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With spring almost over and summer creeping up in a hurry, I find myself making easy low carb snacks and other keto recipes that I can make quickly and are convenient to grab-and-go. That is where these delicious low carb keto sausage balls with cream cheese fit in perfectly! They require minimal effort, and this easy sausage ball recipe is simply irresistible.
Years ago, I would hear people talk about sausage cheese balls, but I didn’t understand what was so great about them. Then one day I tasted these little balls of food heaven, and it all made sense.
What Are Sausage Balls?
Cream cheese sausage balls are an easy, hearty meatball appetizer made from ground sausage, cheeses (typically cheddar and cream cheese), seasonings, and traditionally, Bisquick.
Are Sausage Balls Keto?
The Bisquick in many sausage ball recipes is not suitable for a keto diet, which is why I swapped it for almond flour in this low carb keto sausage ball recipe. You can’t even tell the difference — they taste just like the real thing!
Why You’ll Love This Keto Sausage Balls Recipe
- Cheesy, rich, and smoky flavor
- Super easy to make
- Ready in less than 30 minutes
- Just 1 net carb each
- Naturally low carb, keto, and gluten-free
- Simple snack you can heat up from the fridge or freezer
Ingredients You’ll Need
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for this keto sausage ball recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Almond Flour – This is our Bisquick substitute for keto sausage balls. I highly recommend using Wholesome Yum Almond Flour here, because it’s blanched and super fine, which creates the best texture. Other brands can vary in coarseness. If you want to use coconut flour instead, you can try replacing the 2 cups almond flour with 1/2 cup coconut flour (yes, 1/4 the amount, because coconut flour is very drying!) if you want to try this swap for a nut-free option.
- Shredded Cheese – Makes the recipe for sausage balls cheesy and also helps them stay together. I love the flavor of using sharp cheddar cheese, but you could also use a mild cheddar, or really any other keto cheese you like. I recommend medium-hardness cheeses (like cheddar) over very hard ones (like parmesan cheese).
- Italian Seasoning – Adds flavor. You can use store-bought or make my 5-minute homemade Italian seasoning. If you like some heat in your seasoning, add 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.
- Baking Powder – Makes the keto sausage balls fluffy, so they aren’t so dense. I like this brand, which is non-GMO.
- Ground Sausage – Use any kind of sausage you like — ground pork sausage, mild or hot Italian sausage, breakfast sausage, or even ground chicken or turkey sausage.
- Cream Cheese – I say the best sausage balls are with cream cheese! I recommend plain, full-fat cream cheese. However, savory flavored varieties, such as garlic and herb, would also work nicely.
- Garlic – Optional, but recommended. I prefer to use (two) fresh minced garlic cloves, but you can sustitute 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder if you like. You can also add 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder.
How To Make Keto Sausage Balls
This section shows how to make low carb sausage balls, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Prep. Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with foil. Grease well, so the keto sausage balls don’t stick.
TIP: Foil is recommended over parchment paper.
These keto sausage balls with cream cheese can be baked on parchment paper instead of aluminum foil. However, you tend to get a more browned sausage balls appetizer using foil. It’s up to you!
- Mix dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, cheddar cheese, Italian seasoning, and baking powder.
- Add wet ingredients. Fold in sausage, cream cheese, and garlic.
TIP: Don’t over-mix the meat mixture.
Mixing meat too much can make it rubbery.
- Form. Use a cookie scoop to make uniform sausage cheese balls and place them onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake. Place keto sausage cheese balls for 8 minutes.
- Rotate. Twist (rotate) the balls on the baking sheet, which helps prevent sticking.
- Bake again. Continue baking until the keto sausage balls with cream cheese are just barely cooked through. Not too much, because you’ll broil them next!
- Broil. Place the baking sheet under the broiler for a couple of minutes, until the low carb sausage balls are golden brown.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep sausage cheese balls in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Reheat: You can reheat sausage balls in the oven at 350 degrees F, or in the microwave, until warm. You can also enjoy them at room temperature.
Can You Freeze Sausage Balls?
Yes, you can freeze sausage ball recipes — which is great because this one makes a big batch of 56 pieces. The easiest way that I have found to freeze keto sausage balls with cream cheese is by laying them out on a baking sheet to flash freeze them. After a couple of hours, they will be solid, and you can toss them in a freezer bag. They will last in the freezer for at least 4 months.
Dipping Sauce Ideas For Cream Cheese Sausage Balls
- Keto Honey Mustard – The most popular sausage ball dipping sauce is honey mustard. Since this is a low carb sausage ball recipe, we can make that with a slight modification. You can use Wholesome Yum Keto Honey to make a sugar-free honey mustard that tastes just like the real thing, or just use a powdered sweetener with the recipe in my Wholesome Yum Easy Keto Cookbook.
- Ranch dressing
- Sugar-free BBQ sauce
- Chimichurri sauce
More Low Carb Appetizer Recipes
Looking for more ideas for low carb appetizers? Try these crowd pleasers:
Tools To Make Low Carb Sausage Balls
- Cookie Scoop – You could roll the keto sausage balls by hand, but using a cookie scoop makes them more tender due to less contact with warm hands.
