Pigs in a Blanket are a favorite with kids and adults. This recipe doesn’t call for canned dough, so you can whip up a batch any time with simple ingredients from your pantry!
I served this pigs in a blanket at a scout activity a few years ago, and even the adults were coming back for seconds. The soft homemade dough makes them the best ever!
Homemade Pigs in a Blanket
Here’s a random piece of trivia that means basically nothing, but is kind of fun. April 24th is National Pigs-in-a-Blanket day. Because here in the U.S. we like to come up with totally random holidays for every.single.day.of.the.year. Seriously. We are a strange people.
I have fond memories of eating pigs in a blanket for school lunch when I was in Elementary School. We usually took a bagged lunch from home, but occasionally my mom would let us eat school lunch. I loved the pigs in a blanket.
That was back in the day when school lunch was totally prepared from scratch, unlike the pre-processed, packaged crap that they feed our kids now. Really, how hard is it to make a peanut butter sandwich? Apparently so much work that they must be purchased in little plastic bags. So disgusting!
Now that I’m grown, I am not all that fond of hot dogs. But wrap some homemade dough around a hot dog, and I’ll admit that I actually enjoy them.
Pigs in a blanket are of course still not the healthiest food out there, so we only have them a couple times a year. They make me feel like I’m a kid again. And my boys love them!
But I digress. Back to the pigs in a blanket recipe.
How to make Pigs in a Blanket Dough
Ingredients:
- sugar
- instant yeast
- salt
- olive oil
- milk
- hot water
- flour
Combine sugar, yeast, salt, olive oil, milk, and water in a Bosch or Kitchenaid. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Let dough rest for about 5 minutes.
Our lunch ladies made the dough, rolled it into ropes, and wrapped it around the hot dogs, so that’s how I do it.
If you prefer you can roll the dough into a circle, cut it into triangle shapes with a pizza cutter, and roll up the hot dogs like crescents. Either way they are soft and delicious.
How to Cook Pigs in a Blanket
Place them on a large baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick spray or lined with a silicone liner. Let them raise for about 20-30 minutes. While they raise, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes, or till golden brown. If desired, brush them with melted butter.
How Do You Keep Pigs in a Blanket Warm?
You can stack them in a cake pan, cover it with aluminum foil, and place the pan in an oven heated to 200 degrees. Alternatively, you can keep them warm in a crockpot on the low setting. I like to place paper towels in between layers, because they have more of a tendency to get soggy in the crockpot.
Should You Refrigerate Pigs in a Blanket?
Yes, since they are a meat product, the leftovers definitely need to be refrigerated. I like to place them in gallon sized ziplock bags. You can reheat them in the microwave, or place them on a baking pan, cover them with foil, and heat them in the oven at 300 degrees.
Can You Eat Pigs in a Blanket Cold?
Technically you could because the hot dogs are safe to eat. I would not recommend it though, they are definitely best hot or warm. Some of my kids would probably be fine eating them cold, but just the thought of it makes me sick. So if you do it, please don’t tell me about it. Haha.
I usually use part whole wheat in the dough to make them a little healthier, but you can use all white if that’s what you have. Making the dough from scratch takes a little time, but I think they taste so much better than the ones made with canned crescent dough. And I can pronounce all the ingredients in them, which is always a bonus.
Don’t forget the ketchup! Or if you’ve got some really hungry kiddos at your house, whip up a batch of Hot Dog Chili to go with them. Yum!
Here are a few more kid friendly dinner recipes:
- Breaded Mayonnaise Chicken
- Creamy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
- Easy Korean Beef & Rice
- Chicken Flautas
- Chicken Pillows
- Poppy Seed Chicken
- No Boil Lasagna
- Chili Casserole
- Bacon Cheeseburger Pie
- Meatballs in Cream Sauce
Pigs in a Blanket
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. SAF instant yeast
- 1 ¼ tsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 cup hot water
- 3 cups flour more or less (I used half whole wheat flour)
- 12 hot dogs
Instructions
- Combine sugar, yeast, salt, olive oil, milk, and water in a large mixing bowl. (I used my Bosch.) Add about two cups of the flour and beat till smooth. Slowly add enough flour to make a soft dough.
- Knead on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Let dough rest for about 5 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and wrap around a hot dog. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Let rise for 20- 30 minutes.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350° until lightly browned, about 15-18 minutes.
Do you think I could freeze before baking so could use later?
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I haven’t tried it, but I think it might work. I’d flash freeze them on a cookie sheet, then transfer them to heavy duty ziplock bags. Then let them thaw and rise on a baking sheet and bake the same way. If you try it, let me know how it works!
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I left them cooking for 20 minutes. The bottoms browned, but the tops remained white. Next time I’ll brush some milk over the top. Other than that, they were really good.
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My oven bakes hot on the bottom, so I will often place them on a higher rack. But brushing with milk, eggs, or butter could help the browning process.
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Mine are not browning either. They look too white. I’m using a gas oven.
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This is the softest, tastiest easy to work with dough I have ever tried. It was a big hit and definitely becomes a staple in my home from now on. Thank you so much for the recipe. I am saving it for sure.
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Dough was good. The tops didn’t brown though. Baked at 350 for 20 mins. Didn’t want to burn the bottoms. Maybe an egg wash next time?
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I spray the tops with Pam and bake 20 mins turns them brown
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Thanks for the tip Janice!
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what kind of milk should be use in this recipe? thanks
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I use regular 2% milk, but really any milk should work just fine.
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OK, first of all, love that it’s National Pigs-in-a-Blanket day! Woohoo! Second, I actually had a pigs-in-a-blanket birthday party when I was a kid. Yes, that was the actual theme. We certainly are a strange people 🙂
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Haha, that is awesome Gwen! I can actually think of lots of fun activities you could do at a pigs-in-a-blanket party. Maybe I should suggest it to my son, he loves them. LOL!
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