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Let's be real, vegan stuffing can sometimes be a bit… meh. Like eating cubed-up office drop ceiling tiles that have been floating in a puddle of supermarket ramen juice. But not this one. I've perfected the heck outta this vegan cornbread stuffing recipe to be the ultimate balance of soft, golden cornbread, sweet-tart cranberries, and savory herbs with crunchy pecan bits. And here's the thingy-it's so laughably easy to nail on the first try, you'll wonder why you ever settled for anything else.
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What's that? My classic vegan stuffing recipe isn't your speed? You wanted something with a wee bit more pizzazz to fill your Thanksgiving stuffed tofu with? Or maybe your eyes were bigger than your stomach and you just made too much cornbread to finish off with your vegan chili?
Or, are you calling out in the darkness of this cold, strange universe for some vegan comfort food to lift your spirits at a lonely, one-person Christmas dinner?
Well, this vegan cornbread stuffing recipe might just be the perfect thing to cram into your vegan turkey, vegan stuffed acorn squash, or baby-shaped tofu loaf...
This vegan cornbread stuffing is about to become your go-to for the holidays. No more dry, crumbly stuffing disasters here. Just follow these steps, and you'll have a dish that's perfect every single time. Grab your apron and let's rock this!
This recipe is so GORGEOUS!! Makes the house smell like Thanksgiving. Terrific recipe.
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🥰 Why this is the best vegan cornbread stuffing recipe
✊ Vegan AF: Like all my vegan Thanksgiving recipes, this one is made without harming a single adorable creature. No chicken stock, no eggs, and no dairy to be found in this bad boy.
🥄 Perfect Texture Every Time: Drying out the cornbread cubes before baking ensures that your stuffing is moist but never, ever mushy.
Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all of my vegan recipes, after tweaking and perfecting it literally over the course of DECADES, I shared it with a massive team of recipe testers from all around the world. Everyone loves it, and if you don't, you are a gosh darn clown, that's what!
I'm on my knees staring weirdly into your eyes, asking you in a soothing voice to be my taste-testing partner in crime. Sign up for the recipe testing crew and get early access to new recipes before they're published.
🌽 Ingredients for making vegan stuffing
Cornbread
I wrote the cornbread measurement for this recipe in cut cubed cornbread so that you could use any recipe, or even store-bought cornbread your little heart desires. But I would be a total jerk who smells bad if I didn't turn you on to my excellent vegan cornbread recipe to make this with. It's what my family loves, so perhaps yours will too!
Or you can double down on the Thanksgiving vibes by making this with my vegan pumpkin cornbread instead.
Cranberries
If fresh or frozen cranberries aren't available, you can substitute them with dried cranberries- just reduce the sugar slightly to account for the fact that pretty much all dried cranberries have some sweetener on them.
Brown Sugar
To achieve the perfect flavor, I knew part of the sweetness needed to come from brown sugar. Regular light brown sugar works just fine, but since my wife avoids cane sugar, I always keep coconut sugar and palm sugar around, and both are excellent in this recipe.
If you grab a bag of coconut or palm sugar and are left wondering what to do with the rest, they're fantastic in Southeast Asian desserts. Palm sugar is key for making klepon and bubur sumsum, while coconut sugar is ideal for creating the coconut filling in kuih dadar.
Fennel Seeds (Optional)
Fennel seeds add a very subtly sweet, licorice-like flavor that makes this stuffing feel a wee bit fancier. They can 200% be omitted if you're not a fan of their taste or replaced with anise seeds (those tiny little suckers you might use to make Peruvian picarones).
Unsalted Vegetable Stock
Store-bought vegetable broth can vary in saltiness, so to keep things consistent, use either homemade or unsalted stock. My closest grocery store only has low sodium, though, so I always make my own.
To make it at home, boil onions, carrots, celery, garlic, a couple of bay leaves, and some peppercorns until the veggies are wilted. Strain out the solids for a versatile stock that's great in this recipe and for roasted carrot lentil soup with chestnuts-perfect as a Thanksgiving appetizer.
If you're stuck with low sodium or salted vegetable stock, or want to use vegan chicken broth, just adjust the tamari to taste. For a quick vegan chicken stock, mix Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken base with hot water, but remember to reduce the tamari a bit since it's already salty.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Apple and Vegan Sausage Stuffing:
This variation mixes cornbread with apple chunks and crumbled vegan sausage. I like to use a firmer, slightly tart apple (as I do for my vegan apple fritters and apple cider donuts) so its texture and flavor hold up well to roasting.
