Best Homemade Pigs in a Blanket
The best ever party snack, Easy Pigs in a Blanket recipe is quick and simple to make with easy to find ingredients. Salty, buttery, crispy, this is a childhood favorite of mine that I’m sure everyone remembers, too! You’ll bring this classic to every party this year.
Pigs in a Blanket
Holidays and the big game are right around the corner and that means, it’s time to make piles of snacks to nosh on while entertaining friends. That’s all we really want when hitting the parties all Eason long. Chips and cheesy dips, pulled pork sandwiches and crescent roll pigs in a blanket to pop in our mouths with reckless abandon.
A party must have, these Homemade Pigs in a Blanket are the easiest appetizer to make and we love to flavor them with all kinds of toppings. There’s really something for everyone here. It is always the perfect party appetizer.
Ingredients You Will Need
- Puff Pastry Dough – I love the flakiness of puff pastry sheets and it’s convenient to buy in your grocery store freezer department. You can use a tube of crescent dough but I much prefer puff pastry as the blanket in this recipe.
- Pigs – Mini Beef Franks or cocktail weiners are the classic pig for Pigs in a blanket and are like regular hot dogs but miniature. You can also use little smokies (which are like mini sausage links) with excellent results.
- Mustard – A light coating of dijon inside the puff pastry adds a nice tangy flavor. If you don’t like dijon mustard you can substitute with honey mustard or you can leave it out.
- Egg – Egg is like the glue that holds it all together, it also gives the exterior a nice golden brown hue and helps the toppings stick to the dough.
- Toppings – I love to use Everything Bagel seasoning, poppy seeds, Course Sea Salt Flakes, sesame Seeds, Zatar or whatever your heart desires to top your pigs in a blanket.
For the full ingredient list and instructions, see the recipe card below.
How to Make Pigs in a Blanket
Making mini Pigs in a Blanket from scratch is totally easy to do. I liked to make Pigs in a Blanket with puff pastry and it’s a total game changer. I’m still a fan of the crescent rolls in a pinch but if you can get frozen puff pastry to wrap up your little weiners you will be rewarded with a flakey, buttery crust that’s simply addicting.
- Thaw your pastry dough according to package instructions.
- Roll out your puff pastry dough with a rolling pin to a 14 by 14 inch square.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch squares and place one of the cocktail sausages in the center of the dough on a diagonal.
- Wrap the dough around the dog and place on an ungreased baking sheet seam side up.
- Brush the tops of the pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with your desired topping.
- Bake until golden brown and puffed up.
- Serve hot or room temperature with your favorite dipping sauce.
They’re so simple to make it’s silly! I like to serve them with this easy cheese sauce or Chick Fil A Sauce for dipping.
What are Pigs in a Blanket
Mini sausages or cocktail weiners wrapped in dough before being baked into puffy perfection. Originally from Belgium, this is a traditional dish from the city of Namur, where it is called “avisance” was historically made with a sausage or sausage meat in bread dough.
Now, they’re most often made with puff pastry or crescent rolls. In Brazil, the sausage is wrapped in bread-like dough, before being baked.
You can also wrap them with pretzel dough but that is a whole different post we’ll touch on another time.
Pro Tips for Perfect Pigs in a Blanket
- Be sure your puff pastry dough is completely thawed before rolling or it will crack and tear.
- Pat dry your little smokies before rolling up in the dough. The extra moisture could make the dough soggy.
- If you don’t seal the dough with a bit of water and press lightly to seal, your Pigs in a Blanket could pop open in the oven while baking. To add extra insurance that they don’t pop open you can place them on the baking sheet seam side down.
- Customize your own Pigs in a Blanket with cheese, bacon, your favorite toppings and more. The sky’s the limit with this one.
- Leftover pigs in a blanket can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. But there never are any leftovers in this house.
The Best Way To Cook Pigs in a Blanket
I’ve seen a few recipes where they fry their Pigs in a Blanket but I much prefer to bake them in a 350 degree oven until puffed and golden brown on cookie sheets. I don’t really love the mess of frying and, seriously, these easy Pigs in a Blanket are fabulous just as they are baked in an oven. No need for extra calories!
Baking mini Pigs in a Blanket doesn’t take long at all, simply pop them in the oven for about 15 minutes and you’re ready to go!
We also like to make this recipe with hot dogs (you have to cut larger squares to accommodate the size) but this mini version is our absolute favorite. They’re just so fun to dip and pop into your mouth. Plus, smaller size equals less calories….right? RIGHT?
How To Make Pigs in a Blanket In Advance
You can TOTALLY make these Pigs in a Blanket with puff pastry in advance! Just assemble them as instructed and then pop them in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap until you’re ready to bake. Skip the egg wash and toppings until right before you bake.
Bake them in a 350 degree oven as directed (uncovered) for 12-15 minutes until puffed and golden.
To FREEZE, simply assemble as directed and freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once they are frozen, transfer to a zip top freezer bag and return to the freezer for up to 2 months.
To bake from frozen, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and baking in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden.
More Easy Appetizer Ideas
- Crazy addicting Everything Spice Pigs in a Blanket!
- My favorite Sweet and Spicy Candied Bacon…seriously, try it!
- Easy Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms, a total party FAVE!
- These easy Cranberry Brie Pastry Bites are amazing
- Best EVER Mini Crab Cakes
- Super simple Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips….yes!
Want even more simple recipe ideas? Follow us over on Instagram for fun food and behind the scenes craziness!
Get the Recipe: Pigs in a Blanket Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
- 20 Mini Beef Franks or little smokies
- 2 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- sesame seeds, everything bagel spice, poppy seeds, if desired
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Roll out the dough and cut into squares approximately 2 inches long.
- Brush the dough with a thin layer of dijon mustard.
- Wrap each frank in the dough on a diagonal so the two corners overlap and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment seam side up.
- Brush the top of each “blanket” with egg and sprinkle with your favorite seasoning or leave naked. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and puffed up.
- Serve immediately with mustard or ketchup for dipping.
2 Comments on “Best Homemade Pigs in a Blanket”
If you want to freeze them, can you put the egg wash on before freezing so you can just bake them from the ziplock bag?
Yes! you can prep them completely before freezing and then just pop them in the oven when you’re read to bake. Enjoy!