Okay, let’s be real: Making pigs in a blanket from scratch is pretty damn easy. Buy some Lit’l Smokies and a couple of tubes of crescent roll dough, and with some minor assembly, you’ve got yourself one of the best party appetizers known to man. I almost always make pigs in a blanket when I go to a potluck-style party (I’ve even made these little mummies for Halloween parties). But it turns out frozen pigs in a blanket are just as good if not better, especially if we’re talking about the pigs wrapped in puff pastry, the best dough for pigs in a blanket, if you ask me.
From mini frozen pretzel dogs to piggies coated with everything bagel seasoning, there are a lot more options in the frozen aisle than I ever realized. Here’s what we were looking for in the best pigs in a blanket: light, crispy dough that cooks up golden brown and mini wieners that taste good enough to eat all on their own. I’ll be honest: We had to spit out one of the products because the mini hot dogs just tasted so crummy. If you’re making frozen pigs in a blanket, air fryer is certainly an option, but we cooked all of these in our countertop oven’s regular ol’ oven mode and they came out great. Here are the best frozen pigs in a blanket you can buy. Everyone at your next party is going to be stoked.
- SuperPretzel Mini Pretzel Dogs
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These frozen pretzel dogs deviate a bit from the pigs you’re probably used to, but they absolutely deserve a spot on our list of the best pigs in a blanket. Even though they’re made with soft pretzel dough rather than something more buttery (and even though I cooked them in the oven rather than the microwave as the package recommends), they’re delicious. The franks are super juicy and high quality, and the pretzel dough is flavorful and filling, even if I suspect it would have been a little squishier and more soft pretzel-like if I would have nuked these instead of baking them. I kind of liked the toastiness and light crunch of the oven-baked pretzel exterior.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Crav’n Flavor Everything Seasoning Mini Uncured Beef Franks in Puff Pastry
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We tried a few frozen pigs in a blanket that were coated with everything bagel seasoning, but these Crav’n Flavor piggies are the best pigs in a blanket to buy if you actually want to taste the everything seasoning. You get mild nuttiness from the sesame seeds, a little bit of bite from the dried garlic, and some savory cheesiness from parmesan cheese, something you don’t typically find in an everything spice blend, but it works here. In fact, the parm plus the puff pastry wrapper taste a lot like Trader Joe’s Parmesan Pastry Pups (see #3), but these are less greasy. I can see that appealing to plenty of people.
Credit: Liv Averett / Hy-Vee
- Trader Joe’s Parmesan Pastry Pups
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Okay, as I mentioned briefly in the previous entry, Trader Joe’s Parmesan Pastry Pups are greasy. You absolutely need to cook these well and set them on a couple of layers of paper towels after they emerge from the oven or air fryer. Also, and I swear I’m not just being nitpicky here, the cocktail franks inside the puff pastry are quite small. Spring for some bigger wieners, TJ’s! All that said, these are sinfully delicious. The puff pastry puffs up so nicely, and it’s so nice and savory from the sprinkle of parm. These pups are our favorite frozen appetizer at Trader Joe’s and they’re some of the best pigs in a blanket you’ll find at the grocery store, as long assome grease isn’t a deal-breaker.
Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s
- Kroger Franks in a Blanket
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If you think the best pigs in a blanket require a little bit of smoke (where are my Lit’l Smokies heads?), these are the frozen pigs in a blanket to buy. While most are made with mini frankfurters, Kroger Franks in a Blanket are made with pork smoked sausage, which contributes a huge amount of flavor. The puff pastry is decent and the sprinkle of parm adds a touch of extra flavor, but these are all about those smoky little sausages inside.
Credit: Liv Averett / Ralphs
- Hebrew National Beef Franks in a Puff Pastry Blanket
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We taste tested a lot of hot dogs on two separate occasions and both times Hebrew National hot dogs were the best of them all. So it’s probably not a surprise that Hebrew National also makes the best frozen pigs in a blanket. The franks are small, snappy, and salty, but the quality of the puff pastry blew us away, too. I mean, this stuff is perfect. It’s so light and flaky and not greasy like some of the others we tried (lookin’ at you, TJ’s). If you serve these at a party and don’t want people getting crumbs all over the rug, put out some plates. These things are crackly in the best way possible.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
Best Pretzel Dogs
Best Everything
Best Indulgent
Best Smoky
Best of the Best
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!