The verdict is in: Pigs in a Blanket are better without the crescent rolls! In this recipe, savory sausages come wrapped in homemade pigs in a blanket dough that bakes up pillowy soft and irresistibly delicious. This two-bite appetizer masterpiece will take you less than 30 minutes to prepare.
Finger foods are the biggest hit at our house, especially these pigs in a blanket alongside sausage balls, Irish nachos, and pulled pork sliders. I can typically count on each guest to reach for at least 4 to 5 pigs in a blanket. Everyone loves them so much that I always double the batch!
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Why This Recipe Works
Pigs in a blanket, made with homemade dough, is a total and complete game changer. Guests (and my own children) are absolutely obsessed with them. We love them as much for breakfast as we do for parties and movie night snacks.
Store-bought crescent roll dough is overly processed and full of chemicals and oils. This homemade pigs in a blanket dough recipe made from scratch uses real ingredients and only takes about 10 minutes. The ingredient list is simple, and the dough bakes up pillowy soft.
Thanks to a quick and simple egg wash, they come out a gorgeous golden brown, making them just as beautiful as they are yummy.
What are Pigs in Blanket?
What you might not know is that much like the other American classic, deviled eggs, pigs in a blanket were elegant cocktail party fare before they were a game-day snack. But, before they had even made their way to the starter section of the menu, they were a 1950's dinnertime gem, one intended for the kids.
Sausage wrapped in some form of bread is a foodie concept that's been around for centuries: however, the miniature rendition is less dated. If you've ever wonder where the playful name "Pigs in a Blanket" originated the first known recipe for this famous appetizer was originally published in Betty Crocker's Cook Book for Boys and Girls in 1957. The recipe quickly soared into popularity, and it has been considered a classic party appetizer ever since.
For another kid-friendly, brunchy favorite, chocolate croissants never disappoint!
Ingredients
For the Dough | The dough for these pigs in a blanket is so simple. All you need is all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, milk, and butter.
Cocktail Sausages | You'll need 1 (12-ounce) package of Lit'l Smokies or cocktail sausages. You can use turkey or beef sausages for this recipe. If you grab an extra pack, you can make these bacon-wrapped smokies too!
Egg Wash (optional) | Egg wash consists of 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Mix it together and use a pastry brush to brush over the top of your assembled pigs in a blanket before baking if you want them to have a beautiful golden sheen after baking.
Variations and Substitutions
Meat Subs | Similar to our Texas Kolaches, you can also use hot dogs (like we do in our mini corn dogs) or even sausages. The recipe will make less but will be just as delicious.
Add Cheese | To elevate your pigs in a blanket, add cheese! Add a small piece of American cheese or a pinch of grated cheese to your dough before adding the sausages. And if sausage and cheese is your jam, you may just want to add our summer sausage platter to your next hosting menu!
How to Make Pigs in Blanket (without Crescent Dough!)
Prep Sausages | Pat sausages dry and poke holes with the tines of a fork. Lit'l Smokies (or cocktail sausages) come packaged in a watery solution and need to be dried off before rolling in the dough.
- To do this, pat them dry with paper towels.
- Then, prick each cocktail sausage with the tines of a fork. Pricking the sausages with the fork will prevent them from splitting under the oven's high heat.
Make the Dough | To make the dough, start by whisking together your dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Then, add in the melted butter and milk, and stir to combine. You'll find this dough incredibly soft and easy to roll out and work with.
Roll Dough | Once the dough has come together, transfer it to a floured work surface and pat it out into a rectangle. Then, using a rolling pin, roll out the dough somewhere between a ¼" and an ⅛" of an inch in thickness.
Roll Up Sausages | Lastly, cut the dough into tiny little rectangular "blankets" and roll up the cocktail sausages, pinching the seams to enclose them.
Bake | Transfer the mini pigs in a blanket to a baking sheet seam side down and after just 15 minutes in a 400° oven, they are ready to eat!
Make-Ahead Instructions
Refrigerate | You can assemble on the baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate up to 24 hours in advance. If using egg wash, wait until ready to bake to add it.
Freeze | You can freeze these pigs in a blanket before or after baking. To freeze before baking, assemble and place on parchment paper on a baking tray. Make sure they aren't touching so they don't freeze together. Leave in the freezer for a couple of hours. Once completely frozen, transfer to a zip top bag. You will need to add a few minutes to the bake time.
Storage Instructions
Serve | This bite-sized snack is best served warm. I always bake them right before company arrives. They can sit out for up to 2 hours at room temperature.
Store | Refrigerated in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
Freeze | Once your pigs in a blanket have finished baking and are completely cooled, place in a freezer-safe, zip top bag or freezer safe airtight container with little headspace for 2-3 months.
