These delicious sausage balls with cream cheese are poppable little savory orbs that taste like more. They’re easy to make and will disappear as fast as you can refill the platter. A real crowd-pleaser!
Mix these up, bake them, and be serving them in under 30 minutes! These cheesy sausage puffs make a scrumptious appetizer that comes together quickly and only requires five ingredients.
Most of us think of sausage balls at Christmastime, but I promise you, when these delicious morsels show up on your Easter brunch buffet, they’ll be the hands-down favorite.
Pair them with my easy Honey Mustard Sauce, and you’ll need a chair and a whip to hold off the hungry masses. lol
The Ingredients
- Baking Mix (like Bisquick) – I use the Great Value brand from Walmart, and it’s perfect. You can also substitute pancake mix, and some people like to use Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix. (Psst! The secret is that Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix is essentially Bisquick with a seasoning packet. Save your hard-earned dollars.)
- Ground Breakfast Sausage (like Jimmy Dean’s) – You can use mild or spicy, as you prefer. I have also used Italian sausage and mixed it with breakfast sausage when I double the batch. Get creative and choose flavors your family loves.
- Cream Cheese (full fat) – Again, I use GV brand from Walmart. I have not tried the low-fat (Neufchatel) cream cheese, so I’m not sure how it would work out.
- Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese – You could try substituting your favorite, but grate it fresh and choose a cheese with good flavor and meltability.
- All-Purpose Seasoning – I use my homemade all-purpose seasoning. It’s inexpensive and has less salt than many store brands. But choose the one you like best.
How to Make Sausage Balls WITHOUT Bisquick
No Bisquick or baking mix in the pantry? No worries. You can still whip up these cheesy sausage puff appetizers by making your own quick and easy baking mix. In a small mixing bowl, mix up:
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine everything with a fork or a pastry blender until it forms small crumbles and all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Instead of the baking mix in the sausage balls recipe below, use this mixture. It is the perfect amount to make one batch of this yummy appetizer recipe.
Dipping Sauce for Cheesy Sausage Puffs
Be sure to offer a delectable sauce or two (or three) for dipping your sausage appetizers. Mustard is a natural pairing with pork, and my sweet and tangy Honey Mustard Sauce is a delicious complement to cheesy sausage puffs. Some other dipping ideas are:
- Your favorite BBQ sauce
- Avocado Ranch Dressing
- Creamy Southwest Dressing and Dip
- Easy Homemade Chimichurri for a fresh and spicy kick
FAQs
Absolutely! Make the recipe and roll the sausage balls without baking them. Cover the baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
If you want to make them further ahead, place the tray of unbaked sausage puffs into the freezer and flash freeze them for about an hour or until they are frozen solid. Transfer to a zip-top freezer bag or air-tight freezer container until the night before you want to bake them. They should keep frozen for up to three months.
When ready to bake, arrange the frozen sausage balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Reduce the usual temperature for baking to 375°F and allow extra time for the sausage puffs to reach the safe internal temperature of 165°F. Reducing the temperature helps the frozen appetizers to cook all the way through without getting too brown on the outside.
Yes. See the complete instructions above in the first FAQ. They bake up perfectly from frozen with a small adjustment to baking temperature and time.
It’s very easy. If you are lucky enough to have leftover sausage balls (a rare occurrence), store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. They can be reheated in the microwave or air fryer. We think the air fryer provides the best results for reheating. As with any bread product, microwaving can slightly alter the texture.
How to Make Sausage Balls
- Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Much like making meatloaf, I find the easiest method is to use my hands. Mix until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Form the mixture into one-inch balls. I use my cookie scoop [affiliate link] to get them all to be a fairly uniform size.
- Place the rolled sausage puffs onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, arranging them so that they are not touching and the heat can circulate around them. I can always get the whole batch on one baking sheet [affiliate link].
- Bake at 400° for 18 to 25 minutes. Timing depends so much on your personal oven. The internal temperature of the finished sausage balls will be 165°F. Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness.
You’ll definitely want to break out this recipe for all the special occasions throughout the year. Sausage balls can be for so much more than Christmastime.
Add them to brunch or breakfast buffets along with easy deviled eggs, and they’ll be a smash hit! They make fantastic afternoon pick-me-ups, and I have one grandson who loves to snack on them while he’s gaming. Pile them up next to a stack of cucumber sandwiches, some old-fashioned pimento cheese, charcuterie cups, and all the other appetizers you have planned for Easter, Mother’s Day, or graduation.
Everyone will love them, and you’ll love how easy they are for you to make!
The Recipe
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Easy Sausage Balls Recipe
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 45 sausage balls 1x
Description
These easy sausage balls are a quick and easy appetizer loved by young and old. You only need five ingredients, and they’re ready in under 30 minutes. They’ll be a smash hit wherever you serve them!
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups baking mix or pancake mix (or 1 box of Red Lobster Cheddar Bay biscuit mix)
- 1 lb. ground breakfast sausage (like Jimmy Dean)
- 1 (8 oz.) block cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cups Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon All Purpose Seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Much like making meatloaf, I find the easiest method is to use my hands. Mix until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Form the mixture into one-inch balls. I use my cookie scoop to get them all to be a fairly uniform size.
- Place the rolled sausage puffs onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, arranging them so that they are not touching and the heat can circulate around them. I can always get the whole batch on one baking sheet [affiliate link].
- Bake at 400° for 18 to 25 minutes. Timing depends so much on your personal oven. The internal temperature of the finished sausage balls will be 165°F. Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauces, like my homemade Honey Mustard Sauce.
Notes
Making them ahead and/or freezing them.
Make the recipe and roll the sausage balls without baking them. Cover the baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
If you want to make them further ahead, place the tray of unbaked sausage puffs into the freezer and flash freeze them for about an hour or until they are frozen solid. Transfer to a zip-top freezer bag or air-tight freezer container until the night before you want to bake them. They should keep frozen for up to three months.
When ready to bake, arrange the frozen sausage balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Reduce the usual temperature for baking to 375°F and allow extra time for the sausage puffs to reach the safe internal temperature of 165°F. Reducing the temperature helps the frozen appetizers to cook all the way through without getting too brown on the outside.
How to Make Sausage Balls WITHOUT Bisquick
No Bisquick or baking mix in the pantry? No worries. You can still whip up these cheesy sausage puff appetizers by making your own quick and easy baking mix. In a small mixing bowl, mix up:
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine everything with a fork or a pastry blender until it forms small crumbles and all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Instead of the baking mix in the sausage balls recipe below, use this mixture. It is the perfect amount to make one batch of this yummy appetizer recipe.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Pork
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
About Glenda
I believe cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be complicated and that YOU can do it. My simple recipes, tutorials, and cooking tips will help you get weeknight dinners on the table with less stress. Forget takeout or the drive-thru. Let me show you how to make homemade easy. Read more...
