How to make Super Cute Pigs in a Blanket

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.

Squeal!

Have you ever seen such adorable pigs in a blanket appetizers? When I found the 12 Little Pigs in Blankets Silicone Mold to make these fun snacks I couldn't resist buying a few.

With 2019 being the Year of the Pig these little snacks will be so much fun to serve for the Chinese New Year or at a Super Bowl Party, a back yard Bar-b-Que, a hayride at a farm, an animal-themed birthday party, or just because you think they are cute!

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 which would be really quick and easy but I decided to try my homemade pancake recipe, the one I used to make my Grinch Pancakes this past Christmas.

It seriously takes less than 5 minutes to whip up the pancake batter and my recipe made just enough to fill up 2 silicone pig molds to make 24 little smokies pigs in a blanket appetizers.

Watch this video to see how to make pigs in a blanket...

Easy, right?

RELATED: If you love pigs, be sure to check out my Bubble Gum Ice Cream Cone Pigs recipe too!

How to make pigs in a blanket...

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. Cookie spray once baked onto a silicone mold will develop a skin that cannot be washed off. Over time this will build up leaving your molds a sticky mess.

To make the pigs in a blanket you will need:

• 2 12 Little Pigs in Blankets Silicone Molds
• flour
• salt
• baking powder
• baking soda
• egg
• buttermilk
• sugar (don't leave this out or the pancakes will be really bland)
• melted butter

You can find the cute little pig mold on amazon. I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you for any purchases.

You can use a pancake mix or make a quick and easy homemade pancake batter.

Homemade Pancake Batter

1. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
2. Then whisk together an egg with the buttermilk and stir in the sugar
3. Pour this into the flour.
4. Stir just until combined. The batter will be very lumpy at this point. Do not keep mixing.
5. Add the melted butter and stir just until combined.
   1. DO NOT mix the batter until smooth. You want to have some lumps remaining in your batter.

Why do I want lumps in my pancake 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 2: Fill the pig-shaped silicone mold with pancake batter.

1. Pour the pancake batter into a squeeze bottle to make it easier to fill your pig molds.
2. Squeeze the batter into the mold, being sure to fill in all the small crevices in the mold.

STEP 3: Insert a Little Smokie into the pancake batter in the pig mold.

STEP 4:  Cover the little hot dog with more pancake batter.

STEP 5: Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 14-18 minutes.

The package says to bake for 20 minutes but my pigs in a blanket were done at around 15 minutes.

STEP 6: 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.

Can I use corn muffin mix?

• 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.

Recipe

5 from 8 votes

Print

Pigs in a Blanket

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

35 mins

 

Adorably cute pig-shaped Pigs in a Blanket are made by baking Little Smokies inside pancakes in a pig-shaped silicone mold. 

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pigs in a blanket

Servings: 24

Calories: 230 kcal

Author: Beth

Ingredients

• 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)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 

2. 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. 

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

4. Whisk together the egg and buttermilk then add the sugar.

5. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and stir just to combine.

6. Add 2 tablespoons melted butter and mix until blended but with lumps remaining.

7. Pour batter into a squeeze bottle.

8. Squeeze batter into a pig cavity in the silicone mold filling it about ¾'s full.

9. Press a Little Smokie into the pancake batter. 

10. Cover the little sausage with more pancake batter. 

11. Repeat, filling up all 24 pig cavities. 

12. Bake for 14-18 minutes until golden brown. 

13. Remove and allow the pigs to cool for a few minutes before removing them from the mold. 

14. Serve with your favorite dipping sauces. 

Recipe Notes

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. 

 Did you make this recipe? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating the recipe below.

Can pigs in a blanket be reheated?

• 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.

How to store pigs in a blanket?

• 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.

How to reheat pigs in a blanket?

• 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.

Can Pigs in a Blanket be frozen?

• 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.

Can I add cheese to these pigs in a blanket?

• 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.

What about bacon?

• Bacon would taste good too! Just crumble some and sprinkle it over the pancake batter then set the Little Smokie over top and bake.

Can I use Vienna Sausages or Hot Dogs to make these Pigs in a Blanket?

• 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.

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!

Do you have a fun party to make these for? I'd love to hear about it. 

Fun food for special occasions or every day! Cuz I love creating cute food that makes people happy more than I like cleaning a pigsty.

~ Beth

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Beth

Hi, I'm Beth Jackson Klosterboer, a professional chocolatier & baker, cookbook author, and event planner. I love sharing recipes for happy occasions here on Hungry Happenings. I also create easy fudge recipes to share at HowToMakeEasyFudge.com, rice krispie treat recipes at HowToMakeCerealTreats.com, and easy cookie recipes at HowToMakeEasyCookies.com

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