Vegan Cornbread Dressing: A Traditional Vegan Thanksgiving Stuffing

This vegan cornbread dressing with chunks of cornbread soaks up the flavors of onions, celery, and spices, and bakes up moist and fluffy. It’s the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving or holiday menu!

When it was my turn to start preparing our Thanksgiving meal, stuffing left me scratching my head! I didn’t want to buy packaged stuffing. It wasn’t vegan, and it had processed ingredients.

I couldn’t stuff it in the bird because obviously, that wasn’t vegan-friendly. So, how was I going to make a stuffing that everyone at the table could enjoy? That’s when I started doing some research and came up with this recipe for vegan cornbread dressing!

I found a way to create a moist, fluffy, and traditionally flavored stuffing without having to place it in the bird which means I can enjoy it too! This vegan cornbread stuffing is oil-free, meaning there is no vegan butter or olive oil. It’s also free of flour, making it gluten-free.

• It has all of the savory flavors and textures of traditional Thanksgiving stuffing.
• It’s made using gluten-free cornbread, so it is suitable for your gluten-free friends and family.
• Very easy and simple to make!
• Light and fluffy texture
• Simple ingredients
• Perfect for your Thanksgiving or Holiday meal!
• Nobody will know it’s vegan!

🥣 Ingredients and Notes

Here is a list of ingredients to gather before preparing the stuffing. For exact measurements scroll down to the bottom to find the recipe card.

• Gluten-Free Cornbread (cubed)-I prepared this vegan gluten-free cornbread recipe in advance and allowed it to sit and dry out for a few days before preparing the dressing.
• Chopped Onion-You can use both red or white onion. I used white onion since that is what I had on hand. I would say that white onions are more traditional in a stuffing recipe.
• Celery-Use about 4 ribs of celery, and finely chop.
• Vegetable Stock-You can use your own homemade or store-bought. If using store-bought look for one that is low in sodium.
• Dried Basil-I recommend using dried herbs for this recipe. The flavor is more concentrated, but if you choose to use fresh double the amount.
• Dried Thyme-Add ½ a teaspoon.
• Dried Rosemary-Add ½ a teaspoon.
• Fresh Parsley-Reserve a portion of the finely chopped parsley as a garnish to sprinkle on top before serving.
• Salt and Pepper-If using store-bought vegetable stock you will not need to add much additional salt. Add pepper to taste.

📋 Vegan Cornbread Dressing Instructions

Step 1: Dry out your cornbread. You can do this by allowing it to sit out and become stale for 1-2 days. If you don’t have that time, chop the cornbread into cubes, place it in the oven set to 250 degrees F, and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Step 2: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Add ¼ cup of vegetable broth to your large skillet set to medium heat. Add the yellow onion and celery. Sauté until soft, about 3-5 minutes.

Step 3: Add basil, thyme, rosemary, and parsley. Stir to coat the onions and celery. Cook the mixture for an additional minute.

Add the rest of the vegetable stock and fresh parsley. Bring to a boil.

Step 4: Add dried and cubed cornbread to a large mixing bowl. Slowly ladle broth over the breadcrumbs. Gradually stirring to combine.

Note: You don’t want to add too much broth, but you also don’t want to add too little. Too much broth will make your cornbread break apart and become mushy. Too little broth will make your stuffing turn out dry. Ladle enough broth that the breadcrumbs are coated but still retain their shape. You may not use all of the broth.

Step 5: Transfer cornbread to an 8×8 inch baking dish or a similar size. Bake for 25-30 minutes uncovered at 350 degrees F or until top browns.

❓Recipe FAQS

💭 Expert Tips

• Use dried cornbread. The dryer the better! Cornbread has a tendency to crumble more than traditional bread, so you want it to be as dry as possible so that it soaks up the broth without becoming a mushy mess.
• Make your vegan gluten-free cornbread 2 days in advance, and cut it into cubes. Then allow it to sit out at room temperature to dry out.
• If you don’t have time to make your own vegan cornbread, you can use this easy recipe for three-ingredient vegan cornbread muffins that uses a boxed mix. This mix, however, is not certified gluten-free.
• Slowly add the broth to the cubed cornbread. Don’t dump it all on top at the same time.

😋 More Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes!