Gluten-Free Stuffing! Easy, classic stuffing — full of flavor and perfect for your holiday feasts!
Dozens of reviews agree this is the most delicious gluten-free stuffing recipe around. This recipe was originally published in 2016 and continues to be a reader and family favorite!
Be sure to watch the recipe video to see how to make it!
The Thanksgiving table wouldn’t be complete without savory, flavorful stuffing. If you ask me, turkey and cranberry sauce doesn’t taste the same without it!
After lots of trial and error over the years, this is my favorite method/recipe for gluten-free stuffing. We now come back to it every Thanksgiving!
VIDEO: How to Make Gluten-Free Stuffing
My #1 recommendation for gluten-free stuffing is to toast the bread before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients. Almost like making your own crisp, gluten-free croutons.
I love the savory flavors of onion, celery, sage, thyme, and chicken stock all mixed together with toasted bread cubes. I also recommend adding a few eggs to the wet ingredients to stabilize the stuffing. These prevents the stuffing from getting soggy.
For more gluten-free thanksgiving recipes try this gluten-free gravy, gluten-free cornbread stuffing, gluten-free mashed potatoes or gluten-free corn casserole.
You also might like this gluten-free pumpkin pie, gluten-free pecan pie or gluten-free apple pie.
Check out this full collection of gluten-free thanksgiving recipes!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Savory and flavorful
- Perfectly moist stuffing — never soggy!
- Perfect for holiday dinners
- SO much better than boxed stuffing!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make this gluten-free stuffing:
- Gluten-free soy sauce + chicken stock: Chicken broth and the secret ingredient — a teaspoon of gluten-free soy sauce — give this stuffing that deep, savory flavor everyone wants from stuffing. The soy sauce is optional, but really takes the flavor of the gf stuffing to the next level!
- Garlic: I love to use frozen garlic cubes for convenience!
- Onion and celery: Onion and celery are essential for adding texture and flavor to this gluten-free stuffing.
- Butter: Melted butter is used to saute the onion and celery, and it adds richer flavor to the stuffing recipe.
- Gluten-free bread: I’ve made this stuffing with gluten-free bread using a variety of brands. Canyon Bakehouse Mountain White, Schar Artisan Baker White Bread or Udi’s White Bread all work great.
- Eggs: Adding a few large eggs to the liquid mixture helps to hold everything together. Good stuffing should be cohesive, but not one big gloop. The eggs help to make this stuffing the consistency of bread pudding.
- Olive oil: Olive oil is drizzled over the bread cubes before toasting to help them crisp up and have better flavor.
- Salt and spices: Dried thyme, sage, salt, and pepper make this gluten-free stuffing extra special. These are the classic spices for Thanksgiving dinner!
How to Make Gluten-Free Stuffing
- Preheat the oven to 300F. Place the cubed bread on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and toss to evenly combine.
- Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, for 30-35 minutes until dry and slightly toasted. Let cool.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over low to medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until completely soft, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, sage, pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and gluten-free soy sauce (if using) and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- **To make-ahead stop here and store the celery/onion mixture in the fridge until the next day and keep the toasted bread at room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Heat the chicken stock in the microwave or in a skillet until just simmering.
- Place the eggs in a bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly add the hot stock to the eggs, starting with just a few tablespoons while whisking constantly. Add the rest of the stock while whisking.
- Place the bread cubes, celery/onion mixture and stock/egg mixture in a large bowl and gently stir to combine.
- Pour into a prepared baking dish and cover tightly with tin foil.
- Bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown and toasted on top. Serve and enjoy!
Storage/Make-Ahead Instructions
- STORAGE: Store leftover holiday stuffing in the baking dish covered with plastic wrap, or in an airtight container. Refrigerate and keep for up to three days.
- MAKE-AHEAD: Follow the recipe until after you’ve sauteed onions and celery. Then store the celery/onion mixture in the fridge until the next day and keep the toasted bread at room temperature. When ready to bake, continue following the recipe as usual.
