Are you ready to make the best gluten free stuffing recipe you've ever tasted? A delicious turkey stuffing (or dressing) is an essential staple for any gathering, adding flavor and texture to the whole meal.
This particular recipe is a game-changer for anyone seeking the ultimate gluten free Thanksgiving stuffing. It’s so delicious and satisfying that even your non-gluten-free guests and family will ask for seconds! It even travels well, something I know well since I've been making an entirely safe gluten free meal for my celiac son and taking it on the road for the holidays since he was a little boy!
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Preparing homemade stuffing might take longer than using a prepackaged mix from the store, but the end result is much healthier and worth the effort. Like with most Thanksgiving recipes, the flavors you'll experience are incomparable to anything you can buy off the shelf. But don't just take my word for it – let me show you how to make a delicious turkey dressing for your holiday table.
Why I love this recipe
- Tons of flavor: There aren't a lot of ingredients in this stuffing, but the herbs, spices, and aromatics are present in just the right amounts for maximum flavor.
- Super moist: Drying out the bread in the oven first then adding just enough chicken stock and beaten eggs, along with onions, celery, and spices makes for a super moist stuffing
- Can prep bread ahead of time: Making the gluten free bread for the stuffing is the most time-consuming part, and it can be done days, if not weeks, ahead of time.
- Even good as leftovers: This stuffing is one of the only dishes made with bread or breadcrumbs that I actually almost prefer as leftovers, even straight from the refrigerator!
Ingredient notes
My gluten free Thanksgiving stuffing recipe is a healthy alternative to store-bought dressings, often containing preservatives, artificial flavorants, corn syrup, soy proteins, and more.
- Gluten free bread: You'll need a full 1 pound loaf of gluten free bread for this recipe. My classic white gluten free bread recipe works great, and I also like to use my recipe for gluten free Japanese milk bread here. You can also use store-bought gluten free bread; just cut it into cubes as large as you can. Dry-toasting this moist, enriched bread prepares it to absorb the flavors of the cooked vegetables and stock without turning mushy. You aren't quite turning them into homemade gluten free croutons, but if you were to bake them longer, you would!
- Olive oil and butter: A combination of these two fats adds richness, flavor, and helps to deliver the flavors of the aromatics.
- Onions & celery: These are your aromatics, cooked down without browning so they retain lots of their unique flavor and aroma. I like a combination of white onions and shallots.
- Salt & pepper: Enhance, brighten and balance the flavors in the dish.
- Vegetable bouillon: A simple mix of nutritional yeast flakes, minced dried onion, garlic powder, dried parsley, and dried thyme adds so much flavor. If you don't have nutritional yeast, you can try replacing it with a bit of finely grated Parmesan cheese. You can also replace the homemade vegetable bouillon with 2 tablespoons or 2 cubes of packaged gluten free chicken or vegetable bouillon. Herb Ox and Edward & Son’s Not Chick’N brands are gluten free.
- Poultry seasoning or herbs de Provence: Spice blends that add that poultry flavor to your stuffing.
- Chicken stock: Moistens the bread and adds more flavor. You can use vegetable stock if you prefer.
- Eggs: Bind the dish together and also add some fat for richness.
Choosing the best gluten free bread for stuffing
The most essential ingredient in this gluten free stuffing mix is the gluten free bread. If you get the bread wrong, you may as well toss it away and start again. Gluten free bread will hold onto tons of flavor and will never leave your stuffing soggy. When prepared and toasted just right, it will make a stuffing that’s slightly crisp on some edges, but otherwise tender and soft; it’s never mushy or hard.
In the hunt for the perfect gluten free dressing for Thanksgiving, I’ve used every type of gluten free bread possible – from the squishiest to the most crusty. I’ve made it with lean breads and enriched breads. Cornbread, too.
After testing and comparing, my favorite gluten free bread for Thanksgiving stuffing is my gluten free Japanese milk bread. It’s slightly enriched with an egg, some butter, a water roux for moisture retention, and milk, so it’s soft and tender.
This milk bread is soft enough that, when I bake it in a low, 300°F oven for about 40 minutes, it dries out and toasts lightly—but doesn’t harden. Since our basic white gluten free bread is also enriched with eggs, milk, and butter, it performs similarly and you shouldn't hesitate to use it here.
How to make gluten free stuffing
This recipe is a game-changer for anyone seeking the ultimate gluten free Thanksgiving stuffing. It's so flavorful and satisfying that it stands out as a star dish on its own, full of flavor and different textures.
