Pigs in a blanket is a classic party snack made with cocktail wieners wrapped in crescent dough, which are baked to golden brown perfection. An easy appetizer option that can be doubled or tripled to serve a crowd.
Whenever I’m entertaining I put out a variety of finger foods including beef lettuce wraps, caramel popcorn, sausage cheese balls, baked chicken wings and these traditional pigs in a blanket. Everyone always goes crazy for these savory bites! If you’re feeding adults, this is the perfect snack to accompany some fun and festive Jello shots.
You can NEVER go wrong with pigs in a blanket. It’s a hearty, savory appetizer that’s ultra popular for good reason! These little hot dog bites also happen to be super easy to make, and contain just a handful of ingredients. Looking for a main course option with similar flavors? Check out my recipe for bagel dogs!
These appetizers are as good for holidays as they are for game day. When you need to feed a crowd check out my Christmas appetizer recipes or my game day recipes. With favorites like hot spinach dip, cheese ball bites and homemade Chex mix, you will find the perfect snacks.
Table of Contents
- Pigs In A Blanket Ingredients
- How Do You Make Pigs In A Blanket?
- Tips For The Perfect Appetizer
- Quick Tip
- Recipe FAQs
- Flavor Variations
- More Delicious Party Snacks
- Pigs In A Blanket Video
- Love This Recipe?
- Pigs in a Blanket Recipe
Pigs In A Blanket Ingredients
For this classic pigs in a blanket recipe, you will need cocktail wieners (mini hot dogs), crescent roll dough, butter and sesame or poppy seeds (seeds are optional!). You can also garnish with a little fresh parsley if you want. For amounts and details see the recipe card below.
- Cocktail Wieners: You can use any cocktail wieners that you like. I tend to use Lit’l Smokies because they are readily available. Feel free to use all beef cocktail wieners or other small sausages, whichever is your favorite.
- Crescent Roll Dough: Crescent roll dough bakes up nice and fluffy. I use pre-made crescent roll dough because you will want very flat and evenly rolled dough to wrap your sausages. Crescent roll dough is also pre-cut into triangles, making it easy to use.
- Butter: Brushing butter on your pigs in a blanket helps bring together the flavor of the mini wieners and the dough.
- Sesame Seeds and Poppy Seeds: I use these seeds largely for a nice presentation. However, they do provide some additional flavor.
How Do You Make Pigs In A Blanket?
To make these easy pigs in a blanket, first spread out the crescent dough on a baking sheet or sheet pan. Next cut the dough along the perforations into triangles. From there, cut each triangle into three strips lengthwise. Wrap each hot dog in a strip of dough. Melt butter in a small bowl. Brush the pigs in a blanket with melted butter and you can sprinkle sesame or poppy seeds on top. Bake the pigs until golden brown, then serve and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Appetizer
- Make sure to wrap the sausages from the thicker part of the dough to the thinner part of the dough. You want the smaller part of the dough to go across the middle of the sausages to make a layered look.
- Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut your dough for nice even lines.
- Cut your dough triangles lengthwise down the triangles from the thick end of each triangle to the thin point of each triangle.
- Can’t find mini hot dogs? You can cut regular hot dogs into 4 or 5 pieces and wrap them in dough.
- You can line your baking sheet or cookie sheet with parchment paper if you are worried about your pigs in a blanket sticking to the sheet pan.
- You can assemble this appetizer ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for 2 hours before you bake them.
- If you want shinier pigs in a blanket, you can brush an egg wash over the wrapped dogs before they go in the oven.
Quick Tip
You can substitute biscuit dough for crescent dough if desired. I find it a little harder to work with because it’s thicker and not pre-cut into triangles. You can also use puff pastry.
Recipe FAQs
Why is it called pigs in a blanket?
The name pigs in a blanket comes from the pork hot dogs representing pigs and people wrap them in blankets of dough. The term pigs in a blanket now refers to any small sausage or hot dog that has any wrapping.
Can you freeze pigs in a blanket?
Pigs in a blanket stay fresh in the freezer for up 2 months. Place the baked pigs in an airtight container or freezer bag. Bake the frozen appetizers at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until warmed through. You can also store this snack in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Are pigs in a blanket good the next day?
Pigs in a blanket will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Simply reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 7-8 minutes or until warmed through.
What is the original pigs in a blanket made of?
Early pigs in blankets were small sausages wrapped in bacon. If you want a version of that dish check out my bacon wrapped smokies recipe.
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Flavor Variations
While this pigs in a blanket recipe is great as-is, you can change up the flavors to suit your taste.
- Cheese Dogs: You can cut a slit into each hot dog and place a slice of cheese inside before wrapping them. You can use cheddar cheese, pepper jack or American cheese.
- Cheese Topping: You can sprinkle grated cheddar cheese or parmesan cheese over the dough wrapped wieners before they go into the oven.
- Sausages: You can use any type of miniature sausage for this recipe. I’ve used hot dogs, little smokies and chicken apple sausages, all with great results. You could even use a meatless veggie or vegan cocktail wiener.
- Garlic: For garlic flavored pigs in a blanket, mince 1 teaspoon of garlic and stir it into your melted butter. Then brush the garlic butter mixture over the pigs in a blanket and bake them.
- Dipping Sauce: While ketchup is a classic pairing with this recipe, some other great options include Dijon mustard, honey mustard sauce, ranch dressing, fry sauce or homemade BBQ sauce.
- Toppings: While I like to add a sprinkle of sesame or poppy seeds to my rolls, you can also bake them plain, or add other toppings such as everything bagel seasoning or Italian seasoning.
Every time I host a party or attend a potluck, a make a big batch of these hot dog bites. No one can resist them, both adults and kids alike! If you’re looking for more fabulous ways to use crescent roll dough, don’t miss my list of 25 crescent roll recipes!
