The most addictive party snack or appetiser made to impress your guest. These American-style vegan pigs in a blanket are super easy & packed to the brim with flavour.
Disclosure: This recipe post was created in collaboration with Cook's Matches. All opinions expressed are my own.
Why Make This Recipe
- The perfect vegan party snack
- So much more flavourful than regular vegan pigs in blankets
- Infused with the richest herb & spice marinade
- Crunchy, crispy and perfectly salty
- No baking skills required
- The perfect appetiser for my vegan pot pie or stew & dumplings
- Looks amazing with little effort
- You will never know it’s vegan
The Ingredients
Below are the ingredients you will need to prepare these vegan pigs in a blanket.
A Few Notes on the Ingredients
Herbs: I used a mix called herbs de provence. This French-inspired herb blend is easily accessible all over Europe and US both in stores and online. If you can’t access it, this is how you can whip it up in no time on your own.
Spices: I used garlic powder, smoked paprika, paprika powder & black pepper. This is a great & punchy combo that works super well. Feel free to substitute for other spices if desired.
Vegan puff pastry: Puff pastry takes a while to make from scratch which is why I always opt for store-bought options. You can use either frozen or refrigerated puff pastry. If using frozen, make sure to let it thaw completely before baking.
Soy sauce: You won’t need a lot, so either light or dark soy sauce will work.
Sesame seeds: I went for a mix of black & white sesame seeds because I wanted a nice contrast. This will make little difference in taste so just pick whatever is easier for you.
Plant milk: make sure you are using unsweetened plant milk with zero sugar. You will find this info under the Nutrition Facts label on your milk packaging.
Step-by-step Guide
Ready to make all your snack dreams come true? I’ve broken down this recipe into 8 easy peasy steps.
Remember that you will need to check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page for full instructions including exact measurements.
- Wash and slice your carrots.
- Prepare your marinade and rub it well onto your carrots.
- Place carrots on a lined baking tray and bake for 30-35 minutes. In the meantime, prepare your optional dipping sauce.
- Roll out your puff pastry, measure it into equal rectangles and wrap it around the carrots.
- Make sure the pastry has an overlap at the bottom - this will make sure it stays closed.
- Brush with almond milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds and herbs.
- Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
- Serve alongside the dipping sauce or other favourite condiments.
Expert Tips
1. Choose Thick Carrots
When you’re slicing your carrots, make sure they are about 2,5 to 3 cm (around 1 inch) thick. Depending on the size of your carrots you will need to either cut them in half (thinner carrots) or into quarters (larger carrots).
Whatever you do, make sure that you don’t slice them too thin. Wondering why?
Your carrots will become even smaller and thinner in the oven. Thin carrots won’t make for a good bite and all you will be left with is thick puff pastry with no flavour.
2. Infuse with Flavour
The herb marinade is arguably one of the most important (and may I say delicious!) parts of this recipe. Just like many vegetables, carrots are mild and bland in flavour which is why a punchy marinade is so important
You will need to use plenty of seasoning to bring out a great flavour. If you look at pictures 3, 4 and 5 from our step-by-step guide above you will see that the carrots are covered in a thick layer of marinade.
I encourage you to follow the recipe to the dot to make sure you’re using enough herbs & spices - it might sound like a lot, but nobody wants a bland snack, right?
If you are missing any of the marinade ingredients in this recipe, don’t just skip them, simply substitute for a different herb or spice.
3. Overlap Your Pastry
When wrapping your carrots in pastry, it’s important that the pastry overlaps at the bottom. You will need about 1 cm (0,4 inch) of overlap.
If it doesn’t overlap enough your pigs in blankets will open up during the bake. They will also open up if the pasty overlaps on the top instead of the bottom.
F.A.Q.
Yes, you can! But keep in mind this will change the recipe quite a bit.
If you want to get experimental, I recommend rainbow carrots (a mix of orange, purple & yellow carrots). This will be the most similar to the original recipe but with a little twist.
