Sausage balls are small, savory and easy to pick up with one hand, which makes them a natural fit for parties and brunch tables. This version adds a block of cream cheese to the mix. It blends all the way through the sausage rather than hiding in the center, so every bite has a softer, more tender crumb than the drier, firmer style of sausage ball.
The ingredient list is short: raw breakfast sausage, cream cheese, biscuit baking mix and sharp cheddar. Allow 45 minutes for softening the cream cheese and chilling the shaped balls, with the oven preheating during the chill. Baking takes about 20 to 25 minutes. The batch makes roughly 48 bite-size balls, enough to fill two large sheet pans.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Only four ingredients: Biscuit mix acts as the binder and gives the balls their crumb, so you don’t need to measure out a pantry’s worth of extras.
- A more tender texture: Cream cheese worked evenly through the sausage keeps the crumb soft and moist, closer to a savory biscuit than a dense meatball.
- Built for a crowd: Both sheets bake at the same time, and the tablespoon-size portions mean a full platter comes out of the oven together.
- Easy to get ahead on: You can shape the balls and refrigerate them before baking, which frees up time on the day of a gathering.
Ingredients and Helpful Notes
- full-fat block cream cheese: Use full-fat block cream cheese, not the whipped tub kind. Cutting it into small pieces before it sits out helps it soften evenly, so it mashes easily and blends into the sausage without leaving white streaks.
- raw bulk pork breakfast sausage: Buy raw bulk breakfast sausage, sold loose or in a roll without casings. Mild or hot both work. Precooked crumbles won’t bind the mixture the same way. Keep the sausage in the fridge until you’re ready to mix.
- all-purpose biscuit baking mix: An all-purpose biscuit mix such as original Bisquick holds everything together and gives the balls their biscuit-like crumb. Spoon it lightly into the cup and level it off. Packing it in adds too much mix and dries the balls out. Plain flour isn’t a stand-in here.
- shredded sharp cheddar cheese: Sharp cheddar has enough flavor to hold its own against the sausage. Shredded cheese mixes in more evenly than chunks, which helps the balls hold together.
How to Make Cream Cheese Sausage Balls
Get the cream cheese out of the fridge first, about 30 minutes before you start mixing. Line both sheet pans with parchment while it softens. Have your tablespoon scoop and thermometer handy, too. Once your hands are in the raw mixture, you’ll want to scoop, shape and wash up without hunting through drawers.
- Soften the cream cheese. Place 8 ounces full-fat block cream cheese in a large mixing bowl, cut into small pieces and leave at room temperature for about 30 minutes, until easily mashed with a spoon. Keep the sausage refrigerated during this time. Line both baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Blend the sausage and cream cheese. Add 1 pound raw bulk pork breakfast sausage to the softened cream cheese. Mix thoroughly with a sturdy spoon, clean hands or a paddle mixer on low speed until the cream cheese is evenly distributed and no large white pieces remain.
- Finish the mixture. Add 2 cups all-purpose biscuit baking mix and 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Work the mixture together, scraping the bottom of the bowl, until it holds together and no dry pockets remain. Do not taste the raw mixture.
- Shape the balls. Use a tablespoon-size scoop to portion the mixture, then roll each portion gently into a ball. Aim for evenly sized balls about 1¼ inches across; expect approximately 48. Divide between the prepared sheets, leaving at least 1 inch between balls.
- Chill and preheat. Refrigerate the shaped balls for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange oven racks in the upper and lower thirds and preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash hands and clean tools and work surfaces that contacted the raw mixture.
- Bake and check the centers. Bake both sheets for 20–25 minutes, swapping their rack positions and rotating them front to back halfway through. The balls should be set with lightly browned tops and golden bottoms. Insert a thin-tip thermometer from the side into the center of several balls on each sheet; pork sausage must reach at least 160°F. Continue baking if necessary, regardless of exterior color.
- Serve. Transfer the cooked sausage balls to a clean serving platter using clean utensils. Serve warm. For extended hot service, keep them at 140°F or above.
Tips and Variations
- Blend the cream cheese in first: Mix the softened cream cheese with the sausage before adding anything else. It’s much easier to break up white pieces at this stage than after the biscuit mix goes in. Hands or a paddle on low speed handle it better than a flimsy spoon.