- Baking Sheet – My favorite pan that I use for everything! It has a silicone non-stick surface, so sometimes I even make sausage balls on it without lining it with anything.
Low Carb Keto Sausage Balls Recipe With Cream Cheese
Keto Sausage Balls Recipe With Cream Cheese (Easy!)
Make keto sausage balls with cream cheese using just 6 ingredients + 25 minutes! This easy sausage ball recipe makes an irresistible low carb appetizer or snack.
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil and grease well.
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In a large bowl, stir together the almond flour, shredded cheddar, Italian seasoning, and baking powder.
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Add the sausage, cream cheese, and minced garlic, if using. Mix until just combined. Do not over-mix.
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Use a small cookie scoop to form 1 inch balls (2.5 cm) and place onto the baking sheet.
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Bake for 8 minutes, then twist the balls in place to reduce sticking. Bake for another 7-8 minutes, until just barely cooked through.
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Place the pan under the broiler for another 2 minutes to brown more.
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 4 sausage balls
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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125 Comments
Lynniepooh2
0Yum yum yum!! Dont change a thing in this recipe. Never been big on pork but have recently been trying new to me pork ideas. Maya has yet to steer me wrong and once again is helping me to make better choices in my eating habits. Made these sausage balls as part of meal preps for the week but had to at least taste them fresh and Im so glad I did. They were hard to pack up and put away in the fridge as I kept thinking..1 more just 1 more. Ha! I love having breakfast for dinner so this suits me well. Definitely a keeper in the recipe box.
Lori
0I followed the recipe exactly using deer sausage. Amazing!
Healing Tomato
0We are huge fans of your keto recipes. This recipe was served at a New Year’s Party and it was loved by everyone! It’s so easy to make and much fun to get kids to help make the sausage balls.
Erin
0I love how full of cheese were balls were! They were perfect for our party and everyone loved them. Thanks!
Sandi
0These were absolutely delicious. I loved using your almond flour!
Vitali
0These delicious sausage balls with cream cheese were really a perfect fit 🙂 I served it as an appetizer for my friends and everyone loved it!
Karla
0Went against my better judgement and baked these on very well-greased foiled-lined baking trays, and about 95% of the meatballs stuck to the foil. It really sucked having to lose a good chunk of each meatball, especially with inflation the way it is. Would use parchment paper next time. Meatballs tasted great though.
Julia
0Love these. I’ve made them twice now. First time with 8oz cream cheese and second time with 4oz(cause that’s all I had) I liked 4oz better because the sausage flavor was more pronounced. Personal preference.
Debbie
0Can you make ahead of time and reheat?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Debbie, Yes, that would work.
Larry Box
0Very good and easy to make (even for a cooking novice like me).
Moop Brown
0I love this recipe because of how easy to make it is and because how it requires so few ingredients as well.
Ksenia
0My son loved these – and so did the rest of us. Perfectly seasoned and delectable, these bites leave you with a more-ish taste in your mouth!
veenaazmanov
0Almond Flour sounds unique. Your recipe looks simple and quick too. Baking sounds like a healthier option. Definitely yummy.
Marie
0I love meatballs, but I may love sausage meat even more! These bites were so flavorful, that they disappeared from the plate in record time. I’ll make a double batch next time!
Maggie
0Not gonna lie. I was a little hesitant trying this recipe, but I’m so glad I did! It was DELICIOUS!
Amy L
0It looks so easy and delicious. I am so excited to make this at home, yum!
Lauren Michael Harris
0What an easy, delicious recipe we made for game night this week. My husband loved them and he doesn’t usually care for cheese, so a definite win for us!
Bernice
0I’ve never made sausage balls and now I feel like I am missing out! Now that the NFL season has started, I’m always looking for fun and tasty snacking options so these are going on the list.
Kay
0To get even amount servings wouldn’t you need to make 16 balls instead of just 14?
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Kay, the nutrition information will be the same regardless of how many sausage balls you scale up or down in the recipe card. You can absolutely scale to 16 if you prefer, just keep in mind the ingredient quantities will be harder to measure.
Lynn
0If you read down in the recipe, 1 SERVING=4 meatballs. The recipe makes 14 servings. 14 servings × 4 meatballs = 56 meatballs total. If that still isn’t clear, read the recipe again with this in mind. Hope it helps.
Stacy J Ross
0I made these. They tasted fantastic but didn’t stick together very well. I’m not sure what went wrong.
Shelby
0These made a great lunch app over the long weekend! Easy and not too filling for our meal later!
Christine
0Can I use coconut flour instead of almond flour?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Christine, Coconut flour and almond flour are not interchangeable.