Reheat | Reheat in the microwave for 30-second intervals until warmed to your liking. This also depends how many you're heating up at one time. You can also reheat in the oven at 350°F for about 5-7 minutes or until hot to your liking.
What to Serve with Pigs in a Blanket
We love these pigs in a blanket on their own, but they are delicious alongside BBQ sauce, homemade honey mustard, regular mustard, ranch dip, or even with a warm cheese sauce.
Need More Party Appetizer Ideas?
If you're prepping for a party and looking for more popular finger foods to serve alongside your pigs in a blanket, check these out!
Game Day Menu Suggestions
- Baked Buffalo Wings
- Mexican Layer Dip
- Bacon Cheddar Ranch Dip
- Texas Trash (Spicy Chex Mix)
- Rotel Dip
Cocktail Party Menu Suggestions
- Crockpot BBQ Meatballs
- Ranch Oyster Crackers
- Baked Brie with Jam
- Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
- Swedish Meatballs
Mini Pigs in a Blanket
Ingredients
- 1 (12-14 ounce) package of Lit'l Smokies or Cocktail Sausages, patted dry
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, plus a pinch -- separated
- ½ cup milk
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° and have ready a sheet pan lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Pat the sausages dry using paper towels and with the tines of a fork, poke two sets of holes in all of the cocktail sausages. Set aside until ready to use.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add milk and butter and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
- On a floured work surface, pat out the dough, and knead it gently if needed to bring it together. Dust it with flour and using a rolling pin, roll it out into a rectangle, about an ⅛" of an inch thick.
- Cut lengthwise strips, about 1" wide. Then cut 2 ½-3" sections across the strips. You should have about 20 rectangular strips. Combine any dough scraps and repeat with what's left.
- Place a cocktail sausage at the end of each strip and roll it to close. Place seam-side down on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all are assembled.
- Bake for 15 minutes, serve, and enjoy!
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Notes
Nutrition
Sharon Chen says
Super cute! Love that it's made from scratch.
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you so much, Sharon! Makes a HUGE difference 🙂
Demeter says
These are always a hit at parties! Your from scratch recipe looks amazing. So fun to know the history behind it too.
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
Ah I love pigs in blankets! What a great appetizer idea, these look so good!
kim says
Love this recipe and my kids do too! So much flavor and so easy!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
Can't beat pigs in blankets and I can't wait to try your dough recipe!
Becky Tarala says
Yes! Thank you for the from scratch recipe. I use shortcuts more often than I'd like to. These look perfect!
Katherine Dietz says
Help! My dough came out very crumbly after it was baked. Does it have anything to do with my altitude (6200) ft? Or did I use too much flour on the counter, or was rolled too thin of a blanket? Thanks for your help.
Katherine
Kelly Anthony says
Katherine, the dough should definitely not be dry or crumbly once baked. I don't have much experience baking at high altitudes, but if you suspect this was the culprit, I would suggest adding an extra 2 tablespoons to the quantity of both the butter and the milk and see if that helps you out!
Noelle says
I love making these for the kids, they are always a hit! Saving this recipe!!
Jennifer says
These are a hit at our game night parties. We need appetizers that are easy, tasty, and don't make a big mess when people are eating and playing at the same time.
Amy says
These are always a winner at my house. My boys just love them. Thanks for the from scratch version and tips.
Alina | Cooking Journey Blog says
This is such a nice appetizer for a summer party, especially with that dipping sauce!
cheflolaskitchen says
This looks so cute! Love it!
KImee says
Thank you!!! Let me just say if I had clicked on one more "recipe" that said, a roll of crescent dough in a can (how is that a recipe?), I was going to scream. I just wanted a recipe for pigs in a blanket dough. Thank you for being one of the very few places to find a real recipe! I don't know what is happening to us that a recipe includes a box of sugar cookie mix, a can of crescent dough, a refrigerated pre-made pie crust or melting chocolate chips rather than using cocoa - real from scratch ingredients. But enough ranting. Thank you for this real, but simple recipe!
Resa says
Kimee, yes! I to was get nauseated by the number of recipes that said use crescent roll dough. No thank you! I like it all from scratch and using whole food. I made these and the dough was easy breezy and tasty! Next time, I’ll try egg wash and some flake salt on top
Hlove says
Could you deep fry these?
Kelly Anthony says
Hi Heather! I really can't say. I haven't experimented with that. Best of luck!
Sara Welch says
Looking forward to enjoying these this weekend while my family and I watch some football! Great bite sized fun!
Tayler Ross says
This is our go to appetizer recipe for any party! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Kacie says
They look good. Ideal for the festive season, but I'd happily eat them at any time of the year.
Pam says
I love that these are made with just pure, simple ingredients. Thanks for a great recipe!
Andrea Metlika says
I never knew how easy making your own dough would be. I can't wait to make these for my next party.
