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
COCKTAIL SAUSAGES – These are the little smoked sausages sold in a 14 ounce package, usually labeled cocktail smokies or party franks, and you will find them near the hot dogs and lunch meat. One 14 ounce package is what a single can of crescent dough will cover, so the two package sizes line up perfectly. Beef, pork, or a blend all work, and I have made these with turkey smokies for a lighter version with no change to the method. Pat them dry with a paper towel before you roll them, since the packing liquid will keep the dough from sealing around them. If you would rather use full size hot dogs, cut each one into thirds and use a full crescent triangle for each piece instead of a quarter.
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, and 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. Keep the can in the refrigerator until the moment you open it, because cold dough is far easier to roll neatly than dough that has warmed up on the counter.
BUTTER – Salted or unsalted butter will work fine to brush over the crescent dough. You could also use an egg wash for a shinier, deeper brown finish. I would suggest opting for unsalted butter if you plan on adding salt on top of these dogs. A silicone pastry brush makes quick work of this and rinses clean far more easily than a bristle brush.
FLAKED SEA SALT – This is optional but it is the small thing that makes these taste like more than the sum of their parts. Crescent dough is slightly sweet, and a few flakes of coarse salt on top gives you that sweet and salty contrast in every bite. Use flaked or coarse salt rather than table salt, which dissolves into the butter and disappears. Poppy seeds or everything bagel seasoning work beautifully here too.
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.
How Long to Bake Pigs in a Blanket
Bake pigs in a blanket at 375°F for 15 minutes. They are done when the crescent dough has puffed up around the sausage and the tops are a deep golden brown, not pale tan. The sausages are already fully cooked when you buy them, so you are only baking the dough. Color is a more reliable signal than the timer.
A few things shift the timing. Rolls made from a full crescent triangle instead of a quarter triangle need longer. A crowded pan traps steam and slows browning, so leave a little room between them. And if you rolled them ahead and they are going into the oven straight from the refrigerator, expect to add a minute or two.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Bake them at 375°F for 15 minutes, or until the crescent dough is puffed and deep golden brown on top. Go by color rather than the clock, since the sausages are already cooked and you are really only baking the dough.
375°F. That is hot enough to puff the crescent dough and brown the tops before the sausages dry out, and low enough that the thin points of the dough do not scorch before the thick end cooks through.
Yes, and this is the way I make them for every party. Roll the sausages in the dough, arrange them on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover the whole sheet tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Pull the sheet straight from the refrigerator and bake as directed. Chilled dough may need an extra minute or two, so watch for the golden brown color in addition to the timer. You can also bake them fully ahead of time and reheat them the day of. If you are prepping the night before, do the rolling the night before and leave the butter brushing and salt until just before they go in the oven, so the tops stay dry and brown properly.
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.
Reheat them in a 325°F oven until warmed through. Keep the temperature low and watch them closely, because they are already cooked and the dough dries out quickly at higher heat. Skip the microwave if you can, since it softens the crescent dough instead of crisping it.
Storage and Freezing Information
Store leftover pigs in a blanket in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. They are good cold straight from the container, which is how half of them get eaten at my house, but a few minutes in a 325°F oven brings the dough back to life.
For freezing, both cooked and uncooked, see the freezing question in the FAQ section above. The short version is that they freeze well either way for up to 3 months, and both versions thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
If you are making them for an event, the refrigerator method is what you want rather than the freezer. Roll them, cover the sheet, and chill for up to 24 hours, then bake right before guests arrive.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these hot, straight from the baking sheet or piled onto a tray, with a few small bowls of dipping sauce alongside. Ketchup and yellow mustard are the classics and nobody will complain, but a couple of homemade options turn a tray of crescent dogs into something people talk about. Garlic aioli is my favorite of the bunch, creamy and sharp against the buttery dough. Remoulade sauce brings a little tang and spice if you want something with more going on, and our tangy french fry sauce is the one the kids empty first. For a dunk-and-swirl option, put out a bowl of warm marinara sauce and let everyone pretend they are eating pizza rolls.
Set them out with the rest of the spread rather than on their own. They sit happily next to dill pickle chex mix and a tray of pinwheel sandwiches on a game day table, and they hold their own on a holiday appetizer board.
They don’t have to be limited to get-togethers and holidays either. They make a tasty quick snack or an easy dinner option any day of the week, especially with a handful of veggies and a dipping sauce on the side.
More Party Appetizer Recipes
- Grape Jelly Meatballs
- Pinwheel Sandwiches
- Appetizer Veggie Pizza
- Turkey Pepper Jack Roll Ups
- Bacon Cheeseburger Meatballs
- Dill Pickle Chex Mix
- Football Recipes
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Pigs in a Blanket
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Pin It Rate ItIngredients
- 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
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.
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
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Lesley Merchant says
I made English sausage tolls using frozen flaky pastry, pure Maple Leaf sausage and mixing the onion and spices into the sausage mix. Then I roll out the flaky pastry, making sure it is as thin as possible, cut it into strios, then taking 1 top of sausage mixture,, place it on the pastry strip and roll over once. use a sharp knife. continue until all meat isused. make an egg wash over all and bake at 400 for 20-22 minutes. it will make 33 to 36 on one parchment covered sheet and same again. tasty whether eaten warm or cold. a big favourite among Brits.
JLH says
I make things simpler but separating out each triangle, cutting those triangles into 3rds, then following the directions for rolling up and baking the items. 1/3 of each triangle seems to be the right proportion when using cocktail sausages. This is a great snack or appetizer and is perfect for elderly parents and children’s tea parties as well.