These gluten free sausage balls are a twist on the traditional recipe but equally as amazing! Uses simple ingredients to get that cheesy savory flavor.
This full proof recipe for sausage balls uses oat and almond flour for an amazing result that's also vegan! They are a perfect appetizer or snack!
This post was originally published on April 14, 2019.
Traditional sausage balls consist of meaty sausage, dairy-filled cheese, and biscuit dough. This version is made from all plant-based ingredients making them a bit lighter. We like to serve these with my vegan ranch dressing!
Ingredients
You can use a variety of customizeable ingredients when making these gluten free sausage balls.
- Crumbled sausage - the traditional versions of this recipe use pork sausage or turkey sausage, but if you want to make it vegan you need to use a plant based meat alternative. I tried making these with precooked store bought, precooked homemade vegan sausage, and store bought uncooked meat alternative. All turned out great!
- Flours - many other recipes use gluten-free bisquick mix, but I much prefer a blend of oat flour and almond flour.
- Cheese - sharp cheddar cheese tastes great, or a blend of cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese. I used both dairy free cheddar cheese and my vegan Parmesan, but you can use whatever you prefer!
- Dairy free milk - you may not need to use this if you choose to use uncooked sausage, as it will release moisture as it bakes.
- Apple cider vinegar - this will add to the overall flavor of the batter, I do not recommend skipping it. However, if you need to you can swap it for a mild vinegar, just note that the taste may change.
- Parsley - this fresh herb adds a nice pop of flavor, but can be left out as well. Or, try other herbs such as sage, thyme, or cilantro!
- Baking powder
- Sea salt
How to Make Gluten Free Sausage Balls
This recipe is so easy to make with minimal effort, which is the best kind of recipe if you ask me! Here are the steps to take:
- Stir all ingredients in a large bowl until combined.
- Shape the sausage mixture into balls and bake.
- Serve with dips of choice!
Dips for Sausage Balls
Pair these gluten free sausage balls with any of the following dipping sauce ideas:
Serving Suggestions
Make an appetizer spread at your next party and serve these vegan sausage balls along with the following plant based recipes:
Preparation Tips
- Using a combination of both cheeses is ideal. The recipe is easily customizable though so you can use any cheese you prefer.
- Do not use pre-shredded cheese because the ingredients they use to keep it from clumping can dry out the balls.
- You want the dough to be wet so you can shape it easily, but not so wet that it won't hold together.
- If using uncooked sausage, you will probably not need the milk. Precooked sausage does not release as much liquid so you need the extra liquid to make up for it.
- The amount of salt needed will depend on the sausage you use. Precooked ready sausage tends to have plenty of salt on its own.
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. This not only helps with the texture but makes cleanup easier!
- Make this sausage ball recipe your own by experimenting with other flavors by adding in extra herbs or spices, or using breakfast sausage for a brunch version!
Here is what it will look like if you use a pre cooked homemade bean based sausage. The other photos here are using a precooked store bought sausage.
Storage and Reheating Tips
- Prep batches of these sausage cheese balls ahead of time by forming the dough into balls, covering, and refrigerating until you're ready to bake.
- You can do this up to one day in advance, just make sure they're sealed well so they don't dry out.
- Keep baked gluten free sausage balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
- You can also seal them in an airtight freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat in the oven, air fryer, or quickly in the microwave until warmed through.
Common Questions
Make gluten free vegan sausage balls by mixing sausage, cheese, gluten free flour, milk, and a few other ingredients into a dough. Form the dough into balls and bake! See the recipe for more detailed instructions.
Sausage balls can flatten out for a couple of reasons. The first is using pre-shredded cheese, the coating can make the balls flat. Or using too much cheese can cause them to melt down too much and not hold their shape.
Yes, the balls should be refrigerated if not consumed within 2 hours.
Vegan sausage balls can be refrigerated for up to 3-5 days when stored in an airtight container.
More Gluten Free Appetizers
Whether you serve these for a party, to kick off a family dinner, or just for an afternoon snack, you can't go wrong with these plant based recipes:
Gluten-Free Sausage Balls (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 2 cups crumbled plant based sausage , precooked or store bought (see note)
- 1 ½ cups oat flour
- 2 cups shredded dairy free cheddar cheese , can also use some Parmesan in place of the cheddar
- ½ cup fine grained almond flour
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley , optional
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt , if needed (see note)
- ½ - ¾ cup dairy free milk , if using a precooked sausage (see note)
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar , if using a precooked sausage (see note)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F/ 175 C
- Put everything into a large mixing bowl and mix until combined.
- Shape into balls, you should get about 20 balls that are about 1 ½ inches in diameter, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until browning.
- Serve with dips of choice!
Notes
- I did a combo of both cheeses. You can use any type of cheese you prefer. I suggest not using pre-shredded cheese because the ingredients they use to keep it from clumping can dry these out.
- If you buy uncooked sausage, you will probably not need the milk. However if you use precooked sausage, liquid will not be released so you need the extra liquid. You want the mixture to be wet so you can shape it easily, but you don’t want it to be overly wet.
- The salt will depend on the sausage you use. Precooked ready sausage tends to have plenty of salt on it’s own.
- This makes 20 balls, serving size is 4.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Janice
I don’t eat nuts or seeds (or oils)…you mentioned in your notes that the almond flour could be omitted altogether, so would you then increase the oat flour by half a cup?
Sophia DeSantis
Hi Janice! I am not finding where I said to leave out the almond flour. Maybe you are thinking of another recipe? The almond flour will give some fat and therefor moisture in this recipe. If you sub more oat flour then it will dry out. You could maybe try using more milk but I haven't tried that so I cannot vouch for the results.
Melissa
Can you give some recommendations on the types of cheddar, Parmesan and sausage crumbles that you use? I am a little nervous buying vegan cheese. I haven’t had good luck in the past.
veggiesdontbite
Hi Melissa! I totally agree, I have had a lot of bad luck and don't actually love a lot that is out there. I hands down think the Farmhouse Cheddar BLOCK from Miyoko's kitchen is the best. I like shredding my own as I think it tastes much better. As for the sausage, you can use the Beyond Meat Sausage or another brand that is the same plant meat alternative. Or if you want precooked with loads of flavor already in it, we love the Fieldroast brand Italian flavor for these. I also made my own sausage but that recipe isn't coming out for a bit. If you use the Fieldroast you won't need extra salt so it's quick and easy. If you also want to add Parmesan I highly recommend making my recipe, I haven't found any store bought I really love and mine is delish! https://www.veggiesdontbite.com/grateable-vegan-parmesan-cheese/
Sarah
Just tried these and loved them! I used store bought sausage and they turned out perfectly.