This recipe for Sausage Balls is made without Bisquick pancake mix. Instead, I used my own pancake mix ingredients plus cream cheese to make them a bit creamier. They are the perfect breakfast, brunch or Christmas appetizer that is guaranteed to be a hit at your next party!
If you love meatballs, check out these 11 creative ways to use frozen meatballs!
If you have never had sausage and cream cheese balls, they are SO delicious!!
They really are the perfect finger food ANY time of day and ANY time of year but many people make them around the holidays, especially on Christmas morning like my Sweet Bread French Toast.
They taste like a cheesy biscuit with sausage inside.
They go so well with breakfast like eggs or pancakes and french toast or they can be served as a skewered holiday appetizer or for next Sunday's football game or tailgate party!
Either way, they are a cheesy appetizer, moist and packed with flavor!
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🛒 Ingredient Tips
- ground pork/sausage - you can choose spicy sausage if you really like heat or mild.
- flour - flour helps to hold the balls together. You can swap with gluten free flour, wheat, self-rising or almond flour. If using almond flour, the texture will be a bit different.
- baking powder- this helps the sausage balls expand a bit and keeps them light.
- cream cheese - this makes the balls creamy, moist and tender.
- maple syrup - this adds sweetness and pairs perfectly with sausage.
- milk - to add moisture,
- garlic/onion/cayenne/salt - to season your meat. You can add any seasoning you prefer.
No Pancake Bisquick Mix Needed!
The old fashioned, or traditional, version of this recipe uses a box of good ol' Bisquick mix!
But the thing is, many of us do not have that on hand OR many of us are not a fan of the mystery ingredients in those pancake mixes. So this recipe is a delicious alternative to using a boxed pancake mix.
Most pancake mixes, including Bisquick, are made with the following ingredients:
- flour
- milk
- leavening agent (baking powder/soda)
- sugar
- shortening
So for my sausage balls, I started with all of the above ingredients (except for the shortening) all of which work just as well as a boxed mix. Since sausage is greasy on it's own, not adding any additional fat will help cut down on the greasiness.
In addition to those, I used uncooked sausage. You can use spicy/hot sausage if you like that better. Jimmy Dean has a great sausage selection.
To make these super creamy, I also added cream cheese and cheddar cheese to my mix which helps your balls stay moist and juicy.
Lastly, I added MAPLE SYRUP! I am a sucker for sweet and savory especially when the savory ingredient is spicy.
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And I think we all can agree that sausage goes VERY well with maple syrup. Hellooo pancakes with sausage! So that ingredient alone makes these the best sausage balls...in my humble opinion.
Dipping Sauce Ideas
Sausage goes well with so many different ingredients, both savory AND sweet. My go-to sauce is simple. Ketchup!
Warmed maple syrup would be a delicious option for breakfast!
If you want other dipping sauce options that would go well with sausage balls, any of these would be delicious:
Expert Tips
- Use a mini ice cream scooper to scoop out your sausage mix so that each ball is uniform in size and perfectly bite-sized. This also helps them to cook evenly.
- Use a food processor to easily mix your dough otherwise it will be tough to mix everything together. If you don't have a food processor, get one!! They are amazing and save lots of time. Here is a mini one I love!
- You should not be using pre-cooked sausage. The results will not be the same and your balls wont hold together.
- To prevent your sausage balls from being flat on one side, I recommend popping them in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking. Then rotate them so they come out round.
- Use a sweet sausage for ever more sweetness.
- Add more cayenne pepper if you like heat.
- Use can use a stand mixer if you need with a hook attachment to help mix easier!
Why are my sausage balls so dry?
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Overbaking: Overbaking is a common cause of dry sausage balls. Be sure to follow the recommended baking time in your recipe. Check them periodically and remove them from the oven as soon as they are golden brown.
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Lean Sausage: Using lean sausage can result in drier sausage balls. Opt for sausage with a slightly higher fat content to keep them moist and flavorful.
Make-Ahead/Storage Tips
Store your sausage balls in a sealed tupperware container for up to 3-4 days. You can freeze your sausage balls and reheat them later in the oven until heated through. I recommend defrosting them first.
