• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Hassle Free Vegan

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Is it Vegan?
  • Tips
  • Restaurants
  • About
    • Facebook
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Is it Vegan?
    • Tips
    • Restaurants
    • About
    • Facebook
  • ×
    Home » Recipes

    Published: Jun 27, 2022 · Modified: Sep 25, 2023

    The Best Savory Vegan Stuffing

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This is the Best Savory Vegan Stuffing recipe and no one will know it's vegan. It is the perfect side dish to serve on your holiday table.

    There are so many delicious recipes at Thanksgiving dinner but stuffing (or dressing) has to be my favorite one. There are so many kinds of stuffing - cornbread, sausage and apple, or mushroom. But my favorite is the traditional stuffing with onions, celery, and fresh herbs.

    While I refer to this as stuffing, technically it's vegan dressing since it isn't being stuffed inside a turkey or anything else.

    plate of stuffing.

    Why You'll Love This Stuffing

    • Buttery goodness: It just isn't Thanksgiving with buttery stuffing. This recipe uses vegan butter.
    • Fresh herbs: The fresh herbs absolutely make this dish. I don't always cook with fresh herbs, but they make this stuffing taste amazing. And your house will smell amazing too!
    • Holiday perfection: It isn't a holiday without stuffing. This recipe is has traditional flavors.

    Vegan Stuffing Ingredients

    Fresh herbs are the secret to this amazing stuffing recipe! To make it, you'll need:

    • Bread - You can use any type of bread you want or a combination of 2 breads. I often use both white bread and wheat bread in my stuffing.
    • Onions - I prefer using regular yellow onions.
    • Celery
    • Vegan butter - My favorite brand to use is Earth Balance.
    • Vegetable broth - Homemade or from a carton
    • Salt and pepper
    • Fresh herbs: parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme - It is really important to use fresh instead of dried herbs in this recipe. It gives way better flavor!

    How To Make Vegan Stuffing

    1. To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

    2. Lightly butter a 9x13 casserole dish. You can also use a nonstick oil spray. Set aside the prepared dish.

    3. Next, prepare the bread by cutting it into 1" cubes. Spread the cubes onto a baking sheet making sure the bread is in a single layer. You may need to use two.

    4. Bake for 10-15 minutes until it's dried out and a little toasty. Stale bread needs a little less time than fresh bread.

    bread cubes on baking sheets.

    5. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the vegan butter. Once the butter is melted, add the chopped onions and celery. Cook for about 12 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften, stirring occasionally.

    pan with celery and onions in vegan butter.

    6. Prepare the fresh herbs by finely chopping them. While most of the time I think it's fine to use dried herbs, for this recipe you need fresh ones.

    small bowl with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.

    7. Once the bread cubes have dried out in the oven, put them in a very large bowl. Add the vegetable mixture, fresh herbs, salt and black pepper.

    8. Carefully pour in about 1 cup of vegetable stock and slowly stir up the mixture.

    all of the ingredients for stuffing in bowls.

    9. Continue to stir up the mixture, adding more veggie broth to the very dry areas until you've added all 2 cups worth. Continue stirring until it's the consistency you like.

    I like to have some crunchy pieces but others like very soft, uniform stuffing. You might want to add a little more broth if needed.

    bowl of stuffing mixture.

    10. Pour the stuffing mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

    11. Take the cover off and give it a quick stir. Leaving the foil off, bake for an additional 30 minutes.

    12. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

    Expert Tips

    • Use fresh herbs. It makes a big difference to the flavor using fresh over dried.
    • Use whatever bread you like the most.  I usually mix more than one kind of bread, using both white and whole wheat.
    • My favorite kind of vegan butter to use in stuffing is Earth Balance.
    • Make sure you chop up the celery fairly small. You don't want a big piece of celery and it might not soften completely if it's too large.
    • Make sure the vegetable broth is well distributed. You don't want to have some areas very soggy while other sections very dry.

    Storage Tips

    Refrigerator

    Store the cooled, leftover stuffing in an airtight container in the fridge. This will keep for up to 5 days.

    Reheat

    Reheat individual portions in the microwave for about 1 minute. You can also heat portions in the oven at 350 for about 7-10 minutes.

    Prepping Ahead of Time

    This recipe can be made ahead of time which is a great time saver on the big day. Just make the stuffing according to the recipe but don't bake it in the oven. Put it in the prepared casserole dish, cover with foil, and put in the refrigerator.

    The next day, add enough broth to make sure there aren't any very dry areas before baking it. It might be slightly dryer after spending the day in the fridge.

    Let it sit out on the counter for 20 minutes to get closer to room temperature. I also recommend cooking it for 40 instead of 30 minutes.

    baked stuffing in casserole dish.

    My Thanksgiving Menu

    I've been cooking a traditional Thanksgiving meal for a long time...since I was in my mid-twenties. I've made some changes along the way but now the menu is pretty much the same year to year and caters to both vegans and non-vegans.

