One Secret + Our Top 3 Gluten-free Stuffing Tips + One Base Recipe = Everything You Need to Master the Art of Gluten-free Stuffing.
Like so many recipes, translating your family’s beloved holiday stuffing into a great gluten-free version isn’t as simple as a one-ingredient swap—that’s why we’re sharing everything you need to learn how to make the best gluten-free stuffing!
Read on to discover the single most important secret and top 3 tips for gluten-free stuffing. Then use our master recipe and add-ins to create a one-of-a-kind signature side your family will ask for at every holiday feast—or try one of three tried-and-true combos to build your gluten-free stuffing confidence until you’re ready to wing it!
Click the list below to hop ahead to the gluten-free stuffing section you need now:
- Gluten-free Stuffing Secrets and Tips
- 3 Classic Gluten-free Stuffing Combos
- How to Use Our Gluten-free Stuffing Master Recipe and Add-ins
What’s the Secret to Making the Best Gluten-free Stuffing?
Say goodbye to soggy stuffing. Because if there was only one secret we could share to help you make the best gluten-free stuffing it’s this:
Always use dry gluten-free bread.
Whether you leave it unwrapped on the counter overnight, toast it twice, or dry it slowly in the oven until crisp, the dryer your bread cubes, the better your gluten-free stuffing will be.
Why? Just like a juicy tomato can turn soft slices of bread into a soggy mess in minutes but make magic in a toasted triple-decker sandwich slathered with mayo, dry bread cubes have the sturdiness to stand up to being stuffed into a steamy squash or plant-based holiday roast.
But dry gluten-free bread isn’t the only secret to stunning stuffing.
Beyond the Dry Bread Secret:
Top 3 Tips for The Best Gluten-free Stuffing
1. Cube size counts.
Some stuffing traditions are breadcrumb-based. While dressing devotees swear by this approach with conventional bread, gluten-free is (as always) a different ball game.
And in our humble gluten-free experience, we offer this general rule: The smaller the gluten-free bread pieces, the greater the risk of soggy—even gummy—gluten-free stuffing.
Tip 1: Use 3/4-inch – 1-inch gluten-free bread cubes (no smaller than 1 cm / 3/8-inch) for best stuffing results.
Well-dried and bite-sized, 1-inch (ish) bread cubes have the structural integrity to hold up their end of the texture bargain whether you bake outside stuffing or use it in recipes like stuffed pumpkins, stuffed pears, or our stuffed vegan gluten-free seitan holiday roast.
2. Manage moisture.
We’re all for creative combos when it comes to stuffing add-ins—the more the merrier! And it’s important to factor in the moisture content some add-ins bring to the gluten-free stuffing party.
Tip 2: Sauté or partially roast high-moisture ingredients before adding them to your gluten-free stuffing.
Taking time for this step does more than just cook out some of their water to keep gluten-free stuffing out of the dreaded soggy zone. It concentrates flavours and ensures hard ingredients have the just-right texture, too—and that makes your gluten-free stuffing better all around!
Apply this tip to:
- Aromatics like onion, celery, and leek
- Cubed squash or pumpkin (sauté or roast until tender but not fully cooked)
- Fresh mushrooms
- Leafy greens like kale, chard, and spinach (blanch or wilt)
- Fresh fruit like apples and pears
Managing the moisture content of fresh add-ins gives you control so can add just enough liquid to land your gluten-free stuffing in the goldilocks zone between desert dry and soggy mush.
And how much liquid does it take to find that perfect balance? For a one-loaf gluten-free stuffing recipe, we recommend no more than 1 cup total liquid (especially if you’ll be using it to stuff something!)
Broth, stock, juice, soaking water from reconstituting dried mushrooms or plumping dried fruit, or any flavourful combination is up to you. (Scale liquid proportionately for small batch gluten-free stuffing. (For example, if you use a half a loaf for your base, use ½ cup total liquid)).
3. Bring it together.
Unlike stir fry or trail mix, the components of great gluten-free stuffing should stick together—at least enough to get a little bit of everything that makes stuffing awesome onto your fork!
Our final tip for mastering the art of gluten-free stuffing? Use a binder to bring it all together.
Because we know food allergies are common in the gluten-free community (especially to egg, dairy, and nuts), we recommend plant-based binders so we can welcome everyone to our holiday table.
Tip 3: Use one plant-based egg for a one-loaf batch of gluten-free stuffing.
In most cases, one flax or chia egg is all you need. But if you’re baking stuffing cups and need a little more binding power, two flax or chia eggs are better than one.
How do you make plant-based eggs from flax or chia?
- 1 flax egg = 1 Tbsp ground flax + 3 Tbsp warm water
- 1 chia egg = 1 Tbsp chia seeds + 2 ½ Tbsp warm water
Mix flax or chia egg ingredients together and allow to gel for 5 – 10 minutes before adding to your gluten-free stuffing.
3 Classic Gluten-free Stuffing Combos
Whether you make them as-written or use them as inspiration to jump off from, each of these three classic combos begin with the Master Gluten-free Stuffing Base Recipe—including a suggested Little Northern Bakehouse bread, a selection of add-ins, and a combination of herbs, spices, and seasonings. And they all follow the basic instructions for the Master Gluten-free Stuffing.
