This delicious Keto Stuffing is going to be the star of your Thanksgiving table! Made with low carb skillet bread and plenty of sausage, it has all the traditional holiday flavor you crave. With only 2.8g net carbs!
It’s about time I finally gave this popular keto stuffing an update! I didn’t actually change anything, as it has always been one of my most popular holiday recipes. You just don’t mess with a recipe when readers all over the world love it! So I simply made it again, shot a video, and took some pretty new pictures.
This is my family’s favorite Keto Thanksgiving Recipe. Even my picky teens request it year after year. And I’ve had many happy guests enjoy it too.
I would even go so far as to say that this may just be the best keto stuffing recipe out there. Paired with some roast turkey, some sugar-free cranberry sauce, and a little keto gravy, and you’re in healthy holiday heaven!
Why you must try this recipe
When you ask someone what Thanksgiving dish they miss most on their low carb diet, the overwhelming majority say stuffing. And can you blame them? That delectably moist, savory bread pudding that soaks up the turkey juices and gravy so well.
I developed this keto stuffing recipe way back in 2013, because I really missed it too. And it became an instant hit with my family and my readers. You need to use keto bread, but the process is very much the same as traditional stuffing.
The end result is virtually indistinguishable from the high carb stuff. The bread is soft and soaks up all the other flavors, but the top has crispy bits from baking in the oven.
And this stuffing recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, and has only 2.8g net carbs per serving. Happy holidays to you!
Reader Reviews
“Stuffing is one of my Thanksgiving “must-haves.” I made this recipe and was so pleased with it! In fact, if someone else had served it to me, I don’t think it would have crossed my mind that it wasn’t really bread stuffing. Great flavor and texture!” — Becky
“I have made this for Thanksgiving for the last 3 years and get rave reviews each time. I love stuffing, but not all the carbohydrates from the traditional recipe using white bread or cornbread. This is the only keto stuffing I have made, and I honestly don’t know why I would ever want to look for another recipe. This stuffing is simply the best and it’s one of the recipes that I have handed out repeatedly to my keto and gluten-free friends & family.” — Nancy
“I was looking for a stuffing recipe. I didn’t want use my Keto hot dog buns but it was my plan until I saw the cheesy bread recipe for stuffing. I decided to give it a try. I didn’t have flax seeds so I went ahead without it. OMG It is great. I will make this again many times. I am ordering flax seed right now. Love your recipes!” — Dinah
Ingredients you need
- Keto bread: Start with some really good keto bread. The I usually make this with my keto cheese bread, but you can use other recipes. You can also use store-bought bread, if you choose. Use my coconut flour bread if you need to be nut-free.
- Italian sausage: Use bulk sausage and try to find one that doesn’t have too many additives. Be sure to check if it has added sugar! We love this keto stuffing with hot Italians sausage, but mild or breakfast sausage works well too.
- Celery: This is a must for stuffing for classic flavor and crunch.
- Onion: A little onion helps give it great flavor as well.
- Garlic: I recommend fresh garlic where possible. You can replace it with a half teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Heavy cream: This adds moisture to the stuffing. You can keep it dairy free and use more broth instead.
- Pantry staples: Fresh herbs, eggs, chicken broth, salt, and pepper.
Step-by-step directions
1. Prep the bread: A day or two in advance, make the skillet bread and cube into ½ inch pieces. Preheat the oven to 200ºF. Spread the bread cubes on a large baking sheet and bake 2 to 3 hours, until well dried and crisp. Let sit out overnight to continue to dry.
2. Cook the sausage: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the sausage; sauté until just cooked through, about 6 minutes, breaking up large chunks with a wooden spoon.
3. Sauté the veggies: Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a large bowl. Add the celery, onion, garlic, sage, salt, and pepper to the skillet and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add to the bowl.
4. Toss together: Add the cubed bread to the sausage mixture. Toss to combine well.
5. Add the liquids: In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and broth. Pour over the mixture in the bowl and mix well. Spread in a buttered 9×13 inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
6. Bake: Bake at 350ºF for 35 minutes, uncovered, until top is crusty and browned.
Expert tips
Let the bread dry out properly, so it can absorb the eggs, cream, and broth a little better. It will hold together better as well.
