The Perfect Appetizer – Keto Sausage Balls

Finding the right keto snacks and appetizers can be tricky, but we’re here to help!

If you’re new to keto, you may find it difficult to make recipes using only a limited number of keto-approved ingredients. Or you might think there is a lot of effort involved, but that’s not the case here.

Humble sausage balls are an ever-present appetizer for events, but commercial recipes call for the use of packaged bread mixes, which are highly processed and packed with carbohydrates. This means that regular sausage ball recipes aren’t keto-friendly, but that’s an easy truth to change.

Here are some quick, easy, and low-carb keto sausage ball recipes. These delicious keto-friendly sausage balls are perfect as an appetizer, snack, quick breakfast, or on-the-go meal. Sausage balls also keep well in the freezer for up to 5 months, so you can prepare them ahead of time.

Note: We have included some recipes with cheese in them as they can improve the texture and flavor of the sausage balls. However, if you are on a dairy-free keto diet, stick to the no-meal recipes because they are delicious too!

• Check the ingredients for the sausage as some sausages contain sugar and/or wheat flour.
• Make sure you cut the sausage properly into small pieces.
• First beat the eggs in a separate bowl until well combined with the rest of the mixture.
• Add additional seasonings to season the sausage balls (you can also add fresh herbs!). Here are a few of our favorites: smoked paprika, dried parsley, garlic powder, dried onion powder, and chives.

This is the easiest recipe on the list, and all the others are based on these recipes. Feel free to experiment with adding almond flour, coconut flour, and spices to this basic recipe.

Ingredients:

How to make it:

Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix together. Form balls from the mixture (use an ice cream scoop or a cookie spoon to keep them even) and place them on a lined baking sheet. The recipe should make 10-15 2-inch sausage balls. Bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for up to 20-25 minutes or until sausages are tender.

This easy recipe involves replacing your packaged bread mixture with another type of keto flour. For this recipe we use almond flour.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sausage
• 1 egg
• 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

How to make it:

Heat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius. As with the previous basic sausage ball recipe, all you have to do is mix the ingredients well, shape the balls, place them on a lined baking tray, and bake for 20-25 minutes.

If you want a creamy texture for your sausage balls, you can incorporate cream cheese into the mixture.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sausage
• 4 ounces soft cream cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

How to make it:

Like the previous recipes, preheat the oven to 350°F (or 175°C). Then mix the ingredients – note that this mixture will be softer if the cheese is softened first so that it is at room temperature. Form golf ball-sized balls (1.5 inches in diameter) with either your hands or a ladle, and bake in the oven at 350 F (175 C), for 20 to 25 minutes.

If you are allergic to almonds, don’t worry about the previous recipes. You can either substitute almond flour for coconut flour using a 1:4 ratio or you can try this eco-friendly coconut flour sausage ball recipe. (You’ll notice that this recipe uses extra eggs because coconut flour is more drying than almond flour.)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sausage
• 4 ounces soft cream cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons soft ghee
• Salt and Pepper

How to make it:

Soften cheese and margarine in the microwave. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Shape into golf ball size balls and bake in the oven at 175°C for 30 minutes or until light brown in color.

Cheddar seems to be the cheese of choice for sausage balls, but it’s not the only cheese you can use. Try experimenting with different blends of cheddar, Parmesan, or peppercorns for a spicier flavor. But, if you’re looking for a spicy, creamy texture, sweet chili cheese is the way to go.

This is one of the easiest recipes on this list (with only 3 ingredients) and it’s based on the basic dairy-free recipe we had earlier.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sausage
• 12 ounces pimento cheese
• 1 egg

How to make it:

In a large bowl, mix everything together. Form balls and place them on a lined baking tray. Put it in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.

You may have noticed that using eggs or flour is not mandatory – you can make amazing sausage balls without using them, and the recipe below is a good example.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sausage
• 8 ounces soft cream cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, and Parmesan are all great options)
• 1 tablespoon mustard (yellow or Dijon)

How to make it:

Heat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Combine all ingredients, form balls from the mixture, and place on a lined baking tray. Bake in the preheated oven for up to 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Once baked, place on paper towels to absorb excess fat.

All of the previously mentioned recipes can be baked either using an oven or an air fryer.

There is no need to preheat the air fryer, all you have to do is grease the basket a little and bake the sausage balls for about 18 minutes at 375 degrees.

One of the great advantages of an air fryer is that you can cook sausage balls straight from the freezer, without having to thaw. Put the frozen balls in the basket and cook at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. Then flip and cook for another 7-8 minutes at 375 degrees. Depending on the air fryer, you may want to check it throughout the second cooking, just to make sure it cooks in the middle.

As mentioned earlier, they can be frozen for up to 5 months, so you don’t have to worry about leftovers. And you’ll have some on hand for those late-night cravings or early morning rushes!

To prepare for freezing, all you have to do is put the baking sheet in the freezer for a few hours after forming the balls and place them on a baking tray. This will ensure that the sausage balls retain their shape and do not turn into a hard lump. After they’re frozen, put them in zip-off bags, and that’s it! Now you have a pre-made batch of delicious keto sausage balls!