Sausage muffins with cheese are perfect for breakfast on-the-go, holiday brunches, or a satisfying savory snack. Fluffy sausage cheddar muffins recipe are take on a southern favorite, sausage balls, but made with flour so it can be enjoyed in a gluten-free version as well. Welcome to your complete breakfast in one gnoshing-sized package!

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Easy Cheddar Sausage Muffins
Enjoy a comforting, filling grab-and-go breakfast all in one powerhouse muffin package! This sausage muffins has the savory goodness of gluten-free cheese scones with lots of cheddar and flavor packed in each finger-licking bite!
An easy basic muffin recipe replaces Bisquick, traditionally used in another southern favorite – sausage balls. While you could still use Bisquick as a short cut, sausage muffins recipe is still a breeze to throw together. I’ll show you how!
These were outstanding!! Teen approved! So easy to take on the go! Tastes like a sausage egg and cheese biscuit in muffin form!! I rarely post! This recipe was so worth a comment!! Follow recipe exactly will continue to make these on a regular basis!!
—Alysia
I can’t even count how many times I have made these!!! Over and over again – sometimes gluten free, sometimes not. Perfect every time…and people are always asking for them!
—Carmen
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Ingredients Tid Bits
These sausage muffins are made with flour, baking powder, milk, and butter so it may easily be adapted to gluten-free sausage muffins. To substitute Bisquick for the flour, use 1 cup Bisquick, 4 eggs, and cheese with the sausage, omitting the other ingredients. (More on that below!)
Like my highly-reviewed crustless sausage quiche recipe, readers really like to put their own spin on the recipe. Scroll down for for some inspo on additions and modifications.
- Ground pork breakfast sausage – Cook, crumbled, and excess grease drained on paper towels.
- Flour – Use regular all-purpose or substitute gluten-free flour for gluten-free sausage muffins. Similar to gluten-free sausage balls, I prefer using flour, rather than Bisquick, so they are easily adaptable to GF.
- Sharp cheddar cheese – Substitute any preferred cheese, pepper jack for a spicier flavor or mild cheddar for a more subdued cheese taste.
- Pure maple syrup or sugar adds a tiny hint of sweetness.
- For an extra hint of spice, add 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper or use spicy breakfast sausage.
Let’s Make This Together!
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
Brown the sausage
Before mixing together all the ingredients, you’ll have to cook the sausage, unlike sausage balls, which uses raw sausage. I brown it in a skillet and then transfer it to a paper towel lined plate to absorb the extra grease. Set it aside while you make the muffin batter.

Whisk the dry ingredients
Grab a large sized mixing bowl because all the ingredients will be mixed together in this. First whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add sausage and cheese (the good stuff!)
Before adding the wet ingredients, stir in the sausage and cheese. This prevents you from accidentally over-mixing the batter to incorporate everything.

Final touches and bake
Pour in the wet ingredients – egg, milk, and pure maple syrup. Combine that and then stir in the melted butter. If you add the butter with the milk mixture you will risk the butter getting cold and re-solidifying. Divide into prepped muffin tins, sprinkle on more cheese (can never have too much cheese!), and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes.


Let’s Talk Options
One of the reasons I love this recipe so much is how adaptable it is. Need a gluten-free sausage muffin? I’ve done this plenty of times! Just swap out the all purpose flour with a GF blend. I highly recommend Cup4Cup gluten-free flour, and no other adjustments are required.
- Instead of pork sausage, use turkey breakfast sausage.
- Add fresh or frozen blueberries, chopped apples, raisins, or dried cranberries to make a sweet and savory treat.
- Increase the sweetness by adding up to 1/4 cup sugar or maple syrup.
- For a garlic cheddar flavor add 1 tsp garlic powder.
- Sauté onions, bell pepper, or any other preferred veggies with the sausage and stir into the muffin batter.
- For spicy sausage muffins add 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper or use spicy breakfast sausage.
Can I Substitute Bisquick For The Flour?
Yes. If you’d rather do a bit of a shortcut, you can swap out the Bisquick for the flour. Use 1 cup Bisquick (regular or gluten-free), 4 eggs, and cheese with the cooked sausage, omitting the other ingredients.

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Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa

Crazy-Good Cheesy Sausage Muffins (No Bisquick)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground breakfast sausage, cooked and crumbled
- 2 cups all purpose flour, regular or gluten-free, (Cup4Cup gluten-free flour recommended)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup or sugar
- 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- (optional) additional cheese, for topping
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Begin by cooking the sausage, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through. Drain on a paper towel lined plate. Grease the muffin tins liberally with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.1 pound ground breakfast sausage
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar (if not using maple syrup). Stir in the cooked sausage and cheddar cheese.2 cups all purpose flour, regular or gluten-free, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
- In a small bowl whisk together the milk, egg, and maple syrup (if using). Pour into flour mixture then add the melted butter. Stir to combine until flour is incorporated.1 cup milk, 1 egg, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup or sugar
- Spoon into muffin tins, filling to the top of each tin. Sprinkle additional cheese on top, if desired.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes clean and tops are golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to a cooling rack. Serve warm.
Notes
storing and freezing
After they have cooled completely refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 days. If storing longer than 2 days, I recommend freezing so they don’t dry out. To freeze, wrap the muffins individually in plastic wrap and transfer to an airtight container or ziplock freezer bag. Freeze up to three months. Thaw at room temperature for one hour and then wrap in a paper towel to warm in the microwave for 20 seconds.This post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.



