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 (340.2 g) spicy Italian sausage
- 1 cup (101 g) diced celery
- 1/2 cup (80 g) diced onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) low sodium chicken broth
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (59.15 ml) 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
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I’m smiling reading the comments from the past years! Keto on and make stuffing!
This looks delicious. Wondering if you’ve every used coconut flour in your skillet bread? Any thoughts on how much additional liquid to add?
No, I’ve never made it with coconut flour. It would be a very different bread. You may want to look at my Skillet Cornbread recipe and use that instead.
I actually meant to ask if you’d made your skillet cornbread recipe with coconut flour – sorry! I should have posted on that page.
Yup, that’s mostly coconut flour. The almond meal in that recipe is for texture. You could add in 2 tbsp extra coconut flour instead.
In the process of toasting the bread and just read that it takes overnight to properly dry out. Is there any way to skip the overnight? Want to have it done by the end of tonight so it’s one less thing for Thanksgiving I have to worry about. Advice?! But btw the bread is deliciously yummy!!!
Sure, you can skip it. Just give it as much time as possible… it soaks up the eggs and cream better that way.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! I have been looking for low carb recipes for the holiday. This turned out great. We usually have Creole cornbread stuffing so I ended up crumbling the bread instead of cubing it. My husband said he doesn’t know if he can wait till Thanksgiving to have it! I can’t wait to make the bread with jalapenos!
I’m going to make your recipe this Thanksgiving but instead of the almond flour-based bread, I’m making a cheese-based recipe. Do the macros you’ve listed include the Cheddar Skillet Bread? I’m assuming they do, but want to make sure before I recalculate. Thanks! And thanks for giving us back dressing. Boy, did we miss it last year!
They definitely do include the bread.
Thank you for the quick reply! I’ll recalculate the macros based on my tweaks. I’m looking forward to making the Cheddar Skillet Bread in a few months, when I’m at or near goal weight and can handle the higher carb almond flour without a setback.
Loved the stuffing. LOVED IT. But really don’t like sausage. Went with a pound of bacon instead. Cooked per the recipe instructions – cooking the veggies in the bacon fat. Drained off all the extra fat before continuing to mix the bread in and going further. Was fantastic! My husband is type II diabetic and just loved it. 16 servings? Well, he ate four. 🙂 I might add in more veggies next time to stretch it out a bit and make it even lower carb. Thank you so much. This was my first foray into anything like this and it turned out fantastic!
You can’t go wrong with bacon!
This is the most delicious stuffing! I made it with more chicken broth and it was just perfect. I can’t wait to make it again this year!
So glad you liked it!
Carolyn! You’re a goddess! I love your cheesy skillet bread! My fav part of the Thanksgiving meal is the stuffing! I’ll be making this at least once before Thanksgiving, maybe more than once, and hope that the one meant for the Thanksgiving meal will make the 3 hour drive to my destination, intact. Oooooo, an idea. Someone mentioned doing it in muffin tins. If I did that, no one would know that some went missing during the road trip 🙂 Question: does it need to be baked in glass? Will silicone work? Or the disposable aluminum baking trays? Thank you!
I think silicone would work or a disposable aluminum tray, just make sure to grease it well.
Thank you for the quick reply. Have a perfect day 🙂
I am looking to make this ahead and bring to my brother’s house.
I will be traveling on train on Wednesday.
Should I prepare this dish Tuesday evening or I start at my house and finish after I get there?
Roger
I think it gets better with age so I would bake it prior and rewarm it once there.
Sounds good, Thank You
Ok, Oh my gosh. This is the absolute best stuffing I have EVER made. It did NOT matter that I didn’t prep the bread ahead of time, although that would have made it even better. Thank you for a perfect stuffing recipe!!!!!!! P.S. I used both fresh and dried sage and thyme in mine because that’s what my mother used. I also added leeks to the onion and celery since I had some in my fridge that I need to do something with. And I only used about 1 cup of sausage because i preferred it to be mostly about the bread cubes and vegetables.
Carolyn,
We made note of many things for which we’re thankful yesterday…and your recipes were on our list! I’m trying to run the numbers in my mind, and recipes directly from your site made up about 50% of our Thanksgiving dinner this year. And this stuffing was the cherry on top! I’ve been burned by some low-carb recipes that look good in the photos, yet fall far short of the taste of their high-carb counterparts (none from your site!)…this stuffing is actually BETTER than the high-carb version! It is fantastic, and will be a Thanksgiving & Christmas dinner staple for years to come.
BTW, welcome to the West Coast! We’re glad to have you!
So glad it lived up to the promise!
I am new to low carb, & when I told my husband I found a recipe for LC stuffing, he put on his best stiff-upper-lip, trying to be supportive face. When I told him the name of this stuffing, he broke out in a wide grin. I made the bread a day ahead, and we both had to force ourselves out of the kitchen so we would have some bread left for the actual stuffing. When it was in the oven today, he kept saying his mouth was just watering for that stuffing (not the turkey!). It was sensational. Thank you so much. I can’t wait to bring the bread to this year’s Christmas party for the relative with Celiac’s who can hardly tolerate giving up bread. She’ll be in heaven. Your site is just great.
I love comments like this, Barbara. So glad you liked it!
One of my biggest challenges over the years has been to avoid stuffing at Thanksgiving. Some years go better than others, but this year I found this recipe. I just finished cooking it, tried some, and am so happy to have something so good to bring to my family’s Thanksgiving. I always hope to convert a few of my diabetic relatives to a lower carb diet, and I think this stuffing may help me do it this year. Thanks Carolyn!
So glad you like it. It’s our favourite too!
Hi Carolyn- I am planning on making this for tomorrow (can’t wait to try it!). My question is do you think it can be made in advance? I’d like to make it tonight if possible and then reheat once I get to my grandmothers. We’ll be travelling in the morning and I won’t have a lot of time once we get there. Do you think this would be ok? Also, I was wondering what was the purpose of the cream? and would it be ok to just use addtional chicken broth? It’s got so many rich ingredients already was confused about the cream. Thank you!!
You can definitely make it ahead. Sure, go ahead and use additional chicken broth.
At what temperature should oven be when drying the bread crumbs?
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?
Yes, I would definitely do more if you think everyone will really dig in.
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. 🙂
Yes, it will still be REALLY good. It’s the bread that makes it!
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! 🙂
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?
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!
So glad you liked it!