Make these easy Pigs in a Blanket recipe in the air fryer or oven—flaky, golden bites served, sprinkled with Everything Bagel seasoning, with recipes for three unique dipping sauces. A perfect snack or game day appetizer.
Why you need this Pigs in a Blanket recipe
Every time I make these pigs in a blanket, people start grabbing them straight off the tray—before I can even set them down! There’s just something about that golden, flaky pastry and savory bite that gets everyone’s eyes lighting up. I mean, who wouldn’t get excited over pigs in a blanket? Not just kids either!
I use organic crescent rolls for a wholesome, buttery, and tender blanket, pairing them with little smokies, sausages, or cut-up hot dogs—whatever I have on hand. They make a great after school snack.
The real fun comes with the sauces: a smoky BBQ Ranch, a sweet honey mustard, and a creamy, spicy blue cheese dip. They’re simple to whip up and add so much flavor, whether you’re serving a few or feeding a crowd. Or you can just try dipping in ketchup—or this amazing Homemade Whole Grain Dijon Mustard.
Why are they called “Pigs in a Blanket”?
“Pigs in a blanket” has different meanings depending on where you are in the world. In the UK, it refers to small sausages wrapped in bacon—often served at Christmas dinner. But here in the U.S., the phrase first popped up in a 1940s U.S. Army cookbook, describing pork sausage links (the “pigs”) wrapped in some kind of dough (the “blanket”).
When I was growing up, my mom had her own version. She’d wrap a breakfast sausage link in thin round steak, secure it with a toothpick, and bake it in a rich gravy—kind of like a twist on German rouladen. Not exactly the same, but still “pigs in a blanket” in their own way!
And then there are kolaches. My German grandmother would often make the sweet kind filled with prunes or apricots, but the savory version—sausage or hot dogs wrapped in dough and baked until golden—is what a lot of folks here think of when they hear pigs in a blanket. Technically Czech in origin, kolaches have their own place in the sausage-wrapped-in-dough family tree!
Ingredients for Pigs in a Blanket with Crescent Rolls
- Crescent roll dough: Canned crescent dough creates puffy, flaky, buttery “blankets” for the sausages. We used organic canned crescent roll dough, not the same as croissant dough, but similar to puff pastry. You can also use biscuit dough. You can find these canned doughs in the refrigerator section of your grocery store.
- Cocktail smoked sausages: The “pigs” for this easy appetizer recipe are cocktail-sized smoked sausages, commonly known as Little Smokies. I use uncured, nitrate & nitrite-free smokies. Try cutting up Hebrew National hot dogs, or use breakfast sausages.
- Egg: If desired, brush the surface of the wrapped pig in a blanket with an egg wash using water and one large egg. This will produce a shiny finish on the outside and help any seasonings stick.
- Seasoning: If you’d like, add your favorite seasoning blend to the outside of the appetizer. Try Everything but the Bagel seasoning (which has garlic, onion, salt and more) sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or flaky sea salt.
Dipping Sauce for Pigs in a Blanket
- Honey Mustard Sauce: Honey, mustard, mayo, lemon juice and cayenne.
- Barbecue Ranch Dressing: BBQ sauce and ranch dressing.
- Spicy Blue Cheese Dip: Sour cream, mayo, crumbled blue cheese, and sriracha sauce.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
Pigs in a Blanket Around the World
Argentina tops the sausage with ketchup and then wraps them in empanada dough, then baked. In Brazil, a sausage is wrapped in bread-like dough, then baked, better known as enroladinho de salsicha, translated means “sausage roll”.
A Chinese sausage wrapped in pastry is called là cháng bāo and is steamed rather than baked.
A Czech-American dish, called klo basnek, is a sausage wrapped in kolach dough. In Sweden and Denmark, it is called a fransk hot dog (meaning ’French hot dog’) and in Estonia they are a sausage pastry known as viineripirukas.
In Finland, sausages in pastry are known as nakkipiilo which is translated into weiner hideout – I love that!
How to Make the Best Pigs in a Blanket with Dipping Sauces
If making dipping sauces, make those up before you assemble your pigs in a blanket and store in fridge until ready to dip.
