Vegan Stuffing

Nov 14, 2022 (Last updated Feb 21, 2023) by Hannah Sunderani

Vegan Stuffing

Hiya friends! I could not be more excited to share this festive vegan stuffing recipe with you today. This is the perfect veganized substitute for traditional stuffing that you can enjoy for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

What I love about this recipe is that it’s rich with classic holiday flavour like rosemary, thyme and fennel seeds. It’s moist on the inside with a crispy golden topping.

In fact, this vegan stuffing is one of the recipes from my Vegan Christmas Dinner Menu, which I’m planning to share in a couple of weeks. (That’s right, I’m taking all the guess work out of your Holiday menu planning).

You can’t have a Holiday feast without stuffing and I’m certain this recipe will become your go-to! So, let me tell you exactly how to make this vegan stuffing recipe.

This Vegan Stuffing is…

• Bursting with savoury flavour
• Warm and buttery
• Moist on the inside with a crispy golden top
• Perfect for your holiday spread! (Christmas or Thanksgiving)
• Made with 10 ingredients 
• Requires minimal prep
• Full of fresh herbs
• A favourite use for stale bread

Ingredient Notes

You’ll need just 9 simple ingredients to make this easy holiday side dish. 

Cubed baguette is the base of this vegan stuffing. This recipe is a great way to use up a stale baguette. Use any leftover bread to make my Overnight French Toast bake for a sweet holiday breakfast!

Vegetable broth is the key to making this stuffing savoury and keeping it soft and moist on the inside.

Onion, garlic, and celery are the basic aromatics that provide a subtle sweetness and umami flavour base. 

Fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, and fennel elevate the dish by adding classic holiday flavour that’s fresh, earthy, lemony and peppery.

How to Make Vegan Stuffing

This easy vegan side dish comes together in just three simple steps. 

To start, heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and celery and cook until softened, stirring occasionally. Season with rosemary, thyme, fennel, sea salt and pepper. 

Pour in the vegetable broth and mix to combine. Turn off the heat and add the baguette cubes. Gently stir to mix the brothy liquid with the bread.

Then, transfer the stuffing to a large casserole dish (8×11 inches) and cover with foil. Bake for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and increase the heat to 400/200C. Bake for another 10 to 15 mins, until the top is crispy and golden.

Make this recipe with me!

Cook this recipe with me on my Vegan Christmas Dinner Menu Episode on YouTube.

Expert Tips & Tricks

• Avoid soft, sliced sandwich bread. White sandwich bread is too soft and fluffy to make a well textured stuffing. Go for sturdier, crusty breads instead. I prefer using a French baguette or a loaf with a good crust like sourdough, ciabatta, or multi-grain breads. Some whole grain sandwich breads will work too as long as they are dried out enough. 
• Use stale bread over fresh! Fresh baguettes are great for recipes like Peanut Butter and Coconut Yogurt Toast or dunking in warm Vegan Tomato Basil soup, but when making stuffing, it is better to use stale, day old bread. This will prevent the stuffing from becoming soggy.
  If your bread is fresh and soft, cut it into cubes, spread it on a baking sheet, and bake it for 15 minutes at 350F/175C, or until dry and crusty.
• Add the herbs after cooking the onions, celery, and garlic. Sauteeing the herbs for too long can cause the herbs to lose their flavour. For best results, season the veggies with the herbs at the end, once they’re soft and fragrant.

Serving Suggestions

Stuffing is a classic side dish served around the holidays, particularly Thanksgiving and Christmas. I love serving stuffing with main entrees like nut roast with easy vegan gravy or vegan lentil loaf and additional sides like vegan mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole and green beans almondine!

Check out my holiday desserts to finish the meal!

And stay tuned for my Vegan Christmas Dinner Menu, in which this stuffing recipe is featured, to help take all the guess work out of your meal planning.

Recipe FAQs

What is traditional stuffing made of?

You may be wondering what the difference is between regular stuffing and vegan stuffing. Although the two have minimal differences, regular stuffing is often prepared with chicken broth and can sometimes contain eggs or additional meats such as sausage. Regular stuffing can also be cooked inside the turkey on Thanksgiving instead of in a separate casserole dish. 

What do vegans substitute for butter?

In this recipe, we’re using a quality olive oil in place of dairy butter. It’s equally as rich, smooth tasting and adds deepness of flavour. 

How Long Does this Stuffing Keep?

This vegan stuffing will keep for up to 4 days if tightly covered in the refrigerator. Refrigeration can cause it to lose its moisture, 

Can Stuffing be Made Ahead?

Stuffing can be made the day before, cover well and store in the fridge. Reheat in the oven (covered) at 325F/190C for 10 to 15 minutes, or until warm.

I would not recommend baking your vegan stuffing dish more than one day in advance – reheating it can cause it to dry out. However, you can prep a few of the components in advance to make the day easier and stress free. 

To prep ahead as much as possible, do the following up to 2 days in advance: 

1. Cube the day old baguette and store in an airtight bag or container. 
2. Finely chop the onion, garlic, and celery and store in the fridge in an airtight container.
3. Measure and store your fresh herbs, salt and pepper in a small container to easily season with. 

Other Thanksgiving Recipes You Might Like:

• Vegan Holiday Cheese Platter
• Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Cheesy Vegan Hasselback Potato Gratin
• Harvest Kale Caesar Salad
• Stuffed Mini Pumpkins with Wild Rice and Kale

And check out my Vegan Christmas Dinner Menu to take all the guess work out of your holiday menu this year!

love this recipe as much as we do! If you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think! I truly love hearing from you, and I’m always here to answer any questions you might have.

And of course, tag me on Instagram with your pictures using the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.

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See more step-by-step instructions by visiting the recipe story here!