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    Home » Vegan Recipes

    Mini Vegan Pigs in a Blanket

    Published Feb 10, 2022 · Updated Apr 14, 2022 · 39 Comments

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    This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission. See my disclosure policy.

    JUMP TO RECIPE
    Mini Vegan Carrot Dogs in a Blanket - vegan appetizer

    These vegan pigs in a blanket can be made with baby carrots (yes, for real) OR vegan hot dogs! Enjoy with a creamy maple mustard dressing.

    Vegan pigs in a blanket on a platter with a side of mustard dip.
    Jump to:
    • How-To Video
    • Ingredients
    • Substitutions
    • Tips and FAQs
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    I make these mini vegan pigs in a blanket for holiday appetizers, Super Bowl snacks, potlucks, or just because I CRAVE them. When I made them on Thanksgiving, even my meat-eating sister enjoyed them and said they were better than traditional pigs in a blanket! I totally knew that, but it was awesome to hear that validation.

    If you're not a big fan of vegan hot dogs or faux meat, baby carrots are the way to go. The marinade infuses them with a delicious smoky, meat-like flavor. The recipe is similar to these carrot dogs...just wrapped in carbs, of course!

    Mini carrot dog with a bite taken out.

    How-To Video

    Ingredients (soy sauce, paprika, ACV, baby carrots, crescent rolls, liquid smoke, and more.)

    Ingredients

    • Baby carrots: We'll be marinating these so they tasty meaty and smoky. Alternatively, you can pick up a package of vegan hot dogs and cut them into smaller pieces.
    • Homemade marinade: paprika, black pepper, vegan Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, vegetable stock, and liquid smoke.
    • Crescent rolls: Perhaps surprisingly, Pillsbury crescent rolls are vegan. The Annie's brand is also vegan.
    • Dipping sauce: I like to make my own by mixing mustard, maple syrup, and a little vegan mayo.
    Step-by-step collage.

    Trying to go vegan? Sign up for our (FREE) Vegan Beginner's Guide!

    Substitutions

    • Breading: Instead of crescent rolls, you could also use pretzel dough or pizza dough.
    • Vegan Worcestershire sauce/liquid smoke: Both of these ingredients can be omitted.
    • Vegan hot dogs: Not feeling the carrots? Vegan hot dogs are a quick and easy substitution. You can opt to still marinate them for extra flavor, but it's not totally necessary. Bake as directed.
    • Dipping: Another delicious sauce to dip mini pigs in a blanket in is BBQ sauce.
    A vegan pig in blanket being dipped in maple mustard sauce.

    Tips and FAQs

    • Keep the crescent rolls in the fridge until you're ready to roll up the carrot dogs. Cold dough is much easier to work with.
    • Make ahead: Yes, you can make this recipe ahead of time. Reheat in the microwave or the oven.

    One concern I typically get when sharing this recipe on social media is that baby carrots are "unhealthy" or "bad" for you. Good news: that's a total myth. You can read all about the history of baby carrots and how they are processed here.

    Looking for more delicious appetizers? Go here!

    Recipe

    Mini Vegan Pigs in a Blanket

    These vegan mini pigs in a blanket are the perfect appetizer for any holiday or sports party like the Superbowl! 
    4.27 from 64 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Author: Karissa Besaw
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 214kcal

    Ingredients

    Carrot Dogs in a Blanket

    • 2 cans crescent rolls
    • 1 (16-ounce) bag baby carrots
    • ¼ teaspoon paprika
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce - optional
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
    • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • ⅓ cup soy sauce
    • ⅓ cup vegetable stock
    • dash of liquid smoke - optional

    Maple Mustard Dipping Sauce

    • ⅓ cup dijon mustard - or your favorite mustard
    • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
    • 2 tablespoons vegan mayo - optional, for a creamy dip
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Carrot Dogs in a Blanket

    • First, pick through the baby carrots and sort out the weirdly-shaped or super skinny ones. If you want to use all of the crescent roll dough, choose 32 carrots to use.
    • Boil the baby carrots you're going to use until they are just barely tender. You don't want them so soft that they're going to fall apart but you won't want them to be super crunchy either. Check them frequently. They usually get to the perfect texture between 10-12 minutes of boiling.
    • Drain.
    • Add the boiled carrots to a shallow dish or a quart-sized, sealable bag.
    • Add the remaining ingredients to the container with the carrots. Cover the dish or seal the bag and give them a good shake. 
    • Marinate for at least 4 hours in the fridge. Overnight is ideal. Give them a shake every hour or so when you think about it. 
    • Cut the crescent roll triangles into halves.
    • Drain and rinse the marinated carrots off.
    • Roll the carrots up into the dough and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. (You'll probably need two baking sheets to fit them all.)
    • Bake at 375°Fahrenheit for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. 