FAQs
No, Pepperidge Farm stuffing is not gluten-free. The Classic Cornbread Stuffing is made from wheat flour and malted barley flour, which both include gluten.
No, Stove Top does not have a gluten-free stuffing mix. As with most boxed stuffing brands, their product is made with wheat flour as the main ingredient. Since wheat flour contains gluten, it isn’t conducive to a gluten-free diet. There are many brands of gluten-free stuffing as alternatives.
People with Celiacs disease can’t eat traditional stuffing, since it’s made from wheat bread that contains gluten. However, gluten-free stuffing is completely safe to eat.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Toast the bread! Toasting gluten-free bread for stuffing is key. Traditionally homemade stuffing is made with day-old bread that has had a chance to dry out. The amount the bread dries out can depend on the humidity of where you live, how old the bread is, etc. Toasting the bread is faster and guarantees a good texture (and toasty flavor) every time.
- Saute the onions/celery. Sautéing helps them soften and releases all their flavors. Nobody wants stuffing with crunchy vegetables!
- Bake covered then uncovered. Baking this stuffing covered helps it to set and the flavors to meld. I also like to finish baking the stuffing uncovered so the top gets crusty and toasty.
- Customize it. When if comes to stuffing people like to add all kinds of things. I actually prefer simple stuffing so I kept this recipe classic, but you could easily add sauteed mushrooms, cranberries, apples, or a little cooked sausage, if you like.
Allergy Modifications
- DAIRY-FREE: Be sure to use a dairy-free bread. Use vegan butter in place of the regular butter for dairy-free versions of this gluten free stuffing.
- SOY-FREE: Be sure to use a soy-free bread. Omit the soy sauce or use coconut aminos instead.
More Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipes
I hope you love this classic stuffing recipe as much as we do! If you try this gluten-free stuffing, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
Easy Gluten-Free Stuffing
Video
Ingredients
- 1 loaf gluten-free bread 12oz-18oz, sliced into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 large onion chopped (1 1/4 cups)
- 3 stalks celery chopped (1 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- salt
- 1 teaspoon gluten-free soy sauce optional
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300F. Place the cubed bread on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and toss to evenly combine. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, for 30-35 minutes until dry and slightly toasted. Let cool.
- In a skillet over medium-low heat, add the butter and melt. Add the onion,celery, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until completely soft, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, sage, pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and gluten-free soy sauce (if using) and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- **To make-ahead stop here and store the celery/onion mixture in the fridge until the next day and keep the toasted bread at room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Heat the chicken stock in the microwave or in a skillet until just simmering. Place the eggs in a bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly add the hot stock to the eggs, starting with just a few tablespoons while whisking constantly. Add the rest of the stock while whisking.
- Place the bread cubes, celery/onion mixture and stock/egg mixture in a large bowl and gently stir to combine. Pour into a greased 9×13 baking dish and cover tightly with tin foil.
- Bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden and toasted on top. Serve and enjoy!
A total hit for Thanksgiving! I followed the recipe pretty closely but I seasoned the bread cubes with Tony’s (a cajun compulsory) and added a bit to the seasoning mix. I also used fresh sage because I had it on hand and doubled the garlic. 100% will make again in a couple weeks for Christmas!
Hi Eric, thanks for your review! So glad it was a hit! The Cajun seasoning sounds like a nice touch!
Can the stuffing be made completely the day before or will it be mushy?
Hi Michelle, good question! It will definitely be softer and might dry out. We recommend preparing the toasted bread and sauteed veggies ahead of time, then assemble and bake it fresh.
I’m new to this gluten free life style, I’m so glad you took the time to make a gf stuffing recipe. Thank you
Hi Pam, thanks for taking the time to comment, it means a lot! Hope you enjoy the stuffing!
Can you substitute vegetable stock to make this vegetarian?
Hi Alison, yes, you can definitely can! Great idea.
Can I add sausage to this recipe?
Thank you
Definitely, Mads! Adding a little cooked sausage is a great addition to the stuffing. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Has anyone tried adding apples, mushrooms or cranberries?
