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
- White Sugar: adds 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:
- Prep: preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Unwrap: open the tube of cinnamon rolls and unroll them all, slice each cinnamon roll “rope” in half to make two pieces
- 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.
- 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.
- Drizzle: using the cream cheese frosting that came with the cinnamon rolls, drizzle over the top of the golden brown dunkers
- Serve: dunk in the maple butter sauce and enjoy!

For the Sauce
- Boil: add all the ingredient to a saucepan over medium heat, whisk to combine and bring to a boil
- 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!
More Sweet Breakfast Options:
- Buttermilk Pancakes
- Apple Pie Slow Cooker Oatmeal
- Dutch Baby Pancakes
- Orange Sweet Rolls
- Classic French Toast
- Waffles
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Blueberry French Toast Bake
- Homemade Yogurt
- Peach Coffee Cake
- Liege Waffles
- Slow Cooker Overnight Steel Cut Oats
- All our BREAKFAST RECIPES!
Cinnamon Roll Pigs in a Blanket Dunkers
Description
Ingredients
- 1 Package Grands Cinnamon Rolls, with cream cheese frosting
- 1 Package Johnsonville Turkey Fully Cooked Breakfast Sausage
For the Syrup
- 1/2 Cup Maple Syrup, Grade A
- 1/2 Cup Buttermilk
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Cup White Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Corn Syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and open the cinnamon rolls, separating each roll and unrolling the dough.1 Package Grands Cinnamon Rolls
- Cut each cinnamon roll "rope" that you just created into two pieces.
- Wrap each sausage with the dough, picking up any of the cinnamon filling that falls off and pressing it into the wrapped sausages without cinnamon on the outside.1 Package Johnsonville Turkey Fully Cooked Breakfast Sausage
- Bake for 15-20 minutes.
- If desired, drizzle with cream cheese frosting.
- Dunk into the sauce and enjoy!
For the Sauce
- Place the maple syrup, buttermilk, butter, sugars and corn syrup in a saucepan over medium heat.1/2 Cup Maple Syrup, 1/2 Cup Buttermilk, 3 Tablespoons Butter, 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, 1 Tablespoon Corn Syrup, 1/2 Cup White Sugar
- Bring to a boil and add the cinnamon, and vanilla.1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- Turn down to a simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thickened slightly and then serve with the dunkers.
Notes
Nutrition
Recommended Products

Elizabeth Mulgrew
Made these for my family on vacation. I found that the Pillsbury rolls didn’t unroll easily or evenly – I had to remodel them with my fingers to get a rope, and then they didn’t puff up much when baked. I happened to see ratings of various brands of cinnamon rolls on another site who recommended Rhodes Bake & Serve, Rhodes frozen, or Immaculate refrigerated, which I will try next time. Also I didn’t like the Johnsonville Turkey Fully Cooked Sausages – too salty! Will partially cook my regular ones the night before. All in all, this is an imaginative and tasty way to do something a little unusual for breakfast (always a good idea to break up the stale routine!) and combine your breakfast meat with your breakfast baked good in one fun presentation! Thanks for sharing!
Sweet Basil
Hi Elizabeth! You can definitely change up the cinnamon roll and the sausage to your liking! My kids love these for a quick breakfast before school. Thank you so much for the feedback!
Bella Swan
Making these on Saturday!! Yummy!!! Any substitution ideas for the corn syrup? I can’t seem to find any at the local stores right now 🙁
Sweet Basil
Hi Bella! You are going to love these! I hate when I can’t find something at the grocery stores! I couldn’t find dulce de leche for months and it made me crazy! You could use honey, agave nectar, or light molasses. You could even omit it and then add extra maple syrup to get it to the thickness that you want. Enjoy!
Edward @Male Guide Reviews
Humm ! i like your cinnamon roll pigs idea.i will try to cook it. i cannot wait cook them.
Sweet Basil
You’re going to love them!
Supplement Crunch
This is soo cool, i am very happy for sharing this article with me.
Sweet Basil
Enjoy!
