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This easy vegan stuffing recipe is healthy, oil-free and perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas and other holiday meals. You will love the rich, savoury flavour of this simple, classic dish.

Easy vegan stuffing on a small white plate.

Vegan Stuffing Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:

  • Onion and garlic. You’ll need one medium white or yellow onion and 3 cloves of garlic.
  • Carrot. The combination of onion, carrot and celery make a wonderful flavour base for this recipe.
  • Celery. Celery is a must for stuffing!
  • Herbs. I used sage, thyme and rosemary in this recipe. To keep things simple, I used dried herbs but if you have access to fresh, they really take this recipe to the next level. To use fresh herbs, triple the amount of dried herbs used in the recipe. I included the amounts for both fresh and dried herbs in the recipe.
  • Bread. Pretty much any bread works for this recipe but I’d recommend something higher quality than your everyday store-bought loaf of brown or white bread. Sourdough, rye, multi-grain or another hearty, whole grain bread works well. A good quality white bread is just lovely too! You can use gluten-free bread if needed.
The ingredients for vegan stuffing: celery, carrots, bread, herbs, broth, garlic and onion, sitting on a white surface.

Stuffing Add-Ins

I like simple stuffing made with the basics: onions, garlic, celery, carrots and bread. However, there are many other ingredients you can add to stuffing to create your own stuffing variations. You can try:

  • cranberries or raisins
  • chopped walnuts or pecans
  • diced apple
  • chopped mushrooms

If you’d like to add 1 cup of apple or mushrooms, saute them with the rest of the vegetables. If you’d like to add 1/2 cup of mixed dried fruit or nuts, mix them in with the bread.

How to Make Vegan Stuffing

There are two steps to making vegan stuffing: sautéing the vegetables and baking the stuffing. Let’s go through how to make vegan stuffing, step-by-step.

Step 1. Dry the Bread

There are two options for preparing the bread for this recipe. You can either cube the bread and let it sit out overnight in a bowl or you can toast it in the oven on a baking tray. I’ve made it both ways and think toasting it in the oven is the way to go.

You want it to be a bit crispy and slightly browned. It shouldn’t be rock hard like a crouton but it should be a little firm with some crispiness to it.

Do I have to toast the bread?

No. This step is not totally necessary but it does help prevent soggy stuffing.

Cubed bread on a baking tray.

Step 2. Sauté the Veggies and Herbs

While the bread is toasting, add the carrots, onion, garlic and celery to a skillet over medium-high heat.

Sautéing Options: To keep the recipe oil-free, I sautéed the veggies in a few tablespoons of vegetable broth but for a more traditional stuffing flavour, you can use 1-2 tbsp of vegan butter.

After 7-8 minutes, stir in the dried herbs and cook for 4-5 more minutes, adding a little more stock as needed. Be sure to scrape any browned bits off the bottom pan when you add more stock – they’re full of flavour!

Diced carrot, onion, celery and garlic in a skillet.
Dried herbs being added to a skillet of sauteed vegetables.
Sauteed garlic, onion, celery and carrot in a skillet.

Step 3. Mix the Stuffing

Next up, add the cubed bread to a big bowl then add the sautéed veggies. Start by adding 1 cup of vegetable broth, mixing and then slowly adding more broth as needed.

How much broth should I add?

It depends on how you like your stuffing, the type of bread you use and how dried or toasted that bread is. You want the bread to be moist but not completely soaked. Start with 1 cup and then slowly add more, a little bit a time, until all the bread is moistened. I use 1.5 cups broth to make my stuffing.

Mixed vegan stuffing in a big blue glass bowl.

Step 4. Bake the Stuffing

Finally, it’s time to bake! Cover the stuffing with foil and bake for 30 minutes then remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown on top.

A casserole dish of vegan stuffing.
A wooden spoon scooping vegan stuffing out of a casserole dish.
Two small white plates of easy vegan stuffing.

Vegan Stuffing Recipe

This simple vegan stuffing recipe is made with basic stuffing ingredients like onion, garlic, celery and carrots. It’s healthy, flavourful, oil-free and made without butter and eggs.

Enjoy this delicious side as part of a holiday meal or anytime you feel like a classic holiday dish.

More Thanksgiving Recipes

Serve this stuffing alongside these recipes for a vegan Thanksgiving feast:

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Easy vegan stuffing on a small white plate.

Simple Vegan Stuffing

  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 50 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Side
  • Method: Oven, Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Vegan, Holildays

This easy, healthy vegan stuffing recipe is perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas and other holiday meals. Serve this delicious stuffing alongside favourites like mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce for a complete holiday feast.

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Ingredients

  • 10 cups cubed whole-grain bread (white bread is fine too!)
  • 1 white or yellow onion, diced, approx. 2 cups
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced, approx. 1.5 cups
  • 4 ribs celery, chopped, approx. 2 cups
  • 2 tsp dried sage or 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chopped sage
  • 1 tsp ground thyme or 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary or 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1–2 cups vegetable broth
  • pinch of salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Place the cubed bread on 1 or 2 baking trays and toast in the oven for 10-15 minutes until lightly crispy and browned.
  3. Add the celery, onion, garlic and carrot and a pinch of salt and pepper to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2-3 tbsp vegetable broth or 1-2 tbsp vegan butter for cooking.  Saute for 7-8 minutes until softened and fragrant. 
  4. Stir in the dried herbs and cook for a few more minutes. Add more vegetable broth if the pan starts to dry out, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of pan as you do.
  5. Add the cubed bread and sauteed veggies to a large mixing bowl and add 1 cup of vegetable broth. 
  6. Mix well then slowly start adding more broth until all the bread is moist but not soaked. I use about 1.5 cups broth. You may need a little more or less depending on the bread you use.
  7. Transfer the mixture to a large casserole dish. I used a shallow 12 x 9 inch glass dish. It can be a little smaller and deeper, that’s totally fine.
  8. Cover the dish with foil and bake in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10-15 minutes until golden brown on top.
  9. Serve right away or store in the fridge up to 4 days. It can be reheated later if needed.

Keywords: best, healthy, oil-free, Thanksgiving, Christmas, simple, easy