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These McGriddle Muffins are the ultimate sweet-and-savory breakfast hybrid-packed with real maple flavor, savory sausage, and sharp cheddar cheese-all baked into perfectly golden muffins. They're portable, meal-prep friendly, and kid-approved, making them ideal for busy mornings or cozy weekend brunches.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
If you're a fan of fast food breakfast sandwiches but prefer clean ingredients and gluten-free options, this recipe was made for you. Inspired by the classic McGriddle, these muffins deliver the same sweet maple essence and hearty sausage flavor without the drive-thru guilt.
The sweet and savory combo comes from protein-rich pancake batter mixed with crispy breakfast sausage, sharp cheddar, and a hint of sweet maple syrup. These fluffy pancake muffins are perfect for make-ahead meals, packed lunches, or weekend brunch. It's a quick breakfast option the whole family will love!
Try them alongside my Sweet Potato Sausage and Kale Egg Cups or Healthy Banana Protein Muffins for even more easy meal prep ideas.
Recipe Highlight: These bites have 14 grams of protein per muffin!
Ingredients You'll Need
- Breakfast Sausage: Turkey or pork, browned in a skillet.
- Protein Pancake Mix: I used King Arthur's gluten-free blend-just combine pancake mix with the wet ingredients.
- Eggs & Almond Milk: Moisture and binding power.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese: The savory sausage needs this cheesy balance.
- Maple Syrup: Adds just the right amount of sweetness.
To prevent sticking, spray a prepared muffin pan generously and don't forget each muffin cup!
How to Make These McGriddle Muffins
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with avocado oil. Cook breakfast sausage in a pan for 5-7 minutes.
Step 2: Add pancake mix, eggs, almond milk, cheese, and syrup. Stir until just combined.
Step 3: Divide batter between muffin cups, filling each to the top.
Step 4: Bake for 18-20 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving with extra sweet maple syrup-the best part!
Pro Tip: Want more maple flavor? Add ¼ tsp maple extract or fill the center with a tiny swirl of syrup before baking for gooey syrup pockets.
Meal Prep Tips
Let muffins cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or a freezer bag for up to 3 months. These muffin bites are ideal for meal prep. To reheat, microwave for 30-45 seconds or use a toaster oven to keep the texture crispy. It's a great option for breakfast on-the-go.
Recipe Tips
- Want stronger maple flavor? Add maple extract or swirl a little syrup in the center before baking for that signature sausage McGriddle muffin flavor.
- Avoid dry muffins by not overmixing the batter-stir gently until everything just comes together.
- Test one muffin early. Gluten-free batters can vary-checking one muffin a few minutes early helps avoid overbaking the full batch.
- Mini muffin option: Use a mini tin and reduce bake time to about 12 minutes. Great for toddlers, snacks, or brunch buffets.
- For dairy free: Use dairy free cheese shreds
- No sticking, no mess: Use silicone liners or generously grease a prepared muffin pan to avoid sticky bottoms.
What to Serve with McGriddle Muffins
These maple-sausage muffins are a complete bite on their own, but if you're making a weekend brunch or serving a crowd, they're even better with a few simple sides. Try them with:
- Fresh fruit (like berries or melon)
- A green smoothie or protein shake
- Crispy roasted potatoes or hash browns
- Soft scrambled eggs or hard-boiled eggs
They also pair wonderfully with your favorite coffee or a spiced chai latte for that extra cozy breakfast vibe.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, they're perfect for freezing. Store in a freezer bag and reheat as needed.
Microwave or toaster oven both work well for a quick breakfast.
Yes-leave it out or use a plant-based substitute for a vegetarian version.
Use avocado oil spray or silicone liners in a prepared muffin pan.
Yes! This recipe is designed to work with store-bought pancake mix.
Sure! Use turkey sausage and fat free cheddar cheese.
More Breakfast Ideas
Blueberry Breakfast Sausage Recipe
Spinach and Feta Egg Bites Recipe
Homemade McGriddle Muffins (Sweet & Savory Breakfast)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground breakfast sausage, turkey or pork
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups gluten free protein pancake mix, I used King Arthur Baking brand
- 1.5 cups almond milk, or milk of choice
- 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp maple syrup, + more if you like them sweeter!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Cook the breakfast sausage in a pan for 5-7 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Drain fat and add it to a large bowl.
- Add the pancake mix, eggs, almond milk, shredded cheddar cheese, and maple syrup. Stir to combine.
- Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with avocado oil. Divide the mixture between the 12 cups, filling to the top.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until fluffy and cooked through.
- Let them cool for 10 minutes, then remove and enjoy with more maple syrup, if desired!
Notes
-
- Want stronger maple flavor? Add maple extract or swirl a little syrup in the center before baking for that signature sausage McGriddle muffin flavor.
-
- Avoid dry muffins by not overmixing the batter-stir gently until everything just comes together.
-
- Test one muffin early. Gluten-free batters can vary-checking one muffin a few minutes early helps avoid overbaking the full batch.
-
- Mini muffin option: Use a mini tin and reduce bake time to about 12 minutes. Great for toddlers, snacks, or brunch buffets.
- For a lower fat version: Use turkey sausage and fat free cheddar cheese!
- No sticking, no mess: Use silicone liners or generously grease a prepared muffin pan to avoid sticky bottoms.
Nutrition
All nutrition facts are an estimate and automatically calculated. While I fact check them using My Fitness Pal, please note that they may not always be 100% accurate and depend on ingredients used. Weigh your total and divide by the number of servings for the most accurate grams per serving size.
Could a regular protein pancake mix be substituted? I have Kodiak on hand and we aren’t GF.
These are SO good! And we’re really easy to make. The batter did make more than 12. I had about 18 muffins total. I was worried I wouldn’t taste the syrup but it was great! I’ll be making these again!
These look tasty!
Is it possible to sub cheddar cheese for cottage cheese? If so, what adjustments to make?
Hi, the recipe already has cheddar cheese! Did you mean can you substitute cottage cheese? It’s hard to say without testing it. You could try 1 cup.
So easy and soooooo good!!!
Thanks Meg!!
Made these for a Mother’s Day brunch and left one for my husband. He immediately called me asking me to bring the leftovers home. These are so delicious!! I haven’t made a bad Mary recipe yet!
Thanks Angel!!
I made these for Easter brunch. These were such a huge hit! Everyone loved them! I actually cheated and used the prepackaged cooked turkey sausage crumbles and it worked great!
Awesome! Thank you!
Thank you Angel!!
Any recommendations what to replace the 2 eggs with? Have egg allergies but would still love the protein.
SO easy and taste AMAZING! Very filling. I made these ahead of time and froze them for PP and they were very easy to reheat. Making more as we speak!
Always love Mary’s recipes and this one is perfect for a busy teacher in the springtime. Easy prep and easy to re heat at school!
Can you make these using regular flour? Would the measurements be the same? Thank you!
I would love to know this as well! Or regular pancake mix.
These were amazing!! No syrup for me. I mixed half hot and half regular sausage. I will definitely make again.
My family loved this!