AntKathy
0This recipe was my first outing with anything made with almond flour. I also used it to compare a favorite traditional version of sausage balls with a carb-friendly version of the treat. I did not have high hopes for it, especially when seeing how many cups of almond flour the recipe called for. Wow! What a great recipe! The sausage balls are super tasty and not significantly different in taste or texture from my usual recipe! Well done, Maya!! I tried it out on my family without telling them it was a different recipe with different ingredients and they were completely happy with the outcome. I look forward to trying more low carb recipes from this site and am no longer hesitant to cook with or eat something made with almond flour. Thanks!
Joseph
0You know what, I just made a loaf of almond bread from slivered almonds that I ran through my new food processor dry grind attachment. A lot cheaper than buying the flour.
Theresa Kochalka
0Mine would not stick together when baked! Horrible!and used foil they stuck even though I sprayed EVOO!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Theresa, Sorry the recipe didn’t turn out as expected. It sounds like the meatball mixture was not fully combined before portioning into balls. Over mixing would make them tough, but undermixing could cause them to fall apart.
Samantha Whitson
0*Hmm…might also be the brand/type of sausage used as well. I know that the “Farmer’s” brand, for example, does not hold together very well due to the extra high fat content & cuts of pork they use in their sausage. I’ve also had past recipe flops w/cetain turkey sausage brands, as well as my own homemade venison sausage (it was too lean, really). Just some thoughts on trouble-shooting~ don’t give up, it’s a wonderful recipe. =)
Patricia Powers
0This recipe is a big hit! My husband asked me to make patties so he can put an egg on one. He was in heaven lol! I love the bite size ones. Easy to make both!
Shanna
0This was a great recipe and I was really happy with how well these turned out. They were really easy to make, and very tasty! My whole family enjoyed them and I will be making them often. I also tried the honey mustard dressing to try with them and was very happy with that also.
Melissa Smith
0Hi the recipe sounds great I was wondering if we can use turkey sausage instead of regular sausage. My husband doesn’t eat pork.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Melissa, Yes! Turkey sausage will work great too!
Beverly Sealy
0Made this morning. I have tried other similar recipes. This is our favorite. Not too dry. Yum!
Nancy
0Just made these with Turkey Sausage, delicious!
peggy courtney
0how do you get the cream cheese to mix in. t stays in chunks and has been out of the fridge all day. i need to get it combined somehow.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Peggy, The longer cream cheese sits out at room temperature, the softer it should get. If yours is still not soft after sitting out, feel free to warm it at 10 second increments in the microwave until it is soft enough to mix into the recipe.
Tara
0Absolutely delish and easy! I used parchment I couldn’t help myself. So I didn’t flip them until after 16 minutes. (I tried but the were too soft after 8) and actually didn’t need to broil. Just popped them back in for the 2-3 min. They came out brown enough for me and very tender! Thanks!
Lana McQuown
0I made these for Easter Brunch and there were a huge hit. I did keep them under the broiler a tad too long, but no one seemed to mind. One person even said she doesn’t like sausage, but really enjoyed these tasty morsels. This is definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing such delicious recipes.
Jennifer
0Do you have to use Blanched Almond flour or can you use regular almond flour?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jennifer, I recommend using fine ground blanched almond flour for all the recipes. Regular almond flour includes almond skins, which can make recipes bitter tasting.
Julie Degen
0One of my favorite recipes….I always have some in the freezer!! I’ve made them as the recipe is written; made them once without cheese (not on purpose!!!); and now my usual “go to” is the basic recipe plus 1 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp sage, and 2 eggs (we have chickens and are always looking for ways to use eggs).
Debbie
0Delicious! My husband and I have been enjoying these for days! Will definitely make again. I followed the instructions complete and did not add the optional garlic. Keto is getting much easier for us with recipes like this.
Jess
0I love love love these!! I have made them several times and never thought to add frozen, squeezed out spinach. Do you think this would work?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jess, Yes that should work fine. Be sure to squeeze out as much water as you can.
Jessie
0Amazing recipe which I will be making often! The only adjustment I needed to make was to reduce the almond flour by a half cup. It was still a little dry afterwards so I added 2T of heavy cream. Perfect appetizer for parties!!!
Dawn Brotzman
0Okay my husband loves these way better than regular sausage balls. Very tasty!! Go to keto fav thank you!
Debbie
0These were delicious! I only used 1 1/2 cups almond flour, garlic powder instead of fresh garlic and added a pinch of cayenne. I baked them on parchment paper as well.
Pam
0These are absolutely delicious! I bake them in silicone muffin cups and then eat them throughout the week. My kids like them too.
Susan
0These were so delicious, the whole family enjoyed them! I did have to substituted almond flour due to my son’s allergies, I used coconut flour instead – just 1/4 cup. Also, I have made them several times, and a Silpat liner is the way to go. Foil just made a big mess for me. Thanks!
Tammy
0The flavor is excellent, but you’ll need to adjust the recipe if you like the firmer more traditional sausage balls. They are too moist and mushy inside and they do not firm up after cooling. I may reduce the almond flour because I can barely even taste the sausage. Next time I’ll use 2-3 oz of cream cheese.