Mini smokies wrapped in crescent roll strips and then baked in a sweet and buttery sauce. These Caramelized Pigs in a Blanket are insanely good and the perfect appetizer for any occasion!
(Originally posted December 31, 2018 . . . sharing these again today because you need this in your life!)
You guys, if you only make one appetizer ever again in your life, promise me it will be these Caramelized Pigs in a Blanket! Or if you still are looking for the perfect, most delicious appetizer to make tonight for your New Year’s Eve party, then look no further.
I don’t even know how to begin to put into words how insanely delicious these little things are.
I clearly remember the day my sister called me to tell me about these amazing things her friend had made. It’s been at least 10 years since she got the recipe from her friend and shared it with me. I’ve been making them ever since, and every single time I take them somewhere I get asked for the recipe.
I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to share this recipe, I’m so sorry.
I wrote the recipe on a scratch piece of paper and called them “weenie things” since my sister didn’t know the name for them.
I decided I really couldn’t post this recipe and just call them “weenie things”, so I asked my boys what they should be called. Braydon said “Caramelized Pigs in a Blanket.” I told him that was the perfect name for them.
I know these might sound weird and unappetizing, but trust me, they are neither!
The combination of the sweet & savory is perfect. I can almost guarantee that if you eat one, you will want to eat the entire pan. There may or may not have been a little fighting over the years amongst my boys over who gets to eat the last one.There is no secret to rolling these up. Just place the little smokie at the wide end of the strip of dough and then roll.
They don’t have to look perfect!
Just look at that bubbly, buttery, brown sugary mixture. I wish you could just reach through your screen and grab one. But since you can’t, you should just go make these. You absolutely won’t regret it. You may hate me for sharing these because you’re going to be hooked and want to devour the entire pan, but I can live with that.
TIPS FOR MAKING CARAMELIZED PIGS IN A BLANKET:
- Don’t worry about the strips of crescent rolls being perfect and uniform. After separating the dough, start at the wide end of the triangle and cut into three strips. I like to use a pizza cutter.
- I fit 36 of these into my 9×13 dish. So between the two packages of crescent rolls, you will have 16 triangles, but will only need to cut 12 of them. I take the remaining 4 crescent rolls and rolls them up and bake them to eat. Or you can just throw them away, but why waste them, right?
- These really are best served warm, so be sure to bake them right before you’re ready to serve them. You can refrigerate any leftovers and reheat them in the microwave. They’re not quite as good, but it never stops us from eating the few that are sometimes left over.
Caramelized Pigs in a Blanket
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 36 1x
Description
Mini smokies wrapped in crescent roll strips and then baked in a sweet and buttery sauce. These Caramelized Pigs in a Blanket are insanely good and the perfect appetizer for any occasion!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1 pkg. (12-14 oz) Little Smokies
- 2 (8 oz) pkgs. Crescent rolls
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat. Add honey, brown sugar and almonds and stir until well combined. Pour mixture into a 9×13 baking dish.
- Unroll crescent rolls and separate into triangles. Starting at the wide edge of the triangle, cut each triangle into 3 strips. (They don’t have to be perfect and/or the same size. Also, only cut about 12 of the 16 triangles to start.) Place a little smokie on the wide end of each strip and roll up. Place in pan on top of brown sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining dough and smokies. (*you can fit about 36 in the pan. You will have a few smokies left.)
- Bake for 20- 22 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for about 5 minutes then serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Appetizers/Dips
LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW IF YOU GIVE THIS A TRY! I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR WHAT YOU THINK. SHARE IT ON INSTAGRAM USING THE HASHTAG #5BOYSBAKER SO I CAN SEE WHAT YOU’RE MAKING IN YOUR KITCHEN.
These look fantastic! We have nut allergies in our fam, so I couldn’t do the almonds. I was thinking of going without, or a substitute. Any suggestions?
Hi Jean! Yes, you could certainly leave the almonds out and these would still be delicious!
I’m going to try this today for my 2 year old, I tried the butter fettuccine recipe you had and he loved it. For this recipe do I use salted butter or unsalted butter? Thank you for sharing your recipes! Your a life saver!
Hi Jennifer! I always use salted butter, but you can use which ever kind you prefer. You are going to love these.
We had these at a Secret Sister reveal brunch, and I cannot believe I’d never come across them before! I seriously could not stop eating them. Makes me wonder what other wonders you’ve kept from us!! (Love you!)
You just made my day Dorothy! So glad you found this recipe and made them. I totally get the whole can’t stop eating them thing, happens to me every time I make them (lol)! Thanks for the comment.
Ive made the regular pigs in a blanket a million times, normally have a side of BBQ and Mustard for dipping. Do you suggest any type of dipping sauce or are they better alone?
These don’t need any dipping sauces Mandy! They’re amazing on their own.
Can I prepare these before we go to church and then bake them when we got home on Christmas Eve?
Hi Stacy! Yes you can make these ahead and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to bake them.
Do you mean just prepare the crescent rolls and smokies. Pour sauce on, put in fridge then bake?
You pour the sauce in the bottom of the pan first, like the recipe says. Then you roll the smokies in the crescent rolls and place them on top of the sauce and then bake them. Only put them in the fridge if you’re not planning on cooking them right away.
Made these for family Christmas Party. Made ahead and cooked at the Party House. Before serving put cooked dogs on a platter and drizzled the sauce over the top of them. Big Hit…Thanks for sharing
★★★★★
I love that these were a big hit! They really are so, so good and incredibly hard to stop at just one or two, don’t you think?
This turned out great and were a huge brunch hit! I am on a military base overseas and I try to cook a lot for the military guys who are deployed here away from their families. One of them immediately asked if I could send the recipe to his wife haha!
★★★★★
Hi Jenny! This makes me so happy! So glad these were a hit!
It served these and they were a big hit but I don’t like how the bottom of the crescent rolls is so doughy. It almost seems like you should bake them and turn them before putting them 8n to the sauce.
Any thoughts?
Hi Dianne! Hmmm . .. I have made these countless times and I’ve never thought the bottom of the crescent rolls was doughy and no one has ever complained about that. I’m wondering if you should bake them on a lower rack in your oven, then the bottoms should bake a little better.
Has anyone ever made these ahead of time and put them in a crock pot to stay warm until it’s time for the party?
Naw it doesn’t sound weird! Actually I have made these before, except they weren’t pigs in blankets, they were smokies wrapped in bacon. If you haven’t tried them that way, you really should..of course lots more fat and calories! I’m making your recipe right now. Thanks for the recipe.