Description
Learn how to make irresistible Donkey Balls – crispy crescent rolls stuffed with creamy sausage and cheese. Ready in 30 minutes, perfect for parties!
Ingredients
Main Ingredients:
- 2 packages crescent rolls
- 1 (16 oz) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 lb hot Italian sausage (remove casing if needed)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 small onion, minced
Optional Variations:
- Mild Italian sausage (if you prefer less heat)
- Onion powder (¼ teaspoon as substitute for fresh onion)
- Black pepper to taste
- Different roll dough (though crescent rolls give the best flaky texture!)
Instructions
Get your oven to 375°F first thing. I learned the hard way that forgetting this step means standing around waiting while your filling gets cold and the rolls get soggy.
Cook that sausage until it’s completely browned and crumbly. My first attempt, I rushed this step and ended up with chewy pieces that nobody wanted to bite into.
Toss in that minced onion and cook just until soft. Don’t let it brown – I made that mistake once and it turned bitter.
Stir in your room temperature cream cheese and garlic powder. If your cream cheese is still cold, you’ll get lumps no matter how hard you stir – trust me on this one.
Unroll those crescent rolls carefully and separate each triangle. My kids always want to help with this part because it’s fun to peel them apart.
Put about a tablespoon of filling on the wide end of each triangle. I use an actual tablespoon to measure because eyeballing it leads to some overstuffed disasters.
Roll each triangle toward the point, keeping the filling tucked in. Some filling will try to escape – just push it back in and keep rolling.
Line them up on a baking sheet with the seam side down. I learned to give them space after making one batch where they all stuck together.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until they’re golden brown. My oven runs hot, so I always check at 12 minutes to avoid burning the bottoms.
Let them cool for about 5 minutes before serving. The filling is molten lava hot right out of the oven – I’ve burned my tongue more than once being impatient.
Notes
- Size Matters: One tablespoon of filling per roll is my sweet spot. More than that and they explode in the oven.
- Seam Secret: Press that seam down onto the baking sheet. It naturally seals itself during baking.
- Even Browning: I turn my baking sheet halfway through cooking time. My oven has a hot spot on the right side.
- Don’t Skip the Drain: That sausage fat will make everything soggy. I drain mine in a colander for a minute.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American