These sausage balls with cream cheese and bisquick are so dang addictive and easy to make! Spicy sausage, tangy cream cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, bisquick and fresh scallions are mixed together and then baked until golden brown. Dip these sausage balls in sweet chili mayo, my 3 ingredient honey mustard sauce, some hot honey sauce or baja chipotle sauce.
Why You'll Love them
If y'all haven’t tried cream cheese sausage balls yet, you are seriously missing out on one of the most addictive snacks ever!
These little bites of heaven are the ultimate comfort food in miniature form. Once you try them, you’ll understand why they’ve become a staple at every gathering I throw. Whether it's for game day, holiday parties or just a mid morning snack, these easy sausage balls make the perfect appetizer and are always a holiday staple.
Let’s talk about why they’re so irresistible. First off, the base is ground sausage, which already packs a punch of flavor. I recommend using hot sausage to make the best sausage balls of your life!
But then you mix in cream cheese, and that’s where the magic happens. The cream cheese adds this incredible creamy richness that transforms the sausage into something absolutely crave-worthy.
It’s like the two ingredients were made for each other, and the result is this tender, flavorful bite that’s just too good to put down. The cream cheese also helps keep everything moist, so you end up with a perfect texture that’s not too dry or too greasy.
What’s great about these sausage balls is how versatile they are. You can spice them up with whatever seasonings you love—think garlic powder, sage, or even a bit of cayenne pepper if you’re feeling adventurous.
And let’s not forget the best part: they’re so easy to make! Just mix everything together, roll them into balls, and bake. That’s it.
You’ll end up with a delicious batch of sausage balls that are perfect for snacking on while sipping eggnog on christmas eve or serving at your next get-together for gameday. They’re basically guaranteed to be the hit of the party... no matter what!
So go ahead, give cream cheese sausage balls a try. I promise you won’t regret it. They’re the kind of snack that's made with simple ingredients that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and once you start, you won’t be able to stop.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Sausage Balls are a classic recipe that's perfect for any occasion. They're made with simple ingredients are are always a real crowd pleaser!
FOR THE BISQUICK SAUSAGE BALL RECIPE
- Spicy Pork Sausage: I love using Jimmy Dean hot pork sausage to make my cream cheese sausage balls. However, if you wanted to, you could use breakfast sausage or another kind of pork sausage (like sage or italian) if you're not into heat. You could also try to use turkey sausage but the sausage mixture will be more dry than if you used ground pork sausage.
- Cream Cheese: Adding cream cheese to your sausage cheese balls makes all the difference! they're moist, tangy and super flavorful.
- Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Use pre-shredded cheese to make your life easier! I recommend sharp cheddar cheese but you could also use your favorite cheese such as pepper jack cheese, colby jack cheese or even a spicy asiago along with some parmesan cheese.
- Bisquick: I recommend buying a box of bisquick when making these easy sausage balls. You could also use homemade bisquick mix, homemade biscuit mix or even bread crumbs, if you'd rather not buy a box.
- Scallions: I think the scallions not only add a pop of color but also a nice mellow onion-y bite. You could leave them out though if you don't have any.
- Optional Additions: A lot of sausage ball reipes call for garlic powder. So if you're into that, go ahead and add ½ teaspoon.
FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE
My favorite dip to pair with these bisquick sausage balls is my 3 ingredient honey mustard. If you don't like honey mustard, try my sweet chili sauce below or my homemade southern barbecue sauce.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Making these bisquick sausage balls is super easy!
Preheat Oven: The first thing you'll want to do is to preheat your oven to 400 f degrees.
Prep Ingredients: I recommend that all the ingredients are room temp before you mix them together. I've done it both ways and the difference is minimal... But it will make mixing them a little easier which will yield better results! I recommend using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. But you could also do it with a food processor or a large bowl and a hand mixer.
Mix Ingredients: Once you've got all your ingredients room temperature, combine pork sausage, cream cheese, cheddar, bisquick and scallions in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Beat the mixture at a low speed for 1 minute. Then turn the speed up and beat for another 1-2 minutes until all ingredients are combined and the mixture is smooth. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can do all of this by hand!
Scoop Balls: Once mixed, use your hands or a cookie scoop and scoop out 1-inch balls and roll them around in your hand to smooth them out.
Bake the Sausage Balls: Place the uncooked sausage balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, turning the rimmed baking sheet halfway, until the sausage is cooked through. The parchment paper is optional but it definitely helps save an extra minute of cleanup.
Make the Sauce: As they're baking, simply mix together sweet chili sauce and mayo and place in the fridge until you're ready.
Serve: Once they're done, remove from the oven. Place on a serving platter. And serve them hot or at room temperature with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
Save: You can place any leftovers in an airtight container and place them in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Best Dipping Sauce for Sausage Balls?
- The best dips for sausage balls is definitely my 3 ingredient honey mustard sauce. I also like to dip sausage balls in hot honey sauce, the sweet chili mayo or even a baja chipotle sauce. You could also use my homemade southern bbq sauce!
