Cinnamon Roll Pigs in a Blanket are made with juicy breakfast sausage wrapped in store-bought cinnamon roll dough and finished with a sweet maple-icing drizzle. With just three ingredients, they’re an easy, crowd-pleasing option for brunch, breakfast-for-dinner, or a sweet snack.
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These tender cinnamon roll pigs in a blanket combine the comfort of warm cinnamon dough with the savory bite of breakfast sausage. The maple-sweetened icing transforms a simple appetizer idea into a special breakfast treat that’s quick to prepare and impossible to resist.
Why you will love this recipe
Pigs in a blanket are a beloved appetizer and snack. They’re adaptable—traditionally made with little smokies and crescent dough, or with alternative doughs like pretzel or phyllo for different flavor profiles. For a sweet breakfast twist, cinnamon roll dough plus maple icing delivers a warm, nostalgic flavor that pairs perfectly with breakfast sausage.
Using refrigerated cinnamon roll dough keeps this recipe approachable and fast, while the maple glaze gives it a homemade finish. The result is a tender, slightly sweet package that disappears quickly at any gathering. Because they’re so simple—three ingredients and a few minutes of hands-on time—they’re easy to make anytime the craving hits.
Ingredients
Only three ingredients are required:
- Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls with Original Icing. Find these in the refrigerated dairy/bakery section. Use the regular package (not Grands); the rolls will be halved for individual pigs in a blanket.
- Breakfast sausage links. Use fresh, uncooked breakfast sausage links (not precooked cocktail sausages). Brown-sugar, maple, or plain breakfast links all work. A 20 oz package yields about eight servings and can be frozen if you want to store extras.
- Maple syrup. Use whatever grade you have on hand—this recipe isn’t picky. The syrup is mixed with the canned icing to create a simple maple glaze.
These ingredients are pantry-friendly and easy to keep on hand for quick gatherings or a fun weekend breakfast. Note: check the expiration date on the cinnamon roll dough so it’s fresh when you use it.
How to make breakfast pigs in a blanket
The method is simple and reliable with a few small tips to make wrapping easier.
1. Brown the sausage links in a skillet over medium-low heat until they’re nicely browned on the outside. They do not need to be fully cooked through, since they will finish in the oven. Transfer them to paper towels to drain excess fat and cool enough to handle.
2. Prepare the dough: open the tube of cinnamon rolls, separate the rolls, then cut each roll in half. Pinch the cut edges together to reform a “mini roll,” then flatten it into an oblong disk. Place a sausage link on the disk and wrap the dough around the link, pinching the seam closed so it holds. Put each wrapped link seam-side down on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
3. Bake the assembled pigs in a preheated 400°F oven for 9–11 minutes, until the dough is puffed and golden. Because the rolls are halved and thinner than whole rolls, they cook faster than the package time.
4. While they bake, combine the packet icing from the cinnamon roll container with the maple syrup in a small bowl. Stir until smooth and drizzle over the warm pigs in a blanket just before serving.
FAQs
Brown the links until they’re nicely browned on the outside but avoid overcooking. If they’re slightly underdone in the center, they will finish in the oven and stay juicy. Once browned on the exterior, they’re ready to be wrapped.
Half-roll pieces cook faster than full rolls. The recipe’s suggested 9–11 minutes is shorter than the 13–17 minutes on a whole-roll package. Watch your oven carefully, as times vary.
If unwrapping into strips works for you, feel free. In practice, reforming half-roll pieces into mini rolls, flattening them, and wrapping is faster and more reliable for this dough.
Pillsbury dough is best baked and served fresh. You can assemble them and refrigerate for a short time (up to an hour) before baking, but they’re most flavorful right out of the oven.
Because they rely on refrigerated dough, these are best served fresh. Freezing assembled or cooked pigs in a blanket may affect texture.
Yes. Flavored cinnamon roll varieties, such as orange-cinnamon rolls, would work nicely and add another layer of flavor.
Cinnamon Roll Pigs in a Blanket
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Ingredients
- 1 (20 oz) package breakfast sausage links
- 1 (12.4 oz) container Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls with Original Icing 8 rolls per package
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
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Heat oven to 400°F.
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In a large skillet over medium-low heat, brown the sausage until just cooked through. Transfer links to a plate lined with paper towels to drain fat.
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Open the tube of cinnamon roll dough. Set the container of icing aside. Separate the rolls, then cut each roll in half.
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Take a half roll and pinch the cut ends together to form a mini roll. Flatten to an oblong disk, lay a sausage on the disk, wrap the dough around the link, and pinch closed. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining dough and links.
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Bake at 400°F for 9–11 minutes until dough is puffed and golden.
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While the pigs cook, stir the maple syrup and package icing in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over the cooked pigs in a blanket and serve immediately.
Notes
Because the dough pieces are smaller, they cook faster than full rolls—watch them closely to avoid burning.