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.
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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!
Hi there, only my second time making a turkey and my husband was recently diagnosed as celiac so first time with gluten free holidays. What would be different in this recipe if I wanted to stuff the turkey with it?
This recipe works best when it’s baked in a pan. This is my personal preference because gluten-free bread doesn’t hold up as well inside a turkey. If you don’t mind it a little mushy you could try it though! I hope this helps.
Substitution for eggs.. please
You can easily omit the eggs in this recipe. They just help hold the stuffing together, but it will still be great without them 🙂
Do you think using olive oil in place of the butter would be an issue? My daughter is allergic to an ingridient that’s in most vegan butters.
Yes that should work great!
This was absolutely fabulous. Thank you for all the tips and guidance. I was nervous to make stuffing/dressing for the first time but it turned out great because I followed all this step by step. Thanks, Erin!!
I’m so glad it turned out well for you! Thanks for the comment!
This stuffing has become a family favorite. It is perfectly seasoned and moist. Our Grandchildren love it and request it every holiday. My 10 y/o granddaughter even requested it for her birthday. 🙂
Aww I’m so happy to hear that! So glad you and your family enjoy it 🙂
Can I bake and then reheat the next day for serving?
Can this be made the day before and heated up the day of?
I will be taking this and a casserole to a family thanksgiving dinner about an hour’s drive away. The other recipe I am making cooks at 350 degrees, and I would like to make both at the same time so I can leave with them both hot. Do you think I can prepare this stuffing at 350 if I cook it a little longer?
Yes that will work great! 350F + longer cook time should be good!
Can I easily double this recipe or will it affect the cooking time?
It depends on what size pan you’re using! If you’re using two 9×13 pans the cooking time will be the same. If you’re doubling it and want to use one pan, I recommend using a larger pan and increasing the cooking time by 5-10 minutes.
This turned out great. One change I had to make is I had to use an egg substitute as my son is allergic to egg. I used Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer. I had to really whisk it into the broth a little at a time, but it did work. Everything else I did exactly as written. It was a hit with the whole family, including those who don’t have allergies and don’t typically eat gluten free-no left overs! I was asked to bring it again. Next time I want to try with the apples like I saw in previous comments.
This is so helpful! Thank you for leaving this comment to help those with egg allergies. I appreciate it! Glad you enjoyed the stuffing 🙂
Hey there! Could chopped apples be added to this somehow? If so, would love to hear your recommendations for adjustments. Thank you!!
I would dice the apples small and saute them along with the vegetables to soften them slightly. I think that should work great! I hope that helps!
Can you bake this the night before and reheat Thanksgiving day? Or best to bake the day you eat it?
It is best eaten the day it’s made. But you can definitely make it in advance and reheat it in the oven the next day too!
Definitely going to make this this Thanksgiving
Just wondering why soy sauce is used in the recipe?
It just adds a little extra umami (savory) flavor! Feel free to skip it if you prefer 🙂
My son has wheat, rice, pea, and dairy allergies. I have a hard time finding rice free bread. Any suggestions. I work full time. Making our own bread has not been very successful.
Have you tried Buckwheat bread. It is available commercially or can be made at home. It is gluten free as well as includes no rice.
Hi Tamara, have you tried the Chebe brand mixes? They are made with tapioca. Read the labels as some have cheese or nonfat dry mix. We are not gluten free but we love these bread and pizza dough mixes. They are a little pricey, but worth it.
Worked out well, but we used it for actual stuffing. When it’s baked outside the turkey, it’s dressing. Absorbed the turkey juices very well
I’m sorry! I just commented and forgot to ask you if this can be frozen? Thank you!!