Easy Bratwurst Bites appetizers are just the thing to serve during a party or for game day. They’re also super simple to make and everybody loves them! SCORE!
My family (well, me really) goes crazy for all things German. This simple recipe for Bratwurst Bites combines flavorful cooked German bratwurst which is then wrapped in store-bought crescent rolls, and baked again until browned.
The easy creamy sauerkraut dipping sauce is the perfect accompaniment to these tasty little German sausage appetizer bites.
**Please Note – The printable recipe card with detailed instructions, complete ingredient measurements, and nutritional information for making Bratwurst Bites Wrapped in Crescent Rolls is available near the end of this post. OR click on the “jump to recipe” tab (found below) to be taken directly to the recipe.
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The ingredient list;
- 1 package (5 each) bratwurst
- 1 tube crescent rolls (I used the non-perforated sheets)
- one egg
- poppy seeds
The ingredient list for the sauerkraut dipping sauce;
- sauerkraut, drained
- mayonnaise
- black pepper
- smoked paprika
How many bratwurst bites does this recipe make?
- As written, this recipe will make 25 bratwurst bites.
- Want more? This recipe can be easily doubled (or tripled) as needed.
For the love of grocery store convenience foods!
I’ve said it before, and I’m sure I’ll say again, store-bought tubed crescent rolls are one of my favorite grocery store convenience items!
I love to keep them on hand in my refrigerator on a pretty consistent basis. Especially during the holiday season, because you can never go wrong serving an appetizer where crescent rolls are part of the equation. At least not in my opinion.
What if I’m not a fan of sauerkraut? Are there other suggestions for dipping sauces?
If you’re not a fan of sauerkraut you can still make the crescent wrapped bratwurst bites and dip them in something else.
- Maybe some whole grain German mustard mixed with a little honey.
- Or what about a prepared onion dip?
- Or a beer cheese dip would be extra delicious.
- Here’s a particularly amazing beer cheese dip recipe from Cook the Story that I think would make a tasty dip for these crescent wrapped bratwurst bites. So much so that I think I’m going to make the beer cheese dip the next time I make these bites because now I’m craving beer cheese dip! LOL
More about the sauerkraut dipping sauce;
Since my husband isn’t the biggest fan of sauerkraut (but I still am), I decided to cut the bitterness of the kraut with a bit of mayonnaise and a touch of smoked paprika.
The result is creamy, slightly tangy, slightly smoky, and utterly scrumptious!
The tools and equipment you’ll need are;
- large skillet
- baking sheet
- parchment paper (optional)
- small bowls
- pastry brush (optional)
- spoons
- pizza wheel or knife
Can I make Bratwurst Bites in advance?
- Yes. Prepare the bites, as written, up until bake time.
- Cover loosely in the fridge for 1 – 2 days and then bring them to room temperature and then bake as directed.
The easy step-by-step instructions;
- Cut each bratwurst into 1″ pieces.
- Brown the brats in the oil over medium/high heat on all sides, turning occasionally.
- Remove the cooked brats from the skillet and pat dry with a paper towel. Cool.
- Unroll the crescent dough and pat it into a fairly uniform rectangle.
- Use a knife or pizza wheel to cut the crescent dough in half width-wise, and then in ½” strips, lengthwise so you’ll have 24 pieces total.
- Roll up each cooked bratwurst in the crescent dough strips and lay each rolled brat, seam side down on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with baking spray, or lined with parchment paper.
- Brush each brat bite with a tiny bit of egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon of water)
- Sprinkle each bite with poppy seeds
- Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 15-17 minutes, or until they’re golden brown.
- Meanwhile, mix ½ cup prepared mayonnaise with ½ cup drained sauerkraut, pepper, and ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika.
- Chill until ready to serve.
- Serve the crescent wrapped bratwurst bites warm, or at room temperature, with the chilled sauerkraut dipping sauce.
- Enjoy!
For additional German-inspired recipes I’ve shared in the past, please click on the following titles for;
- GERMAN ONION SOUP (pictured below) –
“German Onion Soup has plenty of caramelized onions, beer, bratwurst and pretzel roll croutons which will soon become a family favorite! Surprise! I’ll bet you didn’t see that coming.”
- GERMAN SLOW COOKER PORK RIBS AND SAUERKRAUT (pictured below) –
“Nothing speaks to the flavors of a German dinner more than pork and sauerkraut. This easy recipe for German Pork Ribs with Sauerkraut for the slow cooker brings the family to the dinner table with a minimum of effort.”
- GERMAN SPAETZLE CASSEROLE WITH CHEESE AND CRISPY ONIONS (pictured below) –
“Buttered German egg dumplings (spaetzle) are layered in a casserole dish along with shredded Gruyere cheese and crispy, crunchy onions to bring you this delicious recipe for Layered German Spaetzle Casserole with Cheese & Crispy Onions.“
- BRATWURST BITES WITH SAUERKRAUT DIPPING SAUCE (pictured below) – This is the place!
See? I told you I love German foods and flavors! 🙂
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Below is the printable recipe card along with the exact ingredient measurements and nutritional information for making today’s easy bratwurst bites appetizers.