Vegan Mushroom Stuffing:
While porcinis can be nice in stuffing, they are pretty expensive. If I am not already making a mushroom entree or mushroom gravy to go on the vegan mashed potatoes, I am all about adding some sliced mushrooms to the stuffing. Some brilliant mushrooms to use are the oyster mushrooms that I often roast with baharat to make vegan shawarma, or the lion's mane mushrooms that I love tunring into incredibly steak-like vegan fajitas, you ol' goof.
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📖 How to make vegan cornbread stuffing
Nail this traditional stuffing recipe on your first shot by following these step-by-step photos with helpful tips. Or scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card.
Step One
2 Live Croutons:
Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C). Spread the cornbread cubes on a parchment paper-lined baking tray and let them dry out for 35-40 minutes in the oven until they feel stale. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, crank the oven temperature up to 350°F (175°C).
Step Two
Spa Time for Leeks:
Rinse the leeks thoroughly, then slice and submerge them in warm water, massaging to remove dirt, and rinse again under cold running water.
Step Three
Cranma and Cranpa's House:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the cranberries, orange juice, brown sugar, and rosemary. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes until the cranberries soften and the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step Four
Sauté-braham Lincoln:
In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt the vegan butter. After 2 minutes, when the vegan butter is fully melted and hot, add the onion and leeks, and sauté for 6-7 minutes until they start to soften and turn lightly golden.
Step Five
Pecan Blinders:
Add the minced garlic, pecans, fennel seeds (if using), dried or fresh thyme, sage, coriander, black pepper, and salt to the pan. Continue to sauté for 3 minutes over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant and the pecans are lightly toasted. Remove from heat.
Step Six
Children of the Cornbread:
In a large casserole dish, gently mix together the dried cornbread cubes with the sautéed vegetables and pecans.
Pour 2 cups of vegetable stock evenly over the mixture, making sure all the cornbread cubes are moistened by the vegan cornbread dressing, but be gentle so that they don't start to crumble too much.
Step Seven
Cran-burial:
Gently fold the cooked cranberries into the stuffing using a mixing spoon. If you like, garnish with additional pecan pieces and rosemary sprigs.
Step Eight
Foil Metal Jacket:
Cover the stuffing dish with foil and roast in the oven for 15 minutes at 350°F (175°C). Remove the foil and continue roasting for an additional 15 minutes until the top is lightly golden brown. Remove the casserole dish from the oven and get ready to serve up some serious stuffing magic!
🥧 Vegan Holiday Menu Suggestions
Ok, I am gonna give you vegan Thanksgiving suggestions here rather than Christmas, because uh… Let's just say my family eats bagels on that holiday and goes out for Chinese food for Christmas dinner, if you catch my drift?
This stuffing is downright fantastic to put onto your holiday table with roasted seitan chicken. Usually, I'll rock my roasted carrot lentil soup or a butternut squash soup beforehand.
A couple of unconventional side dishes that I think are wonderful on a Thanksgiving table are zeytinyağlı taze fasulye (it's a simple, delicious Turkish vegan green bean dish that makes a welcome replacement to classic vegan green bean casserole) and this Filipino kalabasa recipe (it's kabocha squash and spinach in a mild coconut milk broth).
Then classics like candied yams, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, dairy-free mashed potatoes, dripping with either brown vegan gravy, or vegan sausage gravy and the like are obviously gonna be part of your holiday spread, right?
Polish it all off with a slice of vegan apple pie, vegan pumpkin muffins that are dripping with cardamom glaze, vegan sweet potato muffins, or vegan pumpkin flan.
👉Top tips
- Whatever you do, don't just use fresh cornbread: Make sure your cornbread cubes are completely dried out before you start assembling the stuffing. Either do this by cubing them and spreading them out on a tray for 24 hours to dry naturally, or if you are like me and have a ton of rescue dogs who will steal your bread overnight, just follow my oven drying instructions! Otherwise, this stuffing will be a mushy mess.
- Leeks are seriously dirty, y'all: Before slicing, rinse them well to avoid getting any of that gritty soil on your cutting board. Then, after slicing, submerge the leeks in a bowl of warm water and give them a good massage. Rinse them again in a colander under cold running water until they're completely free of dirt. That sandy crunch is the LAST thing your stuffing needs!
- Cornbread Juice Care: Pour the vegetable stock gradually, stopping when the cornbread cubes are moistened but not soaked.
- Don't Rush the Sauté: Let the onions, leeks, and garlic cook down slowly until they're deeply golden and caramelized. This step builds a rich, savory base that's essential for flavor.
