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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers

    Vegan Sausage Balls

    Published: Dec 30, 2018 . Modified: Jun 7, 2025 by Allie

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    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    These vegan sausage balls are perfect as an appetizer, whether it’s the holidays or just because.  They’re rich, cheesy, and simple to put together.

    Vegan sausage balls in a white bowl.

    Sausage balls are one of the many recipes that I needed to veganize when we changed our diet.  It’s one of our traditions to have them every Christmas Eve and there are rarely any leftovers (but when there are, they’re delicious too). Enjoy them as is or try dipping them in vegan honey mustard.

    They are often made with Bisquick; instead, I’ve used all-purpose flour (or whole wheat), baking powder, and some salt.  I prefer Lightlife Gimme Lean Plant-Based Ground Sausage to make this meatless appetizer. 

    Then I use dairy-free shredded cheddar cheese.  I’ve tried Follow Your Heart and Violife, but use your favorite brand for these dairy-free sausage balls.  Any plant-based milk will work, it helps wet everything and makes it easier to form into balls. 

    For more vegan appetizer recipes, try buffalo tofu, vegan buffalo dip, or vegan nacho cheese.

    Jump to:
    • Variations
    • Serving suggestions
    • Tips for the Recipe
    • Tips for vegan sausage
    • How to Make Vegan Sausage Balls
    • Storage
    • Frequently asked questions
    • More vegan appetizer recipes
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    Variations

    • Substitute the black pepper with cayenne pepper.
    • Add Italian seasoning.
    • Add chives, fresh or freeze-dried.

    Serving suggestions

    We mainly have always eaten these by themselves, but they also go great with sauces.

    • Vegan cashew ranch
    • Vegan nacho cheese
    • BBQ sauce
    • Vegan honey mustard

    Tips for the Recipe

    • Line a baking tray with a silicone mat or parchment paper for an easier clean-up.
    • Use all-purpose or whole wheat flour for the dairy-free sausage balls.
    • During testing, my family and I preferred the Lightlife ground sausage, but it can be substituted with your favorite vegan ground sausage.  If you do substitute, depending on the moisture content of the plant-based meat you use, you may need to adjust the milk needed in the recipe.  To adjust the recipe, mix everything without the milk, then add milk as needed.
    • Any non-dairy cheese will work, I use a non-dairy cheddar cheese because it’s a bit bolder to go with the sausage.
    • If you prefer the Bisquick version like the traditional sausage ball recipe, substitute the flour with the same amount of the mix and leave out the baking powder and salt.

    Tips for vegan sausage

    I have tested with vegan ground hamburger, which made the vegan sausage balls taste like vegan cheeseburger balls.  So, if you can’t find the sausage an uncooked vegan ground hamburger will work in a pinch.

    Brands can change their recipes, so as of writing this, during testing, I needed to add milk for Lightlife Gimme Lean Plant-Based Ground Sausage.  I did not need to add any milk while testing with Impossible ground sausage.  Mixing the milk and flour in the recipe acts like glue that holds the sausage and cheese together. 

    If you substitute with a different sausage, different plant-based meat, or you have a feeling that your brand changed their recipe: start by mixing the flour, salt, baking powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and pepper.  Then crumble in the sausage and add the cheese to the flour. 

    Start to mix and if it’s too dry add a couple of tablespoons of milk, mix, and add more if needed.  If the mixture is too wet, add a tablespoon of flour at a time.  The mixture should be wet and will stick to your hands, but you should be able to roll it into a ball without excessive crumbling.

    Ingredients for plant based sausage balls in seperate bowls.

    How to Make Vegan Sausage Balls

    Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C).  Then start by mixing the dry ingredients separate from the sausage and cheese, so all the dry ingredients get thoroughly mixed together.  Then add the vegan sausage, dairy-free cheese, and ½ cup of dairy-free milk; work in the sausage and cheese with your hands.  

    Ingredients for dairy-free sausage balls mixed in a glass bowl.

    Break up the sausage into smaller bits while working in the flour mixture. If the mixture is too dry add another tablespoon at a time of plant-based milk to help the mixture hold together and form the sausage balls.  The milk helps everything stick together.

    Uncooked vegan sausage balls on a baking tray.

    Roll out 1 ½ inch size sausage balls and place them on a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet.  Then bake for 20-23 minutes or until they have firmed up and turned golden brown.

    Cooked no meat sausage balls on a baking tray.

    Storage

    Cool the vegan sausage balls completely before storing them covered in the refrigerator for about 5-6 days.  They can also be frozen.  Freeze them separately on a silicone mat or parchment-lined baking tray until frozen then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container in the freezer.

    Frequently asked questions

    Can you freeze vegan sausage cheese balls?

    Uncooked and cooked sausage balls can both be frozen. To freeze uncooked no-meat sausage balls, roll them up and freeze the balls on a lined baking sheet until frozen. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 to 4 months.

    If you bake uncooked sausage balls while still frozen, then add about 10 minutes to the baking time for a total of 31-33 minutes.  When I tested, they did seem a little drier from being frozen.