Bake uncovered so that the top gets a bit crispy while the middle stays soft and tender. Like any good Thanksgiving stuffing.
Looking to get a jump on your holiday cooking? You can make this keto stuffing days or even weeks in advance. Simply prep and bake the stuffing in whatever dish you plan to serve it in. Then let it cool and wrap it up tightly with foil or plastic wrap. Thaw completely on Thanksgiving Day and bake in the oven for 20 minutes to warm up.
You can also save precious space in your oven and use your slow cooker. One of my readers tested this out. She cooked it on high for about 30 minutes, then let it sit on warm for several hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re on a keto diet, you should avoid eating classic bread stuffing. It can have 20 grams of carbs per serving. But this keto stuffing recipe uses low carb bread, so you can make it part of your holiday traditions.
This stuffing is good in the freezer for several weeks. Wrap it tightly with foil or plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn. Then thaw it at room temperature and then place it in a low temp oven until warmed through.
This sausage keto stuffing recipe has 6g of carbs and 3.2g of fiber per serving. That comes to 2.8g net carbs per half cup serving.
More bread options for keto stuffing
Keto Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Cheesy Skillet Bread
- 12 ounces spicy Italian sausage
- 1 cup diced celery
- ½ cup diced onion
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- A day or two in advance, make the skillet bread and cube into ½ inch pieces. Preheat the oven to 200ºF. Spread the bread cubes on a large baking sheet and bake 2 to 3 hours, until well dried and crisp. Let sit out overnight to continue to dry.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and butter a 9×13 glass or ceramic baking dish.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the sausage; sauté until just cooked through, about 6 minutes, breaking up large chunks with a wooden spoon.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a large bowl. Add the celery, onion, garlic, sage, salt, and pepper to the skillet and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add to the bowl. Add the cubed bread to the sausage mixture. Toss to combine well.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and broth. Pour over the mixture in the bowl and mix well. Spread in the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 35 minutes, uncovered, until the top is crusty and browned
Lani says
I was a vegetarian for 10+ years and this will be my very first non-veggie, keto/lchf Thanksgiving and I cannot wait to make this stuffing! The recipe says it serves 16 — if this tastes as amazing as it looks, I’ll be dealing with big eaters. Do you recommend making 1.5 recipes or is the original plenty for a big group?
Carolyn says
Yes, I would definitely do more if you think everyone will really dig in.
Stormi says
I’m not a fan of sausage, do you think I could make this and omit the sausage and it be okay? I really need a low carb side to take to my aunts so I can eat something with my turkey. 🙂
Carolyn says
Yes, it will still be REALLY good. It’s the bread that makes it!
Stormi says
Thought I would step back in here and let you know that I made it and it turned out pretty good. It was a little dry cause I didn’t put the sausage in and so I think maybe I should have put in a bit more chicken stock since it didn’t have the juices it would probably have gotten from the sausage..but over all my dad liked it and I thought it was pretty good! 🙂
Anna says
Would like to try this for thanksgiving this year but I’ve gone dairy free. Any subs for the heavy cream that you think would work well?
Nancy says
Hi, Carolyn. I’ve been trying a few low carb Thanksgiving recipes to make so that I don’t fall off my low carb lifestyle when I’m tempted by all my favorites Thanksgiving day. I made this stuffing earlier this week and was very impressed. I live in Tennessee and we call it dressing here and usually make it with turkey or chicken. I loved it with the sausage and because I don’t like Italian sausage, I just used regular sausage. Also, I failed to read through the recipe instructions and so didn’t make the bread beforehand for bread crumbs. I just used the bread after cooling 30 mins or so. The “dressing” came out a little dry for my taste because I like a more wet dressing so I added an extra cup of chicken broth and it was absolutely perfect! I will definitely be making this to take for my family’s Thanksgiving meal. Thank you, Carolyn, for all your yummy recipes!
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!
Cheryl says
would it work you think to o it the cheese on top and use turkey Italian sausage? Thank you so much for the recipe.
Cheryl says
Sorry, shout be OMIT the cheese on top.
Carolyn says
Sure, that would be great!
