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Gourmet McGriddle bites made with sausage and cheese
Mary Johnson

McGriddle Bites (Sausage, Cheese and Maple Mini Muffins)

Fluffy mini muffins made with a maple-sweetened batter, crumbled breakfast sausage, and sharp cheddar. Sweet, savory, and easy to make ahead, they taste like a copycat McGriddle in a poppable bite.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 36
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 85
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb 450 g bulk breakfast sausage
  • 2 cups 250 g all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup 240 ml milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup 60 ml pure maple syrup, plus more for serving
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 cup about 4 oz / 115 g shredded sharp cheddar
  • Nonstick spray or butter for the tin
  • Optional glaze: 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon honey

Equipment

  • 24-cup mini muffin tin (or silicone mini muffin molds)
  • Large skillet
  • Two mixing bowls
  • Whisk
  • Spatula
  • Small cookie scoop or spoon
  • Butter knife (to loosen the edges)
  • Wire rack

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease a mini muffin tin well.
  2. Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat, crumbling it as it cooks. Drain well and cool for 5 minutes.
  3. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
  4. In another bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, maple syrup, and melted butter. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. A few small lumps are fine.
  5. Fold in the cheese and the cooled sausage.
  6. Spoon the batter into the cups, about three-quarters full.
  7. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
  8. Rest for 5 minutes in the tin, then loosen the edges and remove the bites.
  9. Optional: melt the butter, maple syrup, and honey together and brush over the warm tops.
  10. Serve warm with extra maple syrup for dipping.

Notes

  • Pancake mix shortcut: replace the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and milk with 2 cups complete pancake mix and about 1¼ cups water, following the box for liquid amounts.
  • Brown the sausage well and drain the grease, or the bites can turn out heavy and oily.
  • Shred the cheddar yourself if you can. Pre-shredded cheese can make the bites drier.
  • Overmixing makes the bites tough. Stir only until the flour disappears.
  • Start checking at 12 minutes, since ovens vary.
  • Bacon version: swap the sausage for about 8 slices of cooked, crumbled bacon.
  • Gluten-free: use a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum, and check the sausage label.
  • Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze cooled bites on a tray, then move to a freezer bag for up to about 3 months.
  • Reheat from the fridge in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds or in a 350°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes. From frozen, microwave 30 to 45 seconds or bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Reheat leftovers until hot all the way through (165°F).
  • Batter amounts and bite count are estimates. Test the recipe once and adjust the liquid or flour if needed.
  • This is an independent copycat-style recipe and is not affiliated with McDonald’s.