The full recipe card is below, but before you get started, I have a few important notes to share to ensure your stuffing comes out just right. Choosing a suitable gluten free bread for this recipe is vital, and the method you use to toast it and mix it with the other ingredients is also crucial for getting a good-textured stuffing.
Toast bread & cook aromatics
- Cutting your bread into cubes or tear it into rough pieces.
- Toast the bread until it's dry, but stop short of making it as crunchy as homemade gluten free croutons
- Cook down onions, celery, herbs and seasoning in butter and olive oil until tender.
Combine all ingredients & transfer to baking dish
- Add two eggs and lots of flavorful stock to the aromatics and toasted bread to complete the dish.
- Transfer to a buttered casserole dish and spread evenly.
Bake at 350°F and serve
- Cover the dish first, so the eggs can set and the bread absorbs the liquids.
- Bake the completed dish at 350°F.
- Finish baking uncovered to perfection, so everything gets toasty and delicious. Serve warm!
Recipe tips & tricks
Honestly, it's difficult to get this recipe wrong as long as you follow the instructions step by-step. You can play with flavor a little, adjusting the seasoning and the veggies you add, and not have to worry about it not turning out beautifully.
It's simple and versatile, but there are still a few tips to help make sure your stuffing is flawless:
Select the gluten free right bread
We’ve already talked about what type of gluten free bread we want to use to make gluten free turkey stuffing, but it still bears repeating! Choose your bread wisely, and your stuffing can be the most flavorful side on your holiday table.
You want an enriched bread, made with some added fats and tenderizers. Your bread must also be one you can tear into rough pieces, but solid enough to hold up to all the moisture we add without becoming soggy.
Toast the bread low and slow
We’re using a loaf of bread that’s very soft inside with a thick, bakery-style crust outside. When we tear it into pieces, we expose that tender center, which we then dry out in the oven.
Toast the bread and dehydrate it in a low, 300°F oven—don’t bake it. It takes some time, but this is how we create just the right textured bread to absorb all the flavors we will add.
Check your bouillon and stock carefully
If you'd rather not make your own bouillon as the recipe states, you can use packaged gluten free bouillon. But you have to be careful when buying bouillon and stock as many brands contain gluten. Unless the packaging specifically says that it's gluten free, I would avoid it.
I've got a Homemade Vegetable Bouillon Powder here that you can make in advance and store for when you need it. I recommend making at least 3 times the amount specified, since I add it to all sorts of chicken and rice dishes.
I also strongly recommend choosing a high-quality stock that's rich and has good depth of flavor. Watery stock that doesn't have much flavor will lead to a much less flavorful dish. I really like Pacific chicken stock, but of course homemade chicken stock would be the absolute best!
Don’t skimp on the aromatics, herbs, and spices
Cook down chopped yellow onions and shallots, and a bunch of chopped celery with lots of herbs and spices. I like to use powdered vegetable bouillon, poultry seasoning (a blend of woodsy, earthy spices like sage, marjoram, and rosemary) or Herbs de provence (dried thyme, marjoram, savory, rosemary, lavender, & sage), and lots of good, dark chicken or vegetable stock.
I also really love this recipe with fresh or fresh-frozen herbs like sage and rosemary. You just can't beat the flavor of fresh herbs in this kind of dish, but remember that you'll need twice as much fresh as dried herbs.
Don't beat up your bread
When you mix the wet ingredients into the toasted bread chunks, don't be too forceful. Take it gently and steadily so you don't beat up the bread and cause it to break down too much.
Collect leftover pieces of the right gf bread all year
My children were never the type to refuse to eat the crusts, but sometimes there's an odd piece of Japanese milk bread or another appropriate gf bread that doesn't get eaten. l save and freeze all of those ends and slices of gluten free bread in a freezer-safe ziptop bag. Then, whenever I need gluten free breadcrumbs, stale bread for stuffing, or homemade gluten free croutons, I’ve got the bread for it ready to go.
Storage instructions
Leftover gluten free stuffing can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge to enjoy in the coming days. Zip-top bags work well here to stop the bread from losing its moisture. When ready, reheat the bread on low power in the microwave or oven.
If it's been more than a couple of days and if it's lost some moisture, try adding some gluten free gravy if you have any left from the big day.
