Oven-Roasted Sweet Potatoes for Dogs

As food prices continue to rise, I have been more and more conscious about what I’ve been purchasing.  My dogs like sweet potatoes in their homemade food and in treats (and even in a stuffed hoof, Kong or lick mat!) and I regularly buy a sweet potato or two and roast them in the oven.  I (facepalm) never bothered to look at how much cheaper it was to buy them by the bag.  Where we’re located, I can buy an entire bag of sweet potatoes for the same price as 2 large ones.  Talk about cost savings!

The other weekend I bought an entire bag of sweet potatoes and roasted them all in the oven.  It was only marginally more work than roasting one or two would have been, saved money (both in purchasing in bulk and in running the oven for a larger batch) and saved time – I won’t have to do sweet potatoes again for at least a month!

Somehow, even if it just vegetables, my girls always know when the cooking or baking is for them.  They hover around the kitchen in anticipation and always want to eat it before it’s even had a chance to cool. 

Many people like the convenience of precooked sweet potatoes and many even use baby food for their dogs.  However, the additives and preservatives in these items can be concerning.  The effort to bake your own and freeze it is minimal, and it’s very cost effective!  Most of the time spent in baking your own sweet potatoes is in the cooking time.   

How to use roasted sweet potatoes:

• Spread on lick mats
• Stuffed in Kongs, hooves, trachea and Toppls (or whatever else you use!)
• Added into homemade dog food
• Included in homemade dog treats
• Feed directly to the dogs as a treat
• Portion some for the fridge for use throughout the week
• Portion the remainder and freeze

Are Sweet Potatoes Healthy for Dogs?

Sweet potatoes are rich in fibre and a great source of vitamin A, B6, C, calcium, potassium and iron.  However,  they are a starchy sugar (meaning that they raise the blood sugar quickly), so should only be given in moderation.  

How to Roast Sweet Potatoes

1. Preheat oven to 350F / 175C
2. Wash sweet potatoes and place on foil lined cookie sheet (sweet potatoes will leak a syrupy liquid when baked, using foil will make for easier clean up and protect your cookie sheet!)
3. Pierce each sweet potato in several places with a sharp knife or fork
4. Cook for 30-40 mins or until sweet potatoes are pierced easily with a fork (larger sweet potatoes may take longer)
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool
6. Remove skin.  You can use a knife and fork, but it’s easiest to just get in there with your hands  Note – the skin is hard for dogs to digest and chew.  It can be fed in moderation in small amounts/sizes, or discarded
7. Place in airtight containers for future use.  Tip – when freezing, it is easier to portion out what you will reasonably use once it thaws out.  I often freeze in the amounts most of my recipes call for, or what I can use in a few days once it thaws

Storage

Store in airtight container in fridge for 3-5 days or freeze up to 3 months

Enjoy this idea? Check out some of our homemade treat recipes like Sweet Potato Honey Dog Treats, Frozen Cranberry Coconut Dog Treats or Pyramid Pan Homemade Pumpkin Dog Treats.