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This vegan gluten free stuffing is a flavour-packed side dish that’s perfect for Christmas. With juicy cranberries, earthy chestnuts, fresh herbs and savoury mushrooms, it’s the ultimate veggie stuffing to impress your guests!
If you’re looking for delicious vegan gluten free stuffing this festive season, this Vegan Chestnut Stuffing will be a welcome addition to your Christmas or Thanksgiving table!
With buttery chestnuts, juicy orange-soaked cranberries, flavoursome mushrooms and plenty of fresh herbs, it’s a flavour-packed festive side dish.
We use mushrooms to add a meaty richness and texture, avoiding the dry and crumbly consistency that can sometimes plague meat-free stuffings.
Whether you’re hosting a vegan Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, or seeking a fresh twist on traditional stuffing, this veggie chestnut stuffing is the perfect addition.
Ready to make it? Let me show you how!
Quick links:
- The full recipe
- Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ingredients needed
- Step by step instructions with photos
- How to serve and store
- Success tips
- FAQs
- Other festive recipes like this one
Are you searching for more festive recipes to impress your vegan and vegetarian guests? Try our Wild Mushroom, Cranberry and Chestnut Pies followed by our Boozy Christmas Carrot Cake, which has been a big hit this holiday season!
Want to know where to get the best vegan mince pies in the UK? We’ve taste-tested them all! Head straight to the Top 3 Best Vegan Mince Pies article to find out which mince pies took the top spot this year.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS VEGAN GLUTEN FREE STUFFING
It’s easy to make. This vegan stuffing recipe is simple to prepare and you don’t need any fancy equipment.
Packed with festive flavours. With juicy cranberries, earthy chestnuts and fresh herbs, this stuffing is bursting with festive flavours. Balancing savouriness, richness and a hint of sweetness in every bite.
Wholesome and nutritious. Made with wholesome ingredients like mushrooms, chestnuts and gluten free oats, this recipe is not only delicious but also a great addition to a balanced, plant-based holiday meal.
Perfect to prep in advance. This vegan gluten free stuffing recipe is great for prepping ahead of time. You can make it the day before, on Christmas Eve, and simply pop it in the oven ready for lunchtime on Christmas day, making holiday meal planning easier.
HOW TO MAKE THIS CHESTNUT CRANBERRY STUFFING
INGREDIENTS
Here’s what you will need to make vegan gluten free stuffing:
Dried cranberries.
Orange juice.
Onion. We used a white onion but you could sub for a red onion.
Garlic. You can use fresh or frozen minced garlic cloves.
White mushrooms. Chestnut mushrooms and white button mushrooms would also be ok.
Fresh thyme and parsley.
Chestnuts. You need peeled, cooked chestnuts, like those offered by the brand Merchant Gourmet in the UK.
Gluten free oats. You can use any type of gluten free oats or shop-bought gluten free oat flour.
Ground flaxseed. Also called flax meal.
SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS
Make it boozy. Soak the cranberries in vegan port rather than orange juice, for a boozy twist!
Mushroom mix. You can use white mushrooms, chestnut mushrooms or even rehydrated wild mushrooms in this recipe.
Omitting the flaxseed? Flaxseed is used to make flax eggs, which act as a binder like an egg would in non-vegan cooking. If you don’t have flaxseed in the cupboard though you can omit this. Your stuffing may not hold together quite as well but it’ll still taste great.
Using dried herbs. Fresh herbs give the best flavour, however dried herbs are still a great substitute. Swap 1.5 tsp fresh thyme for 0.5 tsp dried thyme, and 2 tbsp fresh parsley for 2 tsp dried parsley.
EQUIPMENT
You’ll need a large frying pan, chopping board, knife, food processor and baking dish for this veggie chestnut stuffing recipe. We used a 20cm/8″ round ceramic ovenproof dish for this recipe.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS: CHESTNUT CRANBERRY STUFFING
Here’s a summary of how to make this recipe. Make sure to head to the recipe card below for the full instructions on how to make this vegan gluten free stuffing!
STEP 1. Prepare the ingredients by soaking the cranberries in orange juice, making a flax egg and chopping up the veggies and herbs ready for use. Preheat the oven.
STEP 2. Fry the onion and garlic until softened but not browned.
STEP 3. Add the mushrooms and thyme and fry until the mushrooms are tender and have released their water. Drain the mushrooms and reserve the cooking liquid for later.
STEP 4. Pulse the gluten free oats to make a coarse flour. Add all of the ingredients, except for the orange juice that you soaked the cranberries in, to a large mixing bowl.
STEP 5. Stir everything together and, once combined, bring it together into a ball.
STEP 6. Grease a baking dish and then transfer the stuffing mixture to the dish. Press it down to around 4cm thick. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 10 minutes until golden and hot through.
HOW TO SERVE
Serve it hot. For best results serve this vegan chestnut stuffing freshly cooked and hot from the oven. (We also enjoyed leftover stuffing cold in sandwiches the next day and it was delicious!)
What flavours pair well with this vegan chestnut stuffing? The flavours of this vegan and vegetarian stuffing will pair well with a classic vegan roast; think veggie bacon-wrapped sausages, rosemary roast potatoes, cranberry sauce and maple-glazed roast parsnips.
