Pigs in a Blanket vs. Corn Dog: Differences & Which Is Better?
Both delicious and easy to make, pigs in a blanket and corndogs are two of the most popular snack foods, especially at carnivals and fairs. However, you can prepare them at home even if you have nothing more than basic cooking skills. Considering that both require nearly the same ingredients, they are often mistaken for the same thing, while they are, in fact, two separate delights. So, what are the differences between pigs in a blanket and corndogs?
Pigs in a blanket are wieners wrapped in dough and baked, while corndogs are wieners wrapped in dough and deep-fried. The flour for pigs in a blanket is wheat-based, while the corndogs call for corn flour or cornmeal.
Pigs in a blanket and corn dogs are both easy to make and tasty. However, knowing their differences is essential because they are quite different and require different serving styles, moods, and settings. Therefore, in the following paragraphs, I will describe both of them and tell you when and how to have them.
Differences
Among the similarities they share, pigs in a blanket and corndogs are separated by quite a few differences too. They require similar ingredients, which aren’t identical, nevertheless, and they call for different cooking methods. Therefore, they taste differently, but they can be combined in similar ways.
Ingredients and Preparation
Pigs in a blanket are dough-wrapped wieners or sausages, which are then baked. The dough for pigs in a blanket requires flour, butter, milk, and yeast. The yeast makes the dough rise, meaning that it is soft and rich, allowing for easy wiener or sausage wrapping.
Once the dough rises, which is usually ten to 15 minutes later, you make as many dough balls as the number of pigs in a blanket you want to make. Then, each dough ball is rolled out and flattened. Place a wiener or a sausage on one end of each strap and just roll them up.
You bake them for about 20 minutes, and they are done.
On the other hand, corn dogs require dipping the wiener or sausage on a stick into a batter made from cornmeal, flour, eggs, milk, and a leavening agent. The first step is to place the wiener or sausage on a kebab stick to dip it into the batter.
Then you deep fry the battered wiener or sausage until it is golden brown and crispy.
Both are very easy to make, and the recipes are pretty flexible, so if you add more of something, you can always fix things with another ingredient.
Appearance and Taste
Pigs in a blanket are smaller than corndogs. They are small bite-sized finger foods and you can probably have an entire piece in one bite. They are lighter in color than corndogs with a smother and softer texture.
Corndogs are longer than pigs in a blanket, although they are often as wide. They are darker in color than pigs in a blanket and have a rougher and coarser texture, which is to be expected since they are deep-fried, while pigs in a blanket are baked.
Taste-wise, they are both delicious, of course. However, pigs in a blanket are mellower than corndogs. Pigs in a blanket are meaty, but they also have intense freshly-baked bread notes, making them all the more refined.
Corndogs are spicier as they often contain additional spicing in the batter. Common seasonings for corndogs are powdered garlic, black pepper, paprika, curry, as well as herbal spices. Therefore, corndogs are more vibrant in terms of taste, which doesn’t mean that they are more delicious than pigs in a blanket; it just means that they are different.
Serving Style and Side Dishes
You can serve both pigs in a blanket and corndogs in a variety of ways. They often go with the same sides, but they, of course, have their own signature serving styles. Pigs in a blanket are served as appetizers at parties or as part of large serving plates, mostly at brunch.
They are excellent picnic foods, as well as snacks. They often go with sour cream, crème fraiche, cheese, or other dairy products. They go with sauces, both ketchup and mayo-based, and mustard, and they pair nicely with a green salad.
Corn dogs are often served at fairs, carnivals, and other outdoor events, but they are also frequent guests at house gatherings. Since they are usually eaten standing up, they don’t have any particular way of serving, but they do go well with mayo, ketchup, and mustard sauces. They don’t pair well with sour dairy products.
Nevertheless, corndogs can also be a main course and a decadent one too. My favorite corndog meals include French fries, onion rings, or other fried sides, and a nice freshly made dip.
Which Is Better — Pigs in a Blanket or Corn Dog?
Both corndogs and pigs in a blanket are very delicious and very versatile, allowing combinations in a variety of styles. Which one you choose depends on what you are in the mood for. If you want something to have on the go, pick corndog, and if you want something to snack on, pigs in a blanket are for you.
When deciding on which one to choose, I like to think about practicality, current preferences, and possible combinations. Still, either way, you can’t choose wrong!
