Gluten Free Cornbread Stuffing Recipe (aka Cornbread Dressing)
This cornbread stuffing recipe will revolutionize your holiday (or everyday!) table, and I promise you that nobody will have a clue that it’s gluten free (although you can make it with regular all-purpose flour if you're not GF). It’s rich and savory with onion, celery, sage and thyme, and it has an irresistible sweetness from cornbread. [Don't miss the step-by-step VIDEO below!]
This is the best gluten free cornbread stuffing. I know that’s a bold statement, but after trying dozens of gluten free stuffing recipes over the past decade, this is hands-down my family’s favorite. It’s sweet and savory, with a crunchy top and moist center. It's technically a cornbread dressing, since it’s cooked in a baking dish (see the FAQs below). While you can use it as a stuffing inside of a turkey or chicken, I prefer to bake it on its own, which allows the top to turn deliciously crispy.
Ingredients:
- You’ll need to make a batch of this easy Skillet Cornbread before beginning. You can make the cornbread several days or even months ahead (just freeze it until you’re ready to use!). The cornbread can be made with gluten-free or regular all-purpose flour.
- Fresh sage, thyme and chicken broth (or you can use turkey broth or stock) give the stuffing a classic flavor.
- A touch of whole milk lends a super moist texture (you can swap it out for more broth, if you prefer).
How to make this cornbread stuffing recipe:
- Start by making a batch of the cornbread. Unlike other recipes, there’s no need to dry out the cornbread before using (although, as I mentioned, you can make it days or even months ahead). Cut the cornbread into 1 ½ - 2 inch cubes and transfer them to a large bowl.
- In a skillet, cook chopped onion and celery until tender.
- Add garlic, thyme and sage, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer.
- Scrape the cooked vegetables into the bowl with the cornbread and add parsley, chicken broth, a beaten egg and milk. Stir gently to combine.
- Transfer the stuffing to a baking dish and dot with butter.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat, and continue baking until the top is golden brown and crisp.
Serving suggestions:
To be perfectly honest, I could happily eat this cornbread stuffing straight out of the baking dish and call it a day, but it’s also fantastic alongside roasted turkey, chicken and pork, or with roasted vegetables. Try it in acorn squash as a beautiful vegetarian meal (roast the squash until tender, then add the stuffing and cook until browned and crispy on top). For the ultimate breakfast, serve the stuffing with fried eggs and sausage or greens.
FAQs
Yes! You can make this cornbread stuffing recipe the day before then simple reheat it in a warm oven before serving, making it perfect for entertaining.
Technically, stuffing is cooked inside of another food (such as a turkey), while dressing is cooked in its own separate baking dish. However, these days the word stuffing is widely used for dressing.
While most recipes require that you dry out cornbread in the oven or at room temperature overnight for stuffing, it’s not needed for this recipe! The stuffing turns crispy on top with a moist and tender center.
Eggs bind stuffing together, making it easier to scoop and stuff. For this recipe, you only need one egg to bind everything together.
For the best gluten-free stuffing, you'll need just GF cornbread, onion, celery, garlic, egg, milk, herbs and broth.
Tips for this recipe:
- I prefer to bake this gluten free cornbread stuffing recipe in a 9x13-inch or similar sized baking dish, which allows the top to get deliciously crispy (although you can stuff it inside poultry or roasted squash, if you prefer).
- The Cornbread Recipe can be made weeks ahead, giving you a jumpstart for special occasion meals and the holidays (hello Thanksgiving!).
- This stuffing is fantastic alongside roasted turkey, chicken or pork. It's also delicious with fried eggs and greens or sausage!
Other Thanksgiving recipes to try:
- Easy Sweet Potato Souffle
- Creamy Homemade Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms with Crispy Shallots
- Swiss Chard Gratin
- Best Ever Cranberry Sauce
- Pumpkin Pie Custards
- Best Gluten Free Pie Crust
- Pumpkin Pound Cake
- More Gluten Free Recipes for Thanksgiving!
Watch the video!
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Get the recipe!
Ultimate Cornbread Stuffing Recipe (Gluten Free!)
Ingredients
Cornbread
- 1 batch Skillet Cornbread (recipe link in header)
- Cooking spray or butter for pan
Aromatics
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 3 stalks celery, finely diced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Assembly
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
Instructions
Make the cornbread
- Make a batch of the skillet cornbread and let it cool (you can make the cornbread the day before, or you can even make it a month or two ahead and freeze it!).
