These grab-and-go Pancake Sausage Mini Muffins are the ultimate breakfast solution, packing a sweet and savory punch in one perfect, protein-packed bite.
This game-changing Pancake Sausage Mini Muffins recipe was born from the beautiful chaos of a busy school morning in our bustling American home. I was tired of the daily scramble, trying to get a decent, protein-filled breakfast into my kids before they raced out the door. Cereal was easy but didn’t last, and flipping actual pancakes was a weekend-only luxury. I needed something quick, portable, and satisfying. I’m a huge believer in the power of a good make-ahead breakfast, a philosophy championed by sites like The Kitchn. That’s when the idea struck: what if I combined the sweet flavor of a maple pancake with savory sausage and cheese, all in one easy-to-grab muffin? The result was this recipe—a breakfast miracle that has completely transformed our mornings.
🟫 Why This Is So Good
- Perfect for Meal Prep – Bake a batch on Sunday and have a delicious, high-protein breakfast ready for the entire week. They are the ultimate time-saver.
- Sweet and Savory Perfection – The combination of fluffy pancake, savory sausage, gooey cheese, and sweet maple syrup is an absolutely irresistible flavor explosion.
- High in Protein – Using a protein pancake mix and protein-rich milk helps keep you full and energized all morning long. No more mid-morning slumps!
- Kid-Approved and Portable – These mini muffins are the perfect size for little hands and are a fantastic on-the-go breakfast for car rides, school days, or busy mornings.
The first time I made these, I left the container on the counter to cool while I got the kids ready. My son, Leo, wandered into the kitchen, snagged one, and his eyes went wide. “Mom! This is like a pancake ball!” he shouted with a full mouth. He quickly ate two more. By the time Mark came downstairs, he saw the kids happily munching away and grabbed one for himself. “Honey, these are incredible,” he said. “You’ve solved breakfast.” That’s when I knew this Pancake Sausage Mini Muffins recipe wasn’t just a good idea; it was a bona fide family essential. A key to the great flavor is perfectly browned sausage, a simple technique that Serious Eats has great tips on. For more advanced recipes, visit Bake Warely.
🟫 Getting Your Ingredients Right
- The Pancake Mix: This recipe is designed around a protein-packed pancake mix like Kodiak Cakes, which provides a great texture and a boost of protein. If you use a different brand, the results may vary slightly.
- The Sausage: Use a pound of your favorite ground breakfast sausage. A mild or maple-flavored sausage works wonderfully to complement the sweetness of the syrup.
- The Milk: Any milk will work, but for an extra protein punch without changing the flavor, a filtered milk like Fairlife is a fantastic choice.
- The Maple Syrup: Use real, pure maple syrup for the best, most authentic flavor. It makes a world of difference compared to breakfast syrups in this Pancake Sausage Mini Muffins recipe.
🟫 Making It Step by Step
Prepare the Sausage and Batter
First, let’s get everything ready. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and either generously grease a 24-cup mini muffin tin or line it with mini paper liners. In a medium skillet, cook the ground sausage over medium-high heat, crumbling it with a spoon, until it’s fully browned. Drain the cooked sausage on a paper towel-lined plate to remove any excess grease and let it cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pancake mix, milk, eggs, and maple syrup. Stir until just combined—a few lumps are perfectly okay! Overmixing can make the muffins tough.
Fill the Muffin Tin and Bake
Once your batter is mixed, gently fold in the cooled, crumbled sausage and the shredded cheese. Be careful not to overmix; just stir until everything is evenly distributed. Using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon, portion the batter evenly into your prepared mini muffin cups, filling each one about three-quarters of the way full. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let the Pancake Sausage Mini Muffins cool in the tin for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
🟫 Making Sure It Turns Out
- Don’t Overmix the Batter: Just like with regular pancakes, mix the batter until the ingredients are just combined. A few lumps are fine and will result in a more tender muffin.
- Grease the Tin Well: If you’re not using paper liners, be sure to grease your mini muffin tin very thoroughly to prevent the muffins from sticking.
- Don’t Overfill the Cups: Fill the mini muffin cups only about ¾ full. This gives them enough room to rise and puff up beautifully without spilling over.
My first batch of these Pancake Sausage Mini Muffins taught me a valuable lesson about mini muffin tins. I thought I had greased it well enough, but half of my delicious little muffins stuck to the bottom of the pan and broke apart when I tried to get them out. It was so frustrating! Now, I swear by mini paper liners. They make removal an absolute breeze and cleanup is practically non-existent.
