Why make ordinary pigs in a blanket when you can bake these super cute mini Pigs in a Blanket that look like actual pigs? These pig-shaped pancakes are stuffed with Little Smokies and will make a fun appetizer to serve at your next party or picnic.
Squeal! Have you ever seen such adorable Pigs in a Blanket appetizers?
When I found a display of 12 Little Pigs in Blankets Silicone Molds in my grocery store, I couldn't resist buying a few. I love using silicone molds to create fun appetizers and desserts like Cake Ball Brains and Cheese Bread Leaves.
These pig-shaped silicone molds were specifically made to create cute Pigs in a Blanket. So, admittedly, I didn't have to get too creative but I had fun making them nonetheless. They'll make perfect snacks for a Super Bowl Party, backyard BBQ, farm-themed party, or the Chinese New Year for the Year of the Pig (2019, 2031, 2043).
Oh, and they are super easy to make too.
The instructions on the silicone mold packaging tell you to use a pancake mix and Little Smokies or tiny sausages. I prefer the homemade pancake recipe I used to make my Grinch Pancakes over a boxed mix. It's easy to make in about 5 minutes.
The homemade pancake recipe made 24 of these cute pig-shaped appetizers and they tasted great!
Video
Watch this video to see how to make pigs in a blanket...
Easy, right? See the step-by-step instructions and recipe below.
Ingredients
- flour
- salt
- baking powder
- baking soda
- egg
- buttermilk - If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can stir 5 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar into whole or 2% milk to create homemade buttermilk. Let it sit on the counter for at least 10 minutes before stirring into the other ingredients.
- sugar (don't leave this out or the pancakes will be really bland)
- melted butter
- little smokies (or mini hot dogs/Vienna sausages)
Supplies
- two 12 Little Pigs in Blankets Silicone Molds
- mixing bowl
- spoon or silicone spatula
- optional, squeeze bottle, disposable pastry bag, or zip-top bag
You can find the cute little pig mold on Amazon. I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you for any purchases.
Instructions
STEP 1: Prepare the silicone mold.
Start by brushing the inside of each pig cavity in your silicone mold with butter.
Do not spray with cooking spray, as the instructions on the box indicate. The spray will bake onto the mold creating a film that cannot be washed away. Over time this greasy film will build up leaving your molds a sticky mess.
STEP 2: Make pancake batter.
You can use a pancake mix or make a quick and easy homemade pancake batter.
Homemade Pancake Batter
- Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Then whisk together an egg with the buttermilk and stir in the sugar
- Pour this into the flour.
- Stir just until combined. The batter will be very lumpy at this point. Do not keep mixing.
- Add the melted butter and stir just until combined. DO NOT mix the batter until smooth. You want to have some lumps remaining in your batter.
It’s important for your batter to have some lumps in it. If you over-mix pancake batter you will overwork the gluten in the flour and you will end up with chewy or rubbery pancakes instead of fluffy pancakes.
STEP 3: Fill the pig-shaped silicone mold with pancake batter.
- Pour the pancake batter into a squeeze bottle to make it easier to fill your pig molds.
- Squeeze the batter into the mold, being sure to fill in all the small crevices in the mold.
STEP 4: Insert a Little Smokie into the pancake batter in the pig mold.
STEP 5: Cover the little hot dog with more pancake batter.
STEP 6: Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 14-18 minutes.
The instructions with the mold say to bake for 20 minutes but my pigs in a blanket were done in 15 minutes. They do look a little better when they are a little darker. You can see their faces better. So, you may want to bake them for 16-18 minutes.
STEP 7: Let the pigs cool for a few minutes before un-molding and serving.
- To remove the pigs from the silicone mold, tug at the edges of the mold to loosen the pigs in a blanket from the mold.
- Then turn the mold upside down, directly over your countertop.
- Push down on each pig and allow the pig in a blanket to fall out.
Most of my pigs came out of the mold cleanly. I only lost one little piggie in the process of removing them from the silicone mold.