You can also store extra stuffing in the freezer for up to three months. Again, make sure it's in an airtight container. Transfer it to the fridge to defrost the day before you want to eat it. I recommend sprinkling it with water and baking it from here to help bring back its texture.
Creative twists on traditional stuffing
As long as you have the right type of gluten free bread and the correct proportions of eggs and stock, you can vary the flavors quite a bit. Whether you like sweet, meaty, or spicy, you can tweak this simple recipe to make your own family favorite.
Here are some suggested variations for my gluten-free stuffing:
Gluten free stuffing with cranberry and apple
When cooking the onions and celery, add two peeled, cored, and diced apples, and one cup of dried cranberries to the aromatics when you add the stock.
Gluten free sausage stuffing
Cook 1 1/2 cups of crumbled bulk sausage until it is no longer pink. Remove the cooked sausage and set it aside, leaving behind the grease.
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and cook the aromatics, replacing the sliced onions with 1 cup of cleaned and sliced leeks.
Tex-Mex cornbread gluten free dressing
Replace the Japanese Milk Bread cubes with cubed Gluten Free Cornbread. Add 1 diced jalapeño pepper, ribs and seeds removed, and 1 seeded red bell pepper to the aromatics. After you add the stock, add 1 cup of frozen corn kernels. You can find more details on how to use cornbread in place of bread in our gluten free cornbread stuffing Thanksgiving recipe.
Ingredient substitution suggestions
You can switch up this simple recipe to accommodate pretty much any dietary need. Just remember you may also need to tweak the bread recipe or choose a different bread, depending on the substitutions you want to make.
Dairy free stuffing
To replace the dairy in this recipe, you’ll need to make a substitution for the butter, and leave out the cheese, which is optional anyway. In place of the butter in this recipe and in the bread recipe, try using vegan butter (Melt and Miyoko’s Kitchen brands are best). For milk in the bread, use your favorite unsweetened nondairy milk, but make sure it's not nonfat.
Egg free stuffing
There are only two eggs in this recipe, but they do a lot of work helping to hold the stuffing together. Without eggs, the ingredients easily separate from one another.
You can try using one “chia egg” instead of each egg in the recipe. I make a “chia egg” by combining one tablespoon ground white chia seeds with one tablespoon lukewarm water, and allowing it to sit until it gels.
Frequently asked questions
Most classic stuffing, the mixes you buy in bags or boxes at the store, are not gluten free. That's because they contain bread cubes that are made with wheat flour.
Even those labeled “cornbread stuffing” contain gluten unless otherwise labeled — cornbread is more of a flavor name than an ingredient.
While there's technically a difference between the two, whether you use the word stuffing or dressing to describe the mixture of bread cubes, vegetables, and stock accompanying many turkeys on Thanksgiving is more likely to come down to where you live.
In the South, most people call this concoction with the savory flavor “dressing.” Up north, it tends to go by “stuffing.” In many regions, you can use either word, and people will know exactly what you mean. However, for purists, stuffing is the mixture that's cooked inside the turkey, while dressing is cooked to go beside it.
No, Pepperidge Farms does not have gluten free stuffing. Even its cornbread variety contains gluten, and at this time, the brand doesn't make any gluten free options.
Despite being a staple around the holidays, traditional Stove Top stuffing is not gluten free — nor does the brand offer a gluten free stuffing among its many flavors.
Thankfully, you can make gluten free stuffing that tastes better than anything from a bag when you follow my easy recipe.
Yes! You can use your favorite packaged gluten free bread to make this stuffing. Just cut the slices into the largest pieces you can, and be sure to toast it until the bread is dry so it doesn't fall apart during baking.
If you routinely bake your own gluten free bread, definitely hold on to those ends and stale slices. Store them in the freezer until you have enough for a batch of gluten free turkey dressing, and your efforts will never go to waste.
Yes, you can use turkey drippings in place of some or all of the chicken broth or stock. The drippings will result in an even deeper, more intense flavor — just be sure to mix the drippings with water to thin them out to the right consistency.
If you replace all the dairy and the eggs, and you use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock—you have a recipe for gluten free vegan stuffing for your holiday table.
Food safety is of paramount importance whenever you’re working with raw meat. According to the Cleveland Clinic’s website, it’s safe to eat dressing cooked inside a raw bird if you take certain precautions. Don’t add the stuffing ingredients until right before cooking. And make sure to test the dressing itself with an instant read thermometer and cook it until it reaches at least 165°F.