Bratwurst Bites with Sauerkraut Dipping Sauce are just the thing to serve during a party or gathering. They're also super simple to make, and everybody loves them! Make some today!
- 5 bratwurst
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 tube non-perforated crescent roll sheet
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- ½ cup sauerkraut drained
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- pinch black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
-
Preheat oven to 375-degrees.
-
Cut the uncooked bratwurst into 1″ pieces to make 24 pieces.
-
In a large skillet, brown the bratwurst pieces (on medium/high heat) in the oil until browned and cooked through, turning occasionally (approximately 10 minutes).
-
Remove the cooked bratwurst to a paper towel to drain and cool.
-
Pop and unroll the crescent sheet. Slice the sheet in half lengthwise and then slice into ½” strips to equal 24 – 6″ strips.
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Wrap each cooked bratwurst piece in one of the 6″ crescent strips.
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Place each wrapped bratwurst onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
-
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water.
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Brush each crescent wrapped bratwurst with a bit of the egg wash, being careful not to saturate the bites as this will make them stick to the tray.
-
Sprinkle each bratwurst bite with poppy seeds.
-
Bake in a preheated oven for 15-17 minutes, or until the crescent rolls are golden brown.
-
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the sauerkraut, mayonnaise, pepper, and smoked paprika. Keep cold until ready to serve.
-
Serve the bratwurst bites warm (or at room temperature), along with the chilled sauerkraut sauce.
Tools and equipment:
large skillet, small bowls, pizza wheel (optional), baking sheet, parchment paper (optional), cutting board, chef’s knife, spoons, and pastry brush
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These are so good in the dipping sauce, yum!!!
Seemed like a no-brainer when you talk about an Oktoberfest recipe. Glad you like it!
Don’t skimp on the dipping sauce! It is the BOMB dot com.
Agreed! The sauce is everything!! Thanks, Sarah!
Thanks for sharing. I plan on making these vegan using Beyond Sausage (crescent roll dough is already vegan) and vegenaise for the mayo…the dip sounds awesome! I will report back.
I’m sure they’ll be great. I’m glad you’re making this recipe your own! That’s what it’s all about!!
There are an annoying amount of commercials on your site. Overkill. Sad. I would rethink that.
I appreciate your opinion. However, it’s how I actually make money from my blog. Sorry if you find that sad. Enjoy your day!
Can these be made ahead and frozen?
Yes. After they’ve been cooked and frozen, thaw them uncovered before reheating so they don’t take on any moisture that would make the dough soggy.
Also, watch them in the oven carefully so they don’t over brown.
Have a wonderful day!
These look delicious! Need an appetizer fot a German themed dinner….can’t wait to try them! Thanks!
My pleasure, Rebecca! I’m sure they’ll be a hit at your dinner! Enjoy!!
Why can’t you roll the whole sausage in puff pastry, brush the egg and then cut them into bite size pieces? Opinions?
Hi, Jeanne!
You can definitely do that. I wrote the recipe for crescent rolls, but puff pastry dough should also work.
Wrapping the entire sausage might be difficult because of the natural curve of a cooked sausage.
Try it and let me know how it worked for you.
Renee
Are using a fresh brat or smoked brats for this recipe?
Hi, Sharon!
I used a fresh (cooked) brat, but a smoked brat would also be delicious! Use your favorite!
Enjoy your day!
Renee
Can you make the dip a day ahead?
Hi, Suzanne!
Yes. You can even make it a few days in advance and then keep it in the fridge if you want.
The only thing I would suggest is that you make sure the sauerkraut is extra dry when doing so.
This way the dip won’t get watery as it sits.
Good question. Hope this helps.
Enjoy!
Renee
Do you leave the skin on the sausage? I’m trying to cut them but pressure of cutting into bite size pieces squeezes the meat out of the skin.
Hello, Beth!
I hope this answer reaches you in time to help.
I do NOT take the casings off the sausages.
You may be having problems cutting the sausages because your knife may need to be sharpened, OR possibly you need to use a sawing motion with the knife blade instead of pushing down on it.
Some suggestions for fixing this problem would be to sharpen your knife or perhaps use a serrated knife instead, and don’t forget to use a back and forth sawing motion. You needn’t apply a lot of pressure while cutting the sausages, just let the knife do all the work.
Another fix would be to freeze the sausages slightly (for about 15 minutes) before slicing.
I hope these suggestions are helpful.
Thanks for the question.
Renee
Quick question – can I fully prepare these the evening before they will be served? I will not have access to a stove the day I need to serve them, so I would need to bake them the night before and then store overnight. Thank you!
Hi, Kelly!
That should work just fine.
To reheat, do so in a 350-degree oven for like 10-12 minutes, or in a microwave, covered with a paper towel, and on medium power for 2-3 minutes, or until hot.
I hope this helps. Enjoy the recipe!
Renee
Yum! Making this for the superbowl this year!
You won’t be sorry, Taryn! Enjoy!
These look amazing! We are big fans of all foods German so I’m excited to serve these at our next party or game day – whichever comes first!
Glad you like these, Beth! They’re a favorite of ours, too. Enjoy, and happy snacking!
Renee