Anita says
We love these, and the from scratch blankets for the piggies are just awesome, so much better than store-bought. 🙂
Adrianne says
I can see these going down a treat at parties!! Everyone will love to grab one and gobble them up. I would choose the honey mustard and BBQ sauce options as they both sound delicious!!
Whitney says
I love the simple recipe and the tips are very helpful! Thanks for sharing!
kim says
Oh my gosh these turned out so good! My kids gobbled them all up!
Sharon says
I love pigs in a blanket but these with the homemade dough are so good!
Jamie says
I love how cute these look! They made a perfect appetizer and my nieces and nephew loved them!
Kushigalu says
Perfect appetizer. Love how cute and delicious these are!
Analida Braeger says
I took these to a party at a friends house last week and they were gone before I could get a second helping, Thanks so much!
Analida Braeger says
I took these to a party at a friends house last week and they were gone before I could get a second helping, Thanks for sharing!
Tommy says
I took these to a party and they were a huge hit! Thanks so much for sharing!
Marisa F. Stewart says
There's a reason why these mini pigs have been around for so long -- that's because they are so good and everyone loves them. I'm so glad you give the recipe for the blanket -- the pigs will certainly appreciate homemade and so will the little piggies that chow them down.
Paige says
LOVE that these are a homemade recipe, and an easy one at that! These look good enough to serve in a restaurant!
Debbie says
Kelly your mini pigs in a blanket were a huge hit with my family on game night. My teenage sons devoured them in no time. We loved them dipped in BBQ sauce..so delicious and easy. These are going in my party pleaser file!!
Jo says
I love the fact that you have made made the dought from scratch. That's so useful Especially when buying puff pastry doughs isn't an option as in some parts of the world.
Pigs in blanket can never get old, perfect finger food.
Natalie says
I always buy these in stores but now I think I'll just stop. This recipe is so easy and looks delicious. You just encourage me to try make pig in blankets at home. Can't wait to give it a try.
Aline says
We made these Superbowl weekend and we couldn't have enough of them!! Soooooo good I can't wait to make them again!! Thanks, Kelly!! xx
Mandy says
I made these with my 3 & 6 year old girls. They were extremely easy and would have only been 10min of prep time if I wasn’t letting a 3 year old do half the work! The taste was great, but they turned out a little crumbly after baking (I’m assuming it’s from our high altitude) so I’ll add a little more milk or butter next time. Great recipe, thanks!
Kelly Anthony says
That is awesome! Thank you, Mandy! This is such a great recipe for cooking with kids!!! Glad you let them help 😉
Julie says
I can't believe how easy these were! I've been wanting to try Pigs in a Blanket from scratch for a long time and I'm so glad I finally did. My 7-year-old son (who loves to cook) helped me prick the little sausages and wrap them up. He had a blast and we all loved the finished Pigs. They were so good! We had a few left over and they reheated (following your suggested temperature and time) for the kids' lunch the next day just as tasty as when we made them fresh. Thank you!
Kelly Anthony says
That is AMAZING! Thank you, Julie!!!!
Cynthia says
hi do you really need milk for the recipe/dough? lactose intolerant here 🙁
Kelly Anthony says
I have not tested this, BUT! I think you could get away with subbing water with a tablespoon of oil in it (avocado oil would probably be great) in the place of milk. Let me know how that works out for you if you decide to try it 🙂
Charlotte Nuzum says
These are super easy to make and super delicious! However, I always have to double the batch. Otherwise there isn’t enough dough for the whole package of lil weenies. It seems odd that I have to do that.
YemM says
Hi. I'm not sure why but the dough was so so sticky. I had to add extra flour to get it to a workable dough. And I really dont know how much extra flour I added. However it did work thereafter. Lacked a little salt. I'm from Sri Lanka and I'm wondering whether it maybe somethihg to do with humidity levels.
Kelly Anthony says
The dough is very soft, but I've made this a number of times and have not ever struggled with it. I'm wondering if it is indeed the humidity?? Although Texas can be very humid as well. Hmmm...I'm so sorry I can't be of more help!
Hallie B. | The Wordy Baker says
We loved these! I made these with "polish sausages" (fully cooked) that were hot dog-sized. I cut the sausages into thirds. I also added 1 chopped green onion and a handful of shredded cheese to the dough. Because I only had 12 sausages, I had some leftover dough, which I made into biscuits. Will be saving to make again!
Maria says
Can these be made a few hours ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake?
Kelly Anthony says
Absolutely!
Masha says
Hi! This recipe looks great! I was wondering if you could use olive oil instead of butter?
Hana says
Holy cow! This was so good. I substituted veggie hotdogs (cut in half) and veggie breakfast sausages. I have been vegetarian for almost 20 years, and it's been about that long since I've had a pig in a blanket or sausage roll. I will definitely make this again and already shared this recipe with my friends.