Dairy-free sage, onion and cranberry stuffing
Moist, make-ahead dairy-free stuffing with golden dried breadcrumbs, sage, mushrooms and dried cranberries — perfect for roast dinners.
A proper roast needs proper stuffing — but dairy isn’t invited to this party. This dairy-free sage, onion and cranberry stuffing is moist, savoury and has a little sweet lift from dried cranberries.
Make it a day ahead and chill so it firms up; baking from chilled gives a lovely crust and makes carving easier. Works brilliantly inside a turkey or baked as its own side.
Ingredients
- 400 g stale bread — day-old white or sourdough torn into 2cm cubes
- 60 ml olive oil
- 1 brown onion — large, finely chopped
- 3 celery sticks — trimmed and finely sliced
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed or finely chopped
- 200 g chestnut mushrooms — roughly chopped
- 15 g fresh sage — leaves picked and finely shredded
- 20 g fresh flat-leaf parsley — finely chopped
- 1 apple — medium, peeled, cored and diced
- 50 g dried cranberries
- 250 ml vegetable stock — hot, low-salt
- 5 ml sea salt
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
Equipment
- baking tray
- 20 cm square baking tin or small casserole
- kitchen scales
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C conventional. Spread the stale bread cubes on a baking tray, drizzle with 15 ml olive oil and scatter a light pinch of sea salt. Bake for 25 minutes, turning once halfway, until the cubes are dry and just beginning to colour.
While the bread dries, prepare the vegetables and herbs: finely chop the brown onion, slice the celery sticks, roughly chop the chestnut mushrooms, dice the apple, crush the garlic cloves and shred the fresh sage and fresh flat-leaf parsley.
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add the remaining 45 ml olive oil. Add the brown onion and celery sticks and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent.
Add the chestnut mushrooms to the pan and fry for a further 5 minutes, until their moisture has almost evaporated.
Stir in the diced apple and cook for 3 minutes, then add the garlic cloves and shredded fresh sage and cook for another minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir through the fresh flat-leaf parsley, a pinch of sea salt and the black pepper.
Tip the cooled dried bread cubes into a large mixing bowl. Add the fried vegetable-herb mixture and the dried cranberries, then pour over the hot vegetable stock. Gently fold everything together until evenly combined; season and adjust with a little extra stock if the mixture feels too dry.
Spoon the mixture into a 20 cm square baking tin or a small casserole, press down lightly to compact, cover tightly with foil and chill in the fridge for 60 minutes to let the flavours meld and the mixture firm up.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional. Remove the foil and bake the stuffing for 25 minutes until piping hot and the top is golden.
Allow the stuffing to rest for 10 minutes before serving to set.
Tips
- Use day-old bread — it soaks up stock without collapsing. If your bread is very fresh, dry the cubes a little longer in the oven.
- Chill the filled tin before baking: it helps the stuffing keep its shape and gives a better crumb when sliced.
- If the mix looks dry after adding stock, add extra hot stock 1 tbsp (15 ml) at a time until you reach a moist (not soggy) consistency.
- Make ahead: assemble and chill up to 24 hours; bake from chilled and add a few extra minutes to the cooking time if necessary.
- For a gluten-free version use gluten-free bread and check the stock is gluten-free.
Substitutions
stale bread → 350 g fresh breadcrumbs (pulse briefly in a food processor) and reduce vegetable stock by 25–50 ml
Stays closedried cranberries → 50 g sultanas or 50 g finely diced dried apricots
Stays closeolive oil → 60 g dairy-free block spread, melted
Noticeably differentchestnut mushrooms → 150 g cooked, peeled chestnuts (roughly chopped)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 300
- Calories
- 7 g
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
- Sugar
- 350 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I stuff this inside a turkey?
Yes — this recipe can be used inside poultry. Ensure the bird and stuffing both reach a safe internal temperature (follow poultry guidelines) and consider cooking the stuffing in a separate tin if you prefer guaranteed even cooking.
How long can I store leftover stuffing?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat thoroughly in the oven at 160°C fan/180°C conventional until piping hot.
Can I freeze this stuffing?
Yes. Cool completely, wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat in a hot oven until steaming through.
My stuffing is too wet — what went wrong?
Either the bread was too fresh or too much stock was added. Dry the bread longer before mixing next time, or add the stock gradually and stop once the mixture is moist but not soggy.
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