With only 5 minutes of prep and 3 ingredients, these Brown Sugar Beanie Weenies are by far one of the easiest appetizers!
If you’re ever in charge of an appetizer, I highly recommend these Brown Sugar Beanie Weenies because they are SO easy and SO delicious. Some other easy favorites are Grape Jelly Meatballs and Crock Pot Bean Dip.
Quick, Simple, & Delicious
I may be slightly addicted to Lil’ Smokies (aka Beanie Weenies). They are so delicious and tiny that it’s REALLY hard for me not to eat 20 of them!! Please tell me I’m not the only one who feels like this. 😉
One of my all-time favorite appetizers is similar to these Brown Sugar Beanie Weenies, Bacon Wrapped Smokies that my sister-in-law introduced us to when she joined our family. We will be forever grateful because those Lil’ Smokies are just so good and are a staple at our New Year’s Eve celebration each year now.
Brown Sugar Beanie Weenies literally take about 2 minutes to throw together resulting in a very simple and delicious appetizer.
Three ingredients, two minutes of preparation, and then the oven does the rest! It doesn’t get much easier than that.
How to Make Beanie Weenies
Lit’l Smokies come in a few different varieties and any of them will work for this recipe. You can buy them made with beef, smoked sausage or pork and chicken.
A favorite brand is Hillshire Farm, but any brand that you like can be used. The packages can be a bit pricey, so when I find them on sale I buy several and keep them in the freezer until I want to use them.
ASSEMBLE. Spread little smoky links in a baking dish and crumble brown sugar over the top. Pour pineapple juice over the smokies.
BAKE. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. After the sugar has dissolved, baste 3-4 times during the 45-minute baking time. Serve hot.
A couple of notes:
- Lil smokies are already cooked so all you are doing is flavoring and reheating them.
- Basting is a term used when you take the juices from the pan and pour them over the top of the dish to keep it moist and flavorful.
Crock Pot Instructions
Cooking these Smokies in a crock pot is nice because all you have to do is mix all the ingredients together and cook on LOW for 1-2 hours.
Stir occasionally. Once cooked, turn to warm and serve the Brown Sugar Beanie Weenies straight from the pot.
Variations
This recipe is super simple and delicious as is, however, it can be fun to add your own flare to a recipe. Some additions that you may like to include:
- onion in any form
- a dab of yellow mustard
- pineapple chunks
- BBQ sauce, original or honey
- diced bell peppers
- can of beans, drained
Side Dish:
We often serve these Brown Sugar Beanie Weenies as an appetizer on game days or holidays, but they also make an appearance at family barbecues. Some other sides we love include:
Storing info
Keep warm. A slow cooker can also be utilized to keep the Brown Sugar Bean Weenies warm.
Whether you cook them directly in the crock pot, or cook them in the oven and then transfer them to the pot, they can stay in the pot for up to 4 hours when it’s set to warm.
How many to make. If you want to serve these as an appetizer, plan on making 4-5 smokies per person. If you are serving as a dinner, plan to provide 10-11 smokies per person.
STORE. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat them in the microwave, on the stovetop, or stick them in the oven for a few minutes.
For more similar appetizers, check out:
- Bacon Wrapped Smokies
- Barbecue Bacon and Chicken Bites
- Bacon Wrapped Potatoes
- Hot Dog Nuggets
- Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Skewers
Beanie Weenies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 package mini smoky links
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup pineapple juice
Instructions
- Spread smoky links in a baking dish and crumble brown sugar over the top.
- Pour pineapple juice over smokies
- Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. After the sugar has dissolved, baste 3-4 times during the 45-minute baking time. Serve.
No, you’re not the only one who can eat 20 (or more) of these little guys. This recipe sounds really good, but I was wondering why you call them Beanie Weenies when there are no beans involved.
Beanie Weenies are a nickname for Lil’ Smokies. I’ve heard them called that since I was little. 😉
Funny. I’ve never heard them called that. To me beanie weenies are hot dogs with either baked beans or pork and beans. Maybe a regional thing.
It could be!! I’m sure most would call them Brown Sugar Lil’ Smokies. 🙂
I was wondering the same thing. Would be great with some beans!
On the instructions for the recipe what does baste mean …im lost on what to do for that part….?? Help lol
Baste means to brush with the au jus (the juice). In this case the melted brown sugar and the pineapple juice in the pan.
Can you make these in a crockpot?
Yes, you can. I haven’t done that yet, but I think these would be a great recipe for the crockpot. Let me know how they taste!!
What are some recommended dips for this recipe?
To dip them in? We usually just eat them without dip, because they are so flavorful on their own. You can dip in bbq sauce, kids love ranch…
NOT truly beanie weenies since They lack the beans. Beanie weenies are always a beans and FRANKs dish. MAYBE just brown sugar cocktail weenies?
Y’all are so annoying and technical of the dish was called Bernie weenie for her without beans then that’s what she call them. Y’all could have literally kept y’all comments to yourself. Add beans if want beans simple just got to be negative.
Thank you for that people complaining about the name is ridiculous.. Did any of your even make the dish before you dissed on the name…. The dish was very good no matter what the name is.
Delicious!!!
Can’t be “beanie” weenies without beans!
They were perfect appetizer for game day! My husband and his buddies went crazy for them!
We loved these so much I am going to make them again for the Super Bowl! Thanks so much for the awesome recipe.
We make these for so many parties & get togethers!! They are such a crowd-pleasing appetizer!! We seem to never make enough, because they are gone so fast!
Best little appetizer and our family loves these beanie wienies. So yummy!
My kids absolutely loved these and are begging me to make them again tomorrow.
I always stock up of these when they go on sale. I love your bacon wrapped smokies and have added this recipe to me box. Really easy and good.