This vegan gluten-free stuffing is a delicious allergen friendly dish that everyone will love! Made with artisan style gluten-free bread, onions, celery, carrots, and all the savory spices you expect with a holiday dish.
Is any holiday meal complete with stuffing/dressing? This vegan gluten-free stuffing is an easy side dish that can be served as is or drizzled with easy vegan gravy.
Looking for other vegan holiday side dishes? Check out this creamy cauliflower mash and these crispy smashed potatoes.
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Why is stuffing not vegan?
Stuffing is most often made with eggs and "stuffed" inside the carcass of an animal, which is not vegan. Classic boxed versions like StoveTop are also not vegan friendly (even the traditional sage flavor contains chicken fat).
If you are looking for vegan (but not gluten-free) boxed stuffing here are a few options:
- Thrive Market organic whole-grain stuffing
- Whole Foods organic multigrain stuffing mix
For vegan AND gluten-free boxed stuffing:
- Thrive Market grain-free stuffing
There aren't a ton of options that don't include unnecessary ingredients and fillers, so why not make it from scratch! It's easier than you think and only requires a handful of ingredients and a few essential spices.
Homemade vegan gluten-free stuffing ingredients
- Gluten-free bread
- Carrots
- Yellow onion
- Celery
- Garlic
- Vegan butter (I used Miyoko's oat butter and highly recommend it)
- Salt + black pepper
- Fresh parsley
- Sage, rosemary, & thyme
- Low sodium vegetable broth
Head to the recipe card below for measurements and detailed step-by-step directions.
Gluten-free vegan bread for homemade stuffing
Here are a few gluten-free and vegan bread choices for you to use in this stuffing. The trick with making stuffing is to toast the bread before hand until it's golden. The purpose of this is to provide texture and enhance the flavor, and using toasted bread ensures the stuffing does not come out soggy or chewy.
- Greenlite artisian multigrain chia take and bake loaf (they also have a classic loaf that would work well too!)
- Food for Life brown rice bread
Tips for making homemade stuffing
I sautéed and baked the stuffing in the same rimmed cast iron skillet but if you don't have a cast iron skillet with a cover, don't worry! Sauté the veggies in any skillet and then add everything to an oven-safe baking dish and cover with a cover or aluminum foil.
Depending on the bread that you use, more butter or vegetable broth may be needed, adjust as you go! The bread should be covered, but not drenched/soggy. After the stuffing has baked covered for 20 minutes, uncover and taste a piece. Add more spices, seasonings, or hydrating (butter or broth) as needed.
Speaking of bread, make sure you cut the bread into very small pieces and toast for 10-15 minutes or until slightly golden. This is essential to making delicious stuffing!
If you are using a frozen Greenlite artisan loaf (available in the bread section and the frozen section at Whole Foods), remove from the freezer and completely thaw before cutting and toasting for best results.
How to make stuffing vegan & gluten-free
- Cut and toast GF bread until golden.
- While the bread toasts, sauté vegetables and spices with vegan butter.
- Remove from heat and add bread, vegetable stock, and fresh chopped herbs.
- Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove and check how hydrated or dehydrated the bread is. If it's dry, drizzle with a bit of vegetable broth and/or butter. If it's lacking flavor, add an additional ¼-1/2 teaspoon of spices.
- Bake again, uncovered until golden (20 minutes).
Substitutions
Gluten-free bread: your favorite bread can be used, for best results use a bakery style loaf. If you cannot find a gluten-free vegan bakery style bread, Food For Life brown rice bread also works great! It's sold in the freezer section and should be thawed first before baking. Store the unused bread in the fridge and use for avocado toast.
Dried herbs can be swapped out with fresh herbs if desired.
Additional herbs that can be added: marjoram, basil, oregano, mustard seed, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, etc.
Fresh chopped parsley: substitute with dried parsley or another fresh chopped herb of choice (thyme, rosemary, cilantro, carrot greens, etc.).
Variations
Herb and apple stuffing: add a few chopped honey crisp apples in with the celery, carrots and onion.
Mushroom stuffing: add a few cups of mixed mushrooms and sauté with the other veggies. Add an additional tablespoon of butter and an additional ¼-1/2 teaspoon of herbs, too!
Seeds, nuts, and dried fruits can be added to the stuffing for additional texture, flavor, and nutrients! Here are a few options;
- Pumpkin seeds
- Walnuts
- Hemp seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Dried cranberries
Use ~⅓ cup of any of the suggestions above.
Storing stuffing
Store this vegan gluten-free stuffing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. It can be frozen for up to a month.
To reheat: add desired amount to a warm skillet with a tablespoon or so of vegetable broth. Alternatively this can also be done in the stove or in the microwave. If frozen, allow to thaw at room temperature then reheat.
If you made this vegan gluten-free stuffing I would love to know your thoughts! Please leave a review below and/ tag @notablyvegan in your creations on socials.
📋 Recipe
Vegan Gluten-Free Stuffing
Equipment
- rimmed cast iron skillet with cover (or skillet of choice with an oven safe baking dish)
Ingredients
- 4 cups* toasted gluten-free bread, sliced into very small pieces (½ an inch or less)
- ½ cup carrots, peeled and finely diced (1 large carrot)
- 1 heaping cup yellow onion, finely diced (1 medium-sized onion)
- 1 cup celery, finely diced (4-5 stalks)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons salted vegan butter (+ more if needed, I used Miyoko's oat butter)
- ½ scant teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ cup low sodium vegetable broth (+ more if needed)
- ¼-½ cup fresh chopped parsley (or a mix of fresh herbs of choice)
Optional add-in:
- ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, pecans, walnuts, or dried cranberries.
Instructions
- Preheat oven: First, preheat oven to 390° F. Cut bread into ½ inch pieces (or smaller) and add directly to a 10x15 baking sheet. Spread the pieces out as needed so that they are not stacked on top of one another. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. *do not skip this step, it's essential to avoiding a soggy stuffing!
- Sauté vegetables: While the bread bakes, thinly dice the carrot, onion, and celery. Mince the garlic. Warm a rimmed skillet over medium heat and add the diced carrots, onion celery and butter. Stir to melt the butter and combine the ingredients. Add in the rest of the spices and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes (or until translucent and fragrant). Then add garlic and cook for another minute.
- Combine all ingredients: Shut off the burner and add the vegetable broth, stir again. Remove bread for the oven and decrease the heat to 350° F. Add bread directly to the pan, then add chopped parsley (or herbs of choice). Stir to combine.
- Bake: Cover and bake for 20 minutes. If you are not using an oven-safe skillet, add all ingredients to a lightly greased baking dish and cover with a cover or aluminum foil.
- Uncover and taste test: Remove from the oven and uncover. Taste a bit of the stuffing and adjust as needed. If it's dry; drizzle with a few tablespoons of broth or butter. If it's bland, add another ¼-1/2 teaspoon of spices. If you find you need both, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave and stir in spices, then drizzle over the stuffing - this is also a great option if you want a richer flavor + crustier texture on top! *taste buds differ, I wrote the recipe for how we like it, but adjustments can always be made to personalize it for you and yours so I hope this is helpful!
- Final bake: Add the stuffing back into the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and enjoy!
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