A perfect grab and go snack, breakfast or appetizer, these paleo sausage cheese balls are a handy bite to eat warm or cold!
We love how easy they are to make, and how portable they are for any occasion or trip. They even make a great protein dense hiking food!
Years ago before children, I was a teacher. We had epic staff room spreads, and the holidays were always a time when everyone would bring something in to share. One year, there was several items that I enjoyed SO much, I begged for the recipes! This is one of those recipes, well loved and tattered languishing away within my recipe book (just like my gluten free cranberry upside down cake!).
After almost 8 years of cooking allergy free, recreating the gluten filled recipes of my past has become much easier.
While some tinkering is necessary, knowing these ingredients well makes it much easier for me to make substitutions with success.
This recipe is unique in that it uses the sausage to bind (no egg), and it requires minimal flour. It seems like it shouldn’t work…but it does!! And every single bite is loaded with sausage and cheese flavor…pretty amazing!
I also love how portable these are! ( We also love healthy deviled eggs too!)
While we never intended them to be travel food, we found that we loved grabbing leftovers for a quick, high protein snack!!
It was kind of by accident…but now these are on the camping and hiking list of perfect nutrient dense, portable foods!
Special Ingredients/Supplies:
- I like to use this cassava flour in so many recipes because it is SO versatile and has a neutral flavor! And unlike tapioca starch which is JUST the starch, cassava contains the whole root and contains lots of digestive-resistant starch which feeds the healthy gut flora! Great for digestion!
- When baking, it is ideal to keep the items uniform in size so they all cook evenly. This is why I love to use my cookie/food scoops to keep it consistent! I use my different sizes for cookies, muffins, meatballs, and these biscuits!
Can I make these low carb or keto?
Definitely! With so little flour, changing the flours around has very little impact. I usually replace the cassava flour with 1/3 cup coconut flour.
Looking for more gluten free sausage recipes?
- My Roasted Veggies w/ Sausage a sheet pan dinner you don’t want to miss!
- Whole30 Breakfast Sausage @ What the Fork
- Low Carb Breakfast Casserole w/ Sausage @ Low Carb Yum
- Country Sausage Gravy Over Sweet Potatoes @Get Inspired Everyday
Paleo Sausage and Cheese Balls Recipe:
If you try these delicious little sausage balls, I want to know! Please come back and leave a comment!
Paleo Sausage Cheese Balls
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground breakfast sausage
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese grated, I have done this with Daiya Shreds too!!
- 1 cup almond flour
- 3/4 cup cassava flour (tapioca flour can be used too) OR 1/3 cup coconut flour for low carb version
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees ad line a cookie sheet with a non-stick baking mat.
- In the bowl of a mixer, slowly mix all ingredients until everything is incorporated and well mixed. Much easier to do with a mixer, it takes a minute for it all to come together.
- Using a cookie scoop or your hands, roll about 2 tablespoons dough into a ball and place on a lined cookie sheet. They will not puff or move, so they can be close to one another!
- Bake in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until just golden and set.
Nutrition
What is the serving size for the nutrition information?
I use 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, apx.
Hi! I just wanted to check, should you brown the sausage prior to mixing with other ingredients? Or add in raw?
Sorry I am just now seeing this! Likely not helpful, but raw!!
I just took my first batch out of the oven and inhaled one, these are delicious! I kept googling paleo sausage rolls but couldn’t find anything, today your recipe popped up, it’s exactly what I hoped for. Thank you!
Yay! Serendipitous! So glad you love them as much as we do!
These were incredible. I wasn’t looking forward to missing out on a Christmas tradition this year as I’ve been avoiding dairy and gluten. These were so perfect. AND, I’ve started making them for breakfasts throughout the week. Thank you for posting this! Love them!!!
Awesome Samantha, so glad they are being enjoyed!
Made these as a last ditch measure for my grandma who has to have gluten free food. Thankfully I’d bought some almond flour earlier in the week and my mom had some tapioca flour. We followed the recipe exactly and they turned out perfectly. This was exactly what we needed for hors d’oeuvres This Christmas. Thank you so much, and I’ll surely use this recipe again in the future. (^_^)
Glad they worked out Robert! Thanks for your comment!
Perhaps this seems like a dumb question, but if I wanted to make these with regular flour, any idea what the proportion would be? I don’t have access to alternative flour options here in Kathmandu, Nepal, but am looking for more ideas for my daughter’s school lunches… thanks!!
This is a super flexible recipe, use around 1-1.5 cups regular flour! Thanks Erin!
These look awesome, so perfect for grab and go kind of snacks, and I love that they’re perfect for meal prep too!
I made these with a few adjustments for allergies/sensitivities, and they turned out great! I substituted garbanzo bean flour (chickpea flour) for the almond flour and Daiya shreds for the cheddar cheese, and it worked fine. I went with garbanzo bean flour because it has a neutral taste and is just as high in protein as almond flour. Thank you Tessa for the fantastic recipe!
Yum, they look great! Has anyone tried with a sub for the almond flour (peanut/treenut allergies here)?
Hi Kris! I definitely think another flour would work!! What flours do you have to work with or like to use? Could also use all cassava (almond does not absorb as much liquid, so less of other flours would be used)
Fantastic ideas for our hiking adventures with kids. They are so messy if I don’t have right snacks for them! Perfect recipe !
These sausage cheese balls look like an excellent app for our next party. I love that they are healthier, but no one will ever know or care because they are delicious! Pinning to try soon!
Yum, you had me at baked cheese 🙂 I can definitely see why you guys would be grabbing these for a quick snack, they’re perfect!
Sounds so yummy! Do you think I can sub out the cassava with something low carb?
Definitely Yvonne. I was going to test it out using part collagen and with more almond or a couple tablespoons coconut.
What a simple, delicious-looking recipe! I’m pinning this to try. It looks like a great thing to take to parties.
I love how easy these are to make. I’d serve these as little appetizers when I have guests they’d go down a treat!
Savory snacks are my favorite: so satisfying. These are awesome!!! LOVE this idea and recipe and only a few ingredients. Will make! 🙂
I bet my kids would looooove these! 🙂 They sound delicious!
I bet these are fantastic and perfect for parties!! They look delicious!
Oh man, my kids would definitely eat these up! Great idea!
These look soooo good! Cassava flour is so versatile!
Perfect breakfast flavors in one bite! So perfect for on the go and I bet kids would love them as well.
Woah, only 5 ingredients? I am in!
easy is good!
I always smile big on the inside when we go to a party that has sausage balls. They’re so freaking good! I’m in love with this grain-free recipe!
This is a brilliant idea. Cheese balls are very handy. I think this would make wonderful packed lunch. So excited to try this since I believe the kids would love this.
Kid pleaser for sure Shelia!!
This looks so easy and would be great for our meat loving visitors!