    Can I make them in advance?

    Yes, I do think the dairy-free sausage balls taste best fresh out of the oven, but they are pretty delicious warmed up too.  Reheat them either in the microwave or in the oven at 350°F until warmed through.  Or see the frozen instructions above.

    Vegan sausage balls in a white bowl.

    More vegan appetizer recipes

    • Sweet and Spicy Roasted Walnuts and Cashews
    • Curry Cashews
    • Vegan avocado lime crema
    • Curry Chickpea Salad
    • Baked buffalo tofu bites on a plate with celery sticks and a bowl of vegan ranch dressing.
      Buffalo Tofu Bites (Vegan and Oil-Free)
    • Oil-free vegan nacho cheese in a bowl with jalapeño slices and a chip.
      Vegan Oil-Free Nacho Cheese
    • Buffalo chickpea dip in glass dish with chopped parsley.
      Buffalo Chickpea Dip (Vegan)
    • Mango corn salsa in a bowl with chopped cilantro on top.
      Mango Corn Salsa

    I hope you enjoy the vegan sausage ball recipe!

    Print

    Recipe

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    Vegan sausage balls in a white bowl.

    Vegan Sausage Balls


    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    5 from 5 reviews

    • Author: Allie
    • Total Time: 35 minutes
    • Yield: about 30 1x
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Rich and cheesy vegan sausage balls.  A classic holiday appetizer veganized!


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 3 teaspoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
    • 14 ounces vegan ground sausage (I used Lightlife Gimme Lean Plant-Based Ground Sausage)
    • 8 ounces vegan shredded cheddar cheese (I used Follow Your Heart Cheddar Shreds or Violife)
    • ½-⅔ cup plant-based milk, or as needed

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C)
    2. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper in a large bowl.
    3. Add the vegan sausage, vegan shredded cheese, and ½ cup of milk to the bowl and mix them into the flour with your hands while breaking up the sausage.
    4. If the mixture is too dry add another tablespoon of milk at a time to help combine everything together.
    5. Roll out 1 ½ inch size sausage balls and place them on a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet.
    6. Bake for 20-23 minutes.

    Notes

    If you substitute with a different sausage, different plant-based meat, or if a brand changes its recipe: the amount of milk needed may need to be altered.

    If substituting, to figure out how much milk you need, start by mixing the flour, salt, baking powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and pepper together.  Then crumble in the sausage and add the cheese to the flour.  Start to mix and if it’s too dry add a couple of tablespoons of milk, mix, and add more if needed.

    In case the mixture is too wet, add a tablespoon of flour at a time.  The mixture should be wet and will stick to your hands, but you’ll want to be able to roll it into a ball without excessive crumbling.

    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 23 minutes
    • Category: appetizers
    • Method: oven
    • Cuisine: american

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @threelittlechickpeasblog on Instagram and hashtag it #threelittlechickpeasblog

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    1. Frank Thomas

      November 23, 2023 at 2:23 pm

      Hands down the best holiday recipe. They were so amazing!

      Reply
      • Allie

        November 25, 2023 at 9:34 am

        I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!

        Reply
    2. Andrew

      November 24, 2022 at 8:33 pm

      These sausage balls are amazing...they're the best vegan recipe out there for these and they help make the holidays really special. Thank you very much for sharing this recipe!

      Reply
      • Allie

        November 25, 2022 at 11:20 pm

        You're welcome and thanks for leaving such a kind comment!

        Reply
    3. Katie

      November 08, 2022 at 11:35 pm

      I made these with your vegan honey mustard. Yum!!

      Reply
      • Allie

        November 09, 2022 at 6:11 pm

        I'm glad you like the recipe and thanks for commenting!

        Reply
    4. Janet

      October 21, 2022 at 4:20 pm

      They turned out great! The family loved them!

      Reply
      • Allie

        October 21, 2022 at 4:20 pm

        I'm glad you enjoyed them!

        Reply
    5. nunu

      August 19, 2022 at 7:00 am

      Would these work as a pizza topping

      Reply
      • Allie

        August 19, 2022 at 4:56 pm

        If they were sliced they might fall apart, but they might work if they were crumbled up after they were baked.

        Reply
    6. Joseph

      August 06, 2022 at 9:22 pm

      These are the best! Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Allie

        August 08, 2022 at 4:50 pm

        I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!

        Reply
    7. Angie

      December 25, 2020 at 4:49 am

      Can I sub AP Flour for whole wheat?

      Reply
      • Allie

        December 25, 2020 at 6:42 am

        I haven't tested it with all-purpose flour but I'm sure it would work. Whole-wheat flour is a thirstier flour than all-purpose, so the only adjustment would be how much liquid you need.

        Reply
    8. Nancy

      November 18, 2020 at 11:49 am

      I love these sausage balls...

      Reply
      • Allie

        November 18, 2020 at 12:01 pm

        I'm glad you love the sausage balls!

        Reply

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    Vegan sausage balls in a white bowl.