February 4, 2026
Mini Chili Cheese Dogs
These mini chili cheese dogs are a fun twist on the classic and beloved chili dog. Fluffy dinner rolls are slathered in herbed butter and stuffed with melty vegan cheddar cheese, hot dogs, chili, and more cheese! Then they’re baked until perfectly crisp and melty, making for a delicious handheld snack that everyone is sure to love!
Table of Contents
why you’ll love these mini chili cheese dogs jump to recipe video step-by-step instructions tips and faqsMini Chili Cheese Dogs
These mini chili cheese dogs are the ultimate game-day snack! Fluffy dinner rolls are brushed with herbed butter, stuffed with melty cheddar, hot dogs, and hearty chili, then baked to perfection! They’re crispy on the outside, cheesy and savory on the inside, and totally irresistible!
Why You’ll Love These Mini Chili Cheese Dogs
- Perfect for parties: A crowd-pleasing, handheld snack for game days, potlucks, or casual gatherings.
- Easy to make: Simple ingredients and minimal prep time.
- Customizable: Use your favorite vegan hot dogs, chili, and cheese for a flavor-packed bite.
- Irresistibly cheesy: A double layer of vegan cheddar ensures melty, gooey goodness in every bite.
What Goes in Mini Chili Cheese Dogs
Think of everything you love about a classic chili cheese dog — fluffy bread, hot dogs, melty cheese, smokey chili, and endless toppings! These are basically that, but mini! Here’s everything you’ll need to make them:
- Vegan-friendly dinner rolls: every time I make a recipe that calls for dinner rolls, many people tell me they can’t find a vegan-friendly brand! I typically buy mine at my grocery store’s bakery section (where they’re made fresh & typically don’t contain dairy or eggs), but other brands I’ve found that are vegan-friendly and at most grocery stores are the Artesano rolls by Sara Lee, Signature Select Artisan Rolls, Pretzilla Dinner Rolls, and La Brea Take and Bake Dinner Rolls.
- For the herbed butter: softened vegan butter, fresh parsley, and minced garlic.
- Vegan cheddar shreds: in the recipe video below and in the photos, I’m using the Violife cheddar shreds, but as I mentioned earlier, I’ve been making a version of this recipe for years, so I’ve used pretty much every brand of vegan cheese on the market! Some of my other favorites are Daiya, Good & Gather by Target, and 365 by Whole Foods.
- Vegan hot dogs: Lightlife and Filed Roast are my favorites!
- Chili: if you want to make this recipe super easy and quick, opt for a can of vegetarian chili – there are several on the market, and you can easily elevate them by adding some extra seasonings! Of course, you can certainly make your own chili as well, which is what I did, using the recipe out of my cookbook!
- Garnishes: I added vegan sour cream and green onion, but the options are endless!
How to Make Mini Chili Cheese Dogs
Seriously, this recipe couldn’t be easier! Here’s what you do:
1. Preheat:
Your oven to 375°F.
2. Pan Sear the Hot Dogs:
Heat the oil in a non-stick sauté pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, pan-fry the hot dogs for 6 to 7 minutes, until they begin to brown a bit, rolling them around as they cook to ensure they cook evenly on all sides. Remove the hot dogs from the heat and cut each dog into 3 even pieces; you will have 12 pieces altogether.
3. Form the Bread Bites and Make the Herby Butter:
To prepare the mini chili cheese dogs, place the dinner rolls in a 9 by 13-inch or 3-quart baking dish, leaving them attached. Using a sharp paring knife, cut a small square in the middle of each roll, leaving about a 1⁄2-inch border around the edges. Do not cut all the way through. Gently press down on the cut-out square to form an opening in the middle of each roll. In a small bowl, mix the softened butter, parsley, and garlic powder, then brush the rolls with the mixture.
3. Assemble:
Sprinkle 1 cup of the vegan cheddar shreds into the bottoms of the hollowed-out rolls, then insert a piece of hot dog into each one. Top each roll with a couple tablespoons of the chili, then sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cheddar shreds over the top of the rolls.
