Packed with savory ground pork, pure maple syrup, and a fragrant blend of fresh herbs and spices, these homemade Maple Sausage Patties deliver the ultimate balance of sweet and savory flavor in every bite. Easy to whip up and endlessly delicious, they are also the star ingredient that takes our Best-Ever Breakfast Sandwich to a whole new level!
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🌿 The Ingredients
A simple combination of quality meat, natural sweetness, and aromatic herbs and spices comes together effortlessly to create an unforgettable depth of flavor. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.
📝 Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Ground Pork: An 80/20 mix keeps the patties juicy. Sub: Ground turkey, chicken, or beef (add 1 tablespoon olive oil if using lean meat).
- Pure Maple Syrup: Stick to 100% pure syrup for authentic sweetness—skip the artificial pancake syrup. Sub: Honey or dark brown sugar.
- Fresh Herbs (Sage, Thyme, Rosemary): Fresh herbs deliver bright, bold flavor. Sub: Dried herbs (use ⅓ the amount).
- Breadcrumbs: Binds the patties and locks in moisture. Sub: Panko, gluten-free crumbs, or almond flour/pork rinds for keto.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Adds a subtle hint of warmth to balance the sweet syrup. Sub: Pinch of cayenne, or omit for mild sausage.
- Ground Nutmeg: Provides a subtle, cozy warm-spice note. Sub: Ground allspice.
- Salt & Black Pepper: Essential for bringing out all the savory flavors. Kosher salt works best.
Refer to the recipe card (with video) below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
📌 Tips and Tricks for Perfect Sausage Patties
- Don’t Overmix the Meat: Mix the ingredients together gently until just combined. Overworking ground pork can make the sausage dense and tough instead of tender.
- Chill the Mixture: Let the sausage mix rest in the fridge for 15–30 minutes before shaping. This allows the fresh herbs to infuse the meat and makes the mixture much easier to form into patties.
- Make a Dimple in the Center: Press a slight indentation into the middle of each patty with your thumb before cooking. Sausage patties shrink and puff up in the center as they cook; this keeps them flat and evenly cooked!
- Fry a Test Patty: Cook a tiny pinch of the sausage mixture in a skillet first to taste-test. This lets you adjust the salt, herbs, or maple syrup before shaping the entire batch.
- Watch the Pan Temperature: Cook over medium (not high) heat. Because of the sugars in the maple syrup, high heat can cause the outside of the patties to burn before the pork is cooked through.
- Freeze for Easy Meal Prep: Flash-freeze uncooked patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 1 hour, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. Cook them straight from frozen whenever you need a quick breakfast or want to assemble your Best-Ever Breakfast Sandwich on a busy morning!
👩🏼🍳 How To Make Breakfast Sausage
- Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, sage, rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
- Step 2: Fold in the pork and then add the maple syrup. Mix until just combined. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
- Step 3: Form the sausage into ½-inch thick patties.
- Step 4: Cook them in a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until cooked through, flipping as needed.
🙋🏽♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, they are great for meal prep! You can shape the raw patties and store them in the fridge for up to 2 days, or flash-freeze them on a parchment-lined tray before transferring to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Cook them straight from frozen over medium heat—just add a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
Keep your skillet at a steady medium heat rather than medium-high or high. Because of the natural sugars in the syrup, high heat will cause the exterior to caramelize and burn before the meat is fully cooked through in the center.
Absolutely! Lean ground turkey or chicken makes a fantastic lighter alternative. To make sure they stay juicy, add a tablespoon of olive oil or melted butter to the meat mixture to compensate for the lower fat content.
🥞 More Classic Breakfast Recipes
Ready to make the most delicious maple breakfast sausage in town? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Maple Sausage Patties
Video
Equipment
- Non-stick skillet/saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon breadcrumbs dried
- 1 tablespoon sage fresh, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 tablespoon rosemary fresh, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 tablespoon thyme fresh, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more, to taste
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ground
- 1½ lb ground pork
- 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, sage, rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.2 tablespoon breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon sage, 1 tablespoon rosemary, 1 tablespoon thyme, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon Kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- Add the ground pork and maple syrup, then use a wooden spoon, or your clean hands, to fold the bread crumbs and herbs into the pork. Gently mix until just combined. Wash your hands and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.1½ lb ground pork, 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- Shape the pork mixture into 10 to 12 patties, about 3 inches in diameter a ½-inch in thickness.
- Heat a large saucepan/skillet (nonstick works best) over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray, if needed.
- Add the patties and cook until the bottoms are browned, about 5 minutes (shake them periodically to prevent any sticking).
- Flip and cook the other sides until browned and the centers feel firm to the touch when pressed with your finger, about another 5 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
POST UPDATE: This recipe was originally published in April 2015, but was updated with improved tweaks to the recipe with new tips and photography, and a fabulous new video in September 2020! The recipe is adapted from Williams Sonoma.
Brent says
Instructions say to add cloves, which aren’t called for in ingredients. The instructions also don’t mention adding maple.
Kris Longwell says
So sorry for the delayed response, Brent! Thanks much for the heads up on this! We’ve removed cloves from the original recipes, but not the recipe card in the instructions. We updated that oversight and added maple syrup into the instructions. Thanks again! Let us know if you make them and what you think! Best, Kris & Wesley
Kate says
I made this tonight and it was amazing! I mixed it earlier in the afternoon, and the flavors really married beautifully. I was going to make Swedish meatballs with pork and ground beef, but this was much more fun, really tasty, pantry friendly, and super easy.
I wanted to thank you guys for consistently great recipes and a lot of fun to go with it. I look forward to your post in my email every day 🙂
Kris Longwell says
Hi Kate! That is amazing! We are so glad you had such great success with the sausage patties!! And thank you so much for your kind words and for the wonderful review!! That truly means so very much to us!! All the very best, Kris & Wesley
Sharyn Fireman says
OMG. Will you marry me? I cook everyday as a student of the FRENCH CULINARY INSTITUTE in NY teathered to fine cuisne, I’m so done with that.
Thant you for being you and making cooking fun again.
I am going back to fried chicken, Meatballs and spaghetti, Tuna Melts and ordinary comfort food….
I do have a reperoire of 500 recipes I cook from around the world, but you guys are THE BOMB
Kris Longwell says
Hi Sharyn!! You have no idea how happy you have made us!! Sorry for the late response but we are THRILLED that you are having fun with our comfort food recipes! But that’s awesome about culinary school! You are going to be an amazing executive chef one day and we’ll have to come dine in your fancy fabulous restaurant!! Please stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Sandi says
I haven’t tried yet but I would like to make a small batch. Sounds delish!I hope it will work cut in half as I also want to try with ground chicken. Any tips or ideas?