- Mix with Gentle Hands: When combining the cranberries and the cornbread mixture, fold everything together gently. Over-mixing can break down the cubes and turn the stuffing into a mash. Keep it light to preserve those delicious layers of texture.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
If you have a nut allergy, you can of course skip them altogether or use pine nuts or pumpkin seeds in their place. Otherwise, hazelnuts, walnuts, or roasted chestnuts are all pretty darn lovely in this recipe too.
To make this stuffing gluten-free, use gluten-free cornbread and ensure that all other ingredients, including vegetable stock, which sometimes contains soy sauce if you haven't made it yourself, are gluten-free.
Absolutely! Feel free to mix in vegetables like julienned carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, celery root, or acorn squash to the stuffing. Just make sure to sauté them well before mixing them into the bread cubes. The only types of veggies I will not pre-cook before adding to a stuffing like this are green beans because I really don't love them when they are lifeless and overcooked.
🧊 Refrigeration: Store leftover vegan cornbread stuffing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Make sure it is fully cooled before sealing the container.
❄️ Freezing: For longer storage, freeze the stuffing in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Allow it to cool completely before freezing. For best results, divide it into smaller portions to make thawing and reheating easier.
🕑 Thawing: To thaw frozen stuffing, transfer it to the refrigerator and let it defrost overnight.
🔥 Stovetop Reheating: Place the stuffing in a large skillet over medium heat. Add a splash of olive oil to prevent it from drying out. Heat, flipping the contents of the pan once or twice with a metal spatula, for about 8-9 minutes until warmed through.
🥵 Oven Reheating: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Transfer the stuffing to an oven-safe dish and cover it with foil. Bake for about 15 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 8 minutes until heated evenly and the top is slightly crispy.
✌️My fave vegan Thanksgiving desserts:
Unlock a discounted bundle of classes that walk you through vegan Thanksgiving menus with detailed video instruction from Chef Adam Sobel.
The Best Vegan Cornbread Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
Cornbread:
- 8 cups Vegan cornbread cut into 1-inch cubes
Cranberries:
- 3 cups cranberries fresh or frozen
- ⅔ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup brown sugar or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon rosemary chopped
Stuffing:
- 2 cups leeks sliced, washed, and drained dry
- ¼ cup vegan butter or olive oil
- 1 cup onion diced
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 cup pecans roughly chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons fennel seeds optional
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground sage
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups unsalted vegetable stock
Optional Garnishes:
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
- ¼ cup pecan pieces
- Parsley chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C). Spread the cornbread cubes on a parchment paper-lined baking tray and place them in the oven to dry out for 35-40 minutes until dry and stale-feeling. Remove and allow them to cool. Adjust the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C).
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the cranberries, orange juice, brown sugar, and rosemary. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have softened and the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Rinse the leeks thoroughly, then slice and submerge them in warm water, massaging to remove dirt, and rinse again under cold running water.
- In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt the vegan butter. After 2 minutes, when the vegan butter is fully melted and hot, add the onion and leeks, and sauté for 6-7 minutes until they begin to soften and turn lightly golden.
- Add the garlic, pecans, optional fennel seeds, thyme, sage, coriander, black pepper, and salt. Continue to sauté for 3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant. Remove from the heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the dried cornbread cubes with the sautéed vegetables and pecans. Toss to combine, then transfer the mixture to an oven-proof dish. Pour the hot vegetable stock evenly over the top.
- Gently fold the cooked cranberries into the stuffing using a mixing spoon. Optionally, garnish with additional pecan pieces and rosemary leaves if desired.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue roasting for an additional 15 minutes, until the top is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and serve, garnished with fresh parsley or sage leaves if desired.
Notes
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Erik Schmid says
Chef Adam another outstanding recipe! It is very easy to make and if you love pecans and cranberries this is the stuffing for you. Herbal with lovey crispy bites of pecans, the sweet yet still tangy cranberry bursting in your mouth. Just. Out of this world stuffing, highly recommend it!
Dina LeClair says
This was amazing! Just one small change, I omitted the rosemary. Never been a fan. No one missed it because the whole thing was so delicious!!
Chrissy says
Hi, Can this recipe be made ahead of time for using to stuff a Seitan roast? Thank you!
Adam Sobel says
It sure can! It even freezes pretty well.
Kimbi Walton says
This recipe is so GORGEOUS!! Makes the house smell like Thanksgiving. Terrific recipe.
Jason says
This is amazing! I’ve been looking for a great cornbread stuffing for thanksgiving and this is it!