Step 1 – Air Fryer Pigs in Blankets
Preheat the air fryer to 350-365°F. While it heats up, lightly flour a surface and unroll the crescent roll dough.
Fresh Tip
- Remember every air fryer heats differently, so test a few first. Start with the lower temp and time and adjust.
Step 2 – Prep the Crescent Dough
Next, separate the dough at the perforations to form 8 triangles. Then, cut each triangle into three or four smaller triangles, making a total of 24 or more triangles. Using a pizza cutter makes this process much more manageable than using a small knife.
Note that you will likely have more little smokies than you do crescent dough pieces. I like to cut some of my triangles into fourths to make enough pieces for as many mini sausages as possible; I figure some people prefer less bread anyway.
Step 3 – Rolling Lil’ Smokies in Crescent Dough
Next, place one cocktail sausage on the widest portion of the triangle and roll it toward the pointed end. Notice that the dough overlaps as it wraps around the sausage to form a sweet little blanket.
Step 4 – Adding Egg Wash (optional)
For a shiny finish, brush with egg wash. Then, sprinkle the surfaces with your choice of seasoning or a salt blend. These steps are optional, but they are easy to do and bring the appetizer to the next level.
Step 5 – Air Fryer Pigs in Blankets
When ready to bake, set the pigs in blankets with the seam side down into the air fryer basket.
Bake the pigs in blankets in the air fryer for about 5 minutes until they are puffed and golden. Depending on your air fryer, you may need to bake them a bit longer. I used the Ninja Foodi XL, and they baked beautifully at 350°F for about 5 minutes.
Oven Baked Pigs in a Blanket
First, preheat the oven to 375°F (190° C). Assemble the pigs in blankets as directed in the air fryer instructions. One by one, place them onto a parchment paper or silicone mat-lined baking sheet with the seam side down.
Then, bake for 12-15 minutes until they are golden brown on the surface. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauces!
What to Serve with Pigs in a Blanket
Complete this classic appetizer by making some quick homemade dipping sauces. Of course, you could use store-bought barbecue sauce, ranch dressing, blue cheese, and honey mustard for the crescent dogs.
You can even serve the pigs in blankets with plain ol’ ketchup and mustard! Use whatever you have. Also, try serving with Hot Honey for a unique, spicy-sweet variation. I also love this Smashburger fry sauce for dipping.
Fresh Tips
- If you double or triple the recipe and use more than one can of crescents, remember to work in batches. The refrigerated dough must remain chilled; otherwise, it becomes difficult to work with. Make the first batch, then remove the second can from the fridge and go from there.
- Leave about a ½ inch of space between the individual pigs in a blanket. They do puff and rise some.
Variations & Substitutions
Gluten-Free Crescent Dogs: Check sausages to make sure GF. Then, all you need to do is use a GF crescent roll dough mix, as I have not yet found a canned GF dough.
Cheesy Pigs in a Blanket: Add cheese to this crowd-pleasing appetizer by wrapping a slice of cheese around the sausage before adding the dough. Use whatever cheese you’d like—American cheese, pepper jack, and mozzarella work great!
Add Bacon! Yep—that’s right. You can even add bacon to your pigs in a blanket! Tear raw bacon strips into smaller pieces and partially fry them in a pan on the stovetop, or use pre-cooked bacon. You don’t have to thoroughly cook the bacon because it will continue to bake as you bake the pigs in a blanket. Then, wrap the sausages in bacon, layer with cheese if preferred, and finally, wrap in the crescent roll dough. Bake as directed.
Storage Tips
Freeze: Freeze cooled appetizers in an airtight baggie or container up to 3 months.
Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container or baggie in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Reheat: Reheat pigs in a blanket by placing them back in the air fryer for 2 minutes or so at 350°F (175° C).
Can you freeze unbaked Pigs in a Blanket?
Yes! Flash-freeze the pigs in a blanket by placing the small bites on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the freezer for 1-2 hours, then transfer them to a freezer bag or an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Air fry Frozen Pigs in a Blanket | Preheat air fryer to 350-375°F and place frozen pigs seam side down in air fryer basket and cook for 8-10 minutes until golden, checking around 7 minutes. Mine were perfect at 9 minutes.
