Mini Vegan Carrot Dogs in a Blanket

Pigs in a blanket, move over – start rolling marinated baby carrots up in crescent rolls instead! These Mini Vegan Carrot Dogs in a Blanket are super fun and meat-eater approved!

Mini Vegan Carrot Dogs in a Blanket

Wrap anything in bread and I’ll eat it.

Well, wrap anything that qualifies as vegan in bread and I’ll devour it. Carrots included. If it sounds weird, well – I thought that, too. But just think of how INCREDIBLE carrots taste when they’re cooked in a pot roast. That’s not because of the meat. That flavor is brought on from the seasonings. Marinate carrots in the right ingredients (soy sauce, ACV, garlic, vegan Worcestershire sauce, etc.) and they’ll taste rich and savory, too.

(I can’t take any credit for inventing the carrot dog: There are quite a few delicious recipes for it out there. I drew inspiration from those recipes to create these vegan carrot dogs in a blanket.)

Just trust me and the baby carrots, okay?

Or just trust the crescent roll.

Which, by the way, you can absolutely find vegan. My favorite vegan crescent rolls are by Annie’s – I found them in my local grocery store. Pillsbury crescent rolls also contain zero animal products. SCORE.

It’s a great time to be vegan, let me tell you.

A note about the crescent rolls: You’ll need to cut each triangle into either halves or thirds. Each can contains 8 triangles of dough – so you make that into either 16 or 24 smaller slices. If you’re going for 24 slices, take a rolling pin and stretch the dough out a little before cutting.

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

Make this tasty appetizer for your friends & family and bask in the “OMG, these are actually really good!” comments.

Get more game day recipe ideas!

Mini Carrot Dogs in a Blanket

Author: Karissa

These vegan mini carrots in a blanket are the perfect appetizer for any holiday or sports party like the Superbowl! 

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Ingredients

Carrot Dogs in a Blanket

• 2 cans crescent rolls
• 1 16 oz bag baby carrots you may want to pick up an additional bag just in case
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup vegetable stock
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce optional
• dash of liquid smoke optional

Maple Mustard Dipping Sauce

• 1/3 cup dijon mustard or your favorite mustard
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• pepper to taste

Instructions

Carrot Dogs in a Blanket

1. First, pick through the baby carrots and sort out the weirdly-shaped or super skinny ones. (Set them aside for making veggie stock or chickpea noodle soup!)

2. 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 10-14 minutes of boiling.

3. Drain.

4. Add the boiled carrots to a shallow dish or a quart-sized, sealable bag.

5. Add the remaining ingredients to the carrots. Cover the dish or seal the bag and give them a good shake. 

6. Marinate for at least 10 hours in the fridge - 18+ hours is ideal. Give them a shake every few hours or when you think about it. 

7. Cut the crescent roll triangles into halves or thirds. If cutting into thirds, roll the dough out a bit before cutting to maximize surface space.

8. Drain and rinse the marinated carrots off.

9. 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.)

10. Bake @ 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 11-14 minutes or until golden brown. 

Maple Mustard Dipping Sauce

1. Mix together all ingredients. Thin out with a little water if you prefer.

Recipe Notes

This recipe can make up to 48 mini carrot dogs in a blanket if you cut each crescent triangle into thirds.

...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 25 minutes. Turn the heat off and set the pot aside for at least 3 hours - but the longer they can marinate, the better!