This Sausage ball recipe is made with flour and no Bisquick. They’re a classic favorite at our house. Less greasy than the traditional recipe making them perfect for game days, brunch, and holiday get togethers.
Sausage balls have always been a treat in our house around the holidays. Everyone loves them for breakfast but they are just as delicious as appetizers for parties or get togethers.
The Bisquick recipe for sausage balls was on the back of the box of Bisquick when I was growing up. My mom used Bisquick for everything. I don’t really like the idea of using processed foods so I recreated a sausage ball recipe without Bisquick.
If you read the ingredients on the box, it’s flour and shortening and some chemicals. I decided that I should be able to use flour with a little butter and baking powder to get the same results.
We were all thrilled with the results. Using flour with a little butter instead of shortening made the same delicious sausage balls but they were less greasy. I first tried baking them on a wire rack on a cookie sheet but you don’t need it; there was hardly any grease that dripped through. Not only were they not as greasy but the texture was so much better than the Bisquick version. They were almost biscuit like.
If you’re going to serve this at a party, get some helpful tips along with 25 delicious game day appetizer recipes to choose from.
Why you’ll love sausage balls
- They’re a tasty finger food appetizer that can be eaten hot or room temperature!
- The sausage adds a lot of flavor to the melty cheese
- They aren’t greasy
- Great for breakfast, brunch or apps!
What you’ll need
- Sausage – this needs to be uncooked so it mixes into the flour and cheese to form balls, any breakfast sausage will work. I love Neeses.
- Cheddar cheese – take the extra minutes and grate the cheese yourself so it melts better. If you’re using a food processor, grate the cheese first.
- Flour – this helps bind the ingredients – almond flour is a healthy substitution
- Butter, salt, baking powder
How to make sausage balls from scratch
Step 1
Place the flour, baking powder and salt in a food processor or large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter and process until combined or use a pastry cutter.
Step 2
Add uncooked sausage and process until well combined. If you don’t have a food processor, use your hands or a stand mixer to combine. I used my hands for years and they turned out beautifully.
Step 3
Use a small ice cream scoop to form into balls and place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Once the ingredients are combined, you can roll them into balls, but it’s quicker and you will get prettier shaped sausage balls if you use a small ice cream scoop.
Step 4
Bake for 15 minutes until browned.
Pro tip: You can mix the ingredients with your hands, but if you have a food processor, I highly recommend letting it do the work! It binds all the ingredients and then you just scoop out perfectly shaped balls.
If eating them for breakfast or brunch, try serving them with a crustless quiche or with a slice of honey oat bread or add some pimento cheese for a truly Southern addition.
The worst thing about making sausage balls has always been getting all the ingredients combined. The only way I knew to do this was to use my hands. But this time, I was making the flour butter mixture in the food processor and just dumped the cheese and sausage in and OMG, it was perfectly blended and I didn’t even have to get my hands dirty.
I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of the food processor before. If you don’t have one, then try putting it in a stand mixer and mix it together or you can use your hands to combine the ingredients. Put a food processor on your Christmas list if you don’t own one, this is my second one which I’ve had for at least 20 years. I had to replace one of the parts, that I broke, but it’s still going strong.
More ways to use a food processor
I couldn’t live without my food processor. I use it to make biscuits, pie crusts, date balls, cheese crackers, macaroni & cheese, and chocolate Oreo balls to list just a few. It’s great for slicing potatoes for baked au gratin potatoes, or making the topping for peach crumble.Of course it’s ideal for grating cheese or making pesto. I could go on and on.
It’s one of just a couple of appliances I could not live without. It makes a great wedding or graduation gift and of course is perfect for Christmas.
Can you microwave sausage balls
NO!! Don’t microwave them, you’ll get rubbery sausage balls. That doesn’t mean I haven’t done it in a pinch, but they are so much better if you can warm them in the toaster oven. I use my toaster oven all the time, I don’t think they sell it anymore but it’s similar to this toaster oven.