Hi Vincent, we tend to keep it simple, but the recipe should work well with such additions! You’d want to add the mushroom when cooking the celery/onion mixture. The apples would go in a little after the onion/celery, but before you add the garlic/spices so that they can cook briefly and soften. We hope this helps!
Oh my goodness the best gluten free stuffing ever. I just made it last night in a pinch we needed gluten free and I saw yours wanted soy sauce! I tripled the recipe. Yum yum yum. 50 people absolutely loved it. The only complaint I have? That there wasn’t any left to eat today. Haha. Thank you and well done!
Aww, thank you for such amazing feedback! We’re so happy to hear how much everyone loved the stuffing!
I can figure out how to post a Q, so reply it is. Camping & only have access to microwave. Have to make4 days ahead. Should I freeze or just fridge & reheat? Any tips?
Hi Sue, we’d probably freeze it to be safe since you’ll need to make it 4 days ahead. Thaw it overnight in a fridge or cooler so that it thaws slowly and evenly. Microwave on medium power in short intervals, stirring occasionally, so it heats through well. If it seems dry, you could add a little bit of chicken stock or water while reheating. We hope you enjoy the stuffing!
This recipe looks great, but I need a gf and egg free recipe. Do you have any recommendations for an egg substitute? Thank you!
Hello! We don’t typically cook with egg replacers, but it’s worth a try in this recipe. You can also just omit the egg or try your favorite egg substitute. The egg is there to help hold the stuffing together, but it will still taste delicious either way. We’d love to hear how it goes!
I made it without egg and it was great!
Hi Binny, thanks for the comment! Glad it worked out!
Can you stuff it in the turkey instead of baking separate?
Hi Katie, we don’t recommend stuffing this in the turkey. The texture, flavor, and food safety are all best when it’s baked separately. We hope this helps!
I had a package of GF garlic toast that I cubed up and dried with the bread so I increased the chicken stock and added a bit more butter. This stuffing was absolutely amazing. My gluten free friend said it was THE BEST stuffing he’s ever had. Thank you for the recipe!
Yay! We’re so glad you all loved the recipe so much! Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Kathy!
Would you be able to cook this in a crock pot instead of the oven?
Hi Shannon, good question! We haven’t tried it in the crockpot ourselves. We worry it might be mushy in the crockpot so we’d lean towards baking it in the oven in advance, then keeping it heated in the crockpot on the warm setting until serving. We hope this helps!
I used this recipe for our Thanksgiving dinner and everyone enjoyed it, gluten free and non-gluten free eaters alike. I don’t think anybody who wasn’t in the kitchen when I made it even noticed it was GF. I appreciated the make-ahead notes, too. The texture and flavor were terrific – I’ll probably increase the herbs next time but the recipe is delicious as written. Thank you!
PS I used Canyon Bakehouse Country White bread.
My college kid recently discovered a gluten intolerence, and they were worried they couldn’t have stuffing this year. Thank you for saving us, this recipe was delicious! We even made it dairy-free for my sister, and still so so good.
We’re so glad the recipe was a hit and the dairy-free version was enjoyed as well! Thank you for taking the time to share your positive feedback with us!
What kind of gluten free loaf bread do you use or where do you get it?
King Arthur makes a delicious gluten free bread mix. You might try baking a loaf to use for this recipe, and use any extra for sandwiches.
I was in a hurry this year, and had to make a stove top stuffing with a different recipe- but I remembered the soy sauce called for in this recipe. It makes SUCH A DIFFERENCE. The deep, savory flavor we all love in classic bread stuffing. Definitely worth adding. It made a delicious tasting gluten-free stuffing that was enjoyed.
Aww, thanks for sharing this with us, Naomi! We’re so glad the soy sauce tip has been such a game-changer!
Best Gluten Free Stuffing!! Added the GF soy sauce. I used GF Challah bread and added some breakfast type sausage .So delicious! You would never know it is GF!!
Thank you for sharing this recipe!! LOVE!! LOVE!! LOVE!!
Yay! This makes us so happy, Tina! Thank you for taking the time to share your kind feedback with us. We’re so glad you loved the stuffing!