These sausage and cream cheese bites have a funny name “donkey balls”. However, they are packed with flavor and will soon become not only the talk of the party, but one of the requested recipes.
Sausage and cream cheese are a classic pairing. These little balls of goodness are sure to be a hit with your guests at your next party.
Delicious Snack ~ Donkey Balls Recipe
These delicious and easy bites are the perfect appetizer for any party. They’re always a crowd favorite. Make these bite-sized snacks with your kids, they’re fun to make and eat!
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This is a fun recipe to make for gatherings. The recipe is courtesy of my daughter. She made these for the first time when camping. My husband and I were lucky enough to have her make extra and bring some over.
Game Day Snack
These scrumptious little snacks would make great Game-Day appetizers. They are easy to eat finger food. The next time you have to bring a dish to pass, these Donkey Balls would be a very nice option. Just the name alone says fun at a party. People just can’t help but snicker at the name.
These days, we all need something to make us smile and enjoy life a bit more. If you can be enjoying some delicious snacks along the way, even better.
Complimentary Sauces and Dips
I tried one plain and while it was good;, I immediately thought it would be better with a drizzle of maple syrup. That delicious photo is shown below. Wouldn’t you like to take one off the plate and have one? So yummy and satisfying.
Dipping Sauce
My husband and daughter opted for a dipping sauce. They came up with a concoction of 1/2 maple syrup and 1/2 barbecue sauce. They dipped their sausage and cream cheese appetizer in their sauce and loved it. For me, I will stick with the maple syrup.
This is one of those recipes that will lend itself to a variety of dips and sauces.
You may try our two options already mentioned. However, these may also be great with French dressing, teriyaki sauce, ketch up, or ranch dressing. If you love ranch dressing for dipping, I urge you to whip up a quick batch of this buttermilk ranch dressing. It is an amazing dipping sauce.
Simple Ingredients for this Distinctive Dish
Crescent Rolls. the kind in the refrigerator section of the grocery store is what I use. I like to keep it simple.
Cream Cheese. This can be in the blocks or in the spreadable containers. Whichever you have on hand will work just fine. It adds a delicious creaminess to the appetizer. Bring it to room temperature for easier mixing.
Breakfast Sausage. I like the Jimmy Deans Roll. They do make a spicy version that some folks have commented that they enjoy and then they call these “rattle snakes”.
Onion. Really, any kind of onion you have will work. This recipe is a no-fuss recipe. Yellow, white, sweet Vidalia will all work wonderful.
Garlic Powder. This really helps add extra flavor in the sausage and cream cheese mixture.
Sausage for Recipe
If you want to use the Jimmy Dean Sausage and cannot find it locally, you can find it here on Amazon. While this recipes calls for 16 oz. of Jimmy Dean Sausage Roll, it would be delicious with a variety of meat. Such as, regular ground pork, maple flavored pork, hamburger, or ground chicken or turkey.
However, some people have let me know that they like the spicy sausage for this recipe. If you like spice, go for it as it will not disappoint. Note: the change of meat will change the flavor of this recipe. But, I encourage you to try a variety to see what you and your family like best.
Making These Sausage & Cream Cheese Bites Ahead of Time
The great thing is that if you are hosting a party, these are great little gems to make ahead of time. I would fry the sausage mixture and mix it with the cream cheese, onion, and garlic powder – cool. Then wrap the Crescent Roll dough around the teaspoon of the sausage filling making a little ball.
Place balls on a prepared cookie sheet or another container where the bites will not be touching (otherwise, the crescent dough will stick together). Cover and refrigerate until read to bake. This can be done a day ahead.
When ready to bake and serve, just bake in a preheated oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for approximately 14 minutes until golden brown.
Bake and Serve
When ready, just pull the tray out of the refrigerator and bake. Your guests can enjoy the warm and yummy appetizers. Even better, your entire house is gonna smell delicious.
You’re in the mood for a snack. You want something that’s not too heavy and is filling but you don’t want to make anything complicated or time-consuming. Try this delicious recipe that has an interesting food name.
Sausage & Cream Cheese Bites “Donkey Balls”
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 2 Packages Crescent Rolls
- 8 Ounces Cream Cheese room temperature
- 16 Ounces Jimmy Dean Sausage 1 standard package
- 1 Mediun Onion Diced
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
text ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit. In a saucepan, cook the sausage, diced onion, and garlic powder until thoroughly cooked through. Make sure to break up the sausage in small pieces while cooking.16 Ounces Jimmy Dean Sausage, 1 Mediun Onion, 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- Drain and cool.
- Add the cream cheese to the sausage mixture. Mix with a spoon until blended. Set aside.8 Ounces Cream Cheese
- Open the first container of crescent rolls. Separate the first crescent and cut in half to make two triangles.2 Packages Crescent Rolls
- Fill each triangle with a teaspoon of the sausage and cream cheese mixture. Then bring the sides of the crescent dough up and around the filling. Make sure to pinch together to seal. Continue adding filling to the rest of the crescents.
- Place on cookie sheet approximately 1 inch apart.
- Bake for 11-14 minutes or until the crescent is golden brown. No worries about the inside filling as that is already pre-cooked and safe to eat.
- Enjoy plain or with the maple syrup drizzle or some other dipping sauce.
