Cinnamon Roll Pigs in a Blanket Dunkers [+ Video] – Oh Sweet Basil

Oh, mama! We made this cinnamon roll pigs in a blanket recipe for breakfast the other day and it’s our new go to breakfast!

For this recipe we wrap a cinnamon roll around a sausage link to make the most delicious sausage dunkers. We will teach you how to make a maple butter sauce for dipping them in too. The combination of sweet and savory in a breakfast recipe is totally my jam! Remember our cinnamon bread bacon stuffing at Thanksgiving?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Johnsonville Italian Sausage. The opinions and text are all mine.

What are Pigs in a Blanket?

Pigs in a blanket are an appetizer or breakfast food consisting of small sausages wrapped in pastry.

I think everyone has heard of “pigs in a blanket” right? I certainly have and then when Cade and I were talking about what to do for our next post with Johnsonville, we knew we wanted to make a kid friendly Christmas breakfast recipe and I suddenly realized I don’t know anything. Then I said, what about our own version of pigs in a blanket, you know with the pancakes.

And Cade informed me that most pigs in a blanket recipes are actually hot dogs or franks in crescent dough or puff pastry. What?! All these years and I didn’t know! Well, this is still our breakfast take, cinnamon roll pigs in a blanket dunkers with a maple butter sauce.

That’s right, maple butter sauce. Cinnamon Rolls. And of course, breakfast sausage links.

Ingredients for Cinnamon Roll Pigs in a Blanket

For the sausage dunkers, all you need is 2 ingredients! So simple! For the maple butter sauce, you’ll need just a handful of ingredients, most of which you’ll have already at home. Here is what you will need:

• Grands Cinnamon Rolls
• Johnsonville Turkey Fully Cooked Breakfast Sausage: we chose to use precooked sausages to save on time but you can cook your own sausage if you prefer

For the Sauce

• Maple Syrup: get the real stuff…Grade A
• Buttermilk: adds some acidity to balance out the sweetness and adds creaminess
• Butter: use salted if you have it
• Brown Sugar: adds rich flavor and sweetness
• Corn Syrup: helps thicken the sauce
• Cinnamon: adds warmth and flavor to the sauce
• Vanilla: adds flavor

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post. Keep scrolling for all the details.

How to Make Breakfast Pigs in a Blanket

Your family’s new favorite breakfast recipe is just a few easy steps away! You honestly could not get an easier recipe. Here are the basic steps:

1. Prep: preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Unwrap: open the tube of cinnamon rolls and unroll them all, slice each cinnamon roll “rope” in half to make two pieces
3. Assemble: wrap each sausage in one half of a cinnamon roll
   • NOTE: If pieces of the cinnamon filling falls off, pick it up and press it into the dough wrapped around the sausage.
4. Bake: place the wrapped sausages on the prepared baking sheet and bake as directed
   • NOTE: While the pigs in a blanket are baking, prepare the sauce.
5. Drizzle: using the cream cheese frosting that came with the cinnamon rolls, drizzle over the top of the golden brown dunkers
6. Serve: dunk in the maple butter sauce and enjoy!

For the Sauce

1. Boil: add all the ingredient to a saucepan over medium heat, whisk to combine and bring to a boil
2. Simmer: once boiling, reduce heat and allow the sauce to simmer for a minute, then serve

The sauce is totally optional, but we are obsessed with it! Now do you really need it? No, these are great without anything added, but I’m a sauce person as is Cade. We love to dip, dunk, and drizzle so it was only natural to have a syrup to go with these dunkers. You could also use any variety of dipping sauces like regular maple syrup or our buttermilk syrup.

The complete instructions for making this recipe can be found in the recipe card down below. You can print or save the recipe there as well.

Can I Use Uncooked Sausage Links?

We chose to use the fully cooked turkey breakfast sausages because on Christmas morning I do not want to worry about cooking, I just want to spend the day in jammies watching movies, playing with the kids and eating, a lot. Including these cinnamon roll pigs in a blanket dunkers!

So you can use uncooked sausage links (pork or turkey) if you want, but they will need to be cooked before wrapping them in the cinnamon rolls.

Can I Make My Own Cinnamon Rolls?

Yes, absolutely! You can of course make them from scratch or use store bought and the can be with or without the cream cheese frosting. I’m personally ALWAYS about from scratch (our homemade cinnamon rolls are the BEST!), but I decided to bust out store bought just to make life easier on all of us.

How to Keep Pigs in a Blanket from Getting Soggy

My best tip for keeping pigs in a blanket from getting soggy to eat them all! Haha! Such a perfect solution, right? Ok, in all seriousness, once the pigs in a blanket are baked, set them on a cooling rack and then don’t cover them with foil or anything that would trap heat and moisture in. If you need to keep them warm for a while, leave them on the baking sheet keep them in the oven on low heat.

Can Prepare Pigs in a Blanket Ahead of Time?

You can totally prep or even make these the night before. You can even completely bake them the day before, then stick them in a baking dish with foil over the top and reheat for 10 minutes at 350.

They can also be made ahead of time without baking them. Assemble the pigs in a blanket and place them on the baking sheet and then cover and store in the fridge until ready to bake.

How Long Can Pigs in a Blanket Sit Out?

For food safety, cooked pigs in a blanket should not sit out for more than two hours. Harmful bacteria can begin to form after two hours and sausage dunkers that have sat out that long should be discarded.

Can You Freeze Cinnamon Roll Pigs in a Blanket Dunkers?

Yes, after they are completely cooled, wrap tightly and freeze up to 2-3 months.

Watch How These Sausage Dunkers are Made…

We are sure that your family will love the flavorful sausages tucked in those sweet blankets and dipped in that buttery maple syrup. Johnsonville is making my life so stinking easy this holiday season and I’m loving it! If you’re looking for a breakfast the whole family will love, especially the kiddos, try this cinnamon roll pigs in a blanket recipe!

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