Jalapeño Popper Pigs in a Blanket

Jalapeno popper pigs in a blanket stacked in a pile.

5 from 14 votes

Jalapeño Popper Pigs in a Blanket

These Jalapeño Popper Pigs in a Blanket are a glorious mash-up of two of our favorite classic appetizers. The savory, smoky cocktail sausages wrapped in buttery crescent roll dough taste amazing with melty cheddar and cream cheese and mildy spicy jalapeno! Perfect for Game Day, parties, and lunches!

Prep Time8

Cook Time8

Total Time16

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings: pigs in a blanket

Calories: 55kcal

Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

1 can crescent roll dough
1 (14-ounce) package smoked cocktail sausages
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1-2 jalapenos, or more, depending on size and how thick you want your pieces of jalapeno to be, with stems and seeds removed, then sliced
1 egg +1 Tablespoon water for an egg wash
1 ½ Tablespoons poppy seeds

Instructions

Preheat the air fryer to 300°F or oven to 375°F.
Cut the crescent dough into small 4-inch strips.
Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of shredded cheese on each strip of dough, then place 1 teaspoon of cream cheese on top. Add 1-2 pieces of sliced jalapeno, then top with one cocktail weiner.
Roll the crescent roll dough around the cocktail weiner. Repeat until all of the lil' smokies have been wrapped up.
Line the air fryer basket or a baking sheet with parchment paper, depending on which cooking method you are using. Add each pig in a blanket to the basket, leaving space so they don't touch. You will need to cook them in more than one batch if using an air fryer depending on how big your air fryer is if using that method.
Make an egg wash by beating the egg and water together in a bowl. Brush the tops and sides of each pig in a blanket with the egg wash, then sprinkle with the poppy seeds.
Place the basket into the air fryer and cook for 8 minutes in the air fryer or in the oven for 11-13 minutes until golden brown and the cheese is melted. Cool for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

Storage: These are best served right away but, any leftovers can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days and reheated in the air fryer, microwave, or oven. I don't recommend freezing these.
Puff Pastry: If you want even flakier pastry, then puff pastry is a great option. Just let it thaw out of the freezer for about 30 minutes before unfolding and using. I would increase the air fryer temp to 325°F and cook for 8-10 minutes with puff pastry. Or if using the oven you will want to increase the time to more like 20-25 minutes at 400°F for pigs in a blanket with puff pastry. One sheet of frozen puff pastry will make 16-18 pigs in a blanket.
Garnish: The poppy seeds are optional, but they give a nice little crunch and look pretty. They could also be substituted with sesame seeds, coarse salt, or everything bagel seasoning instead.
Dipping Sauce: A quick jalapeño jelly makes the perfect dipping sauce - the sauce in the picture was made by mixing one cup of red pepper jelly, one tsp of apple cider vinegar, some chopped jalapeño pieces, 1 tsp garlic powder, and about 1 tbsp of brown sugar. Ranch dressing also makes a good dipping sauce.
Variation: You could also cook and crumble 3-4 slices of bacon, then sprinkle some of that on along with the cheese for an easy upgrade if you love bacon.

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