This easy cauliflower stuffing recipe gives you the classic stuffing taste, yet it’s vegan, gluten-free, paleo, keto, and low carb! Packed with healthy veggies and seasoned to perfection, everyone at your holiday table will be able to enjoy this classic side with a twist!
Stuffing has always been a Thanksgiving favorite in our house, but when my family had to go gluten-free, there weren't many options for us. I could make my own stuffing from gluten-free bread, but gluten-free bread that is also vegan is hard to come by, so I had the idea of using cauliflower instead of bread. I must admit that I was skeptical at first, but my family was thrilled with the result!
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- It has all the flavor of stuffing without the dairy, gluten, or carbs.
- It's easy to make in 1 pot in less than 20 minutes!
- Nearly anyone who follows a special diet like vegan, gluten-free, Paleo, or Keto can eat it!
- It has all the savory goodness of classic stuffing!
- You can eat a big serving and not feel guilty.
- It’s healthy and packed with vitamins.
🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- Riced Cauliflower - 1 bag of pre-cut riced cauliflower makes this recipe super easy, but you can break up a head of cauliflower and chop it into very small pieces with a food processor.
- Vegan Margarine - you can use my homemade vegan butter, olive oil, or swap out the oil for vegetable broth if you want it fat-free. For a rich nutty flavor you can also use my vegan brown butter.
- Onion - for flavor. Feel free to omit or swap out with 2-3 cloves of garlic.
- Carrots - to add a little sweetness and pretty color.
- Celery - to give it a little crunch. Feel free to omit.
- Mushrooms - you can use any variety that you wish.
- Poultry Seasoning - for flavor. These are the herbs in traditional stuffing that give it the savory flavor you know and love.
- Nutritional Yeast - (optional) yet gives it a rich and slightly cheesy flavor. If you don't know what nutritional yeast is, you can read more about it in this article from Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen.
- Salt - for flavor.
🥄 Instructions
- Start by sautéing an onion on low heat in some vegan margarine or light olive oil for a few minutes. (Or use ¼ cup vegetable broth for a fat-free version).
- Chop up the carrots, mushrooms, and celery and add them to the onion and saute on medium-low for about 5 minutes. (or about 2 cups of any veggies you would like).
- Add a bag of pre-chopped cauliflower (aka riced cauliflower) or chop up a large head of cauliflower in your food processor and pulse it until it becomes very small.
- Sprinkle the veggies with salt, poultry seasoning, and nutritional yeast. Then stir well making sure to coat them in the seasoning.
- Continue to sauté over medium-low heat stirring frequently for about 10 minutes until all the veggies have softened and then serve as you would stuffing.
👩🏻🍳 Pro tips
- Saute the onion and all the veggies slowly to bring out the sweetness and soften them.
- Cook the veggies and cauliflower over medium-low heat and remember to stir frequently so they cook evenly.
🌟 Riced cauliflower
Riced cauliflower is simply ahead of cauliflower chopped up into tiny pieces the size of rice. They sell it already washed, chopped, and ready to use in most grocery stores. You can simply dump in a 16 oz. bag or you can make your own by using a food processor and pulse many times until your cauliflower is chopped into tiny pieces. Unless you can find a very inexpensive cauliflower, I find the bags of riced cauliflower to be less expensive and much easier.
Be sure to try my vegan cauliflower risotto with spinach recipe that's made with riced cauliflower too!
🌟 More holiday favorites
- Vegan Gravy
- Vegan Lentil Loaf
- Gluten-free Vegan Green Bean Casserole
- Vegan Cornbread Casserole
- Vegan Butternut Squash Risotto
- The Best Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Vegan Apple Cake
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Dairy-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpin Brownies
Or check out this list of 65 Gluten-free Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes!
You will be amazed by how delicious cauliflower stuffing can be, and you don’t have to forgo one of the best holiday sides, just because of your special diet!
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
An easy 1 pot gluten-free stuffing recipe made with cauliflower and veggies.
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter or oil of choice or 1/4 cup vegetable broth for fat-free
- 1 medium onion peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup carrots peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup mushrooms washed and diced (I used portabella)
- 1 cup celery washed and diced
- 2 cups cauliflower chopped (or a 16 oz bag of riced cauliflower)
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt (or salt to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
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Start by sautéing an onion on low in some vegan margarine, or light olive oil. (Or in ¼ cup vegetable broth for a fat-free version).
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Chop up the carrots, mushrooms, and celery and add them to the onion. Saute on medium-low for about 5 minutes. (or about 2 cups of any veggies you would like).
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Add a bag of pre-chopped cauliflower (aka riced cauliflower) or chop up a large head of cauliflower in your food processor; pulsing it until it becomes very small.
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Sprinkle the veggies with salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and nutritional yeast. Stir well, coating them in the seasoning.
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Continue to sauté over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until all the veggies have softened. Serve as you would regular stuffing.
Tips for making perfect cauliflower stuffing:
- Saute the onion and all the veggies slowly to bring out the sweetness and soften them.
- Cook the veggies and cauliflower over medium-low heat and remember to stir frequently so they cook evenly.
- The nutritional yeast in the recipe is optional, but it gives a rich and slightly cheesy flavor.
*This recipe was originally posted on 10/30/2018. It was updated on 10/2/20 to include new images and more detailed instructions.
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