Better-than-Boxed Vegan Gluten-Free Stuffing recipe - Fab Everyday (2024)
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While my family definitely considers ourselves to be omnivores, we have been incorporating more plant-based foods and recipes into our diet for the purpose of lowering our environmental impact. I have to admit that it’s been fun to adapt recipes with plant-based products and substitutes (see more of my vegan recipes here, and you’ll be seeing more to come). That being said, it’s not always a stretch to adapt recipes to be vegan. Today’s recipe is a great example. This vegan gluten-free stuffing is better than the boxed stuff and very easy to make! Whether your guests are vegan, gluten-free, both, or neither, this stuffing will please the whole crowd! Pin this one for your gluten-free or vegan holiday recipe planning, or just include it on your Thanksgiving menu if you want to swap in a sustainable vegan gluten-free stuffing recipe.
I developed this recipe as part of the Allrecipes Allstars Tastemakers program. Rate, review, and photograph my recipe for Better-than-Boxed Vegan and Gluten-Free Stuffing on Allrecipes here, see the full recipe along with some of my cooking tips below, or you can Jump to Recipe directly.
How to make vegan gluten-free stuffing
To make this vegan gluten-free stuffing, start by prepping your vegan and gluten-free bread (for vegan bread, look for keywords like “plant-based” and “egg-free;” one of my favorite choices is Little Northern Bakehouseaffiliate link, and I use the whole 16 oz. loaf for this recipe). Cut the bread into 1/4″ – 1/2″ cubes (depending on the size you like).
Spread bread cubes out onto two baking sheets, then bake in the preheated oven on 350 degrees until the bread cubes are dry and lightly toasted. This will take about 10 minutes, but note that smaller cubes may toast more quickly, so keep an eye on them if you are going for the 1/4″ size. After toasting, transfer bread to a large mixing bowl.
Time-saving tip: You can toast the bread in advance in order to save time the day you are serving the stuffing.
Melt vegan butter (I like Earth Balance®affiliate link, as it seems to cook exactly like butter in situations like this) in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add celery and onion and sauté until the vegetables are softened but the celery still has a bit of snap (about five minutes).
Season with parsley, sage, thyme, garlic powder, salt, pepper, rosemary, and marjoram, then cook and stir for one more minute.
Stir in vegetable stock and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. After it reaches a boil, remove the pan from heat.
Here’s where your vegan gluten-free stuffing comes together! Pour stock, vegetable, and herb mixture over bread cubes in the mixing bowl.
Stir gently until well combined, then cover the bowl with aluminum foil and let sit for five minutes. After five minutes, remove foil, fluff the vegan gluten-free stuffing with a fork, and serve.
Like I said, vegan, gluten-free, or not, this stuffing is sure to please! Here’s the recipe. Enjoy!
Print Recipe
Vegan Gluten-Free Stuffing
This vegan gluten-free stuffing is better than the boxed stuff and very easy to make! Whether your guests are vegan, gluten-free, both, or neither, this stuffing will please the whole crowd!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread bread cubes out onto 2 baking sheets.
Bake in the preheated oven until bread cubes are dry and lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Melt vegan butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add celery and onion and saute until vegetables are softened but celery still has a bit of snap, about 5 minutes. Season with parsley, sage, thyme, garlic powder, salt, pepper, rosemary, and marjoram. Cook and stir for 1 more minute. Stir in vegetable stock and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. After it reaches a boil, remove from heat.
Pour stock, vegetable, and herb mixture over bread cubes in the mixing bowl. Stir gently until well combined. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove foil, fluff stuffing with a fork, and serve.
Recipe Notes
You can toast the bread in advance in order to save time the day you are serving the stuffing.
Toasted gluten free bread cubes are tossed with sizzling Italian sausage, savory Parmesan cheese, buttery vegetables, and fresh herbs and garlic, then drizzled with just enough broth to create a stuffing that's creamy in the center and crispy on top after baking.
Traditional stuffing recipes usually call for chicken broth. Cue the violins, herbivores; standard stuffing is not a vegetarian Thanksgiving dish. Even boxed versions may contain hidden animal-based ingredients, emphasizing the importance of carefully reading the labels before purchasing instant stuffing.
There are several companies that make gluten-free stuffing mixes; Aleia's, Gillian's Foods, Mom's Place Gluten-Free, Olivia's Croutons, Three Bakers, Trader Joe's, and Williams Sonoma.
Traditionally, though, boxed stuffing that you get from the local grocery store is non-vegan. It is usually made with chicken broth, chicken fat, milk, and even eggs to hold everything together, so no, standard stuffing is not vegan friendly.
I immediately started buying it to make for family and friends, and everyone raved about it. That's not surprising, as Aldi's traditional stuffing is “the best.” The stuff(ing) inside this light blue box is a game-changer. The gluten-free bread cubes contain a mix of rice, brown rice, tapioca, and potato flours.
Most stuffing uses Egg and/or butter to bind the ingredients together, and consequently it is not suitable for vegans - though it is suitable for vegetarians.
In this vegan stuffing recipe, I keep the celery, onions, and crusty bread, but I use a generous amount of olive oil instead of butter, which adds robust flavor. Then, I increase the veggies. Along with the onion and celery, I add a hefty amount of shiitake mushrooms, kale, and tons of fresh herbs.
Stuffing the turkey with gluten-containing bread will contaminate the turkey itself making it unsafe to eat if you are celiac or have a gluten disorder. Instead, make your stuffing using gluten-free bread or in a separate dish to ensure no cross-contamination occurs.
Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing contains no animal products, but be careful because a lot of their other flavors do contain chicken and/or chicken broth. And the Cornbread Stuffing Mix at Trader Joe's is also vegan.
Mayonnaise or “mayo” is typically made from naturally gluten-free ingredients: eggs, oil, vinegar, lemon and sometimes mustard/mustard seed or other spices. Mayo brands that have a gluten-free label have passed thorough testing and are safe to eat for people with celiac disease.
The EU requires warning labels on dyes, and countries like Austria, Finland, and Norway have banned Twinkies. Stove Top Stuffing: Contains a combination of beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), leading to its ban in countries like Japan, the UK, and several European nations.
It scores an 8 on EWG's Food Scores, where the rankings go from “1” for best to “10” for worst. Kraft's mix contains the chemicals BHA & BHT, which are both on EWG's Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives and may be linked to cancer.
Regular stuffing (cooked inside the turkey) and dressing (made in a pan) start with dried cubes of bread, typically made with gluten. Gluten-free bread, however, is a perfectly acceptable substitute when you make your own!
The simple answer is yes — potatoes are gluten-free. Gluten is a type of protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and other grains. Potatoes aren't grains, they're a type of starchy vegetable. That's good news for people who can't tolerate gluten because they have celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
Look for the words "gluten-free" just below the list of ingredients. Not all salad dressings are safe—Sesame Ginger, for example, contains wheat-based soy sauce. Many of Maple Grove Farms' products contain only cider or balsamic vinegar, not distilled vinegar—again, check the label.
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