After spending a ridiculous amount on dehydrated green beans and dehydrated sweet potato dog treats, I purchased a a dehydrator to make my own healthy treats. For not very much money, I can make crunchy dehydrated green beans and carrots that my dogs adore. It didn’t take long for my dehydrator to pay for itself from the savings. Here is how you can make your own dehydrated dog treats. Cats love these too!
Choosing a Dehydrator
Picking out dehydrator is pretty simple because there really is not much to them. A dehydrator is essentially a plastic shell with some trays and a heating element. My research revealed that there was no reason to buy a very high end model either. However, it i important to get one with a fan. By having a built-in fan, you won’t need to rotate the trays while using it. I ended up buying the NESCO FD-60($62.99) which happened to be on sale when I got it. I like is just fine, but honestly, just look for an affordable dehydrator or one on sale that has a fan.
How to Make Dehydrated Dog Treats
Using a dehydrator is amazingly simple. For sweet potatoes, slice them thick (over 1/4 inch) and blanch them slightly. Then, line the trays and plug it in. Next, set the dehydrator to the appropriate temperature for vegetables. In my case that is 135 degrees. Wait 6-8 hours, or until the items are completely dry and crunchy, and you are done! I store mine in a plastic ziplock bag.
For green beans and other vegetables, there is one very important trick to getting crispy treats: Use frozen vegetables. Using fresh green beans often results in leathery, more chewy treats (which is fine if you prefer that). Frozen vegetables end up crunchy, which my dogs love. If using fresh vegetables, it is important to blanch them in hot water for a few minutes first to remove the enzymes that cause spoiling, while not actually cooking out the nutrients. By using frozen vegetables, that has already been done for you.
Be sure to stick to fruits and vegetables that are known to be safe for pets. Carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes, and bananas are all safe options that pets tend to like. Some items, such as onions and grapes, are toxic to pets and should not be used. See this list of fruits and vegetables for more information on what is and is not safe for your pet.
Pets Love Dehydrated Dog Treats
Vegetables shrink substantially when dried. For example, a large bag of frozen green beans fills a small ziplock bag after dehydrating. I give the dogs a few at a time, and they totally love them. I love them too, since I know that the treats are natural, low calorie, and healthy. They are also the perfect size to use as training treats. At about $1.99 per bag, over time the dehydrator will pay for itself in savings. As an aside, you can eat these too. I like putting dehydrated green beans on my salads for extra crunch!
Mary Hunter @ Stale Cheerios says
What a great idea. I should really buy a dehydrator with all of the treats that I go through in a typical week….
And thanks for the tip about using frozen vegetables. I would have thought that fresh would be better, so I will have to remember that!
Carleen says
I found out about frozen after trying fresh and being disappointed. I had bought crispy beans and wanted those. I have no clue why frozen end up crispy, but hey! I’ll take it! Plus there is no need to blanch them first then too!
Emma says
We use the oven when we make dehydrated treats. We have to get to the point where we would make enough of them to justify the cost of the dehydrator. We do a lot of bananas and they are so fast in the oven anyway.
Carleen says
I’ve done sweet potatoes in the oven. The dehydrator is nice simply because of how much you can do at once and the ease of it all. But the oven at super low temp is good too!
PetGuide says
I’ve never done peas and carrots before – will have to give them a go in my dehydrator.
Carleen says
The carrots come out really tiny, but the dogs still love them. Green beans are still my fav!
Amanda Yantos says
I would love to try these! I always make homemade treats for my babies. I even have a full recipe page on my blog for dog treats because I am addicted for baking for them!
Carleen says
I love baking for the pets too!
Sierra M. Koester says
I’ve thought about trying a dehydrator for meat treats for the kitties before. Plus I LOVE banana chips! 🙂
Carleen says
I love banana chips too! The dehydrator rocks for that. You save a TON of money with those.
Carol Bryant says
I want to do this – I am banned from the kitchen!
Carleen says
This is so easy that I think even you can do it, LOL! Just dump a bag of green beans on some trays and plug it in. 😉
It's Dog Or Nothing says
I really need to get a dehydrator!
Sadie and Co. says
Henry will appreciate a new treat idea. Thanks!
Christine Paul says
Thanks for the tips!! We plan on buying a dehydrator for the girls as an Xmas gift!