Oven Baked frozen pigs in a blanket, place frozen on parchment lined baking sheet and cook in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden.
Frequently Asked Questions
Folks say it was a lunch for on-the-go manual laborers in England. And still, others say it was originally a sausage wrapped in bacon! Either way, they have always been a meat wrapped up and easy to eat– and that is good enough for me!
Yes, freeze the unbaked wrapped sausages on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for 1-2 hours. Once frozen, you can remove them and dump them into a freezer baggie. The uncooked pig in a blanket will last up to 2 months in the freezer.
When ready to serve them, bake the frozen pigs rather than letting them thaw first. Preheat the air fryer to 350 – 375°F for 5 minutes.
Then, layer pigs in a blanket in a single layer in the preheated air fryer basket with ½ inch space apart to rise. Bake for 8-10 minutes until puffed and golden brown.
Yes! If preferred or needed, slice the hot dogs into thirds or fourths, so they are about the same size as the cocktail sausages. You may also use whole or mini hot dogs and wrap them in large triangles of crescent dough if you like!
The cook time should be the same if you cut the hot dogs into pieces. However, if you use whole ones, you might need to air fry or bake them a little longer.
Sure! I use an organic can of crescent roll dough. I also do my best to find uncured small sausages with no nitrates or nitrites. Sometimes, you can find turkey sausages.
Dipping Sauces for Pigs in a Blanket
Whip up these easy dipping sauces like Spicy Blue Cheese, Barbecue Ranch or this creamy Honey Mustard sauce.
Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
Stir together honey, dijon mustard, sour cream and mayo for a delicious honey mustard sauce or use your favorite BBQ sauce.
What to Serve with Pigs in a Blanket
Here are some delicious sides to round out your cocktail wieners. Some of the most popular side dishes with pigs in a blanket are:
- Try my smoked mac and cheese.
- How about a delicious corn salad or perhaps this Cowboy Crack Dip.
- Potato salad is always a hit.
- Serve with these Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies for a hog-alicious appetizer or these Slow Cooker BBQ Lil’ Smokies.
- Cowboy Baked beans with smoky flavors and brown sugar are a great side dish!
- Serve with this Crudite platter.
More Hit Appetizers to Feed a Crowd
- Hammy Sammies
- Crockpot Cranberry Meatballs
- Roast Beef Sliders or these Philly Cheesesteak Sliders
- How about a big pot of Colorado Green Chile or regular Chili
- This 3-ingredient Chili Cheese Dip is always a hit!
- Try these individual Charcuterie Cups — customizable and fun!
- We love these easy air fryer breakfast sausage links!
I hope you loved this Pigs in Blanket Air Fryer Recipe — if you did, would you share your creation on Instagram, Facebook & Pinterest? And be sure to comment below!
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Ingredients
- 8 ounce refrigerated crescent roll dough I like Organic canned crescent roll dough
- 14 ounce cocktail-sized smoked sausages I used uncured, no nitrates or nitrates, Lil Smokies work great too
Optional Ingredients
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon water
Honey Mustard Sauce (optional sauce)
- ¼ cup honey I use locally sourced honey
- ⅓ cup Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar
- pinch cayenne pepper
Quick Barbecue Ranch Dressing (optional sauce)
- ¾ cup ranch dressing use homemade or your favorite store bought brand.
- ⅓ cup barbecue sauce use homemade or your favorite brand, or swap with salsa if preferred
Spicy Blue Cheese Dip (optional sauce)
- ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sriracha sauce or use Chile sauce or your favorite hot sauce, Buffalo hot sauce yummy too
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup blue cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Make some quick homemade dipping sauces, or just use store bought, barbecue sauce, ranch dressing, blue cheese, honey mustard or plain ol’ ketchup and mustard!
Honey Mustard Sauce
- Stir together in a small bowl, honey, Dijon mustard, mayo, lemon juice and pinch of cayenne pepper. Stir until smooth, refrigerate until ready to use.
Quick Barbecue Ranch Dressing
- Stir together ranch dressing and your favorite barbecue sauce until combined. Or try using the same amount of salsa in place of the barbecue sauce for salsa ranch dressing. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Spicy Blue Cheese Dip
- Whisk or stir together sour cream, mayo, hot sauce, salt until smooth and combined. Stir in blue cheese crumbles, refrigerate until ready to serve.