TTR
I am going to try these, and FYI, I grew up going to Denny’s once in a blue moon after church on Sunday. They had a kids breakfast that was my fave back in the early 80’s, Pigs in a Blanket, and it was breakfast sausage rolled up in pancakes. It was my fave!!
Sweet Basil
You are going to LOVE these then!
Veronica
A little meaty a little sweet this recipe was a real adventure for my taste buds, simply loved it.
Sweet Basil
Such a delicious flavor combo!
Christina Moore@ YourMindYourBody
Here I go again. I need to cook this recipe ASAP. I am craving in this kind of food. This cinnamon roll will love my kids as well. Ideal for breakfast and snack.
Sweet Basil
Do it!!
kathleen
Carrian and Cade you are awesome! My kids loved these cinnamon roll pigs in a blanket. Excellent recipe. Sharing it now!
Sweet Basil
Thanks you Kathleen!! Our kids absolutely love them too!
taylor johnson @tayloright
What a unique idea! Thanks for sharing!
Sweet Basil
They are so fun! And such a delicious combo!
Tasnim @Shopping
How do I make those delicious…
Kara Mathys
I love these awesomeness cinnamon roll pigs in a blanket dunkers! This look so great, especially with that maple butter sauce! Thanks for sharing Carrian and Cade!
Sweet Basil
You’re welcome Kara! You’re going to love these I just know it!
Ronda Emiliusen
They look delicious can’t wait to make them
Sweet Basil
You’re going to love them!! We would love to hear what you think!
Robin Hamilton @Wellness Wires
These cinnamon roll pigs look so zesty and tasty! Absolutely love your creative idea! Thanks for sharing!
Sweet Basil
Enjoy! they are a breakfast favorite for us!
Bella Hardy @ Healthnerdy
This cinnamon roll pigs recipe so extravagant:) I’m afraid I will not find the ingredients for this recipe! I’m also gonna pin this post on my Pinterest board my followers will love it. Thanks for sharing!
Sweet Basil
Thank you!
Wendi
If I’m cooking the sausage do I just cook it first and then wrap? Or cook them all together??
Sweet Basil
Hi Wendy, if you did not buy the precooked sausages you’ll nneed to cook them first. Thanks!
Carolyn Ingram
These sound amazing!
Sweet Basil
Thank you!
Heather
Such a fun treat!
Mckenzie
My dip came out kind of separated and chunky. Any idea why? It looks to be very smooth and creamy in your picture
Sweet Basil
Hmmm, that’s very interesting. There isn’t anything that should have come out chunky unless something overcooked and clumped together.
Ashley
These sound amazing!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes)
Love it!!
Nikki
These look delicious! I’m going to make a version of these with what I have at home. I have kielbasa sausage and Cinnabon cinnamon rolls. I’m going to wrap the sausage and then cut into smaller pieces. I’m very excited for breakfast tomorrow morning!
Sweet Basil
Oh my goodness, that sounds amazing!
Heather
My grands cinnamon rolls wouldn’t unroll so I just rolled them out flat with a rolling pin and wrapped around the sausage. It was a fun Christmas breakfast.
Sweet Basil
Ugh! I hate when you get a package that’s hard to work with! Sorry about that but glad it still worked out!
Diane (Created by Diane)
what a great flavor combo, I bet these are delicious!
Sweet Basil
Thanks Diane!! Now if I could just make cakes like you do I’d be one happy camper!
sue|theviewfromgreatisland
I am SO doing this! That maple butter sauce sounds incredible 🙂
Sweet Basil
It might just be drinkable in my book. 😉
Jennifer
We deliver breakfast to those places which must be open Christmas morning (urgent care, emergency vets, etc.) trying to make their day a bit brighter. These will absolutely be on the menu this Christmas! I hope I don’t eat them all before they’re delivered!
Sweet Basil
I absolutely love this idea and will definitely be doing it this year. Thank you so much for inspiring us!
Amanda
Holy cow. These look so good! They may need to go on our Christmas morning breakfast list.
Sweet Basil
Thank you so much!