Easy, cheesy, and loaded with pork sausage flavor! These pop-in-your-mouth sausage balls made with Bisquick mix are the perfect appetizer for parties, holidays, and for a night of hardcore snacking!
These warm, cheesy, and savory sausage balls made with Bisquick mix, ground sausage, and cream cheese are a fun and easy appetizer for serving a crowd for game day parties, holiday parties, and more. They’re so easy to make, it’s almost a shame not to make them all the time!
The whole batch is ready in 40 minutes and can be eaten on its own or with a side of dipping sauce. They are so addictive, I highly recommend making a double batch.
Plus, they freeze well, so you can always keep some for later!
Cream Cheese Sausage Balls
Why you’ll love this recipe
- They’re bite size and fun to eat!
- Made with a handful of simple ingredients.
- Can make substitutions and ingredients swaps as needed.
- Perfect as a snack or appetizer for any occasion.
Helpful Tools
- Lipped Baking Sheet (I recommend 15×21)
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium cookie scoop
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
Jump- Ground pork sausage: Bring it to room temperature so it blends easily into the mixture. It’s also very hard on your hands to work with cold meat!
- Bisquick baking mix: This acts as a binder and gives the sausage balls a great texture without becoming dry or crumbly.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: Freshly shredded from a block, if you can. It’ll have better flavor and will melt more easily than packed pre-shredded cheese.
- Cream cheese: Bring it out to room temperature with the sausage. Also for easy blend, but it’s helpful for even baking as well.
- Seasoning: Black pepper, garlic powder, and fresh chopped parsley.
How to make Cream Cheese Sausage Balls
This section shows you how to make this recipe, with process photos showing the steps to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Jump- Step One: Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl with your hands.
- Step Two: Roll the mixture into 24 balls. To ensure they’re even, feel free to use a cookie scoop.
- Step Three: Place the balls onto a large lipped baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving enough room between each one for even browning.
- Step Four: Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- Step Five: Garnish with fresh parsley, and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
How to serve it
There are no limits to the kinds of dipping sauces you can choose from. Some popular ones are honey mustard, spicy Dijon, or ranch, but you can also go for classic ketchup or spicy BBQ sauce, a cheese sauce (I have a copycat Chili’s queso dip and slow cooker queso blanco that are both amazing), yum yum sauce, or even a sriracha mayo.
- For a kick, use hot pork sausage. You can also add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes into the mixture.
- Substitute pork sausage for breakfast sausage. I love the flavor and juiciness of pork, but if desired, you can use ground beef instead.
- Colby Jack or Pepper Jack can be used in place of cheddar cheese.
- Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit mix can be used in place of Bisquick. Krusteaz is also an option.
- Do not overmix, otherwise they may become a bit dense.
- Use a small or medium cookie scoop for even-sized sausage balls.
- These are best served warm. Keep them in the oven on the warm setting if you don’t plan to serve them right away.
Storage & Reheating
How to store leftovers
Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing Instructions
You can also freeze these cream cheese sausage balls for up to 3 months. Flash freeze them first, so they’re solid enough to keep in a freezer bag without sticking together.
Reheating Instructions
You can reheat them straight from frozen at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes. If you’re reheating them out of the fridge, they’ll only need about 5-10 minutes. Or, you can microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Need more appetizer recipes? Try these:
Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs
Buffalo Ranch Crockpot Chicken Wings
Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Rolls
Click here to view my entire collection of appetizer recipes.
Sausage Balls with Cream Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork sausage at room temperature
- 2 cups Bisquick baking mix
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large lipped baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the sausage, biscuit mix, shredded cheddar, cream cheese, pepper, garlic powder, and parsley in a large bowl; mix until well combined. It helps to use your hands.1 pound ground pork sausage, 2 cups Bisquick baking mix, 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, 8 ounces cream cheese, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Roll mixture into about 24 balls and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and sausage is cooked through.
- Garnish with parsley and serve with dipping sauce.2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Notes
- I recommend using a large (15″x21″) lipped baking sheet, if available.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Honey mustard, spicy dijon, or ranch dressing are popular.
- For a kick of spice, use mild or hot pork sausage or add a pinch of red pepper flakes in place instead of regular pork sausage.
- For variation, try colby jack or pepper jack cheese in place of the cheddar.
- Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit mix can be used in place of Bisquick.
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 5-10 minutes, or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
- To freeze leftovers, place sausage balls on a baking sheet and flash freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 350°F for 10-15 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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