This gluten-free cornbread dressing recipe is a guaranteedย crowd pleaserโit’s easily made egg-free and dairy-free, too!
Down South itโs โdressing,โ up North itโs โstuffing.โ Whatever name you give it, no holiday feast is complete without it. Sidled up to a scoop of whipped potatoes smothered in gravy, this gluten-free cornbread dressing recipe is a take-off of an old classic.ย This โcooked outside the birdโ cornbread dressing has been modified to be egg-free and dairy-free as well.
This Thanksgiving we will be feasting with family that do not have dietary restrictions so I wanted to make a cornbread dressing that would be just like the “real deal,” but agreeable with disagreeable tummies around table.
For the most part, I cook from scratch and stick to basic ingredients. However, there are times when I whip out a mix for the sake of saving time and ease of prepโbirthdays are one, holidays another. In the notes for this recipe I have included the ingredients in the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Cornbread Mixย (affiliate link) I use. You may want to skim it over to ensure it’s a safe one to serve at your table. Folks with a corn sensitivity should obviously avoid it. See notes for gluten-free brands and substitution suggestions.
The inspiration for this recipe comes from my friend Heather. Last year we spent the holiday with her and her family and she made the BEST cornbread dressing I'd ever had. It was a recipe handed down to her from her Grandma Maxine. She handed it on to me, and with a few modfications it is now egg-free (optional) and dairy-free. Thank you Heather. And thank you Grandma Maxine!
Ingredients
- Prepare 1 package (20 oz.) Bobโs Red Mill Gluten-Free Cornbread Mix according to package directions using the following substitutions and bake in a 13x9" pan to achieve a drier bread.
- SUB: 1-1/2 cups water in place of cowโs milk
- SUB: 1/3 cup cooking oil in place of butter
- SUB: 2 gel eggs in place of eggs (see notes)
- 8 cups 1/2-inch cubed cornbread (above)
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 1-1/2 cups gluten-free vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup Earth Balance Natural buttery spread
- 1/4 cup golden flax meal
- 2 teaspoons gluten-free poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 can water chestnuts, 1/4" dice (optional)
Instructions
- Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Spread cubed cornbread in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes or until cubes are dry, but not browned.
- In a medium bowl, whisk broth, melted buttery spread and flax meal. Set aside 10-15 minutes.
- Sautรฉ onion in oil until tender.
- In large bowl, toss cubed cornbread, onion, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Add broth mixture and gently toss to combine.
- Transfer dressing to oiled 13x9โ baking dish. Bake 40-50 minutes.
- For a crispy top, broil on low the final 2-3 minutes.
Notes
Flax or Chia Meal: Gel โeggsโ are commonly used to bind baked goods in egg-free baking. To make one โeggโ: Whisk 1 tablespoon flax meal or white chia meal with 1/4 cup water. Set aside 10-15 minutes until a thick gel forms. Flax or chia meal is easily made by grinding the seeds in a coffee/spice grinder. When using chia for baked goods, select white seeds versus black if you prefer your baked good not be speckled with black. You may purchase flax seed already ground such as Bobโs Red Mill Golden Flaxseed Meal.
Non-Dairy Milk: Temptยฎ Unsweetened Hemp or So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut are good allergy-friendly bets.
Broth: There are number of gluten-free options. Here are a few. When in doubt, only buy products labeled โgluten-free.โ
Poultry Seasoning: Brands known to be gluten-free are Penzeyโs Poultry Seasoning and McCormickโs Poultry Seasoning.
Bobโs Red Mill: Most Bobโs Red Mill products are manufactured in a facility that also use tree nuts and soy. If tree nut and soy are a concern select an alternative product(s). Ingredients in Bobโs Red Mill Cornbread Mix โ whole grain cornmeal, potato starch, whole grain sorghum flour, evaporated cane juice, whole grain corn flour, tapioca flour, baking powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, cornstarch, monocalcium phosphate), sea salt, xanthan gum.
Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread: Ingredients in the soy-free version; Expeller-pressed natural oil blend (palm fruit, canola, safflower and olive), water, contains less than 2% salt, sunflower lecithin, pea protein, natural flavor (derived from corn, no msg, no alcohol, no gluten), lactic acid (non-dairy source), naturally extracted annatto for color.
An Allergy-Friendly Reminder. A food allergy can be a serious matter. If you are dealing with severe allergies or intolerances, always read labels or check with the manufacturer prior to consumption of any food product. Ingredients and processes are subject to change at anytime, which means a once โsafeโ product or ingredient may not be โsafeโ the next time. For the sensitive guests, establish an โallergy-safeโ zone in the kitchen with dedicated utensils and cutting boards. Keep this area free of gluten, nuts and/or other potential allergen(s).

This recipe featured in:ย Virtual Thanksgiving Potluckย over at Williams-Sonoma
34 comments
Wow! You even manage to make dressing/stuffing look pretty. LOL And I love your recipe. I like the idea of the water chestnuts for the crunch (or do they still stay crunchy when you cook them?)/
What an awesome round-up of recipes from everyone too! Thanks for the link-love. Now I am going to check out everyone else's recipes too!!
