Save My sister showed up to my birthday party with a tray of these, and I watched them disappear before the cake even came out. The golden pastry crackled when you bit in, and that pepper jelly gave just enough kick to make people reach for another. I asked her for the recipe on the spot, convinced it must be complicated. She laughed and told me it was three ingredients and twenty minutes. I've been making them ever since, mostly because I love watching guests try to casually take just one more.
I brought these to a potluck once, still warm in a foil-lined basket, and set them on the table without saying a word. Within ten minutes, someone asked if I had the recipe written down. By the end of the night, three people had texted me for it. There's something about the flaky pastry and that glossy pepper jelly glaze that makes people assume you spent all afternoon in the kitchen, when really you were watching TV for most of it.
Ingredients
- Cocktail sausages: Go for the smoked mini sausages if you can find them, they have more flavor than plain hot dogs and stay juicy inside the pastry without getting rubbery.
- Puff pastry: Thaw it in the fridge overnight so it rolls out evenly without tearing, and always keep it cold until you're ready to work with it or it gets sticky and impossible to handle.
- Pepper jelly: The sweet kind with little flecks of red pepper works best here, it melts into the pastry and caramelizes slightly in the oven, creating that shiny, sticky coating everyone loves.
- Egg: Beating it with a fork until smooth makes the wash go on evenly, and it's what gives the pastry that deep golden color and professional bakery shine.
- Chives and sesame seeds: Totally optional, but the chives add a fresh pop of color and the sesame seeds give a little crunch that makes them look like you ordered them from a caterer.
Instructions
- Get the oven ready:
- Preheat to 400°F and line your baking sheet with parchment so nothing sticks and cleanup is just crumpling up paper. If you skip this step, you'll be scraping caramelized jelly off the pan for days.
- Cut the pastry:
- Unfold the thawed puff pastry on a floured surface and slice it into 24 strips, about an inch wide and two and a half inches long. A pizza cutter makes this ridiculously easy and keeps the edges cleaner than a knife.
- Brush with jelly:
- Use a pastry brush to lightly coat each strip with pepper jelly, just enough to cover but not so much it oozes out when you roll. You want that sweetness tucked inside where it can soak into the pastry.
- Wrap the sausages:
- Set a sausage at one end of each strip and roll it up snugly, jelly side facing in. Press the seam gently so it stays closed during baking.
- Arrange and glaze:
- Place them seam side down on the baking sheet, brush the tops with beaten egg, and sprinkle with sesame seeds if you're using them. The egg wash is what makes them look bakery perfect.
- Bake until golden:
- Slide the tray into the oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and deeply golden. Your kitchen will smell like a county fair.
- Cool and garnish:
- Let them sit for five minutes so the jelly sets a bit and you don't burn your mouth. Sprinkle with chopped chives right before serving if you want them to look extra fancy.
Save The first time I made these for a holiday party, my cousin asked if I'd ordered them from a fancy bakery. I didn't correct her right away because I loved the compliment too much. Later, when I admitted they were homemade and stupid easy, she made me promise to bring them to every family gathering. Now they're my signature dish, the thing people expect from me, and I'm completely fine with that because they take less effort than most side dishes.
Picking Your Sausages
The cocktail sausages you choose make a bigger difference than you'd think. I've tried the plain mini hot dogs, and they work fine, but the smoked ones have a richer flavor that stands up to the sweetness of the jelly. Look for ones that are already fully cooked so you're really just heating them through and crisping the pastry. If you can only find regular-sized hot dogs, just cut them into thirds and adjust your pastry strips accordingly.
Make Ahead Magic
You can assemble these completely, cover the tray with plastic wrap, and keep them in the fridge for up to six hours before baking. I do this every time I'm hosting so I can just pull them out and slide them in the oven when people start arriving. They bake up just as beautifully from cold, you might just need an extra minute or two in the oven. Don't freeze them unbaked though, the pastry gets weird and soggy when it thaws.
Serving and Dipping
These are perfect warm or at room temperature, which makes them great for parties where food sits out for a while. I like to serve them on a wooden board with a little bowl of extra pepper jelly and some grainy Dijon mustard on the side. People like having options, and the mustard cuts through the sweetness if someone wants a more savory bite.
- For extra heat, swap in hot pepper jelly or stir a pinch of cayenne into the sweet stuff before brushing.
- Crescent roll dough works if you can't find puff pastry, it's softer and less flaky but still tastes great.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully in a 350°F oven for about eight minutes, don't use the microwave or the pastry goes limp.
Save These little bites have become my go-to whenever I need to show up with something that feels special but doesn't stress me out. They're proof that fancy doesn't have to mean complicated, and that a good shortcut can taste just as homemade as anything else.
Recipe FAQs
- → Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes, you can assemble them up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate. Brush with egg wash just before baking. You may need to add 2-3 extra minutes to the baking time if starting from cold.
- → What type of pepper jelly works best?
Sweet red pepper jelly is ideal for a balanced flavor. For more heat, use jalapeño or habanero pepper jelly. You can also mix sweet pepper jelly with a dash of hot sauce to customize the spice level.
- → Can I use different sausages?
Absolutely. Mini smoked sausages, cocktail franks, or even breakfast sausage links cut in half all work well. Just ensure they're pre-cooked and sized appropriately for wrapping.
- → How do I keep the pastry from getting soggy?
Don't over-brush the pepper jelly—a light coating is sufficient. Also, ensure your oven is fully preheated and avoid overcrowding the baking sheet, which allows proper air circulation and even crisping.
- → What can I serve these with?
They're delicious on their own or with extra pepper jelly, Dijon mustard, honey mustard, or a spicy aioli for dipping. They pair wonderfully with beer, wine, or sparkling beverages at parties.
- → How do I store leftovers?
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes to restore crispness. Avoid microwaving, as it will make the pastry soggy.