Mini Pretzel Dogs with Apricot Mustard Dip Recipe

An easy apricot mustard dip takes these homemade Mini Pretzel Dogs over-the-top. These tasty morsels will be a hit at any party.

What’s a Pig-In-A-Blanket?

During my husband’s younger days growing up in the Upper Midwest, there was a childhood classic meal he had called pigs-in-a-blanket. Sounds pretty weird, right?! However, it was basically making a classic hot dog on a bun a little “fancy”!

To make these, you just wrapped up a hot dog (the “pig”) in a pre-made crescent roll (the “blanket”) and baked in the oven. The flaky crescent rolls took the place of regular hot dog buns. So, after a few minutes in the oven you had your “fancy” hot dogs for dinner.

They would serve these with a ketchup or mustard “side” (remember, fancy!) in which to dip the pig-in-a-blanket. This was one of his childhood favorites, and he has fond memories of that meal.

He jokingly asked about making these the other day while we were experimenting using pizza dough to make fresh pretzels. He thought pretzel wrapped hot dogs would be tasty (and he’s right BTW!). That got me thinking about elevating that idea a bit and making it into a party-ready appetizer.

Thus, this mini pretzel dog recipe was born!

Making the Mini Pretzel Dogs

I wanted this recipe to use simple ingredients, but still give it that little “extra” that keeps people coming back for more.

So, I started with the pretzel dough. At one point, we were rolling out a pizza crust and thought that dough might work for a pretzel.

And, after a bit of experimentation, it actually works quite well. So, you can certainly make your own, but using store-bought pizza dough is so easy.

You simply take the smooth ball of dough and flatten into a circle. From there, you cut into strips long enough to wrap around a sausage.

Now, we certainly could wrap that dough around a hot dog piece, but I wanted something a little more than that. I thought some little smokies sausages would be just right. You get a nice bite from the sausage and some great smokiness that really enhances the appetizer.

Cooking the Mini Pretzel Dogs

Now, once you’ve wrapped the sausages with the pizza dough, you boil them for about 30 seconds (or until they float) in a combination of water and baking soda. Boiling in that baking soda / water combo is what is going to give the mini pretzel dog the pretzel consistency once it is baked.

Once they’ve boiled, you put them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. At this point, you give them a nice egg wash before putting them in the oven. The egg wash is going to give them a beautiful golden brown color when they’re done.

The other thing I do is give them some additional color and flavor by sprinkling on a poppy seed / sea salt mixture. The poppy seeds give some color and sea salt is just delicious on pretty much anything!

Apricot Mustard Dip Takes This Over the Top

As far as the dipping sauce goes, if you ask my husband, he’ll tell you that plain old yellow mustard is the perfect dip for these mini pretzel dogs. I will agree that yellow mustard is delicious and very classic, but this apricot mustard dip really takes things to the next level.

I wanted a little bit of a spicy makeover of the yellow mustard. To do that, I used some basic ingredients I had around the house.

In a small mixing bowl, I combined apricot jam, spicy brown mustard and balsamic vinegar. It’s just those three ingredients that you quickly whisk together and the flavor combination is perfection. It’s a little sweet from the jam and a little spicy from the mustard which is further complimented by the tanginess of the balsamic vinegar.

​So good!

Are These Mini Pretzels Dogs a Make Ahead Appetizer?

Yes they are! Simply make the recipe completely and refrigerate until ready to reheat.

Put them in airtight container or cover them with plastic wrap. You can keep them in the fridge for 2-3 days.

When you are ready to serve, simply reheat them in a 425 degree oven for 5-10 minutes and you are ready to go!

Mini Pretzel Dogs – A Great Party Appetizer

As soon as you bite into one of these lovely, tasty morsels of soft pretzel and smoked sausage goodness, you will want to devour the entire plateful. They are serious crowd pleasing food. I mean, who’s not going to love a bite size smoked sausage wrapped up in a soft pretzel and then dipped in a tangy apricot dipping sauce?

Therefore, whether you serve these at a Super Bowl party, cocktail party or are just looking for a fun snack, I’m pretty certain they will be the first thing to disappear. You’ll want to make sure you have a lot of them on hand because everyone will be asking for more!

As for my husband, he thought this was a delicious way to bring back those childhood food memories. We had them last weekend and I got two thumbs up!

Tips and Tricks

• My preferred smoked sausage is Lit’l Smokies, but any mini smoked sausage that you like will work.
• These can be made ahead of time, refrigerated and reheated in a 425 degree oven until warm, about 5-10 minutes.
• Don’t skip boiling the pretzel dogs in the water/baking soda mixture. This is the secret of making a pretzel.
• I topped these with sea salt and poppy seeds, but everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds or garlic salt would also be delicious choices.

Ingredients Needed to Make Mini Pretzel Dogs

Full instructions can be found below in the recipe card

• Your favorite pizza dough
• Mini smoked sausages – Such as Lit’l Smokies.
• Egg
• Sea salt
• Poppy seeds – Everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds or garlic salt can be substituted.
• Water
• Baking soda
• Apricot jam
• Spicy brown mustard
• Balsamic vinegar

How to Make Mini Pretzel Dogs with Apricot Mustard Dip

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Flatten pizza dough into about a 6 inch circle.
• Cut into strips about 1/2 inch wide each.
• Stretch strips out lengthwise and cut crosswise into 3 to 4 equal pieces.
• Stretch each piece out until it is long enough to wrap up the sausage.
• Place a sausage crossways at the top of the dough and roll up, pinching to seal the edge.
• Pour water and baking soda into a large pot and bring to a boil.
• Add pretzel dogs to the water, about 6 at a time and cook for 20-30 seconds. They’re done when they start to float.
• Remove them with a slotted spoon.
• Place pretzel dogs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Whisk egg in a small bowl with a splash of cool to room temperature water.
• Brush egg wash onto pretzel dogs and sprinkle with salt and poppy seeds.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, until browned.
• Meanwhile make dip.
• In a small bowl whisk together jam, mustard and balsamic.
• Serve with pretzel dogs.

More Party Appetizers

• Instant Pot Cranberry Barbecue Meatballs
• Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• Philly Cheesesteak Flatbread
• Chicken and Waffle Bites
• Jalapeno Popper Dip
• Baked Brie Bites

ENJOY!