HOW TO STORE
Storing uncooked stuffing. Cover the dish of uncooked stuffing with aluminium foil or eco cling film and store it in the fridge for 24 hours.
Storing cooked stuffing. Once this stuffing has been cooked and cooled to room temperature, put any leftover stuffing in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days.
SUCCESS TIPS
Finely dice the mushrooms
A finer chop helps the mushrooms blend into the stuffing, giving it a better texture and helping it hold together.
Use fresh herbs
Fresh herbs offer a more vibrant, aromatic flavour than dried herbs, so use fresh when you can.
Don’t skip the frying
Frying the onion, garlic, thyme and mushrooms before baking the stuffing enhances both flavour and texture. Frying the mushrooms first helps to release excess moisture, preventing a soggy stuffing.
Reserve the mushroom liquid
The liquid released by the mushrooms during frying is packed with flavour. Use 1-2 tbsp as needed to add moisture back into the stuffing, ensuring the stuffing mixture holds together when pressed into a ball.
FAQS
Can I make this stuffing ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare the stuffing a day in advance. Once you’ve assembled it, cover it and store it in the fridge. When you are ready, bake as directed.
Can I make this recipe gluten free?
Yes, use gluten free oats (or gluten free oat flour), if you can tolerate oats. Or, if you prefer, you can use fine gluten free breadcrumbs in place of the oat flour.
Be sure to check any other packaged ingredients used in this recipe, to make sure they are gluten free too because different brands can include different ingredients.
Can I make this recipe into vegan stuffing balls?
Yes! Once you have mixed all of the ingredients together roll the stuffing mixture into 2cm/1″ balls and fry in a medium-hot frying pan with a little oil for 7-10 minutes until golden all over and hot through.
Best Chestnut Cranberry Stuffing (Vegan + Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 140 g dried cranberries
- 100 ml orange juice (for soaking)
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 2 tbsp olive oil (for frying (30g))
- 1 onion (diced (100g))
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp pepper
- 3 garlic cloves (minced (3 tsp))
- 450 g white mushrooms (finely diced)
- 1.5 tsp fresh thyme (stems removed and leaves chopped)
- 140 g oats (gluten free (sub: fine gluten free breadcrumbs))
- 140 g chestnuts (cooked and peeled, roughly chopped)
- 2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- NOTE: Timings exclude any inactive time (e.g. soaking).
- PREPARE: Place the cranberries in a dish and cover them with the orange juice. Leave to soak for 1 hour.140 g dried cranberries, 100 ml orange juice
- Make a flax egg by adding the ground flaxseed to a small dish with 2 tbsp water and leaving it to soak.1 tbsp ground flaxseed
- Preheat the oven to 190°C fan (210°C conventional / 410°F / gas mark 6).
- FRY ONION: In a large frying pan, fry the diced onion in olive oil over a low-medium heat for 5 minutes until the onion has softened but not browned. Season with the salt and pepper.2 tbsp olive oil, 1 onion, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper
- ADD GARLIC: Add the minced garlic and fry for a further 2 minutes.3 garlic cloves
- ADD MUSHROOMS & THYME: Add the finely diced mushrooms to the pan along with the thyme and cook for 5 minutes, or until the mushroom are tender, browned and have released their moisture.450 g white mushrooms, 1.5 tsp fresh thyme
- DRAIN: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried mushroom mixture to a large mixing bowl, draining off any excess liquid and reserving it for later.
- PULSE OATS: Pulse the gluten free oats in a food processor 3-5x until they are the consistency of a coarse flour.140 g oats
- Add the gluten free oat flour to the bowl with the mushrooms along with the chopped chestnuts, chopped parsley and flax egg.140 g chestnuts, 2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley
- DRAIN CRANBERRIES: Drain the orange juice from the cranberries and add the soaked cranberries to the bowl. You won’t be using the leftover orange juice in the recipe but can drink it!
- MIX: Stir everything together, and then try to bring some of the mixture into a ball by squashing it in the palm of your hand. If it doesn’t come together (i.e. it’s too dry and crumbles), add 1-2 tbsp of the mushroom liquid you reserved, stir it in and try again. Once the mixture is the consistency that it comes together in your hand and you can form a ball with it without it falling apart, you can move on to the next step.Note: If you accidentally got rid of the mushroom liquid then feel free to use water here.
- TRANSFER TO BAKING DISH: Lightly grease a 20cm round baking dish (or similar size) with a little vegan margarine or oil. Add the stuffing mix to the baking dish and press it down firmly so it is packed in and is around 4cm (1.5”) thick.
- BAKE: Cover the top with foil and bake it in the preheated oven for 25 minutes before removing the foil and baking for a further 10 minutes to brown it off before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
MORE VEGAN CHRISTMAS RECIPES TO TRY
I hope this recipe for Vegan Chestnut Stuffing becomes your favourite stuffing recipe! Please share this recipe with someone you think will love it because it’s our goal to encourage as many people as possible to try plant based eating.
Also, don’t forget to tag @aveganvisit on social media when you make this recipe. I absolutely love seeing your re-creations! Enjoy 🙂 x
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Tara
Hi, I’m Tara! I’m taking you on a trip around the world in vegan cuisine and bringing the world’s most delicious dishes to your kitchen.