Yes! You can make the recipe through to baking it for the first 30 minutes, covered with foil. Remove the stuffing from the oven, leave the foil on, and allow it to cool to room temperature.
After it’s come to cool room temperature (it will take some time), remove the foil. Cover your make ahead gluten free stuffing with freezer-safe wrap (Glad Press n Seal works particularly well) and freeze. The day before you intend to serve the dish, defrost it in the refrigerator overnight. Remove it from the refrigerator and finish baking it, uncovered, according to the remaining recipe instructions.
I get it: When you're hustling and bustling to get food on the Thanksgiving dinner table, you may not want to think about adding gluten free stuffing from scratch to your list. Here are some prepackaged gluten free options that are worth trying for your next holiday meal if you're really pressed for time:
– Aleia's Savory Stuffing Mix
– Gillian's Gluten Free Homestyle Stuffing Mix
– Trader Joe's Gluten Free Stuffing Mix
Embracing a gluten free Thanksgiving
Whether you're cooking for gluten-intolerant family members or just want to try something new, this gluten free stuffing recipe is one you won't want to miss among your Thanksgiving recipes.
If you’re just starting your gluten-free journey, I have hundreds of tried and tested gluten free recipes for you to enjoy. I also have a comprehensive guide to a gluten free diet, where I share some of the top benefits of embracing a gluten free lifestyle and some tips for navigating store-bought products.
Most of the main dishes for any big holiday, like turkey and ham, are naturally gluten free. So for us, it's all about the Thanksgiving recipes for side dishes!
In addition to this stuffing recipe, it wouldn't be the holidays for my family without a gluten free green bean casserole made with homemade gluten free cream of mushroom soup, and our favorite gluten free sweet potato casserole with the crumble topping. For dessert, gluten free pumpkin pie and gluten free apple pie are essential!
Gluten Free Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
For the vegetable bouillon
- 1.5 tablespoons (8 g) nutritional yeast flakes (See Recipe Notes)
- 1 teaspoon minced dried onion can substitute 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon dried turmeric (optional)
For the stuffing
- 1 pound Gluten Free Japanese Milk Bread See Recipe Notes
- 2 tablespoons (42 g) extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter chopped
- 2 large yellow onions peeled and diced (or a combination of onions and shallots)
- 2 cups chopped celery from about 6 stalks celery
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable bouillon homemade vegetable bouillon powder or store-bought (See Recipe Notes)
- 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning or herbs de Provence (See Recipe Notes)
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (12 fluid ounces) vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese shredded (optional)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed for dotting on top of stuffing (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300°F. Grease well a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish and set it aside.
- First, make the vegetable bouillon. In a small bowl, place the nutritional yeast flakes, minced dried onion, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried thyme, and optional turmeric, and whisk to combine. Set the bowl aside.
Toast the bread.
- Tear or slice the gluten free bread into roughly 1-inch pieces. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet in the center of the 300°F oven, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until dried out and lightly browned.
- Continue to bake until the bread begins to shrink in size slightly and feels dry to the touch. It may take longer than 40 minutes depending on how moist the bread was at the start.
- Stir at least once halfway through baking, to ensure even baking. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Cook the aromatics.
- In a medium-size, heavy-bottom saucepan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the butter is melted.
- Add the onion, celery, salt, pepper, vegetable bouillon, and poultry seasoning or herbs de Provence, and stir to combine.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and celery are fork-tender (about 10 minutes). The vegetables shouldn’t be mushy or even browned.
- Increase the oven temperature to 350°F.
Combine the stuffing ingredients and bake.
- Transfer the vegetable mixture to a large, heat-safe mixing bowl. Add the cooled toasted bread cubes, and mix to combine.
- Whisk together the eggs and stock until smooth. Add the egg mixture to the large mixing bowl, and toss carefully to coat.
- Add the optional shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano, and mix gently until just combined.
- Transfer the mixture carefully to the prepared 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish. Press it gently into an even layer.
- Scatter the final (optional) 2 tablespoons of cubed butter evenly across the top of the stuffing. Cover the baking dish securely with aluminum foil.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue to bake until the eggs are set and the stuffing is golden brown all over (about another 30 minutes).
- When it’s done, the stuffing will feel relatively firm when pressed gently with a finger in a thick portion. The top edges will be crisped but not dark. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
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Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Bethany Tanner says
This stuffing was the highlight of Thanksgiving dinner! Absolute perfection! And the first time I’d been able to eat stuffing in 8 years! What a blessing to be thankful for on Thanksgiving!
