Beanie Weenies

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:

• Baked Beans
• Potato Salad
• Macaroni Salad
• Strawberry jello Pretzel Salad
• Easy Coleslaw

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