Easy Sausage Balls Recipe (without Bisquick)

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Simple sausage balls without Bisquick using flour and baking powder. No-fuss recipe that’s easy to make and family-approved. Perfect for even picky eaters!

• Learn how to make sausage balls from scratch without relying on Bisquick or processed mixes
• Discover which real food ingredients work best as substitutes for common sausage ball recipes
• Get practical tips for getting the right texture and flavor
• Find out exactly what you need on hand to make this appetizer without specialty baking products

Sausage Balls without Bisquick Recipe

Can you make sausage balls without Bisquick

I wanted to add some new menu items to my childcare menu and I thought of the idea of a sausage ball recipe. People serve them as hors d’oeuvres at parties, but they are really just cheese and sausage biscuits. I knew they were incredibly easy to make, but they use Bisquick baking mix and I don’t use boxed foods like that.

Pre-made foods are full of unnecessary chemicals, some of which I am allergic to, but all of which are unhealthy for our bodies. I wanted to come up with a plan to make these yummy flavor-packed sausage balls without the Bisquick.

How to Make Easy Sausage Ball (with real food)

I started out with Trisha Yearwood’s recipe for easy sausage balls. Click here to see it. It’s super cinchy to make and she’s Southern so I already know I like her food! (Plus, I just like her anyway)

Next, I pulled out an old recipe for homemade “master mix” from an old cookbook, Make a Mix Cookery, that I refer to often to replace processed ingredients.

Healthy sausage balls

For our new meal plan requirements, we must serve at least one whole grain per day, so I wanted to make my sausage balls with whole grains. Click here to see the new meal plan requirements. You could use these sausage balls for breakfast, lunch or even snack. 

Once I decided what I was going to use, I divided up the recipe so I wouldn’t have any leftover baking mix to deal with, I could just dump it in the mixer and mix. The mixer mixes the sausage and cheese right in for you. It easy peasy to make these sausage balls without Bisquick.

You can even use spicy hot sausage if you like. For the kids, we went with mild blue and gold breakfast sausage. 

You can also add grated vegetables at this point to make your sausage balls even healthier. I like to add green powder to get the kids an un-detectable serving of greens. You could also add a cup or two of grated carrots, broccoli or another vegetable. If you use something with lots of moisture like zucchini, you’ll have to add more dry ingredients because they will make your dough too wet.

After you dump everything in a large bowl and whisk. Let the mixer do the work. Scoop your easy sausage balls into one inch balls onto a baking sheet pan one inch apart. You can even line them with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easier cleanup. Then bake them off.

How to freeze sausage balls

These Bisquick-free sausage balls are great for the freezer. I love cooking easy freezer foods for a faster meal later. You can freeze them raw and bake them as needed or bake the sausage balls and freeze them cooked. Either way, they turn out great. I am planning to lay my frozen sausage balls out on a baking sheet and let them thaw before I bake them.

Sausage balls without Bisquick

This easy sausage ball recipe without Bisquick is so fast and simple. It’s not any harder to make it homemade with individual ingredients than it is to use Bisquick. Just toss it in the mixer and turn it on. I got a hearty thumbs up on them from all the kids and my husband. He was super excited to come home and tell me he loved them after I sent them in his lunch.

I plan to keep making two batches at a time. Since I already have to get a bowl dirty, I might as well use it twice in a row. Check out the blog for lots of other healthy recipes for kids.

For even more make-ahead freezer meals that you can prepare ahead, check out this post.

I hope you try these super easy sausage balls and keep this recipe to use with your family. Let me know what you think!

For more quick and easy freezer meals, check these out.

Tips, Variations, and Substitutions

• Don’t overmix: Mix just until the sausage, cheese, and flour mixture are evenly combined. Overmixing can make the sausage balls dense and tough.
• Use cold butter: Keep the butter cold until you’re ready to mix it in. This helps give the sausage balls a tender texture.
• Grate your own cheese: Freshly grated cheddar melts more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese and usually gives the sausage balls a better texture.
• Try different cheeses: Sharp cheddar adds lots of flavor, but mild cheddar, Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, or a combination of cheeses will work too.
• Change the sausage: Use mild, medium, or hot breakfast sausage depending on how much spice you like. Turkey or chicken sausage can also be used, although the finished sausage balls may be a little less rich.
• Adjust the flour: You can use all-purpose flour in place of the whole wheat flour for a lighter texture, or use all whole wheat flour for a heartier sausage ball.
• Add seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, dried herbs, or a little smoked paprika can add extra flavor.
• Keep them the same size: Make the balls about 1 inch each so they cook evenly. A small cookie scoop makes portioning quick and easy.
• If the mixture seems dry: Sausage varies in fat and moisture. If the mixture has trouble holding together, add a tablespoon or two of milk until it can easily be formed into balls.
• Don’t overcrowd the pan: Leave a little room between each sausage ball so the heat can circulate and they brown more evenly.
• Check for doneness: Sausage balls should be browned and cooked through in the center. Ground pork sausage should reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
• Make them ahead: Form the sausage balls, cover, and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake. This makes them convenient for busy mornings, parties, or holiday gatherings.