Vegan Sausage, Kale and Water Chestnut Gluten-free Stuffing
- 1 loaf Little Northern Bakehouse gluten-free Whole Grain Wide Slice bread
- 1 chia egg (1 Tbsp chia seeds + 2 ½ Tbsp warm water)
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 – 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 gluten-free plant-based sausages, crumbled (we used Beyond Meat Mild Italian)
- 3 – 5 stalks kale, torn (ribs removed)
- 1 green apple, chopped
- 1 can (227 ml / 8 oz) sliced water chestnuts, drained, rinsed, and sliced in half
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 4 – 6 leaves fresh sage, finely chopped
- 3 – 4 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 stem fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- To taste salt & pepper
Easy Cranberry Apple Gluten-free Stuffing
- 1 loaf Little Northern Bakehouse gluten-free Millet & Chia bread
- 1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flax + 3 Tbsp warm water)
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 – 3 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup celery, chopped
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 medium red apples, chopped
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ tsp ground sage
- ¼ tsp granulated garlic
- ⅛ tsp turmeric
- To taste salt & pepper
Simple Leek and Celery Gluten-free Stuffing Cups
- 1 loaf Little Northern Bakehouse gluten-free Seeds & Grains bread
- 2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp ground flax + 6 Tbsp warm water)
- 8 Tbsp vegan buttery spread, melted (plus more to grease muffin tins)
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 cups leeks, finely chopped
- 1 cup celery, finely diced
- 2 – 4 leaves fresh sage, finely chopped
- ⅛ – ¼ tsp nutmeg
- To taste salt & pepper
Instructions:
How to Use Our Gluten-free Stuffing Master Recipe and Add-ins
Once you’ve chosen your favourite Little Northern Bakehouse gluten-free bread and unique combination of add-ins, follow these Gluten-free Stuffing Master Recipe instructions to bake your one-of-a-kind take on the best gluten-free stuffing you’ve ever made!
- Pre-heat your oven to 350°F. While the oven heats, lightly grease a large 9-inch × 13-inch casserole dish (or muffin cups if using), and mix flax or chia egg ingredients in a small bowl and set aside to gel. (Skip if using pumpkin purée or apple sauce).
- Spread gluten-free bread cubes on a cookie sheet and bake until dry and crisp but not brown (about 10 – 15 minutes), flip once to ensure they dry evenly. (You can also bake your gluten-free bread slices first, then cut into cubes when cool enough to handle). Set gluten-free bread cubes aside to cool completely, then transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté aromatics in a splash of olive oil until softened. Add to the mixing bowl.
- Sauté (or pre-roast) any high-moisture ingredients you’ve picked from the add-ins list in olive oil in batches. Start with the hardest veggies (which take the longest to soften), followed by mushrooms (if using), plant-based gluten-free sausage (if using), fresh apples or pears (if using), and finishing with leafy greens (which need only a short time to wilt in the pan (see tip for chard below)). Add to the mixing bowl along with any dried fruit, seeds or other nut-free crunch ingredients, herbs, spices, zests, and/or seasonings you chose. (For fresh herbs, see tip below).
- Add broth and plant-based egg (or purée if using), then stir or toss everything together until well mixed. If your bowl is very full, it may be easier to use your hands!
If using to stuff a squash or vegan gluten-free roast: stop here and follow the directions and cook times for your stuffed recipe.
To bake gluten-free stuffing in a casserole dish: Transfer stuffing to the greased casserole dish and spread evenly.
For gluten-free stuffing cups: portion stuffing to fill the muffin tin. (If you’ve chosen a lot of add-ins, you may need to bake whatever’s left in a casserole dish, or bake stuffing cups in two batches (or use two muffin tins if you have them)). - For gluten-free stuffing baked in a casserole dish: Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 – 15 minutes more until stuffing is set and the top is golden brown.
For gluten-free stuffing cups: Bake for 25 – 30 minutes uncovered until stuffing is set and tops are golden brown. Allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before carefully removing from muffin tins and transferring to a cooling rack.
Serves 6 or more (depending on add-ins used and portion size)
Tips:
- If using fresh ginger or woody fresh herbs like sage, rosemary, or thyme, sauté along with aromatics or with high-moisture add-ins like mushrooms to infuse the most flavour into your gluten-free stuffing. If using dried sage, start with a little and use a light hand as you add—dried sage can overpower other flavours in gluten-free stuffing fast!
- If using Swiss chard, rainbow chard, or beet greens where the stems are as tasty as the leaves, cut off the stems and chop separately from the leaves. Sauté the stems for 1 – 3 minutes before wilting the leaves so the stems are tender crisp, and the leaves are not over-cooked. If using baby spinach, chopping is optional.
Try this Gluten-free Master Stuffing as a side or hearty holiday main—or use it to stuff our Vegan Gluten-free Seitan Holiday Roast, Gluten-free Stuffed Pumpkins, or the Showstopper Stuffed Squash recipe included in our Second Helpings Gluten-free Holiday Guide: Sophisticated Plates for Grown-up Guests.
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