Best Vegan Stuffing Recipe (2024)

Published: by Nisha Melvani, RDN · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

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The Best Vegan Stuffing recipe and soon to be your new favorite side dish. Deliciously savory, made with simple ingredients, and can be made ahead. This stuffingis as flavorful as the classic stuffing you know and love, but it's healthier and packs in plant-based protein. Gluten-free option.

this RECIPE

Rich in umami flavor from the mushrooms, savory and slightly sweet from the onion, celery, and sweet potato, and hearty and nutty from the crunchy bread and chickpeas. This vegan stuffing recipe is satisfying enough to be a main dish or side. It's a great vegetarian option for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and beyond.

This recipe was inspired by my Warm Quinoa Salad and by this 20-minute grain-free Harvest Bowl on my site.

Jump to:
  • 👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients
  • 🍠 Substitutions
  • 📖 How to Make Vegan Stuffing
  • 💡 Expert Tips
  • 🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
  • 🍽 Related Recipes
  • 👩🏽‍🍳 Made This Recipe
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

Best Vegan Stuffing Recipe (2)
  • Sweet potato
  • Chickpeas
  • Mushrooms
  • Onion
  • Celery
  • Bread or gluten-free bread
  • Poultry seasoning
  • Garlic
  • Vegetable broth
  • Olive oil and or vegan butter
  • Balsamic Vinegar (optional)

See the recipe card for quantities.

🍠 Substitutions

  • Olive oil - instead of olive oil, use vegan butter, or a combination of both, for even more richness of flavor
  • Bread -use gluten-free, sourdough, wholegrain, or a bread of your choice
  • Mushrooms - use cremini (baby bella), or white button mushrooms
  • Fresh herbs - Add two fresh thyme sprigs and/or one rosemary sprig to the sweet potato. Once baked, use your hands to brush off any remaining leaves onto the potato and remove the twigs.

For more protein-rich recipes with chickpeas, visit my Vegan Chickpeas Recipes page.

📖 How to Make Vegan Stuffing

Measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Tip: Save time and dry the bread beforehand. Transfer the cubes of bread to a large baking sheet and leave it out overnight, or bake the bread at 300ºF for 15 minutes, tossing halfway.

Best Vegan Stuffing Recipe (3)

Step 1. Dry the bread:Transfer the bread cubes to a large baking sheet. Bake them for about 10 minutes, or until dried, tossing them after 5 minutes.

Best Vegan Stuffing Recipe (4)

Step 2. Roast sweet potato:Increase the oven temperature to 400ºF. Transfer the sweet potato to a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until just tender. Set aside.

Best Vegan Stuffing Recipe (5)

Step 3. Cook the veggies:Meanwhile, cook the onion, mushrooms, celery, and garlic for about 5 minutes, or until tender, stirring frequently, and adding a splash of water as needed to prevent sticking.

Best Vegan Stuffing Recipe (6)

Step 4. Chop veggies:Transfer the mushroom mixture to a food processor and pulse until chopped. Transfer the mixture to a medium-large casserole dish.

Chop chickpeas:Dry the chickpeas with a clean dish towel. Transfer them to the same food processor. Pulse until chopped.

Best Vegan Stuffing Recipe (7)

Step 5. Combine and bake:Add the sweet potato, dried bread, parsley, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Add the vegetable broth. Mix to combine. Bake for about 20 minutes, tossing the stuffing after 10 minutes. Add more broth if the mixture is too dry.

Best Vegan Stuffing Recipe (8)

Step 6. Serve vegan stuffing with pickled red onion or shallots for even more deliciousness.

Store: Refrigerate any remaining vegan stuffing for up to one week in an airtight container.

💡 Expert Tips

  • Dry the bread beforehand to save time. Leave the cubes out the night before on a large baking sheet.
  • Roast the sweet potato in a single layer so it cooks evenly.
  • Do not over-pulse the cooked vegetables and chickpeas or they will become mushy. They should be finely chopped.
  • For richer-tasting vegan stuffing, cook the veggies in olive oil plus 1 tablespoon of vegan butter.
  • Storage: Refrigerate any remaining Vegan Stuffing in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

How do I make Vegan Stuffing ahead of time?

Leave the cubed bread out overnight to dry out. Roast the sweet potato, cook the mushroom mixture, pulse the chickpeas, and transfer the ingredients to the casserole dish up to one day beforehand.
Refrigerate until 30 minutes before serving. Bake at 400ºF for about 30 minutes, or until heated through. Toss the stuffing every 10 minutes, adding more broth as needed, two tablespoons at a time, if the mixture is too dry.

Does all stuffing need eggs?

Not all stuffing recipes require eggs. Traditional stuffing recipes often include eggs as a binding agent to help hold the stuffing together. This recipe uses veggie stock to bind together the onions, celery, and dried-out bread. If you're looking for an egg-free option, this vegan stuffing recipe is perfect.