Your Own Private Notes
Notes
Making These Sausage & Cream Cheese Bites Ahead of Time
The great thing is that if you are hosting a party, these are great little gems to make ahead of time. I would fry the sausage and mix it with the cream cheese, onion, and garlic powder – cool. Then wrap the Crescent Roll dough around the teaspoon of the sausage filling. Place on a prepared cookie sheet or another container where the bites will not be touching (otherwise, the dough will stick together). Cover and refrigerate until read to bake. This can be done a day ahead. When ready to bake and serve, just bake in a preheated oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for approximately 14 minutes until golden brown.Nutrition
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If you are looking for more ideas on what to make, here are a few other recipes that you may enjoy.
You can find Victoria crocheting, quilting, and creating recipes. She has cooked in restaurants for over 20 years, including many larger parties. She learned to crochet when she was just 11 years old and has been crocheting ever since; over 50 years now. Over 40 years ago, she loved her first class in sewing and continues to hone her skills in quilting. Many have enjoyed the handmade gifts over the years. In her professional career, she has worked in management in a wide variety of businesses including higher education as a dean of a division. All the while attending college part-time to achieve her doctorate in higher education with an emphasis in e-learning.
My family loved this!
Can these be frozen and then baked?
Yes, you can freeze them unbaked. Just put in a freezer safe bag and lay flat so they don’t all stick together. Another option is to freeze them on a baking tray, when frozen, add to some other airtight container. You can bake them from frozen. Just add 10-15 minutes extra baking time if starting from frozen.
Vicky
Can you also add cheddar cheese in these?
Hi Susan,
Yes, that would be a yummy addition. I’d shred it and add about a cup.
Vicky
I’m confused how to cut the crescent rolls. I wish there was a photo.
Hi Julie, You cut it from the middle of the longer side down to the corner creating two triangles about the same size. Hope this helps.
Vicky
NO ONIONS! I Don’t make ANYTHING with onions even if the recipe calls for them!
I get it. Do what works for you.
Vicky
Made gravy and dipped them was awesome. Also tried sweet chili sauce.
Hi Deb,
Brilliant idea. I need to try the gravy trick the next time I make these. Thanks for sharing.
Vicky
I’m in the process of making these (first time) but I like the simplicity it’s definitely a good base for the imagination. Thanks
Me too. There are so many people finding ways to switch up the recipe. Enjoy.
Vicky
What are Crescent rolls. Is it a pastry
It is a premade pastry. Here is a link on Amazon, but it comes in 12 packages. https://amzn.to/3U96DQK Our local grocery stores carry this.
Instead of Crescent Rolls I would use Grands Biscuits. Separate the biscuits, flatten them out a bit, put in the filling and bake. Much easier to enclose the filling that way.
Yes you could. They would end up being a bit large, so you might want to cut them in half and then proceed shaping than, adding the filling, etc.
We made this recipe and added jalapeños, crushed pineapple, hot sauce and garlic. Delicious!!!
Oh, how nice! Sweet and spicy. Thanks for sharing. What a delicious variation.
Vicky
Made this recipe and instead of rolling into balls I spread one can of crescent rolls in the bottom of a 9×13 pan layered the filling (I doubled the sausage and cream cheese) and then put the second layer on top. Much easier than cutting the crescents and just as tasty.
Well, you are a genius! Thanks so much for sharing. We will make it like this the next time and see how it turns out. Enjoy
Vicky
Thanks for the recipe I will be trying this to take camping. Also going to try with crab and shrimp with cocktail sauce to dip.
That would be a scrumptious combination. Thanks for sharing. Enjoy!
I’m thinking of trying this with pepperoni instead of the sausage and using a marinara sauce for dipping. Thanks for the great recipe!
Oh, I might have to try that too. It sounds scrumptious. Thanks for sharing.
This filling is very similar to fried won-tons. I love that these are baked rather than fried. Also, for won-tons we use homemade sweet/sour sauce with pineapple tidbits in it, really good. I’m anxious to try these. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your dipping sauce idea too. That sounds wonderful. I had not thought of trying a sweet/sour sauce. I hope you enjoy the recipe. Vicky
I LOVE this recipe (and the name)! I’m going to make it with maple sausage. Can’t go wrong with more maple flavor. And, then I might make a batch with hot sausage. What flavor sauce would you suggest for the hot Donkey Balls?
Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you for the ideas. How fun. If you like the heat, I would make this Sriracha Mayo sauce for dipping. https://patternprincess.com/make-your-own-sriracha-mayo/
Vicky
Can these be made ahead and freeze?
Yes, get the balls made and freeze. Thaw before baking. However, if they are baked ahead of time and frozen, I would warm them back up in the oven for the best texture.
vicky
What would you recommend for a dipping sauce other then maple syrup?
Honey, BBQ sauce (many flavors). ketchup, ranch salad dressing, honey mustard, or a herbed melted butter. Try a few out and see if you find a favorite. Vicky
Very tasty… made them however I used more filling and rolled them as you would a crescent roll just tucking the edges a bit to keep the filling within the roll. Very easy to make. Thank you for the recipe
You are very welcome. So glad you enjoyed the recipe. Great idea on how you rolled them up. Thanks for the tip. Vicky
This entire post absolutely ROCKS! Thank you for all the hard work you put into it. It really shows.