FAQs and tips
You can use a strong mixer or your hands to combine the ingredients. A hand held mixer will not be strong enough.
Place them in an oven at 350º for about 5 minutes. Don’t microwave.
Substitute almond flour and make keto sausage balls.
If you are using very lean sausage, you may need to cut back on the flour.
What’s nice about these is that you can make them in advance and freeze them before cooking. You can also freeze them after they’ve cooked and warm them up. If re-warming, sprinkle with a little water and bake at 350º until warm.
Need more GAME DAY recipes
More finger food appetizers
- Try a French appetizer, croque monsieurs with puff pastry
- Savory puff pastry pinwheels
- Family favorite mushroom cream cheese balls
- Addictive cheesy crackers
Sausage Balls Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter cold
- 1 lb. sausage uncooked
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese grated
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add flour, baking powder, salt and butter to a stand mixer or food processor and mix until butter is incorporated or pinch the butter together with your fingers until it is incorporated into the flour. Add grated cheese and mix. Add sausage a little at a time and mix until it comes together
- Using a 1 tablespoon ice cream scoop, form into balls and place on prepared rack.
- Bake for 15 minutes until slightly browned on the outside. Serve warm.
Video
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- If you want a low carb version, try Sausage Balls with Almond Flour
- If making pimento cheese sausage balls, substitute cheddar cheese for 10 ounces of pimento cheese.
- You will get the best results if you grate the cheese instead of buying pre-shredded cheese.
- Use a stand mixer or food processor to combine the ingredients.
- For perfectly shaped balls, use a small ice-cream scoop.
- You can refrigerate the balls prior to baking or freeze once they have been baked.
- To reheat, sprinkle with water and bake at 350º for 5-10 minutes.
Nutrition
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I am wondering if you brown the sausage first or put it in raw?
Linda,
You put the sausage in raw and it cooks in the oven.
You put it in raw, how easy is that!
Great…lighter than the old Bisquik version! If serving at breakfast or as a part of “breakfast for dinner,” set out a little pitcher of warm maple syrup to drizzle over the balls!! YUM!
The syrup is a great idea, thanks Nancy.
I made sausage balls again for a fall party. I added chopped dates for a sweet note in the savory mix.
Sweet and savory sounds delicious!
I will be making these for Xmas morning … But wonder … Can I make these without the sausage? Would I need to adjust some other ingredients?
I don’t think they would stay together without the sausage. If you just want a cheese biscuit, then try these with or without the caramelized onions.
Can you just use self rising flour instead of the flour, baking soda and salt
Yes, I just never have self-rising flour around.
Best recipe
They’re my favorite for weekend or holiday mornings.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I never seem to have bisquick on hand so I’ve looked many times for a recipe to make sausage balls without bisquick. Your recipe is prefect! I’ve tried quite a few over the years- some were way too greasy, some were dry, some were downright impossible with the amount of flour called for. I wasn’t sure why add the butter, but I trusted you and glad I did! I did add a little water to the final mix bc my mixer was struggling. We love sausage balls and this is by far the best recipe I’ve found. It beats any bisquick recipe. If you’re on the fence, just give them a try. Thanks again!
The butter is needed to make them biscuit like. If the sausage you’re using is lean, then you might need to add a little liquid to help it come together. Glad this was a success for you. Can’t live without sausage balls!
Added a few tsp of cold milk to help it come together, and mixed half pork sausage and half venison sausage. They came out amazing. They have a good flavor, a nice crust, and Sooo soft inside. This will be my new go to dausage balls, AND patties recipe.
Chris, I’m glad to hear the recipe works with venison sausage.
They are great. I use Kroger Sausage (40-50% cheaper and just as good, very lean) I do add red pepper flakes for me and the boys but not for the kids. Saves going to grosery store, saves on calories. I don’t even use the butter, just a teaspoon of water. Great recipe!
Any breakfast sausage will be great in these. We don’t have Kroger in NC but glad to know that their house brand is good.
I added 3oz cream cheese to make them more moist. Great recipe!