FAQ's
Jimmy Dean is a popular brand. You can use sweet, spicy or smoked turkey or pork sausage!
Yes.
No but it helps. You can use a stand mixer with a hook attachment or your hands if you want a workout!
Other sausage appetizers you will love:
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📖 Recipe
Sausage Balls Without Bisquick Mix
Ingredients
- ½ lb. uncooked ground sausage (spicy or mild) (*you can also use plain ground pork)
- ⅓ cup flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1½ tablespoon milk
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (*more if you like heat)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1-2 scallions, finely chopped (*reserve some for garnishing)
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F.
- Add all your ingredients to a food processor and puree until well blended. Add your scallions last and pulse 1-2 times to incorporate.*If you don't grate your cheese ahead of time, it will be difficult to blend.*If you don't have a strong food processor, you can mix by hand!
- Use a mini ice cream scooper to neatly and evenly scoop out ½ ounce. Use your hands to roll them into round balls. Place on a nonstick baking sheet or parchment paper.
- The bottom of your sausage balls will bake flatter so if this bothers you, place them in the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm them up a bit. Then remove and re-roll them in between the palms of your hands to round them out again.
- Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Do not overbake!
- Serve hot with scallions as a garnish and ketchup or maple syrup for dipping!
Recipe Notes
- This recipe does not use as much flour as other traditional sausage ball recipes. I believe they turn out more moist this way.
- Add ⅓ cup shredded cheddar cheese if you prefer a cheesier sausage ball.
- If the size of your balls are larger than ½ ounce. the bake time will increase and the yield will decrease.
- If you want to make these in advance and freeze them, roll them out and lay them FLAT on a baking sheet. Then flash freeze them for about an hour. This will allow you to add them together in a container or bag without sticking together! Freeze for 6-8 weeks.
- *Read the post above for more tips and frequently answered questions!
Sandy
Hi Aleka,
I recently made these sausage balls and sent a comment on how good they were. Today, Thursday, I made another two dozen which I need for Saturday. I have rolled them out but have NOT not baked them. If I freeze, do I need to thaw before baking? You have two comments on your site; one says to thaw; the other says to bake from frozen.
Aleka Shunk
Hi Sandy! Thanks so much. Sorry for the delay. I don't think thawing is necessary but I would cover them with foil. I hope they turned out okay!!
Sandy
These sausage balls are absolutely delicious. I will never use Bisquick again.
The combination of maple syrup and cayenne pepper bring the flavor over the top. I would not omit either ingredient. The only confusion I had is that you reference cooking them at both 375 and 425 degrees (?). Is there a reason for this?
Aleka Shunk
Thanks so much! I will edit that sorry about that.
GY
Don't use lean sausage. They need the fat to not get too dry.
Ashley
I can’t wait to try these! How much cream cheese do you use?
Aleka Shunk
Hi Ashley! So sorry for the delay but thank you for pointing that out! You need 4 ounces of cream cheese. Ill add that now! 🙂
Karen
Hi Aleka,
You have mentioned that you use cream cheese and cheddar cheese in this recipe however I do not see cream cheese listed in the recipe. How much cream cheese do you use? I like the sound of the added cream cheese and would like to try your recipe with the cream cheese.
Your recipe sounds great…. much better then the 3 ingredient recipe that is out there. Looking forward to making these. Thank you.
Aleka Shunk
Hi Karen! I just updated the recipe a bit. Thanks so much for pointing that out!!
Brittany Johnson
Going to try to make some in advance for easy meals with my next baby on the way... When you bake from frozen, do you thaw first?
Aleka Shunk
Hi Brittany! I am assuming you are freezing them fully baked. If this is the case, you don't need to thaw them. Heat them at about 300 degrees F for about 15 minutes or until heated through.
Lawson
How many sausage balls are in a serving size? Much enjoyed!
Aleka Shunk
Hi! I estimated about 4 balls per serving.
Lisa Gray
Do you think I can just omit the maple syrup, or would I need to replace it with something? I’m excited to try these!
Aleka Shunk
You can omit it if you'd like! Let me know how they turn out! 🙂
Nancy
I tried at home it was delicious..
Aleka Shunk
I am so glad you liked it!