- How do you moisten dry sausage balls?
- If they're dry, you can add a little milk (I recommend about a quarter cup of milk) to moisten them. They can dry out from too much biscuit mix so be aware and use the correct measurements.
- Why are my sausage balls crumbly?
- They're probably crumbly because you don't have the correct ratio of sausage to dry ingredients. You can add a little milk or even a little more cream cheese to help them bind together.
- Do Sausage Cheese Balls need to be refrigerated?
- If you're serving them right away or a few hours in advanced, you do not need to refrigerate them. The taste amazing at room temperature! However If you are making them more than 4 hours before serving them, keep them in the fridge. Then give them 30 minutes to come thaw out before serving.
How to freeze and bake for later
This cream cheese sausage roll recipe is the perfect party food to feed a crowd! So it's always a good idea to have this snack recipe on-hand in your freezer! To do this, just flash freeze them!
Simply follow the written recipe and place the sausage balls on a baking sheet.
Instead of baking, put the entire baking sheet in the freezer. If you can't fit a baking sheet, no worries. Space them out on a large plate before freezing them so that they're not touching and sticking together.
Once frozen, place these perfect sausage balls in freezer bags. Keep in the freezer until you're ready to use.
When you're ready to make them, simply remove them from the freezer. Place them on a baking sheet. Then bake at 375 for about 25-30 minutes or pop them in the air fryer until heated and cooked through.
Other cheeses and flavor combos to try
If you're like me and like to get creative when making the perfect finger food, I got you!!! The most important thing is to use my recipe as a guide and then put your own personal spin to make your own sausage ball recipes.
Here are some tasty ways I upgrade the baking mix to make it more flavorful and more exciting!
- Sage Sausage, Gruyere (or Grand Cru), and Rosemary
- Italian Sausage, Mozzarella, and Chopped Basil
- Country Mild Sausage, White Cheddar, and Bacon
- Maple Sausage, Sharp Cheddar, and Thyme
What to pair with sausage balls?
If I were making this for Christmas morning, I'd pair this easy recipe with:
- Hawaiian Roll Breakfast Sliders
- 15 Minute Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes
- Hawaiian Roll French Toast with Cinnamon Sugar
However, if I were making these for my next party or super bowl sunday get together, I'd pair them with some of these appetizer recipes:
- Grinder Feta Dip
- Goat Cheese Pepperoni Pizza Dip with Hot Honey
- Glazed Cocktail Sausages (The Best Little Smokies Recipe)
- Whipped Brie Cheese Dip Appetizer with Honey & Fig Jam
Recipe
Cream Cheese Sausage Balls with Bisquick
Ingredients
for the sausage balls
- 1 lb Spicy Pork Sausage ground and room temperature
- 1 8 oz block Cream Cheese room temperature
- 2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese shredded (or pepper jack)
- 1 ¼ cup Bisquick
- 2 stalks Scallions finely chopped **optional**
- ½ tsp garlic powder **optional**
for the dipping sauce
- 2 tablespoon mayo
- 2 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
- OR MY 3 Ingredient Honey Mustard
Instructions
for the sausage balls
- Preheat your oven to 400F degrees.
- Place the room temp sausage, cream cheese, cheddar, bisquick and scallions in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Beat the mixture at a low speed for 1 minute (or use your hands to mash it together!) then turn the speed up and beat for another 1-2 minutes until all ingredients are combined and the mixture is pretty smooth.
- Scoop out 1 inch balls and roll around in your hand to smooth them out. Place the uncooked sausage balls on a lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, turning the tray halfway, until the sausage is cooked through.
- Remove from the heat and place on a serving platter with desired dipping sauce.
for the dipping sauce
- Stir the sweet chili sauce and mayo together until combined. Serve for dipping.
- If you want the dipping sauce in the video, check out my 3 ingredient honey mustard
Video
Notes
- You could also use havarti, pepperjack, fontina or any other semi-firm cheese!
- For the most symmetric sausage balls, roll the balls around in your hand!
- If you'd like to freeze this recipe for later, scroll up to read my reheating directions!
Lydia
Is there a keto friendly substitute for the Bisquick that you can suggest??
grilledcheesesocial
I don't know much about keto -- sorry!!!
Anne Andrews
I think Almond flour would work although I’ve never tried it.
I used gluten free bisquick.
Macke
Here's my HACK for us that don't have a Stand Mixer.
Put the cheeses plus Bisquik into a gallon size ZipLock bag. Close the bag and squooch to mix them together. Slice the raw sausage into 8 pieces and add to the bag. Then squooch some more to finish mixing. Let out as much air as possible and flatten into a rectangle of yummy. Refrigerate overnight (or up to 3 days). When ready to cook, cut the plastic bag open on all sides and slap yo slab onto a cutting board. Use a pizza cutter to divide the dough into 42 pieces (7 cuts one direction and 6 cuts the other way). Now roll the squares a bit to make them into balls. SOO easy plus can do the mixing part ahead of time.