🟫 Perfect Serving Ideas
These Pancake Sausage Mini Muffins are the perfect all-in-one breakfast, fantastic on their own, warm or at room temperature. For an extra touch of sweetness, they are absolutely divine when dipped in a little extra maple syrup. They are a lifesaver for busy mornings, a fantastic addition to a brunch spread, and a wonderful, protein-packed snack for lunchboxes or after school.
🟫 Making It Different
This recipe is incredibly versatile. You can easily swap the sausage for crumbled, cooked bacon. For a fruity twist, add a handful of wild blueberries to the batter. Feel free to experiment with different cheeses like a spicy Pepper Jack or a nutty Swiss. You could even use a different flavor of pancake mix, like a buttermilk or cinnamon oat variety, to change things up.
🟫 Storage and Leftovers
These Pancake Sausage Mini Muffins are a meal prepper’s dream. Once completely cooled, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, simply pop a few in the microwave for 15-20 seconds until warm. They also freeze beautifully! Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to flash freeze, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
🟫 Tips That Actually Help
- Use a Cookie Scoop: A small cookie scoop is the perfect tool for portioning the batter neatly and evenly into the mini muffin cups.
- Cool the Sausage: Let the cooked sausage cool for a few minutes before adding it to the batter. This prevents it from melting the cheese prematurely or scrambling the eggs.
- Paper Liners for the Win: Mini paper liners are your best friend for this recipe. They guarantee the muffins won’t stick and make cleanup effortless.
The simple act of letting the sausage cool slightly before mixing it in was a real “aha!” moment for me. In my haste, I used to dump the hot sausage right into the batter, which would create little pockets of melted cheese before it even hit the oven. By waiting just five minutes, the sausage and cheese stay distinct, and the final texture of the baked muffin is so much better. It’s a tiny step that makes a huge difference in these Pancake Sausage Mini Muffins.
This simple recipe truly solved our morning chaos. It’s a breakfast that I feel good about serving and that my family genuinely loves to eat. They are a little bite of sweet and savory joy that starts our busiest days off on the right foot. I hope this Pancake Sausage Mini Muffins recipe brings the same sense of calm and deliciousness to your mornings.
🟫 Frequently Asked Questions
→ Can I use regular pancake mix instead of a protein mix? Yes, a regular “just-add-water” complete pancake mix will work. You may need to adjust the amount of milk slightly based on the package directions.
→ Can I make these in a standard-sized muffin tin? You can, but you will need to increase the baking time to 20-25 minutes. The recipe will yield about 12 standard-sized muffins.
→ How do I freeze them for later? Let the muffins cool completely. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container.
→ Are these Pancake Sausage Mini Muffins good for toddlers? Yes, they are a fantastic toddler-friendly breakfast or snack! They are the perfect size for little hands and have a great balance of flavors.
→ Can I use turkey sausage? Absolutely. Cooked and crumbled turkey sausage is a great, leaner alternative to pork sausage.
→ What’s the best way to reheat them from frozen? Wrap one or two frozen muffins in a paper towel and microwave for 30-45 seconds, or until warmed through.
Print
Pancake Sausage Mini Muffins
- Total Time: 28 minutes
- Yield: 24 mini muffins 1x
Description
The perfect grab-and-go breakfast, these Pancake Sausage Mini Muffins are packed with sweet and savory flavor.
Ingredients
→ For the Mini Muffins:
- 2 cups Kodiak pancake mix (or other protein pancake mix)
- 1 lb ground sausage
- 2 cups milk
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease or line a 24-cup mini muffin tin.
- Cook Sausage: In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the ground sausage until browned. Drain off the excess grease and let it cool slightly.
- Mix Batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the pancake mix, milk, eggs, and maple syrup until just combined. A few lumps are okay.
- Combine: Gently fold the cooked sausage and shredded cheese into the pancake batter.
- Fill & Bake: Scoop the batter into the prepared mini muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full.
- Finish: Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve your Pancake Sausage Mini Muffins warm, with extra syrup for dipping.
Notes
- Don’t Overmix: Mix the batter only until the ingredients are just combined for the most tender muffins.
- Use Paper Liners: For the easiest removal and zero cleanup, mini paper muffin liners are highly recommended.
- Cool Sausage First: Let the cooked sausage cool for a few minutes before adding it to the batter to prevent the cheese from melting prematurely.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Brunch, Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 mini muffins
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
Keywords: Pancake Sausage Mini Muffins