I made 2 batches of these this morning to take to friends. This recipe is fantastic. It’s simple enough. But versatile. Mixing the dry ingredients before adding the wet is very helpful to make sure you have even distribution. This recipe is a keeper.
Thank you so much, Christine! I appreciate you taking the time to let me know!
Best,
Melissa
Delicious! I am diabetic, so I used 1/2 white flour & 1/2 whole wheat flour. Even my husband thought they were very good!
Thank you so much, Kathy! I appreciate you taking the time to let me know about the adaptations. It’s always helpful for others.
Best,
Melissa
These turned out amazing , thank you ! I had to use diced garlic coil as I had no ground sausage , but it didn’t hurt any, this muffin recipe has great texture and great flavor.
Lovely to hear, Sherry! I always appreciate the time taken to leave a comment. It’s appreciated!
Best,
Melissa
LOVE these!!! they are so delicious and easy to make. that are great to transport to work to eat for breakfast!
Agreed, Malori! They are a favorite in our family!
Best,
Melissa
These were an unexpected “sleeper” hit at our Thanksgiving lunch! People could not stop eating them. Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
Yes, these are pretty irresistible! Glad your family enjoyed them.
Best,
Melissa
Not good. Did not look like the pics.
So sorry to hear! I apologize for any frustrations. This is never my intent. I wish I could tell you what happened. 🙁
Best,
Melissa
These were so good I’m making them for the second time now. This time I’m adding a 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/8 tsp cayenne. 😋 Great recipe and so easy!
Love the addition of cayenne, Bonnie! Thanks for sharing!
Best,
Melissa
To be honest, I haven’t made them yet but I LOVE how you list the amount of ingredients with the step by step directions in addition to just listing them at the top of the recipe! That just flows so much more nicely to my brain. I’m making these muffins tomorrow and I already know they will be just wonderful.
Me too, Brooke! I find this helpful when I’m making my own recipes. I wish everyone did this! Let me know how the muffins turn out!
Best,
Melissa
These muffins have been on repeat since first finding them just this November and they are a fan favorite. Not only is the recipe written in a way that soothes my brain, the end result is a delicious hit as well. Thank you!
Love all this, Brooke! Thank you so much for taking a moment to share!
Best,
Melissa
These really are Crazy Good! I wish I could give it more than 5 stars. I used a Better than Cup4Cup diy blend and they turned out GREAT. I am not gluten free, but my daughter is, so for the most part we cook gluten free. Thank you for this recipe, it just may be my special Sunday morning breakfast routine.
Thank you, Walt! I appreciate you! I know the struggle of cooking for a mixed diet family, so the goal is always to make one thing we all enjoy!
Best,
Melissa
These are so delicious and super easy to make! They’re our new go-to breakfast during the work week. I bake a couple of batches and variations on Sundays, and they last us all week. Thanks so much for sharing! Love, love, love these!
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Kelley! I appreciate you taking the time to let me know!
Best,
Melissa
These were outstanding!! Teen approved! So easy to take on the go! Tastes like a sausage egg and cheese bisquit in muffin form!! I rarely post! This recipe was so worth a comment!! Follow recipe exactly will continue to make these on a regular basis!!
Thank you so much, Alysia. I’m so glad the recipe brought you out of your commenting “shell.” 😉
Best,
Melissa
Kid approved! I put them in a 9×13 casserole dish. My kids are a bit older and it allows me to slice them a bigger portion. Thank you for the yummy and freezable recipe! It makes mornings breeze!
Fantastic idea, Samantha! Thanks for taking the time to share.
Best,
Melissa
Love receiving your fantastic recipes. Since finding that I’m gluten intolerant I really appreciate your gf recipes. I really miss baked goods, and your site gives me the courage to stick with the regimen. Thank you for your much appreciated help.
Oh this makes me so happy. I know what a struggle it is when you are first diagnosed. Let me know if you have any questions. I’m happy to help and please stick with it! It gets easier, I promise.
Best,
Melissa
These were so good! Next time I will make them in mini muffin cups and dip in white gravy. My husband and 3 year old also loved them. Regular size is perfect for freezing for on the go breakfast prep though.
I usually don’t have to halve leavening agents for cakes and muffins at high altitude so I didn’t when I made these. However, next time I think 2 tsp baking powder will be perfect as they rose just a little too much. Less butter is also common with high altitude adjustments so I used 5 tbs. I think I could reduce at all the way to only 3 tbs.
Thanks so much for the recipe!
Oh, thanks for all the high-altitude tips, Bri! So helpful for others, and I’m glad your family enjoys them!
Best,
Melissa
I can’t even count how many times I have made these!!! Over and over again – sometimes gluten free, sometimes not. Perfect every time…and people are always asking for them! I follow the recipe as written, the only thing I do differently, is that I make 24 with each recipe. I gave the recipe to a friend who tried it and made 12, and she said they weren’t as good as mine. I normally make a double recipe & have 48 muffins- and take them to church 🙂 They are a huge hit!
Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
Love this! Thank you so much for taking the time to share!
Best,
Melissa
Hi. How many muffins does this recipe make? Can’t wait to try them! Thank you.
Hello!
It makes 12 muffins.
Enjoy!
Melissa
Can you make these as mini muffins?
Hi Carole,
Yes, you can certainly try, but since there are chunks of sausage in the muffin batter you might not get a good ratio of muffin batter to sausage in every mini-sized one, if that makes sense. If you do try I would cut back on the baking time 5-7 minutes.
Best,
Melissa
I’m going to give it a shot. I have a ‘meat masher’ to get the sausage good and crumbled.
Thanks !
Perfect every time!
Thank you, Karen. Appreciate it!
It states 1 Tablespoon of pure maple syrup or sugar.
Then it states to add all the dry ingredients together, so you wouldn’t want to add maple syrup to that. You would want to add the sugar.
Then you mix all the wet ingredients. So I guess my question is do you want 1 tablespoon of sugar and maple syrup in the recipe or just 1 tablespoon of 1 or the other? What would you suggest doing if you can’t add both to the recipe?
Hi Bernie,
You would choose 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or 1 tablespoon of sugar. If you choose sugar, add it with the dry ingredients, if you do maple, add it with the wet. However, the recipe is pretty forgivable and would turn out if you mixed it up!
Best,
Melissa
These are delicious! I was looking for an easy breakfast with protein to grab and go, and these are now part of my regular rotation. I store them in the freezer and pop them in the microwave for a minute when I am ready to eat.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Best,
Melissa
I made these delectable muffins for the first time this week. They are moist, fluffy, and delicious! I used half regular sausage and half chorizo sausage. Wow, I will definitely make these again soon. Thank you, Melissa.
Great ideas, Valarie! Thanks for sharing!
Best,
Melissa
Made these for my son to take to the hunting camp. He and his friends raved about how good they were! Definitely will make again.
What a great treat for them! Thanks for taking the time to share!
Best,
Melissa
Would it be ok to make up the batter and put in the muffin tins and refrigerate and bake the next morning?
Hi Lynn,
It depends. Are you using GF flour or regular all purpose? If you are using regular flour, it wouldn’t be a problem. I would cover the bowl, refrigerate overnight, and then distribute in tins and bake. For GF flour, I’m afraid it would dry out the batter too much. For that, I would bake, cool, and freeze the muffins. Hope this helps!
Best,
Melissa
Batter was way too thick and I had to add more milk. They’re in the oven right now so we’ll see how they turn out
FAB-U-LOUS!!!!!!! My husband loves sausage balls so I make them once a year around Christmas.. I saw your recipe and thought it might be a nice change, even though I had already made sausage balls and had them in the freezer. Well, your recipe was a huge hit! He loved them and even said, “You know, I think I like these better than the sausage balls”. I guess this will be my new “go to” for Christmas each year and probably throughout the year as well! The muffins were light, fluffy, tender, and absolutely delicious! I used organic, unbleached AP flour and it worked perfectly. Thanks so much!
Thank you, Cheryl! Ironically I have never tried sausage balls until recently and loved them so much I made a recipe for those as well! I’m glad this recipe sneaked in as a new Christmas tradition, though!
Best,
Melissa
I made these today following the recipe (used syrup) but I added diced raw broccoli at the end. I try to get fruits/veggies in every meal. They turned out really good!
Great idea, Joy! Thanks so much for sharing!
Best,
Melissa
I made these and followed the instructions with the 1 Tablespoon of baking powder and they were very bitter and we couldn’t eat them. Is this a misprint?
Hi Lori,
I’m sorry this happened 🙁 No, it’s not a misprint, but perhaps the baking powder used wasn’t aluminum free?
Best,
Melissa
These were very good. Made as written and they were exactly as described. I have a new go-to for potluck brunch!
Thank you, Katie! I appreciate it!
Best,
Meissa
Love, love, love this recipe! These muffins are so moist and tasty. I followed the recipe as written except I didn’t add maple syrup or sugar. They were wonderful. I’ll be making them again and again.
Thanks for sharing, Donna! I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe!
Best,
Melissa
Phenomenal! I used a gluten free flour blend, non-dairy cheese, and a flax egg — they turned out perfect!
So glad to hear! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know!
Best,
Melissa
I made these with yesterday, with a small adaptation. I am drowning in sourdough discard, so thought I would try it in this recipe. I replaced 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup milk with 240 g of 100% hydration discard. I also added garlic powder and Kinder’s Buttery Steakhouse seasoning. They are so tasty. I am definitely making them again and may even try to sub the full amount of flour and milk with discard.
Love this idea, Annie! Thank you so much for taking the time to share!
Best,
Melissa
Can I substitute cooked bacon for the sausage?
Hi Kim, Yes that wouldn’t be a problem!
Best,
Melissa