This 4-ingredient pigs in a blanket recipe starts with mini sausages that are snuggly wrapped in blankets of crescent dough, basted with butter, and baked to a puffy golden brown. Dip and dunk in an endless sea of sauce options for the best party appetizer!
Why this recipe works
Pigs in a blanket are one of the easiest party appetizers that are both kid-approved and adult-approved, much like their cousin, the famous bacon wrapped lil smokies. Using crescent dough, you’ll wrap the mini cocktail sausages up nice and tight then brush them with butter and bake.
These mini crescent dogs will not last long! We like to make a big batch for football and holiday parties but they’re welcome at any and all celebrations that come to mind, even if you want to make them as an easy snack or dinner for the kids (or yourself).
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
CRESCENT DOUGH – One can of crescent dough is enough to cover about 1 full 14 oz. package of mini cocktail sausages. Double, triple, or quadruple the recipe as needed to feed more. Some stores sell crescent roll sheets – if you can find one of these, you can eliminate the step of pressing the perforated seams together. Simply slice the sheet into 28 small triangles. You can even just cut small strips of the dough, though I like the more traditional crescent roll appearance.
BUTTER – Salted or unsalted butter will work find to brush over the crescent dough. You could also use an egg wash. I would suggest opting for unsalted butter if you plan on adding salt on top of these dogs.
How to Make Pigs in a Blanket
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove crescent rolls from the packaging and gently unroll, taking care to keep the perforated sheet intact.
- Press over the seams gently to form a single sheet of crescent roll dough.
- Use a pizza wheel to slice the crescent sheet into four sections and then slice each section into 7 triangles. (The triangles don’t have to be perfect or sized exactly the same – approximate triangles are just fine).
- Place one cocktail sausage aligned with the wide end of each triangle. Roll up the sausage to form a small crescent roll surrounding the sausage. Place prepared “pigs in a blanket” on the prepared baking sheet.
- Brush the tops of each roll with melted butter and top with a sprinkle of flaked/coarse salt, if desired.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the crescent rolls are puffed and golden brown.
- Serve hot with ketchup, mustard, and any of your favorite dipping sauces.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Yes, you can make them ahead of time. Prepare the crescent wrapped sausages and store them, covered and unbaked, in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours in advance. You can also bake them ahead of time and reheat them the day of.
Yes, you can freeze pigs in a blanket cooked or uncooked. Place uncooked pigs in a blanket on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and flash freeze until solid. Remove from the tray and place in a large ziptop bag or air-tight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking. To freeze cooked pigs in a blanket, allow them to fully cool first before placing in an air-tight container or large ziptop bag. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the oven at 325F until warmed through – be careful not to overbake them as they’re already cooked and can become dry.
Store leftover pigs in a blanket in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Serving Suggestions
Serve on a tray or straight from the baking sheet with dipping sauce on the side. Pigs in a blanket go great with ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, spicy mayo, and even french fry sauce! You can garnish them with garlic butter instead of regular butter, and leave the salt on or off. In place of the salt, you can also try poppy seeds on top.
They don’t have to be limited to get-togethers and holidays either, they make a tasty quick snack or dinner option any day of the week.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces refrigerated crescent rolls 1 can of 8 rolls
- 14 ounces cocktail sausages
- 1 Tablespoon butter melted
- 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt optional
Things You’ll Need
- Baking sheets
- Pizza Cutter
Before You Begin
- The salt is optional, but it really adds a nice salty contrast to the sweetness in the crescent roll dough.
- Brushing the pigs in a blanket with melted butter helps them to achieve a nice golden brown color and it also helps the salt stick to the top of the roll.
- Salted or unsalted butter will work find to brush over the crescent dough. You could also use an egg wash.
- One can of crescent dough is enough to cover about 1 full 14 oz. package of sausages. Double, triple, or quadruple the recipe as needed – these little snacks go fast!
- Leave a little room between sausages on the baking sheet as the dough does puff up around the sausage and you don’t want them bumping into one another.
- Some stores sell crescent roll SHEETS – if you can find one of these, you can eliminate the step of pressing the perforated seams together. Simply slice the sheet into 28 small triangles. You can even just cut small strips of the dough, though I like the more traditional crescent roll appearance.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove crescent rolls from packaging and gently unroll, taking care to keep the perforated sheet intact.
- Press over the seams gently to form a single sheet of crescent roll dough.
- Use a pizza wheel to slice the crescent sheet into four sections and then slice each section into 7 triangles. (The triangles don’t have to be perfect or sized exactly the same – approximate triangles are just fine.)
- Place one cocktail sausage aligned with the wide end of each triangle. Roll up the sausage to form a small crescent roll surrounding the sausage.
- Place prepared “pigs in a blanket” on the prepared baking sheet.
- Brush the tops of each roll with melted butter and top with a sprinkle of flaked/coarse salt, if desired.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the crescent rolls are puffed and golden brown.
- Serve hot with ketchup, mustard, and any of your favorite dipping sauces.