- Hunt down dry pockets: Biscuit mix tends to settle at the bottom of the bowl. Scrape down and turn the mixture over a few times until no powdery spots remain, or those spots will bake up crumbly.
- Keep the sizes even: A scoop gives you consistent portions, so every ball finishes at about the same time. Roll gently. Squeezing hard makes them dense.
- Don’t skip the chill: Fifteen minutes in the fridge firms the balls so they hold their shape instead of spreading. The oven can preheat during that time.
- Trust the thermometer, not the color: The tops can look nicely browned before the centers are done, especially with two sheets in the oven. Slide the probe in from the side so the tip sits in the middle of the ball, and check several on each pan.
Spicier sausage balls: Choose hot pork breakfast sausage instead of mild, keeping the listed amount and method unchanged.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers within 2 hours of baking or removal from hot holding, or within 1 hour if the surrounding temperature exceeds 90°F. Keep at 40°F or below and use within 3–4 days.
For make-ahead preparation, cover and refrigerate the shaped, unbaked balls for up to 24 hours, without exceeding the raw sausage’s total refrigerated storage window of 1–2 days. Bake directly from the refrigerator and verify the center temperature; additional baking time may be needed.
Reheat cooked leftovers in a 350°F oven, loosely covered if they begin browning too much, until their centers reach 165°F. Reheating time depends on portion size, quantity and starting temperature.
What to Serve With Cream Cheese Sausage Balls
These are best served warm. Pile them on a platter with toothpicks for a party, and guests can help themselves without needing a plate.
For brunch, set them out with fresh fruit and scrambled eggs. The sausage balls bring savory richness, and the fruit keeps the spread from feeling heavy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes sausage balls dry or crumbly?
The most common cause is too much baking mix, usually from scooping straight from the box and packing the cup. Spoon and level it instead. Dry pockets that weren’t mixed in can also bake up crumbly.
Why rotate the pans halfway through?
Upper and lower racks can cook differently, and every oven has its own heat pattern. Swapping racks and turning the pans front to back helps even that out. Still check the centers on both pans before pulling them.
Is it normal to see some grease on the parchment?
Yes. Breakfast sausage releases fat as it bakes, and how much depends on the brand. Moving the balls to a clean platter leaves most of it behind.
Can the balls be shaped the day before?
Yes, within limits. Cover and refrigerate the shaped, unbaked balls for up to 24 hours, as long as the raw sausage stays within its 1–2 day refrigerated window overall. Bake them straight from the fridge and expect they may need extra time to reach 160°F in the center.
More Recipes to Try
Cream Cheese Sausage Balls
Ingredients
Method
- Place 8 ounces full-fat block cream cheese in a large mixing bowl, cut into small pieces and leave at room temperature for about 30 minutes, until easily mashed with a spoon. Keep the sausage refrigerated during this time. Line both baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add 1 pound raw bulk pork breakfast sausage to the softened cream cheese. Mix thoroughly with a sturdy spoon, clean hands or a paddle mixer on low speed until the cream cheese is evenly distributed and no large white pieces remain.
- Add 2 cups all-purpose biscuit baking mix and 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Work the mixture together, scraping the bottom of the bowl, until it holds together and no dry pockets remain. Do not taste the raw mixture.
- Use a tablespoon-size scoop to portion the mixture, then roll each portion gently into a ball. Aim for evenly sized balls about 1¼ inches across; expect approximately 48. Divide between the prepared sheets, leaving at least 1 inch between balls.
- Refrigerate the shaped balls for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange oven racks in the upper and lower thirds and preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash hands and clean tools and work surfaces that contacted the raw mixture.
- Bake both sheets for 20–25 minutes, swapping their rack positions and rotating them front to back halfway through. The balls should be set with lightly browned tops and golden bottoms. Insert a thin-tip thermometer from the side into the center of several balls on each sheet; pork sausage must reach at least 160°F. Continue baking if necessary, regardless of exterior color.
- Transfer the cooked sausage balls to a clean serving platter using clean utensils. Serve warm. For extended hot service, keep them at 140°F or above.