    Maple Mustard Dipping Sauce

    • Whisk together all ingredients. Thin out with a little water if you prefer.

    Notes

    ...Last-ditch effort? If it's the day of and you're wondering how you can make these quicker, I have a shorter method for you. The carrots won't taste as rich and flavorful as the overnight method, but they're still delicious. Simply boil the carrots in the marinade - but increase the amount of veggie stock to cover the carrots by about an inch. Bring to a boil, turn to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 12 minutes, or until just tender. Turn the heat off and set the pot aside for at least 1 hour - but the longer they can marinate, the better!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 4pigs in a blanket | Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1027mg | Potassium: 42mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg
    did you make this recipe?please leave a star review and a comment below!

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    About Karissa

    Hey! I’m happy you’re here! My name is Karissa and I’ve been cooking up delicious vegan food since going vegan in 2016. Not vegan and just want to eat more plants? We don't judge - everyone is welcome in our kitchen. Read more...

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    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Maggie says

      July 07, 2022 at 4:20 pm

      2 stars
      These are fine for carrots. My mother made them for my kids because she thought it was amazing. They detected that they were not hot dogs immediately and wouldn't eat. I would agree that vegan diet followers would enjoy and even people who like carrots. However, they are not hot dogs and do not taste the same (especially the texture).

      Reply
    2. Shu-Chun says

      March 06, 2022 at 12:02 am

      Hi Karissa,

      Your recipe looks great and I tried to print it out but it won't work...it just jumped to another page

      Reply
    3. Char says

      March 01, 2022 at 11:24 pm

      5 stars
      You have to try them. Not what I expected. YUM! After trying them, I divided the crescent roll into 3 pieces. A lot more carrot dogs! Family all eats meat. They loved them. Easy to make. Just soak the cooked carrots the day before. Put everything in the bag, shake - add cooked carrots - seal and shake. Next day, open the rolls and divide. Rinse carrots and roll. It takes longer to heat the oven!

      Reply
    4. Traci Benefield says

      August 25, 2021 at 7:30 pm

      I made way too many carrots. Can I freeze the carrots for the next time I want to make this?

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        August 25, 2021 at 7:35 pm

        That should work fine!

        Reply
    5. Dayra says

      August 31, 2020 at 7:23 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing, can't believe a carrot can taste like a hotdog. I did marinate them for a few days, so they were very brown but flavor was great. I can't wait for my non- vegan family to taste them.

      Reply
    6. ann says

      June 18, 2020 at 8:37 pm

      5 stars
      My family's favorite! I served them at a party, an no one knew they were carrots......

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        June 18, 2020 at 8:52 pm

        Ahh that's amazing! Love it.

        Reply
    7. Rachel Harad says

      February 20, 2020 at 9:43 am

      5 stars
      These were amazing! I loved how everyone crinkled their noses when I said they were vegan and then how their eyes lit up after they tasted them! I never knew you could make carrots taste so good. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I don’t have to miss pig in the blankets anymore!

      Reply
    8. Carol Fran Labelson says

      December 15, 2019 at 3:19 pm

      Do you think I could use smoked paprika and leave out the liquid smoke?

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        December 16, 2019 at 8:23 am

        Yes, you can replace the paprika in the recipe with smoked paprika.

        Reply
    9. Dana says

      November 30, 2019 at 7:59 am

      Do you think you can prepare them to the point of baking, and keep in the fridge till you are ready to bake and serve? Or would there be a reason the wrapped dough will get funny?

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        November 30, 2019 at 9:22 am

        Hey, Dana. I think that should be fine!