What can I serve with vegan stuffing?

Vegan gravy - This easy 6-ingredient Vegan Gravy takes 5 minutes to make, and is gluten-free.
Vegan turkey - Try my Easy Tofu Turkey or my Easy Vegan Turkey (high-protein) recipes.
Roasted Vegetable Salad - This healthy vegan Roasted Vegetable Salad features a harmonious blend of curried roasted cabbage and sweet potato, protein-rich quinoa, nutrient-packed kale, and crunchy curried cashews.
Pickled shallots - These keto-friendly pickled shallots add a delicious zing and crunch to almost any savory recipe.

  • Healthy Cranberry Sauce Recipe
  • Easy Tofu Turkey Recipe
  • Vegan Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
  • Vegan Roasted Vegetable Salad

👩🏽‍🍳 Made This Recipe

Share your Best Vegan Stuffing creation with me onInstagram. It makes my day to see you recreate my recipes.

I would love it if you would ⭐️rate this recipeand leave acomment. Thank you in advance.

📖 Recipe

Best Vegan Stuffing

Nisha Melvani

The Best Vegan Stuffing recipe and soon to be your new favorite side dish. Deliciously savory, made with simple ingredients, and can be made ahead.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Side Dish or Main

Cuisine Vegan

Servings 4 people

Calories 354 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 small-medium sweet potato peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (2 cups, about 8 ounces)
  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • Salt to taste
  • 4 slices bread cut into ½-inch cubes
  • ½ medium yellow onion chopped (about ½ cup)
  • 4 ounces cremini mushrooms or baby bella or white button mushrooms, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
  • 1 large or 2 medium ribs celery sliced (about ½ cup)
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas drained and rinsed (3 cups cooked)
  • ½ cup chopped parsley
  • 1 ½ teaspoons poultry seasoning
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup vegetable broth plus more as needed
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (optional)

Optional for serving:

  • Pickled onion or pickled shallots, to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 300ºF.

  • Dry the bread: Transfer the bread cubes to a large baking sheet. Spread them out in a single layer. Bake them for about 10 minutes, or until dried out, tossing them after 5 minutes. (Alternatively, let the bread stay out overnight to dry out.)

  • Bake sweet potato: Increase the oven temperature to 400ºF. Transfer the sweet potato to a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt to taste. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until just tender. Set aside.

  • Cook the veggies: Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion, mushrooms, celery, and garlic for about 5 minutes, or until tender, stirring frequently, and adding a splash of water as needed to prevent sticking.

  • Chop veggies: Transfer the mushroom mixture to a food processor and pulse until chopped. Transfer the mixture to a medium-large casserole dish.

  • Chop chickpeas: Dry the chickpeas with a clean dish towel. Transfer them to the same food processor (unwashed). Pulse until chopped. Transfer to the casserole dish with the mushroom mixture.

  • Combine and bake: Add the sweet potato, dried bread, parsley, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Add the balsamic vinegar ¼ cup vegetable broth. Mix to combine. Bake at 400ºF for about 20 minutes, or until heated through, tossing the stuffing after 10 minutes. Add more broth, two tablespoons at a time, if the mixture is too dry.

  • Serve with pickled onions as desired.

Notes

  • Dry the bread beforehand to save time.
  • Roast the sweet potato in a single layer so it cooks evenly.
  • Do not pulse the cooked vegetables and chickpeas too much. They should be finely chopped, but not mushy.
  • For richer-tasting stuffing, cook the veggies in olive oil plus 1 tablespoon of vegan butter.
  • Storage: Refrigerate any remaining Vegan Stuffing in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 354kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 188mg | Potassium: 894mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 10177IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 161mg | Iron: 6mg

This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

Vegan Side Dish Recipes

  • Best-Tasting Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing
  • Chickpea Mash
  • Quinoa Rice Recipe
  • Panko Tofu Recipe (Baked)

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Comment

  1. Neena Chandiramani

    Best Vegan Stuffing Recipe (18)
    Great recipe to have, always comes in useful!

    Reply

    • Nisha Melvani, RDN

      Thank you. It's truly tasty!

      Reply

Best Vegan Stuffing Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What can I use instead of eggs to bind stuffing? ›

16 egg substitutes
  1. Mashed banana. Mashed banana can act as a binding agent when baking or making pancake batter. ...
  2. Applesauce. Applesauce can also act as a binding agent. ...
  3. Fruit puree. Fruit puree will help bind a recipe in a similar way to applesauce. ...
  4. Avocado. ...
  5. Gelatin. ...
  6. Xanthan gum. ...
  7. Vegetable oil and baking powder. ...
  8. Margarine.
Mar 30, 2021

What does adding egg to stuffing do? ›

Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture.

