Sure, store-bought stuffing is good – but nothing beats homemade. My vegan stuffing is packed with sage and rosemary, and is a real showstopper each time I serve it at Thanksgiving dinner with my family and friends. And I’ve had bonafide meat lovers hound me until I gave them my plant based recipe. It’s a real hit!
Long before I personally dialed way back on meat, I hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for friends. Turns out over half of those friends were vegan. So I snapped into action and re-hauled my menu. I made a vegan green bean casserole, mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy – and the best vegan shepherd’s pie. This vegan stuffing recipe was so easy to make plant based – and the taste and texture turned out exactly the same as the classic stuffing I grew up eating. It popped with rosemary and sage – and was so savory. Bonus: I learned a lot of invaluable cooking tricks along the way.
The main hurdle I encountered when making vegan stuffing was replicating that rich flavor, without the advantage of succulent ingredients like butter and chicken broth – or binders like egg. So I made some crazy easy switches to the ingredients list. In a nutshell, here they are:
- I used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Easy, savory, done.
- I opted for extra virgin olive oil instead of butter.
- Instead of using an egg as a binder for the dressing, I made a flaxseed egg from ground flaxseed and water. Trust me, it works!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Scroll to the bottom of this page for the full recipe steps and measurements.
- Dried White Bread: I tend to use a dried out baguette or dried ciabatta, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes.
- Olive Oil: Use this instead of butter. A good first press olive oil makes a big difference.
- Onion and Celery: These are my aromatics.
- Pecans or Walnuts: Both work. Your choice. I chop these gently.
- Vegetable Broth: I find that about 2 1/2 cups lends the right amount of moisture without making the stuffing soggy in the process. Rehydrated soup bouillon works fine too.
- Flaxseed Egg: A flaxseed egg is simply 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 2 1/2 tablespoons water. I use this to bind stuffing ingredients in the same way an egg does.
- Sage, Parsley and Rosemary: This triumvirate of herbs just works. I chop fresh herbs when possible. Dried works in a pinch.
- Salt and Pepper: To taste.
Ingredient Variations
Confession: I grew up eating boxed stuffing, and I loved it. So my recipe sticks fairly close to that particular flavor profile. But here are some plug-and-play ingredient additions and substitutions:
- Diced apples
- Dried currents or cranberries
- Sliced mushrooms
- Cornbread – or thick-sliced sandwich bread (use instead of the cubed baguette or ciabatta)
- Vegan butter (use instead of the olive oil)
How to Make Vegan Stuffing
- Dry the bread. Leave a loaf out (uncovered) overnight – or dry in the oven.
- Preheat oven. 350°F.
- Sauté the onions, celery and nuts. Cook until the onions are translucent and the celery is fragrant. Transfer to a bowl.
- Mix the stuffing. In the same mixing bowl, add the dried bread cubes, veggie broth, herbs, flaxseed egg and salt and pepper and gently fold until well mixed. Transfer to a baking dish.
- Bake, then broil. Bake, covered for 45 minutes. Then uncover, turn oven to broil and cook until golden brown on top.
When Broiling I like a bit of color on my stuffing – but I always keep an eye peeled so it doesn’t burn. The broil setting is the hottest your oven goes. And food can go from golden to ash in a short amount of time. This stuffing should be golden brown in 5-7 minutes once uncovered.
Expert Tips
- Make sure the bread is actually dry. To easily dry the bread cubes, you can either leave them in a bowl overnight, uncovered – or bake them in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 325ºF. If drying in the oven, keep an eye on the bread so it doesn’t burn. I also leave the crusts on the bread when cubing it to make the stuffing’s texture a little more interesting.
- Give the flaxseed egg some time to firm up. After you mix the flaxseed and water, stir and set it aside for about 5 minutes. That particular mixture needs a few minutes to cure if it’s going to provide the same binding properties a traditional egg has.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Make ahead option: you can make this vegan stuffing a day or two ahead of time, and store it in the fridge. To reheat, place the stuffing in a baking dish and reheat on low (280ºF), for 30-40 minutes.
Of course, the texture is best when it’s fresh. So I recommend making this stuffing on the same day as your big holiday feast.
What to Serve With Vegan Stuffing
My mom would tell you that every Western holiday celebration should have at least one baked turkey tourtiere on the table for it to be a proper holiday. But I’m one of those people who could make an entire meal out of side dishes. Here are a few of my favorite sides:
- Mashed Potatoes With Mushroom Gravy
- Cranberry Relish
- Smashed Potatoes With Garlic and Chives
- Curried King Oyster Mushrooms
- Roasted Broccoli With Miso Sauce
- Gluten-Free Stuffing Flavored Spaghetti Squash
Frequently Asked Questions
The bread you use should start out super dry (basically stale). If you use fresh, soft bread – adding the broth will cause it to get too soggy. No amount of baking will fix that. Also, the flaxseed and water mixture should sit for at least 5 minutes before you use it, so it has time to cure and firm up a bit. Adding the flaxseed egg too soon can introduce more liquid than you want ideally.
That last few minutes in the oven, uncovered and under the broiler, can be a doozy. You want to get some color on top, but it shouldn’t turn to carbon. Keep an eye trained on it for those last several minutes, and pull your stuffing out before it burns on top. Moving the baking dish to a lower oven rack can help too.
Yes! I’ve had omnivores corner me after Thanksgiving dinner and demand this recipe from me. It tastes just like the real deal – with the advantage that vegans can eat it too.
Sure. The stuffing blueprint is there. My mother-in-law follows this recipe to the letter, but adds smoked oysters to hers. That’s a delicious variation btw!
Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
Print
Easy Vegan Stuffing
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 65 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: Vegan
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
My festive vegan stuffing recipe tastes like the real deal. Easy to make – and meat eaters will love it too!
Ingredients
- 1 pound white bread such as baguette or ciabatta, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes, dried
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup white onion, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped – or walnuts, chopped
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 flaxseed egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 2 1/2 tablespoons water)
- 3 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
- 3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Dry the bread. Place bread cubes in a bowl or a tray and leave overnight to dry.
– Or –
Place bread cubes on a cooking tray and bake in the oven at 325ºF for 30 minutes, or until bread cubes are dry and slightly colored. - Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Sauté the onions, celery and nuts. In a pan over medium heat, add olive oil, onions and celery and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add walnuts (or pecans) and sauté for an additional 3 minutes. Turn the heat off and transfer to a large bowl.
- Mix the stuffing. Add bread cubes and vegetable broth to the same bowl and gently toss. Add flaxseed egg, sage, parsley and rosemary and gently fold. Season with salt and pepper and transfer mixture to baking dish.
- Bake the stuffing. Cover dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Then turn oven to broil, remove foil and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Serve.
Notes
Vegan stuffing will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days (covered).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 422
- Sugar: 1.7g
- Sodium: 78.4mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 1.9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 61.2g
- Fiber: 4.4g
- Protein: 10.7g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Questions and Reviews
I make this every year, for every winter holiday. It’s so good!
Thank you, Tyler! 🙂
Hi Pickled plum any other kind of vegetables to substitute celery? Thank you!
Hi Siew, leeks would make a wonderful substitute for celery!