        Reply
    10. Jawanda Green says

      November 03, 2019 at 1:57 pm

      5 stars
      I Love It

      Reply
    11. Lauren Martin says

      October 31, 2019 at 7:46 pm

      5 stars
      made these for dinner 10/10 would recommend. Really do take the time to shake your marinating carrots to get that delicious marinade soaked into every carrot. (I used Worcestershire sauce, I find it to be one of those magic ingredients that should never be left out....it wasn't vegan though it was just what I had in my fridge. I didn't have liquid smoke so I left it out, I didn't miss it.) I cut the crescent rolls in half, but I think it'd be worth it to roll the dough out a bit and do thirds. There was a lot of roll around each carrot only cutting them in half. The carrots are the star you wanna eat more carrot than roll trust me. I could personally take or leave the dipping sauce, my husband liked it, but I thought the carrots were so tasty on their own I didn't use it. Seriously, if you're still on the fence about trying these MAKE THEM! You're going to be glad you did. Thanks for sharing this Karissa 🙂

      Reply
    12. nancy stein says

      October 25, 2019 at 8:38 am

      I have wanted to make these for some time now and I am working a health fair event and thought this would be the perfect snack to serve. I made them yesterday and tested them with my neighbors and they loved them so now on my event menu and well after giving 8 away my husband and I devoured the rest LOL they are so good! Thanks for posting recipe!

      Reply
    13. Hailey Steffensen says

      October 14, 2019 at 4:53 pm

      5 stars
      Love this recipe! As do my picky little kids! Unfortunately I'm a terrible planner but throw them in the instant pot for 3 min, natural release and they are done! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        October 15, 2019 at 2:12 pm

        Great idea!

        Reply
    14. Lauren says

      July 01, 2019 at 7:05 pm

      Is the worchester sauce necessary? I dont wanna buy a whole bottle when i would rarely use that. I do have liquid smoke though.

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        July 01, 2019 at 7:12 pm

        It's optional.

        Reply
    15. Anne says

      January 23, 2019 at 10:43 am

      Can these be made ahead of time and then be warmed when ready to serve them

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        January 23, 2019 at 1:45 pm

        They could - they are better freshly baked but they'll still be tasty.

        Reply
    16. Courtney says

      January 22, 2019 at 12:24 pm

      5 stars
      Hi! Can I share this on my platform on mylkguys.com I will list your name as the recipe owner! It is a blog and this week's blog is vegan super bowl recipes1

      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        January 22, 2019 at 3:32 pm

        Hi, you are welcome to share a photo of the recipe and link back to my blog, but not the entire recipe. Thanks!

        Reply
    17. Pam says

      January 01, 2019 at 5:24 pm

      5 stars
      These turned out great! The family was not looking forward to these but after trying them they were gone before I knew it. Thanks for the recipe I will visit your site more often.

      Reply
    18. Blair says

      September 07, 2018 at 6:54 pm

      5 stars
      These are to dieeeee!!! They are amazing. What do you think about freezing them? I have so many!

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        September 08, 2018 at 4:59 pm

        I think it would work! I haven't tried it yet though.

        Reply
    19. C.Lee says

      March 14, 2018 at 1:59 pm

      Hey! Making these right now--can't WAIT to try them. Do you marinate in the fridge or on the countertop?

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        March 16, 2018 at 8:58 am

        In the fridge! I'll specify in the recipe card - thanks for pointing that out!

        Reply
    20. Kristin says

      February 21, 2018 at 6:33 am

      this is brilliant! i love carrot dogs but never would've thought to make them with baby carrots. definitely will be trying this out!

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        February 21, 2018 at 7:48 pm

        Thanks, Kristin! Hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    21. Jay says

      February 11, 2018 at 9:16 am

      Hi there, in the main recipe when it calls for 1/2 Tsp onion and 1 tsp garlic... do you mean powder?
      Thanks in advance, can’t wait to try these!

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        February 11, 2018 at 12:09 pm

        Yes, sorry about that! I'll fix it.

        Reply
        • Jay says

          February 12, 2018 at 9:55 am

          Great! Thanks, I am marinating today for dinner tomorrow!

    22. Karen Byrne says

      February 04, 2018 at 7:27 pm

      A super bowl success! Yum!

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        February 05, 2018 at 10:38 am

        Woot!

        Reply
    23. Shana says

      February 04, 2018 at 5:55 pm

      5 stars
      We just made these for the Super Bowl and they will part of our football Sunday rotation. There is only the slightest different to animal product ones.

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        February 04, 2018 at 6:12 pm

        Love it. So happy you enjoy them.

        Reply
    24. Lyn Stevens says

      January 31, 2018 at 8:37 am

      Thank you for your offer of vegan recipes.

      Reply

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