    While some might think hosting a Thanksgiving for both vegans and nonvegans is difficult, it's actually not anymore challenging than a regular one. The best part of the meal is the delicious side dishes and most are easy to veganize. Here's the menu.

    • Roasted Turkey (for the non-vegans)
    • Vegan Roast (I like Trader Joe's one.)
    • Mashed Potatoes
    • Vegan Green Bean Casserole Using Canned Green Beans
    • The Best Savory Vegan Stuffing
    • Easy Vegan Cornbread Casserole With Jiffy Mix
    • Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
    • Another Vegetable - either roasted asparagus or collard greens
    • Cranberry Sauce (both homemade and from a can)
    • Gravy (traditional and mushroom gravy)
    • Dinner Rolls

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I make the stuffing without celery?

    Sure. I absolutely love celery in my stuffing but if you aren't a fan, you can leave it out.

    What is the best bread to use for stuffing?

    I often use both whole wheat and white bread in my stuffing. But sourdough bread is also delicious in stuffing.

    Did you know that rating and commenting on recipes is one of the best ways to support your favorite food bloggers? If you try the recipe, please click the star rating on the recipe card and add a comment below. Thanks!

    baked stuffing in casserole dish.

    The Best Savory Vegan Stuffing

    This classic holiday side dish combines fresh herbs with buttery bread, onions and celery.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 222 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 ¼ pounds loaf of bread
    • ¾ cup vegan butter
    • 1 large onion, chopped
    • 4 stalks celery, sliced thin
    • 2 cups vegetable broth (may need a little more)
    • 2 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
    • 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
    • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
    • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
    • 1 to 1 ½ teaspoon salt, depending on saltiness preference
    • 1 teaspoon pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly butter a 9x13 casserole dish and set aside. You can also use a nonstick oil spray.
    • Prepare the bread by cutting it up into 1" cubes. Spread the cubes onto two baking sheets. Make sure the bread is in a single layer.
    • Bake the bread for 10-15 minutes, depending how fresh it is. Very soft and fresh bread will need a few more minutes to dry out than stale bread.
    • Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, melt the vegan butter. Once melted, add the chopped onion and celery and cook for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • Prepare the fresh herbs by finely chopping them. The herbs are the key ingredient in this recipe. Dried herbs won't taste nearly as good.
    • Once the bread cubes have dried out in the oven and are a little toasty, put them in a very large bowl. Add the cooked onion, celery and butter mixture, the fresh herbs, and the salt and pepper.
    • Carefully pour in about 1 cup of the vegetable broth. Slowly stir up the stuffing mixture, adding more broth to the very dry areas until you've added all 2 cups worth.
    • Stir until the right consistency. I like some crispier pieces in my stuffing, but if you like yours uniformly soft, mix very well. You might want to add a little more broth if needed.
    • Pour the stuffing mixture into the prepared casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes.
    • Remove the foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes.
    • Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

    Notes

    • Use fresh herbs. It makes a big difference to the flavor using fresh over dried.
    • Use whatever bread you like the most.  I usually mix more than one kind of bread, using both white and whole wheat.
    • My favorite kind of vegan butter to use in stuffing is Earth Balance.
    • Make sure you chop up the celery fairly small. You don't want a big piece of celery and it might not soften completely if it's too large.
    • Make sure the vegetable broth is well distributed. You don't want to have some areas very soggy while other sections very dry.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 222kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 5gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.1gSodium: 774mgPotassium: 134mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 774IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 78mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Recipes

    • Air fried acorn squash on a plate.
      Air Fryer Acorn Squash (Savory & Vegan)
    • Plate of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
      Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (Soft & Chewy)
    • Roasted cauliflower on a plate.
      Easy Smoky Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
    • Hummus on a plate with red pepper slices.
      Roasted Eggplant Hummus (Oil-Free and Vegan)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Leah says

      September 24, 2022 at 1:46 pm

      5 stars
      This is the perfect stuffing recipe! I started looking early for Thanksgiving this year and this is exactly what I was looking for. I love the flavor of the fresh herbs. I know the non-vegans will love this too. Thank you.

      Reply
      • jencardenas says

        September 24, 2022 at 2:00 pm

        This stuffing is my favorite dish at Thanksgiving! Thanks for the comments.

        Reply
    2. jarquavious the 3rd says

      January 24, 2023 at 3:01 pm

      5 stars
      this should definitely be a year round dish-

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Jen! I love all things vegan. I'm a food blogger, recipe developer, and mom of three. My goal is to show how the vegan lifestyle can be easy, delicious and fun

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Stack of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.
      Easy Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (No Butter)
    • mango cobbler in a bowl with spoon.
      Easy Vegan Cobbler with Mango
    • pancakes stacked
      Tasty Vegan Sheet Pan Pancakes
    • cornbread casserole on a plate.
      Easy Vegan Cornbread Casserole With Jiffy Mix

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Contact

    • Contact Us

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Copyright © 2020 Brunch Pro on the Brunch Pro Theme