The pancake pigs do have a few air bubbles in their snouts, ears, and legs, but that just makes them all a little unique. These little snacks look even cuter in person than they do in pictures.
I attempted to make these pigs in a blanket more like corn dogs using a corn muffin mix. They baked up beautifully and tasted great, but unfortunately, I couldn't get most of the pigs out of the mold in one piece.
The corn muffin mix was just too dry to hold its shape when removed from the mold. Pancakes hold together much better.
If you have a corn muffin recipe that is moist and doesn't fall apart it might work out great. Let me know in the comments below if you get it to work! I'd love to try your recipe.
Dipping Sauces:
- Dip these cute pig-shaped little smokies pigs in a blanket in ketchup, yellow mustard, honey mustard, or barbeque sauce.
- Or just eat them plain. They taste great all on their own.
What to serve with mini Pigs in a Blanket:
- If you are making these for a Super Bowl party you could serve them with Football Fries.
- Kids would love to have Smiley Face Fries with their pigs in a blanket at a birthday party.
- Cookies and Cream Moo Shakes will make a fun dessert after your guests eat their pigs.
- These little piggies would look cute alongside a Graham Cracker Barn.
- Farm Animal Pretzel Pops are so cute and would be great for a farm animal party.
Yes, they can. Pigs in a blanket that are made using crescent rolls, puff pastry, or even biscuit dough are definitely best the day they are made but these pancake pigs in a blanket taste just as good reheated the next day as the day they are baked.
Place them in an airtight container, then drape a paper towel over top and close the lid.
The paper towel will wick up any moisture that accumulates on the outside of the pancakes.
Just place the pigs on a baking sheet and heat for 8-12 minutes in a 350-degree F oven until they are heated through.
To serve at a party, you can keep them warm on a hot serving tray.
Note that they will get rather moist if you serve them in a chafing dish piled on top of each other.
Yes, you can make these ahead and freeze them.
Wrap them in plastic wrap or tin foil then place them in a zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Remove and bake from frozen at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10-14 minutes until heated through.
Yes, you can add a small, thin, piece of cheese before you place the Little Smokie in the pancake batter. If you set it over top it's likely to all ooze out as it bakes.
Bacon would taste good too! Just crumble some and sprinkle it over the pancake batter then set the Little Smokie over top and bake.
Yes, you can use any kind of sausage or hot dog to make these but you need to cut them to the size of a little smokie before placing them into the pancake batter.
I had thought to use regular hot dogs but I really wanted you to be able to see the round shape of the Little Smokie when I cut into them.
Fun Fact
Did you know that Pigs in a Blanket are so popular in the United States there is a national Pig in a blanket day? It's on April 24th, 2019. How crazy is that???
2019 is also the year of the pig. These little appetizers will be fun to serve for the Chinese New Year even though they are not traditional Chinese food.
See a few more Chinese New Year ideas, here!
Related
Recipe
Adorably cute pig-shaped Pigs in a Blanket are made by baking Little Smokies inside pancakes in a pig-shaped silicone mold.
- 3 tablespoons melted butter, divided
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 24 Little Smokies (or tiny hot dogs or sausages)
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Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Butter the inside of 24 pig cavities in 2 silicone molds using melted butter, reserving 2 tablespoons of the melted butter to put into the pancake batter.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
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Whisk together the egg and buttermilk then add the sugar.
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Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and stir just to combine.
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Add 2 tablespoons melted butter and mix until blended but with lumps remaining.
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Pour batter into a squeeze bottle.
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Squeeze batter into a pig cavity in the silicone mold filling it about ¾'s full.
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Press a Little Smokie into the pancake batter.
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Cover the little sausage with more pancake batter.
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Repeat, filling up all 24 pig cavities.
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Bake for 14-18 minutes until golden brown.
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Remove and allow the pigs to cool for a few minutes before removing them from the mold.
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Serve with your favorite dipping sauces.
These pig-shaped pigs in a blanket are best eaten the day they are made. You can refrigerate left-overs for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave just until warm.
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Jeanann
I'm gong to make these soon, but after you warned people about using oil, in the comments they are still using it. I'm wondering if they aren't afraid of ruining the mold?
Beth
I'm guessing that people use the oil and then struggle to clean it off the mold. I've used oil and baking spray on the molds in the past and it develops a sticky coating on the silicone. I've scrubbed and scrubbed and have not been able to clean the molds thoroughly. Yes, adding oil or baking spray does help to create a non-stick surface but I don't like to ruin my molds. Plus, the silicone is already a non-stick surface. So, it's up to you.
Beth Scott-Zunich
I’m experimenting with other mixes. So far, Betty Crocker Blueberry muffin mix turned out good! Has anyone tried anything that works? I’m looking for different flavors.
Beth
That's fun!
TxRN
And thank you, love your site!
Beth
Thank you. I'm so glad!
TxRN
Sprayed molds with Bakers Joy & brushed too. Used Jiffy mix and added smidge more milk and a spash of oil. Bingo 🙂
Beth
I'm so glad that worked! I love the flavor of Jiffy Mix with hot dogs. 🙂
Kerry roche
another question, What do you use for a dipping sauce? Normally for pigs in a blanket I use crescent rolls so I'd use mustard, but I imagine that would taste weird with pancakes...
Beth
They tasted great with honey mustard which is a bit sweeter. Enjoy!
Kerry roche
do they little smokies have to be cooked before inserting into the batter?
Beth
No, Little Smokies are already cooked through, you just need to heat them up. Enjoy!
Darlene Lemons
I made using Jiffy Corn muffin mix. A couple came out looking cute, the others not so. But, they were delicious. Served with my version of sweet sour mustard. Thanks for the original recipe!
Beth
I actually tried to make them using Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix and had the same trouble. Most of them did not come out of the mold. I think the corn muffin mix is a bit too soft but they did taste really good. I'm glad you enjoyed them.
Adele Aiken
I made these using one box of Jiffy cornbread mix. To the mix, I added 1 egg, 1/4 cup of buttermilk, and 2 TB of canola oil. I sprayed the mold very well and cooked in my air fryer at 370 for 12 minutes (shorter baking time but I could do one pan at a time - that's was fine since I only have one pan). They were perfect and they came right out of the pan. It made 36 - total time for baking all 3 batches was 36 minutes
Beth
That is fantastic!!! I love that you used your air fryer. Mine isn't quite big enough for the mold but I'm guessing they'd bake beautifully in the fryer. Glad you enjoyed them!
Stephanie
I am going to try this with a cornmeal pancake recipe so they come out of the mold easier than crumbley corn bread, but still taste like corn dogs!
Beth
I'd love to hear how they turn out. I love the idea of having them taste like corn dogs.
Tammy Desormo
I used jiffy mix but thinned it a little and they came out great. I find silicone molds work best when brushed with oil first.
Beth
Thanks for the tip. I think thinning the mix is a great suggestion. They do taste great when made with the cornbread mix.
WallE
I love the “FAQ”’s you have after the recipe with the additional tips and helpful questions with answers!
Beth
I'm so glad they were helpful!
The Partilogist
Oh my goodness, pigs in a blanket are always a hit at a party and now with your creativity, they are going to be the biggest hit ever!
Beth
I can't actually take credit for the creativity of this idea, but I seriously fell in love with that pig mold and just had to share how to make these cute pigs in a blanket with my audience. They are really so much fun.
Sharon Perry
I have already ordered the molds from amazon.com! Thanks for this cute idea!
Beth
Yay! Have fun making your cute little pigs. I can't wait to use the mold again.
Sommer
The whole family loves when I make these! There are never any leftovers.
Rachael Yerkes
These are amazing!! My kids are going crazy over them!
Tara
These are seriously adorable -- I need one of those molds!
Beth
The mold really is fun!
Stephanie
How adorable are these pigs in a blanket! My kids are going to love these.
Courtney
This is the CUTEST idea for parties!