Apple Breakfast Sausage (AIP Modified, Paleo)
These apple breakfast sausages strike a comfortable balance between sweet and savory, with juicy apples, warm spices, sage, and just enough maple syrup to bring everything together. The edges caramelize beautifully as they cook, giving you that classic breakfast sausage texture. They’re easy enough for everyday mornings, but special enough for a slow weekend breakfast. Make a batch once, and you’ll quickly see why they become part of the regular rotation.
How This Recipe Fits AIP Modified and Paleo
These apple breakfast sausages are suitable for both AIP Modified and Paleo. The only ingredient that shifts the recipe out of AIP Core is fennel seed, which is allowed on AIP Modified but excluded on Core. If you omit the fennel, the recipe becomes fully AIP Core compliant. If you’re eliminating sugar or following Whole30, you can omit the maple syrup entirely.
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Core and peel one apple and cut it into large chunks. Any variety works, so choose one you enjoy or whatever you have in your fridge produce drawer. The key step here is cooking the apple before mixing it into the meat, which prevents crunchy pieces in the finished sausages. Pulse the chunks in a food processor until finely chopped, then sauté them in a skillet with a pinch of salt and a small amount of avocado oil until softened.
In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, cooked apples, maple syrup, sage, cinnamon, fennel seed, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly, using your hands if needed, until everything is evenly distributed. Fennel is a classic pairing with pork, and it works especially well alongside apples, maple, and sage, giving the sausages their traditional flavor profile.
Roll the mixture into 2-inch meatballs, then press them into thin patties using your hands or the back of a spatula. Sausage shrinks as it cooks, and the maple syrup encourages browning, so thinner patties help ensure they cook through before becoming too dark.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with a little avocado oil. You can also use a solid cooking fat like duck fat or tallow. Cook the patties in batches, flipping once browned, until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
Freezer Meal Prep Tip
To freeze, either lay the patties flat on a baking sheet and freeze individually before transferring to a container, or stack them in a freezer bag with parchment paper between each layer. Both methods make it easy to pull out just what you need.
Serve the sausages warm, straight from the skillet, or keep a batch in the freezer for busy weekday mornings. Having homemade apple breakfast sausage ready to go makes even the simplest breakfast feel more intentional and satisfying.
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Dairy-Free Chia Pudding with Mango and Avocado
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Apple Breakfast Sausage FAQ
Apple Breakfast Sausage (AIP Modified, Paleo)
Ingredients
- 1 large apple, peeled and cored
- 2 tsp Avocado oil, divided
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1½ tsp dried sage
- 1 tsp ground fennel seed
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
Instructions
- Cut the apple into large chunks. Pulse in a food processor until the apples are finely chopped.
- Warm a teaspoon of avocado oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the apples and cook until they are soft. Season with a pinch of salt. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Add the ground pork or chicken to a large bowl. Add the cooked apples, maple syrup, dried sage, fennel seed, salt, cinnamon, garlic powder and onion powder. Mix thoroughly to incorporate the spices.
- Form the meat mixture into 2” meatballs, then press each of them into very thin patties.
- Heat the remaining avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage patties in batches. Cook each patty for one to two minutes each side, until temperature reaches 165°.
- Remove the patties to a platter and serve.
Did you make this recipe?
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Cooking the apples before adding to the sausage mix is really the key for this recipe.