Nicole Hunn says
That’s so great to hear, Bethany! Thank you for sharing that. I’m so glad you were able to eat stuffing along with everyone else. No reason to be left out!
Suzy says
The notes say that you can prepare the bread ahead of time, but would it work to prepare the whole dish the night before it is baked?
Thank you!
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Suzy, I don’t usually recommend that for absolute best results, but this recipe does hold up well as leftovers, so I guess it’s always possible!
Caron says
Hi there
Will be making this for Thanksgiving.
Wondering how many people this recipe will serve?
Thank you for all you do!
Caron
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Caron, glad to hear you’re planning to make this for the holiday. In the yield in the recipe card, you’ll see that it says 5 servings as written. I hope that’s helpful—and you’re welcome. Thank you for the kind words. :)
Teri Eklund says
Hi Nicole,
Can I cook the bread a couple of days in advance and keep it in a plastic bag?
Thanks a bunch,
Teri
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Teri, you can definitely use bread that isn’t fresh to make this stuffing, but I wouldn’t recommend keeping it at room temperature in a plastic bag, but instead wrapping it tightly in freezer-safe wrap and freezing it, then defrosting it before you use it in the recipe. I hope that’s helpful!
Teri says
Thank you for the great tips! Happy Thanksgiving!
Nicole Hunn says
You’re so welcome, Teri! Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!
Vicki says
I save bread cubes when I can, but I always make a loaf of bread for holiday stuffing. Instead of making “plain” bread, I replace any water with broth. You can also add a few dried herbs and some onion powder to the bread recipe if desired. Then I mix the plain bread I’ve saved with the “stuffing bread”.
Cathy says
I made this for Christmas, and we thought it was great! I made your milk bread and everything. It’s a lot like the traditional stuffing that I used to put inside the turkey in my pre-gluten free days. I was impressed with how moist it was, considering that it was not cooked inside a turkey.
Nicole Hunn says
Great to hear, Cathy! Thank you for sharing that. I’m so glad you made the milk bread, too. It’s the best for stuffing!
Tracey says
Hey! I’ve been making this for years now, and the last couple of years I noticed the stuffing was rather dry, and the bread hard. I came back to this page this year and I noticed there was a footnote saying the recipe has been enhanced a bit…I recall a step where I soaked the bread crumbs in cream or something after they cooled from the oven.
Sorry – I may be completely crazy but I think I really need that step – do you recall what it was? :)
Nicole Hunn says
I don’t know what bread you used to make the stuffing, or how much you dried it out before using it, but I’d guess your issue is in one of those areas. No, there’s no step where you soak the bread. It would not hold its shape during baking if you did.
Pam says
Can I make this in a crockpot?
Nicole Hunn says
I haven’t tried that, Pam, but I guess you could? I’d be concerned about hot spots that would probably burn areas of the stuffing. I really only like making dishes that inherently take a while to cook, like braising a tough piece of meat.
Donna says
Could I use salted butter and leav out the salt? Would results be good? Could any gf bread be used with good results?
Nicole Hunn says
Please see the text of the post under the heading “What’s the best gluten free bread for stuffing?” Unsalted butter is used to be able to control the amount of salt in a dish. Since this is cooking more than baking, you can use what you like if you’re willing to not be able to control the salt content.
Gary says
Trial run for Thanksgiving this Saturday and I have two questions:
•I will be using your Japanese milk bread.
1) May I substitute 2T better than bouillon for the powdered type?
2) I have plenty of fresh grown sage, thyme, rosemary and whole nutmeg and dried marjoram would you suggest a ratio or wing it with fresh herbs to make up the 4T required?
Nicole Hunn says
Better Than Bouillon is not considered safely gluten free, so I wouldn’t use it, no. You can use another gluten free powdered bouillon, though, if you’d like. And the ratio of fresh to dried herbs is 2 to 1. You need twice as much fresh as dried.
Kathy says
This is the best stuffing recipe! I made the apple cranberry version, followed the complete recipe. I have never used eggs in stuffing, so almost left them out, but after reading your comments, decided to use them and am glad I did. To help with time, I made the bread, bouillon, chopped the vegetables and toasted the cubes the day before.
Nicole Hunn says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the stuffing, Kathy, and I’m really glad you used the eggs. They’re just enough to hold everything together into a cohesive dish.
Jounayet Rahman says
Thank you for another beautiful recipe.