a very mild, slightly sweet cracker. The honey adds just a hint of sweetness, and they’re completely safe for humans – just not very exciting for our palates.
ime and consistency. Baby food is already cooked, pureed, and cooled. It also has a uniform moisture content, which means your treats turn out the same every time.
No, but it makes a big difference in appearance. Without it, the treats will still taste great but look pale and dull. The egg wash gives them that appetizing golden color.
Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it’s workable. Humidity and the moisture content of your baby food can affect the dough consistency.
More Dog Treat Recipes
Charlie goes absolutely bonkers for these (seriously, he hears the cookie cutter and comes running from wherever he is in the house). I hope your furry friend loves them just as much!
Have you made homemade dog treats before? Drop a comment below and let me know your pup’s name and their favorite flavor!
Homemade Sweet Potato Dog Biscuit Treats
Ingredients
- 3.5 oz container sweet potato baby food*
- ¾ cup + 1 Tablespoon gluten-free flour*, (like Cup4Cup)
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 large egg, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine sweet potato baby food, flour, rolled oats and honey. Use a sturdy spatula to combine everything together. Dump contents to a lightly floured working surface and knead dough together.
- Pat or roll dough to a thickness of about ¼ to ½-inch. Use desired cookie cutters to punch of shapes. Stick to one or two similar sized shapes to ensure even baking.
- Place cutouts on prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush the tops of cutouts with beaten egg wash.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until biscuits are crisp and golden in color. Rotate pan midway through baking. Let treats cool in pan before treating your dog.
Notes
- If your dog has no wheat/gluten allergies, you can use all-purpose flour or whole-wheat flour.
- The treats can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.
- For longer storage, I suggest keeping them in the fridge or freezer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!Best Friends Animal Society:
That’s nearly over 3 million animals a year, simply because they don’t have a home. I am pleased that Abound has partnered with Best Friends Animal Society to help save the lives of shelter animals.
Best Friends was among the first no-kill advocates. Best Friends hopes to makes Los Angeles a no-kill city by 2017. Since their efforts in 2012, this year marks a record low in the number of shelter deaths for the Los Angeles Animal Services.
To enter giveaway leave a comment below. Tell me your furry friend’s name and their favorite treat! [CLOSED]
Disclosure: The Abound Prize Pack and Gift Card is provided by Kroger. I received the same products for Charlie to try. All opinions are my own.
Trix loves a chicken sweet potatoes treat I get from Costco. I’m hoping though that these treats and a couple others in m trying to make will be a good replacement for her. Current favorite.
I hope Trix enjoys the treats!
My chocolate lab Gingers loves any treat she can get her paws on! I’m sure she would love these!!
We adopted Murdoch, I dont think he ever had to many treats.When he does get them, he is not quite sure what to do with it. So I am excited to make his own, that way I know what he is getting. Trying to make my poodle boy happy!
I hope Murdoch enjoys the treats!
These sound great…what is the shelf life of these..thank you
The treats can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. For longer storage, I suggest keeping them in the fridge or freezer.
I love your recipe and most importantly so did my fur babies. I have 3 dogs, a pug (who eats everything), a husky mix (who eats everything) and a boarder collie (who is picker than most toddlers). They all loved these treats and Oreo (the collie) sat at my feet wanting more. I’m going to try this with other flavors of baby food but thanks so much for a fantastic homemade cookie for my pups.
Hi Krissy! That’s wonderful to hear! Glad your fur babies like them.
I was wondering if you could use coconut flour in place of other flour. Our Stormy has bad allergies but does well with coconut flour. Thank you!!
Hi Deborah! I haven’t tried making these with coconut flour. Please let me know how it works out!
My dog is a lab/retriever mix named Dakota. She just turned 13 this year. I got her when she was 11 because I found her and found out her previous owners weren’t treating her the best. In the last couple of years I’ve had her she seems to be full of smiles. She loves sweet potato, chicken, or steak flavored treats. Really she’s just happy to get any treat. She’s very sweet.
Is it 3/4 cups of flour or 4 cups noticed both amounts in two different places!! Thanks
It’s 3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp of flour. The gluten-free flour brand I used is called Cup 4 Cup. Is that 4 cups you are mentioning?
Hello! I made the treats tonight but for some reason they were really sticky and I could not knead the dough or use my cookie cutters tk make shapes. I ended up making one big cookie and was planning on using a knife to cut them. Do you have any ideas what might have gone wrong? I doubled the recipe.
Thank you
Hi Amber, sorry to hear that. I’ve made this recipe several times without fail. Perhaps it was the brand of gluten-free flour used? I hope you give it another try! :)
Hello – I love this recipe, we have a Girl Scout troop that are going to make treats to take to the animal shelter. I think we will use this recipe! One quick question, what is the shelf life of these treats? Do they need to be refrigerated? Thanks!
Hi Sonya! That’s wonderful to hear! These treats last one week at room temperature. I don’t recommend refrigerating them because they’ll get soggy. If you have a great excess, you can freeze them for up to one month.