Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Instructions
- Prep Your Oven and Pan: First things first, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Grab a standard 12-cup muffin tin and give it a good spray with cooking spray or grease it with butter. This step is crucial to make sure your delicious bites pop right out after baking.
- Mix the Batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the protein pancake mix and the water until it’s mostly smooth. A few little lumps are perfectly fine—that’s the sign of a tender pancake batter!
- Add the Sausage: Now, gently fold in your cooked and cooled breakfast sausage. It is really important that the sausage isn’t warm. If it is, it can start to melt the cheese prematurely and make the batter greasy.
- Fold in the Good Stuff: Add the shredded cheddar cheese and sugar-free maple syrup to the bowl. Mix everything together with a spatula until it’s just combined. Be careful not to overmix here; we want light and fluffy bites, not tough ones.
- Fill the Muffin Cups: Spoon the batter evenly into the 12 prepared muffin cups. I find filling them about three-quarters of the way full is the sweet spot. This gives them enough room to puff up beautifully without spilling over the sides.
- Bake to Perfection: Slide the muffin tin into your preheated oven and bake for 18-23 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when they are a gorgeous golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a bite comes out clean.
- Let Them Rest: This might be the hardest part! Let the High Protein McGriddle Bites cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before you try to remove them. This helps them set up so they don’t fall apart. After 5 minutes, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Ensure cooked sausage is completely cool before adding it to the batter to prevent a greasy texture. Do not overmix the batter; a few lumps are fine. For substitutions, you can use turkey sausage, bacon, or plant-based sausage, and try different cheeses like pepper jack or smoked gouda. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
