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Apple Cranberry Stuffing (Vegetarian)

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This vegetarian Apple Cranberry Stuffing is made with toasted bread cubes, vegetable broth, Honeycrisp apples, fresh cranberries and dried herbs. It’s golden brown and buttery with classic stuffing flavor but with a sweet and tart twist. It’s a festive way to change up your stuffing side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas! 

Stuffing in a white baking dish with a spoon inserted into it, and cranberries and apples on the side.

If you’re like us and stuffing is one of your favorite holiday side dishes, you’ll also want to check out this heartier whole wheat stuffing with kielbasa sausage. It’s a shortcut sausage stuffing made with whole wheat bread, but with all the flavors of traditional stuffing.

Table of contents

Key ingredients and substitutions

Below is a brief overview of some of the key ingredients and recommended substitutions. The recipe card at the end of this post includes the exact ingredients and quantities used.

Ingredients to make apple cranberry stuffing arranged individually.
  • French bread – You’ll need an entire loaf of French bread, or about 14 cups of cubed bread. I like the texture of French bread in stuffing, but Italian bread or sourdough are also great options. Make sure your bread is a few days old. It’s easier to cut into cubes when it’s stale.
  • Apple – Sweet and tart apples with a crisp bite work well for stuffing. We like Honeycrisp, but other apples like Pink Lady, Fuji or even Granny Smith work too. I don’t normally peel my apples, but you can if you prefer.
  • Cranberries – Fresh cranberries add a tart flavor and pop of color to this stuffing. You can substitute with dried cranberries, but they will add a sweeter flavor to the stuffing.
  • Celery, onion, garlic, dried herbs – These aromatics are cooked and softened in butter and add amazing flavor to the stuffing. For the herbs, I like to use dried thyme, rosemary and sage. If you prefer to use fresh herbs, just triple the amount as fresh herbs aren’t as potent as dried herbs.
  • Broth – To keep this stuffing vegetarian, we’re using vegetable broth. I prefer to use no salt added broth. If you use low sodium or regular, just reduce the amount of salt you add to the stuffing.

How to make apple cranberry stuffing (with step-by-step photos)

Below is a brief overview of the steps to make this recipe along with photos. For further details, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.

Cubed bread dried out on a sheet pan.
Step 1: Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a large sheet pan. Toast the bread at 250F for 12-15 minutes, flip over and toast for another 12-15 minutes, until dried out and crispy.
Celery, onion, garlic and herbs added to melted butter in a skillet.
Step 2: While the bread is toasting, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, garlic and herbs.
Vegetable and herb mixture cooked in butter in a skillet.
Step 3: Cook the veggie/herb mixture until everything is softened, about 5 minutes.
Eggs, broth, salt and pepper whisked together in a glass measuring cup.
Step 4: In a large measuring cup, whisk together the broth, eggs, salt and pepper.
Bread cubes, vegetable mixture, chopped apples and cranberries added to a large glass bowl.
Step 5: In a large bowl, add the toasted bread cubes, veggie/herb mixture, cranberries and apples. Toss to combine.
Stuffing ingredients mixed together in a glass bowl with a wooden spoon and egg/broth mixture being poured over it.
Step 6: Gradually pour the egg mixture over the bread cube mixture, tossing until everything is well coated. The bread cubes should be moist but not soggy.
Stuffing mixture spread out in a white baking dish.
Step 7: Transfer the stuffing mixture to a greased 9×13 inch baking dish.
Baked stuffing in a white baking dish.
Step 8: Bake at 350F for 45-55 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy on top.

Tips for stuffing success

  • Stale bread. Fresh bread is so soft and difficult to cut into cubes. It also makes soggy stuffing. I like to use stale bread that’s a few days old, and then toast it for good measure. The goal is for the bread cubes to be the texture of croutons.
  • Avoid soaking the bread cubes. You want all of the bread cubes moistened by the egg/broth mixture but you don’t want the bread so soggy that it’s falling apart. I like to gradually add the liquid and gently toss the bread cubes to ensure even coverage. You may find that you don’t need to use all the liquid.
  • Use an extra large bowl for mixing. There’s a lot of stuffing mixture here, so you’ll want a large bowl to mix everything together. The one I used in these photos is large but I should have gone bigger!

Storage and reheating instructions

If there is any stuffing leftover (there usually isn’t for us!), it’s best stored in an airtight container and enjoyed within 2-3 days.

The best way to reheat stuffing is on a sheet pan. Just spread everything out and bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through and crispy on top. Be careful not to reheat it for too long as the cranberries may burn and the stuffing may dry out too much.

Close up of apple cranberry stuffing in a dish with a spoon inserted into it.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use frozen cranberries instead of fresh?

I tested this recipe with frozen cranberries and it made the stuffing a bit mushy. If you only have frozen cranberries, I suggest defrosting them first and patting them dry before adding them to the stuffing mixture.

How can I make this stuffing in advance?

For best results, I recommend assembly the stuffing just before baking, but you can prep a few things ahead of time. You can toast the bread cubes 1-2 days in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also cook the veggie mixture a day in advance and store it in the fridge.

More holiday side dishes

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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Close up view of baked apple cranberry stuffing with a serving spoon inserted into it.

Apple Cranberry Stuffing (Vegetarian)

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  • Author: Leanne
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 55 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
  • Yield: 10 servings
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American, Canadian
  • Diet: Vegetarian
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Description

This Apple Cranberry Stuffing is made with toasted bread cubes, vegetable broth, Honeycrisp apples, fresh cranberries and dried herbs. It’s the perfect vegetarian side dish for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf French bread (cut into 1-inch cubes, about 14 cups)
  • 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter
  • 3–4 stalks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon dried sage
  • 2 1/2 cups (600ml) no salt added vegetable broth
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
  • 2 small Honeycrisp apples, cored and chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 250F. Arrange the cubed bread in a single layer on a large baking sheet. (You may need to use two sheets to spread out the bread in a single layer). Toast the cubes for 12-15 minutes, flip them over and toast for another 12-15 minutes, or until crispy but not browned.
  2. Set the bread aside to cool. Increase the oven temperature to 350F and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
  3. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary and sage, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
  4. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the broth, eggs, salt and pepper.
  5. In a large bowl, add the toasted bread cubes, vegetable/herb mixture, cranberries and chopped apples. Toss to combine.
  6. Gradually pour the broth/egg mixture over the bread cube mixture, gently tossing together until everything is well coated. (*see note #1)
  7. Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and crispy.

Notes

  1. You want all of the bread cubes moistened by the egg/broth mixture but you don’t want the bread so soggy that it’s falling apart. I like to gradually add the liquid and gently toss the bread cubes to ensure even coverage. You may find that you don’t need to use all the liquid.
  2. To keep this stuffing vegetarian, we’re using vegetable broth. You can use chicken broth if you don’t need it to be vegetarian. I prefer to use no salt added broth. If you use low sodium or regular, just reduce the amount of salt you add to the stuffing.

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