Vegan Cornbread Stuffing

This Vegan Cornbread Stuffing is easy and delicious! The perfect Thanksgiving side dish, this recipe will have all your guests coming back for more!

Everyone has the one family recipe that is most special to them. You know the one. The recipe that no Thanksgiving table will be without. The recipe that year after year is always present. Well, for my family, it is our stuffing. We have been making the same stuffing recipe with little tweaks and modifications for the past 20 years, or maybe even longer than that! The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, my grandma, mom, sister, and I all get together and we call it "stuffing night" we make a giant batch of our Thanksgiving stuffing together. It is one of my favorite nights of the year, surrounded by family, keeping up with traditions, and enjoying the holidays.

This Vegan Cornbread Stuffing is almost identical to the stuffing recipe that we make every year, it has its little tweaks of course but it tastes the same and has the same feel. I hope you enjoy this recipe and have an amazing Thanksgiving this year with your families. If there is one thing I learned from COVID it is to hold those you love tight and enjoy each special moment.

For more delicious recipes, check out this Vegan Sweet Potato Pie or this Dairy-Free Green Bean Casserole! 

Ingredients

The ingredients in this recipe are easy to find and plant-based.

Ingredient Notes:

• Cornbread: Feel free to either buy already prepared vegan cornbread from the store or make your own. You can also buy already prepared cornbread croutons around Thanksgiving, just make sure they are vegan!
• Flax Egg: You can find how to make a flax egg here. The flax egg acts as the binder for this recipe, binding all the ingredients together.
• Sage and Poultry Seasoning: You will see that this recipe uses a lot of sage and poultry seasoning. My grandma always says you know you have used enough when the stuffing smells like it! However, for your convenience, I have given you measurements in the recipe card. Just make sure to use that amount and don't skimp, even though it may seem like a lot.
• Vegan Butter: This is my favorite brand of vegan butter, however, feel free to use your personal favorite!

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

As with any stuffing recipe, you want to make sure you start with dry bread. You want to use dry bread so it can absorb the vegetables and broth without getting too soggy. 

There are a couple of ways to dry out the cornbread. The first way is if you want to prepare it the day before. Cut up the cornbread, cube it, and spread it out on a couple of baking sheets. Cover it with a kitchen towel and let it sit out overnight.

The second way, which is my preferred method is if you're prepping the cornbread the day of, you'll want to cube it and then add it to a baking sheet. Bake it in a 425-degree oven for 15 minutes. This will dry the cornbread out and give it the feel of croutons.

While the cornbread is in the oven, prep your veggie mix. Finely dice the mushrooms, celery and onion. Add them to a cast iron skillet with the vegan butter and saute over medium heat until the onions start to become translucent and the celery starts to become soft.

Take the cornbread out of the oven and lower the temperature to 350 degrees. Add the cornbread to a large glass mixing bowl along with the veggies, flax egg, spices, dried cranberries, and water chestnuts.

Add more melted butter and vegetable broth and mix until combined. Add the stuffing to a greased baking dish and bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Hint: Depending on how dry your croutons are, you might need to add more vegetable broth. Add the vegetable broth in ¼ cup increments if you feel you need to increase the amount.

Substitutions and Variations

• Extra Fall Fruit -Feel free to add a granny smith apple to the mix along with the dried cranberries to make this cornbread stuffing with apples and cranberries. It will give it another nice Fall twist.
• Sausage - If you want to make this cornbread stuffing a little more filling, feel free to make this cornbread stuffing with sausage. Just add in your favorite plant-based sausage crumbles.
• Crockpot - Free up some oven space and make this cornbread stuffing in the crockpot. Follow the directions up until adding to a baking dish and then instead add all the ingredients to a crockpot and cook on high for 3-4 hours.
• Make-Ahead: Make this vegan cornbread stuffing up to two days ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. You might need to rehydrate it a little. To rehydrate, add a bit more vegetable broth to the top and top with extra dollops of vegan butter before baking.

Leftover Ideas

• Waffles - Maximize your leftovers by adding the leftover stuffing mixture to a waffle iron the next day to make cornbread stuffing waffles!
• Chicken Casserole - Make a cornbread stuffing chicken casserole the next day by combining the leftover stuffing mix with your favorite plant-based chicken substitute. Add a little extra vegetable broth to moisten everything back up and then bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve topped with leftover gravy.
• Stuffing Muffins - Turn your leftover stuffing into stuffing egg muffins. Add the leftover stuffing, vegan egg substitute, vegan cheese, and mix well. Add the mixture into muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and have a quick breakfast for the week!

Check out this other delicious Thanksgiving side here!

FAQ's

Equipment

Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Please see below for the equipment that you will need!

• Spatula
• Cast Iron Skillet
• Glass mixing bowls
• Cookie Sheets
• Ceramic Baking Dish

Storage

Store the stuffing in the refrigerator tightly covered for 3-4 days.

While we always advocate for serving fresh, you can freeze this recipe for up to three months in the fridge. Cover the dish with tin foil and then wrap completely in plastic wrap.

Top tip

The binder in this recipe is key so don't forget your flax egg! The key to making this a great side dish is that it doesn't crumble.

Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.