You could also try other root vegetables like parsnips, sweet potatoes or beets.
Place in an airtight container and store for about 2-3 days. Remember they will get less crunchy as time goes by.
Speaking from personal experience, you will probably gobble them up very fast so no need to worry about them going soft!
Because we’re using carrots and a pasty marinade (as opposed to a very wet marinade) , these are unlikely to become soggy.
However, you will want to make sure you’ve baked them thoroughly.
Always check that the bottom is thoroughly baked too. If you underbake them, they will have a soggy, wet bottom.
You can reheat these, but make sure to use the oven not the microwave.
Simply place them in a pre-heated oven until piping hot. Microwaving will make them soft, soggy and unappetising.
You sure can! All you need to do is substitute the puff pastry for a gluten free option.
If you’re based in the UK (like me!) you will probably associate pigs in blankets with sausages wrapped in bacon. However, my recipe is a vegan take on American-style pigs in blankets - sausages wrapped in croissant-like pastry.
For more yummy & satisfying vegan recipes check out my:
If you’ve made it this far, wooh, congrats! Do let me know how your recipe goes, I would love to hear all about it.
When you're finished I would love it if you could take the time to leave a comment below. Your reviews & comments mean a lot and help me run this blog!
Vegan Pigs In A Blanket
Ingredients
PIGS IN BLANKETS
- 300 g carrots 300g equals about 4 average-sized carrots
- 2 tsp olive oil or other light oil
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp salt
- 1,5 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 1,5 tsp herbs de Provence
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 320 g vegan puff pastry
OPTIONAL DIPPING SAUCE
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- salt and pepper to taste
TOPPINGS
- 1 tsp unsweetened almond milk for brushing
- 1,5 tbsp sesame
- 1 tsp herbs de Provence
Instructions
- Wash and slice your carrots into halves or quarters (roughly about 3 cm-1 inch thick and 6 cm-2 inch long).
- Prepare your marinade by mixing all the remaining ingredients from the 'pigs in blankets' section above (except vegan puff pastry).
- Rub the marinade onto your carrots to infuse them with flavour. If desired, set aside for 15 minutes for a more intense flavour.
- Place the marinated carrots onto a lined baking tray. Bake at 180°C/356°F for 30 to 35 minutes until tender but not too soft.
- In the meantime, mix all your dipping sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Remove the carrots from the oven and let cool slightly.
- Roll out your puff pastry. If you want all your pigs in a blankets to look uniform, make sure to measure out your puff pastry and slice it into equal rectangles.
- Wrap carrots in puff pastry and place them on a lined baking sheet.
- Brush with almond milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds and herbs de Provence.
- Bake at 200°C/392°F (fan oven) for 20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.
- Serve with the dipping sauce or other favourite condiments.
Notes
- Use large, thick carrots for best results. Thin carrots will become even thinner when roasted and you won't have a good 'bite' left.
- I used Jus-Rol's ready rolled puff pastry sheet (not sponsored).
- I encourage you to follow the recipe to the dot to make sure you’re using enough herbs & spices.
- If you are missing any of the marinade ingredients in this recipe, don’t just skip them, substitute for a different herb or spice.
- When wrapping your carrots in pastry, it’s important that the pastry overlaps at the bottom.
- If you want to get experimental, use rainbow carrots.
- If you're not using a fan oven function, bake at 220°C/428°F.
- To store, place in an airtight container and eat within 2-3 days.
- Use gluten-free puff pastry for a gluten-free version.
- Best enjoyed straight out of the oven - just don't burn your tongue like I always do!
Kathy
A new favourite and looks a lot more difficult to make than it is. I made this with my bf (total beginner and meat eater) and it was so easy and full of flavour. We both loved it. Definitely need to use the spices to make carrots taste nicer, I ran out of them for my second batch and it made a difference. Will make it again in the weekend!
Tajda Ferko
Thank you so much Kathy! That TOTALLY made my day. And yes, the carrots marinade is sooo crucial! x