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Sausage balls. Have you ever heard of them?
If you are from the South, there is a strong chance you have and grew up eating them around the holidays and at any potluck. Personally, I grew up eating them at my best friend Lindy’s house. Her dad, Coach Davis, was also one of my track coaches in high school. He would always make us his famous “sausage balls” when we went over to their house for breakfast and I could still eat a whole batch of them myself.
I’m not certain of Coach Davis’s exact recipe (so if you’re reading this Coach, don’t get angry) but I am pretty sure it contained the following ingredients: Bisquick, pork sausage, milk and cheese. There were likely a few other ingredients in there, but from my food-loving memory, that’s how Coach made them and they were absolutely delicious.
Because this recipe was a childhood favorite of mine, I wanted to recreate it using healthier, cleaner ingredients for my kiddos and I had some fun throughout the process! While these Gluten-Free Sausage Balls aren’t paleo or Whole30, as I am pretty sure if I even tried to make them Whole30 they’d be considered SWYPO and against the rules. Plus, when I did try to make them using paleo flours, they got way too dense and just didn’t taste quite right. Recreating them as healthy as possible, while still keeping their true flavors that I grew up eating, was important to me so I ended up choosing (after countless attempts) Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour and I am so happy with how they turned out. I highly recommend making these at the beginning of the week to have a grab-and-go breakfast or even as a make-ahead appetizer or side dish for a Thanksgiving or holiday party coming up.
For a dairy-free and gluten-free version, these Gluten-Free Sausage Balls are truly fantastic! The flavors brought back so many fond memories of my childhood friends and spending time with their families. I was so lucky to have friends with families that were so kind and generous to me growing up! I hope these bring back similar memories for those who grew up eating them as well.
For another gluten-free breakfast idea, try my Gluten-Free Ham and Cheese Quiche!
Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Sausage Balls
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups gluten-free flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (you can sub 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese)
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves, about 5 sprigs
- 4 tablespoons ghee (melted and cooled slightly) (to keep Dairy Free, sub vegan butter)
- 1 pound bulk pork breakfast sausage
- 1 large egg, whisked
- 1/2 cup dairy-free creamer (you can sub whole milk here)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free baking flour, baking powder, salt, nutritional yeast, baking soda, thyme and melted ghee. Stir until it turns into a crumbly, dough-like texture.
- Using your hands, add the pork sausage into the bowl by breaking into smaller pieces. Continue to use your hands to work the pork into the flour mixture until evenly combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, creamer and dijon until well combined. Pour into the sausage mixture. Using the back of a fork, work the contents in the bowl (by stirring and mashing) until they are well combined.
- Using a small cookie scoop (about 1 tbsp), drop sausage ball mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Using damp hands, go back through and roll into balls.
- Bake until the pork is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and enjoy!
Notes
- To freeze, let the meatballs cool completely, then transfer it to airtight containers or freezer bags, leaving some space for expansion. Label and date the containers before placing them in the freezer.
- To thaw, place the container in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat in the oven by placing the meatballs and sauce in an oven-safe dish, covering with foil, and baking at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes, or until heated through. Tossing occasionally to ensure even heating.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Great recipe BUT TOO MUCH SALT!!! Ruined mine!!
I’m sorry to hear this!
Any recommendations on how to adapt these for an egg allergy? Maybe I could just leave the egg out? ty!
The egg helps to bind the mixture together but you could do a couple tablespoons of whole milk or even just water instead!