- Cut the cornbread into 1 ½- to 2-inch cubes (you should have about 10-11 cups). Put the cornbread cubes into a large bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C). Spritz a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or rub it with butter.
Cook the aromatics
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sage and thyme. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Scrape the aromatics into the bowl with the cornbread.
Assemble and bake
- Add the chicken broth, milk, egg, parsley, kosher salt and pepper to taste. Fold to combine (some of the cornbread will crumble and that’s okay, but try to keep some cubes intact). Transfer the mixture to the baking dish and dot with the butter. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil, increase the oven temperature to 400˚F (200˚C), and continue baking until lightly toasted and golden brown on top, about 15-20 minutes longer. Serve warm.
Notes
- I prefer to bake this stuffing in a 9x13-inch or similar sized baking dish, which allows the top to get deliciously crispy (although you can stuff it inside poultry or roasted squash, if you prefer).
- The Cornbread Recipe can be made weeks ahead, giving you a jumpstart for special occasion meals and the holidays (hello Thanksgiving!).
- This stuffing is fantastic alongside roasted turkey, chicken or pork. It's also delicious with fried eggs and greens or sausage. For a vegetarian meal, try it in acorn squash (roast the squash until tender, then add the stuffing and cook until browned and crispy on top).
Would almond flour work?
Hi George! Are you referring to swapping out the GF flour for almond flour? I haven't tested it, but cornbread would be more crumbly and dense, which would affect the texture of the stuffing. It wouldn't affect the flavor, however!
Hi!
I don’t have a cast iron skillet so could I buy gluten free cornbread mix?
Thank you
Hi Gina! You can bake the cornbread in a square baking dish instead (don't preheat it) or use a cornbread mix (you'll need 10-11 cups of cubed cornbread). I hope you enjoy!
I plann on making this for Thanksgiving. About how many cups or how large of turkey would this stuff?
Hi Vicky, while I prefer to cook this stuffing outside of the bird (as the turkey cooks more evenly and you end up with the crispy top on the stuffing!) it will be enough stuffing to fit inside a 12-14 pound turkey (don't pack it too tightly). Bake any leftover stuffing in a small baking dish. Happy Thanksgiving!
This is the best stuffing I have ever tasted! I halved the recipe and cannot wait to make the other half soon!
This makes me so happy to hear!
This looks like a great recipe and I just made the cornbread for it. Delicious! My only question regards the size of the cubes of cornbread recommended (1.5 to 2 inches). For the batch of cornbread I made, that would only be 10-12 cubes. Is that correct? Normally, I cut bread for stuffing into small cubes of around 1/4 to 1/2 inch (similar to commercially purchased salad croutons). Would that work OK or are the 2-inch chunks preferable for texture?
Thanks very much.
Hi Jim, great question! The reason I have you cut the cornbread into 1-2 inch cubes is because many of the chunks will break down when you stir together the stuffing. While I like a few bigger cubes on top (which get crispy), if you prefer a more homogeneous stuffing you can break up the cornbread when stirring. I hope you enjoy!
Make ahead or reheating instructions, please? Can I leave raw then bake the day of?
Hi Lindsey! The stuffing should be baked off, then reheated before serving. It will only need about 15 minutes in 350 degree oven to warm through. I hope you enjoy!
Hi Nicki! Can’t wait to make this. They were out of the fresh sage and thyme. Can I just use dry? And how much? Thank you!!
Hi Holly! Yes, you can use 1 teaspoon of both dried sage and dried thyme in place of the fresh. I hope you enjoy!
Hi! I am planning to make this for Thanksgiving and I'm wondering if I can cook this inside of the turkey like actual stuffing. I'm worried it might fall apart...
Please let me know what you think!
Hi Lizzy! You can use this inside a turkey like a regular stuffing, but it won't have as much texture (the cornbread will be more crumbly and soft). I hope you have a wonderful holiday!
As a GF girl, it's been hard to find really good stuffing. I've used all the boxed brands but this year, decided to make my own. I'd planned on traditional but when my dad said he was making cornbread stuffing for his dinner, the challenge was accepted! I found this recipe, tried it and LOVED IT. It was a hit at my house! Thank you! I look forward to making this again.
Hi Cristi, Thank you for your comment, and I’m so glad you loved the stuffing!
Would it be ok to use vegetable stock, I am trying to make this for a GF vegetarian
Also can you add cranberries
Can you use a dairy free product in place of whole milk for this recipe?
Hi Sue, great question! You can swap out the milk for more chicken broth. I hope you enjoy!