Pigs in the Blanket
- Unroll the crescent roll dough on a lightly floured surface, separating the dough into 8 triangles, at perforations. Cut each triangle into three or four smaller triangles for a total of 24 triangles. A pizza cutter makes quick work here.You will likely have more little Smokies than you do crescent dough, I cut some of my triangles into fourths to make more.
- Using paper towels, pat dry the cocktail wieners, then place 1 cocktail sausage (cut up hot dogs will also work here) on the widest portion of the triangle and roll towards the pointed end. Dough will overlap, wrapping around the sausage to form a blanket.
- Place seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining sausages.
- If desired, brush the pigs in blankets with an egg wash for a shinier look. Beat the egg with 1 teaspoon of water and brush all over the dough. Sprinkle if desired with seasoning or salt blend.
Air Fryer Pigs in a Blanket Baking Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 350-365 degrees F. Bake the pigs in blankets in the air fryer for about 5 minutes until they are puffed and golden. Depending on your air fryer, you may need to bake them a bit longer. I used the Ninja Foodi XL, and they baked beautifully at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes. Serve with favorite dipping sauces.
Oven Baked Pigs in a Blanket
- First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Next, assemble the pigs in blankets as directed in the air fryer instructions. One by one, place them onto a parchment paper or silicone mat-lined baking sheet with the seam side down.
- Then, bake for 12-15 minutes until they are golden brown on the surface. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauces
Notes
Baking Frozen Pigs in a Blanket Air Fryer and Oven
Flash freeze unbaked pigs in a blanket by placing the them on a parchment lined baking sheet in freezer for 1-2 hours. Transfer to a freezer baggie or airtight container, freeze up to 3 months. Air fry from frozen, preheat air fryer to 350-375 degrees and place frozen pigs seam side down in air fryer basket and cook for 8-10 minutes until golden. Oven Baked frozen pigs in a blanket, place on parchment lined baking sheet and cook in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden.Nutrition
Julie
We loved these little pigs in a blanket. I’ve never made them in an air fryer but after doing so I don’t think I’ll ever make them any other way.
Aren’t they so yummy!! Thanks Julie!
Michaela Kenkel
My daughter was looking for an easy way to make these, and she found your recipe. We made them for her son’s birthday party and they were super yummy!
Yay, so glad to hear! Thanks Michaela!
Lynn
I never need an extra reason to use my air fryer– this was the perfect way to make these cuties! Thanks for the recipe!
So glad you loved them!!
Sheila
I made these little pigs in a blanket for our football party this weekend and they were devoured in minutes! They baked perfectly in the air fryer!
Thanks Sheila!
Mindy
Wow! This was so good and so easy to make! I did the BBQ ranch dressing and everyone loved it.
Love to hear that! Thanks!
Erin
These are SUCH a fabulous gameday finger food! We devoured a platter of these while watching the games yesterday, and it was AMAZING. We’ll definitely be making them again in February!
Thanks so much Erin!
Nathan
Using Everything But the Bagel seasoning for pigs in a blanket is such a smart idea, these came out perfectly and have so much flavor! I like them best with the honey mustard sauce 🙂
Thanks Nathan! Love it too!
Beth
This recipe is always the first to be gobbled up at all parties! Delish!
So true!!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
Easy and delicious, this one is a keeper. I know I’m going to make it over and over again!
Thanks so much!
Lily
These pigs in a blanket look so straightforward. I love that you can customize the dipping sauce and they look like the perfect finger food for adults and kids during a family gathering.
They are the perfect finger food!
Quynh
Yum!! I made these for a small get-together, and they were a hit. My favorite sauce was the honey mustard!
Yay, so glad to hear that Quynh!
Tasia
Oh, these pigs in a blanket will be perfect for my Super Bowl spread! And my husband is going to love that spicy blue cheese dip!
They are so easy and yummy! Thank you my friend!
Eliza
Pigs in a Blanket Perfection! Love this easy air fryer recipe, and all of the sauces are divine, too! Thanks for the tip to use a pizza cutter to cut the triangles – genius!
Thank you Eliza! So glad you loved it!