4. Bake:
Cover loosely with foil and bake until the cheese has mostly melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 5 to 10 minutes, until the chili is bubbly and starts to brown.
5. Enjoy!
Remove and let cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with vegan sour cream and green onion and enjoy!
Tips & FAQs
- Crispier rolls? Bake uncovered for the last 5 minutes to achieve a golden-brown crust.
- Make-ahead option: Assemble the mini chili dogs, cover, and refrigerate. Bake when ready to serve.
- Spice it up: Add jalapeños or a drizzle of hot sauce for an extra kick.
Storing and Reheating:
While these mini chili cheese dogs are best served fresh, you can certainly store them in a covered container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. If you believe you’ll have leftovers, I recommend garnishing them as you go. For best results, reheat them in a preheated oven or air-fryer at 350° for 8 to 12 minutes, or until heated through. You can also reheat them in the microwave, but they oven or air-fryer is preferred!
What other toppings would you recommend?
I love this recipe because it’s so fun and customizable! I love adding vegan sour cream and green onions to my mini chili cheese dogs, but other toppings I’ve added in the past are diced onions, pickled or fresh jalapeños, crispy fried onions (the French’s Fried Onions are accidentally vegan!), and dill pickle slices!
Can I make this ahead of time?
Absolutely! Follow all the instructions up to the point of baking. Once you’ve assembled the rolls with the cheese, hot dog pieces, and chili, cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. You can refrigerate it at this point for up to one day before serving. When you’re ready to serve, follow the baking instructions, but you may need to add a few extra minutes to account for the cold ingredients. Start by baking covered for 20-25 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted, and the chili is bubbly. Garnish and enjoy!
More Crowd-Pleasing Snacks for The Big Game!
Chili Cheese Dogs … BUT MINI!
I hope ya’ll love these mini chili cheese dogs as much as I do! If you give this recipe a try, I wanna know! Snap a photo, take a video, or make a story and post it to Instagram or TikTok, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs. I love seeing your recreations! Til next time, friends!
xo!
Mini Chili Cheese Dogs
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 4 vegan hot dogs
- 1 (12-count) package vegan-friendly dinner rolls
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ cups vegan cheddar shreds, divided
- 2 cups vegan-friendly chili, homemade or store-bought
- Vegan sour cream, for garnish
- Minced chives, for garnish
- Minced red onion, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Heat the oil in a non-stick sauté pan over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, pan-fry the hot dogs for 6 to 7 minutes, until they begin to brown a bit, rolling them around as they cook to ensure they cook evenly on all sides.
- Remove the hot dogs from the pan and cut each dog into 3 even pieces; you will have 12 pieces altogether.
- To prepare the mini chili cheese dogs, place the dinner rolls in a 9 by 13-inch or 3-quart baking dish, leaving them attached.
- Using a sharp paring knife, cut a small square in the middle of each roll, leaving about a 1⁄2-inch border around the edges. Do not cut all the way through.
- Gently press down on the cut-out square to form an opening in the middle of each roll.
- In a small bowl, mix the softened butter, parsley, and garlic powder, then brush the rolls with the mixture.
- Sprinkle 1 cup of the vegan cheddar shreds into the bottoms of the hollowed-out rolls, then insert a piece of hot dog into each one.
- Next, fill each roll with a couple tablespoons of the chili, then sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cheddar shreds over the top of the rolls.
- Cover loosely with foil and bake until the cheese has mostly melted, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake another 5 to 10 minutes, until the chili is bubbly and starts to brown. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with vegan sour cream and green onion and enjoy!
These were delicious and a huge hit. I didn’t make my major changes, just omitted some toppings based on what I had on hand (only put green onion on top). Made last Sunday and making again this Sunday! Used vegan pandesal the first time and using vegan Hawaiian rolls this time. The sweetness is a nice touch.