Which stuffing mix is vegan? ›

Pepperidge Farm

Crafted from a blend of bread, herbs, and spices, the plant-based stuffing brand offers several options to dig into. Vegans can enjoy the Herb Seasoned Classic and Corn Bread Classic stuffing mixes.

What is vegan stuffing made of? ›

In this vegan stuffing recipe, I keep the celery, onions, and crusty bread, but I use a generous amount of olive oil instead of butter, which adds robust flavor. Then, I increase the veggies. Along with the onion and celery, I add a hefty amount of shiitake mushrooms, kale, and tons of fresh herbs.

What do vegans use to bind instead of eggs? ›

Ground flax seeds

One of the most popular egg substitutes in vegan baking is a flax egg. This is made by combining ground (not whole) flax seeds with water and leaving to sit for 15 minutes until the mixture becomes thick, almost the same consistency as a regular egg.

What is a vegan substitute for eggs as a binder? ›

Flaxseed (aka linseed)

Combine a tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water, stir to combine, and let stand for 5 minutes to thicken. Ground flaxseed emulates eggs' binding qualities in breads, cakes, muffins, cookies, burgers, and vegan meatballs.

What makes stuffing unhealthy? ›

Stuffing is not strictly a healthy food, because it is typically high in calories, fat, sodium, and refined carbohydrates. 1 But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it, All foods can fit into a healthy diet in moderation.

Is it OK to make stuffing a day ahead of time? ›

No matter where you fall, getting a head start on what can be prepared before the big day is essential. One question that always crops up: Can you make stuffing ahead of time? The short answer to whether you can making stuffing ahead of time is yes.

What makes stuffing stick together? ›

You can add dried fruit, fresh fruit, vegetables, sausage, nuts, grains, whatever. But you want to make sure there is an element that keeps it all loosely sticking together. That's called a "binder," and bread is really great at this. To work its magic, the bread needs a little liquid.

Is Pepperidge Farm cornbread stuffing mix vegan? ›

Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing contains no animal products, but be careful because a lot of their other flavors do contain chicken and/or chicken broth. And the Cornbread Stuffing Mix at Trader Joe's is also vegan.

What is British stuffing made of? ›

Stuffing consists of a mixture of savoury ingredients such as breadcrumbs, herbs, fruit, nuts, sausagemeat and onion which are bound together with egg or liquid to form a semi-solid mixture. It is usually cooked with roast meat such as chicken, pork or lamb and is served as an accompaniment to the sliced, cooked meat.

What is a substitute for margarine in stuffing? ›

It's easy to swap in coconut oil, olive oil, canola oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil for margarine. In most recipes, oil is substituted for margarine at a 3:4 ratio. This accounts for any water or other ingredients in the margarine. So, for every cup of margarine in the recipe, use 3/4 cup of oil.

What can you use instead of stuffing? ›

Here are a few suggestions.
  • Old tights or socks. Nylons work great, but woolly ones will do too. ...
  • Worn out t-shirts or jumpers. Again, these should be clean. ...
  • Tissues or tissue paper. ...
  • Newspaper. ...
  • Plastic bags. ...
  • Packing materials. ...
  • Toy stuffing from another toy. ...
  • The filling from a pillow.
Jan 22, 2019

Can I use olive oil instead of butter in stove top stuffing? ›

Using 1 tablespoon of olive oil (instead of the butter called for in the package recipe), sauté mushrooms with celery and onions. Add stuffing mix and broth. When liquid is absorbed, add pecans, chives, and egg, and toss.

Can I use mayonnaise instead of eggs as a binder? ›

Its components make it a perfectly suitable substitute for oil, its thick and creamy constitution is similar to that of softened butter, and since it already has eggs in it, mayonnaise exhibits some of the binding power of eggs when cooked.

Can I use milk instead of egg to bind? ›

Using a 1/4 cup of milk or yogurt in place of eggs is perfect for baked goods where moisture is key, such as cakes or muffins. (Vegans can use plant-based milks or yogurt in its place.

What can I use as a substitute for eggs? ›

Egg replacers
  • Vinegar & baking soda. Replace 1 egg with: 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon vinegar. ...
  • Unsweetened applesauce. Replace 1 egg with: 1/4 cup applesauce. ...
  • Plain or vanilla soy yogurt. Replace 1 egg with: 1/4 cup yogurt. ...
  • Silken tofu. ...
  • Ripe banana. ...
  • Ground flaxseed.

What can I use as a binder for breadcrumbs instead of eggs? ›

Here are some common egg substitutes for breading:
  • Milk or Buttermilk:Dip the meat in milk or buttermilk before coating it with the breading. ...
  • Yogurt:Plain yogurt can serve as a good substitute for eggs in breading. ...
  • Mustard:Dijon or regular mustard can act as a binder for the breading.
Nov 21, 2023

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