Nancy says
Thank you so much for this recipe – my whole extended family has been having success losing weight with a low carb diet, but we were all worried about missing stuffing on Thanksgiving. This recipe was absolutely delicious – looked and tasted great, and nobody would have ever known it was low carb. Thanks for sharing your recipes with us!
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!
RigelDog says
Wondering what would happen if you eliminated the egg?
Carolyn says
It probably wouldn’t hold together very well. It would still taste great!
Kate says
Carolyn, I just have to thank you so much for this recipe. This was my first Thanksgiving after learning that I’m allergic to wheat and also being on a ketogenic diet. I knew immediately after making the skillet bread that this recipe was going to be a winner. Absolutely delicious! My only change was adding some chopped chipotle peppers (approx. 5) to give it some extra kick. Again, thank you! This was my favorite side dish yesterday.
Carolyn says
Sounds wonderful!
Chris says
Hi! I made this for TG this year and it tastes great but I think I put in too much sausage. What should be the sausage to bread ratio? Recipe calls for a pound of sausage and I actually did only half a pound b/c that sounded like too much before I cooked it and it still tasted quite sausagey…Please advise!
Carolyn says
I am not sure what to tell you. I like sausage and my family loves this stuffing as written.
kim0224 says
Thanks for another yummy recipe Carolyn! I added fresh cranberries and baked the stuffing in muffin pans so everybody got some crunchy top. It was a huge hit!
Carolyn says
What a great way to serve it! Happy Thanksgiving!
Shaina says
Love this gf variation on stuffing, and I am all for a bit of spice! Happy Thanksgiving!
Kim Zimmer says
I was so excited to find this and to surprise my friends tomorrow who are low carb every other day except on Thanksgiving, when they just give in. I can’t wait to tell them that they are actually eating a low carb stuffing that still has all of the same qualities as using bread! And, amazingly it also has Italian sausage, which is a family favorite stuffing ingredient and one that I was not willing to compromise on. Well, I just made the bread and YUM! I did not have Flax seeds but I did have milled Chia Seeds, very similar consistency to the flax, and they worked great. It was very difficult to cut it up and put it back in the oven because I just wanted to keep eating it. I am so excited to finish out the recipe. The bread is back in the oven drying out right now. Thanks Carolyn!
Carolyn says
Chia is probably going to work just fine too! Hope you enjoy it, mine is made and ready to go!
Shyla says
Thoughts on using regular sausage?
Carolyn says
Sure, it’s up to you!
Heather says
Can this stuffing be used to stuff the inside of a turkey, or will it overcook it?
Carolyn says
I think it would work just fine, actually. I no longer stuff a turkey because it takes much longer to cook that way. Just make sure you get the stuffing cooked through (I might even use a instant-read thermometer and check that it reaches the same temp as the turkey does, to make sure it doesn’t harbor any bacteria).
Heather says
I tried it, and the top layer of the stuffing was actually quite burnt. I scraped it off, and the rest inside of the turkey was just fine and yummy. Definitely done, very good.
Carolyn says
Oh dear, sorry about that. Since I haven’t used it in a turkey, I wasn’t sure how it would do. Glad the rest was good…maybe next time, cover the exposed portion with foil. Thanks for reporting back!
f1ossy says
Your cheesy skillet bread is a standby for me (delicious) and you did mention stuffing there. I tried stuffing chickens (just dried it out) and it was good (I added a bit of lemon juice) but this stuffing looks sensational. A meal on its own! Thanks.
Rica says
I love stuffing! Can’t wait to try it. Are all the recipes in the holiday ezine low carb?
Carolyn says
No, the rest are regular recipes. Some of them could easily be made over, though and the tips and other editorial content is great stuff.
Jersey Girl Cooks says
What a great gluten free and low carb option! Stuffing is my favorite part of the dinner.
Sandra | Sandra's Easy Cooking says
This stuffing really looks amazing, Carolyn! Delicious and tempting pictures!
Erin | The Law Student's Wife says
Carolyn, you are a low-carb wizard! I could serve this to the most devoted of carb lovers, and I know they’d gobble it up.
Jeanette says
Love it – a low carb stuffing! I think stuffing is most everyone’s favorite part of Thanksgiving.