This sounds incredible, Lexie! I love cornbread on its own but can you believe I've never had cornbread stuffing? Who cares about a bird when you could eat this? ๐
Kim, I had to sneak the "optional" water chestnuts in. I had asked my family if mushrooms and water chestnuts would be good add-ins to this stuffing, the idea was shot down with rapid fire. Boo! "Keep it simple and traditional" they all said. I did, but last minute, as I finished up this posts I added those water chestnuts back in. And yes, they do stay crunchy : ) xoLexie
Ricki, wholeheartedly agree. Turkey is overrated. It's the sides I load up on : ) xoLexie
Your recipes always look so delicious Lexie!!! Thanks for sharing, I LOVE dressing… can you tell I'm from the south? ๐
Your recipes always look so delicious Lexie!!! Thanks for sharing, I LOVE dressing… can you tell I'm from the south? ๐
Your recipes always look so delicious Lexie!!! Thanks for sharing, I LOVE dressing… can you tell I'm from the south? ๐
Your recipes always look so delicious Lexie!!! Thanks for sharing, I LOVE dressing… can you tell I'm from the south? ๐
Your recipes always look so delicious Lexie!!! Thanks for sharing, I LOVE dressing… can you tell I'm from the south? ๐
Your recipes always look so delicious Lexie!!! Thanks for sharing, I LOVE dressing… can you tell I'm from the south? ๐
Your recipes always look so delicious Lexie!!! Thanks for sharing, I LOVE dressing… can you tell I'm from the south? ๐
Your recipes always look so delicious Lexie!!! Thanks for sharing, I LOVE dressing… can you tell I'm from the south? ๐
Your recipes always look so delicious Lexie!!! Thanks for sharing, I LOVE dressing… can you tell I'm from the south? ๐
Your recipes always look so delicious Lexie!!! Thanks for sharing, I LOVE dressing… can you tell I'm from the south? ๐
Your recipes always look so delicious Lexie!!! Thanks for sharing, I LOVE dressing… can you tell I'm from the south? ๐
I love cornbread dressing/stuffing and I love water chesnuts, Lexie! ๐ Now why didn't I think of serving my stuffing in my silver bowls? Genius presentation. ๐
xo,
Shirley
Mmmmm Lex! Your stuffing looks amazing! Happy Thanksgiving ๐ xo
My family fav is cornbread stuffing! Love it.
wow — this looks amazing!
Lexie, your cornbread stuffing looks awesome! I just made some the other day, but I like your addition of water chestnuts for crunch!
Maggie, Carol and Charis
: )
xoLexie
Jeanette, I am so in awe of where you have taken your blog. Beautiful. And yay! A lover of chestnuts. A woman after my own heart. Good luck getting these boys in my house to eat them. : )
xoLexie
Oh, Lexie! What a beautiful recipe. Thank you for including mine on the list as well.
Happy Thanksgiving!
xoxo
Sunny
This really sounds incredible! My family loves cornbread stuffing!
What a great idea! I hope you will link this post to my Thanksgiving Traditions link up!
this sounds great Lexie, I found another cornbread recipe to use in place of Bob's Red Mill's mix, but am looking forward to trying the rest of the recipe!! & your picture makes it even more delicious ๐
So glad I found this recipe! I am trying to go light on the gluten for my father this year, and decided on cornbread stuffing, but I've never made it before. Most of the other recipes still call for other bread in addition to cornbread. While I don't need it egg or dairy free, I'm going to use the majority of your recipe and if mine looks anything like yours does in the picture, it'll be fantastic! Thanks for sharing and I'm so glad I found it this morning!
Laura, let me know how it all turns out : ) I haven't made it with real eggs and real milk and I am sure there are others who'd like to know the outcome. My cornbread is in the oven as I type : ) Baking it in a 13×9" pan may help it come out drier (which is good). I just added that tip.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
xoLexie
Allergic Adventures … tell us what mix you use? : )
Wow!
I love this recipe. Since it is Healthy, it is also deliciously awesome!
Thanks for sharing this.
~N
I love cornbread dressing so I tried this. I did change a few things. I used the bob mills cornbread mix. I had fresh sage,rosemary and thyme so i chopped it up and added minced garlic. I saved some of the sage and added it to the onion/celery mixture. After I slightly cooked the mixture i added a can gf cream of chicken soup. and then added the remaining herb mixture. I added the rest of the ingriedents. It turned out so good. The soup added the extra flavor. thanks
Renee, that sounds divineโthe addition of the cream of chicken soup. For those that would like to try Renee's adaptation, there is a recipe for cream of chicken soup in my cookbook. http://astore.amazon.com/lexieskitchen-20/detail/0615900739
I’m making DF, GF with Krusteaz brand GF honey cornbread mix. I’m using unsweetened almond milk. Thanks for giving me a beacon to follow here – I am on my first holiday with no dairy, gluten, or vinegar for a month while we test my food allergies so I’m hopeful this will work out. Will report back!
Leah, yes, do report back! Sounds like you can do eggsโso that removes one ingredient you don’t need to avoid. ๐ xoLexie
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