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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Can’t wait to make this for thanksgiving this year! Do you shred your cheddar fresh or use bagged pre-shredded?
And I probably should’ve posted that under the skillet bread recipe lol
How many slices of a keto bread would you recommend? Short on time this round to make my own bread.
Thanks!
Like a loaf of bread, the kind you can buy at the store? Probably 3/4 of the loaf, I think.
This looks yummy. Have you made this without meat for those non-meat eaters? Would you add other seasonings? Thanks.
I haven’t but you could. I might add more celery and seasonings, yes.
I’ve made this in the past and it’s AMAZING! That being said, I decided I wanted to make it today for a dish that I’d like to prepare tonight. Do you think that there’s enough time to dry the bread and prepare the dish in 4-5hrs or will the bread be to mushy if I don’t let it dry overnight?
I am honestly not sure. You can certainly try.
Made this tonight to test before Thanksgiving. My husband and son said it doesn’t taste low carb and loved it! I think next time I may double the fresh veggies (onion, celery, and garlic) so I get some with each bite. Overall it’s a wonderful recipe! Thank you!
I’m confused…. This is called “stuffing” but you don’t “stuff the turkey” with it. Can it be cooked inside the turkey?
You can but as with all stuffings, you need to make sure it gets up to temperature internally (at least 165F) so that there is no risk of contamination from the turkey.
can store bought keto bread be used to save time? Not sure if it will dry up the same or change the texture. I know your bread tastes better but just wondering…
I am sure it can. It tends to be quite dry as it is so I would maybe just leave it out overnight and let it dry out. If it’s not quite stale enough, do my oven trick but not for as long.
Hi Carolyn! I’ve got the cheesy skillet bread drying out in the oven right now YAY!! I love love love stuffing and every single comment above raves about this recipe, so I can’t wait for the finished product tomorrow!
Here’s my question…if I’m making the recipe ahead of time and refrigerating until tomorrow – do I mix everything together, including the bread cubes? Or do you you think it would be best to leave out the bread and mix in prior to baking?
Thank you!
It’s meant to soak in the custard so you can make it all now and cover tightly, and then bake tomorrow.
Wonderful! My favorite part of the Thanksgiving dinner. It’s really delicious.
OK, first off, I don’t do stuffing … but this year I’m on keto, and I just decided I wanted to really go for the whole traditional Thanksgiving meal, with non-traditional recipes … and with this recipe, I now love stuffing! Absolutely great.
Thing is, yesterday I made the cheese bread (and accidentally overcooked it, which kind of replaced the separate drying step) and today I made the stuffing, and it’s still three days ’til Thanksgiving. Can I refrigerate this, or with it being that long, do I need to go with freezing?
Thank you for a terrific recipe that I absolutely love. Even with the hot sausage, when I usually prefer mild or sweet, all the other ingredients kind of cool it off, so it’s still absolutely great!
I think it might be best to freeze, since stuffing is really eggs, cream, and bread.
Thank you!
Hi Carolyn!! If I want to substitute keto bread for your keto cornbread, how many ounces, cups or pieces of bread do you think I would use instead? Thanks.
Hi Carolyn! I could gush on and on about how much I appreciate you and your work to put out such great low carb recipes… not to mention your humor and kindness. There are many good reasons your blog is so popular! Now… about this stuffing… our family usually does a big pan of stuffing like your recipe calls for. But we also make “stuffin’ muffins” that make handy leftovers. Any idea about the bake time if this is baked in a muffin tin (metal or silicone)?
Thanks again for all the yummy goodness you bring us!
I haven’t tried it so I don’t know the bake time but I would start with 20 minutes and watch them.
I made the bread yesterday but I couldn’t find flax seed meal, I found ground flax seed cold milled though and decided to try it. It doesn’t look as good as yours, but it dried out like croutons so I’m hoping it turns out okay. Do you think it’s ruined because of the ground flax seed?
Flax seed meal is ground flax. So you’re good.
This is my 3rd year making this for Thanksgiving/Christmas, my family requests it every year! Even my non-keto family can’t get enough of this. Thank you for sharing!
I love hearing that, it’s so good that keto stuffing can be better than the “real” thing!
I love this bread! I made the stuffing and it did not seem like there was enough liquid… I followed the recipe exactly and even though it tasted good, it was very dry and a lot of the bread cubes were still very dry. What did I do wrong? or should I double the liquids? I am going to keep trying, as I think it is a great dish, but cooking is not my strong suit
Hmmm, I feel like mine ends up with too much but if you want more, go for it. I’d add broth and cream.
How long will the bread cubes store for once you make them – trying to make that part in advance to cut down on labor when it’s time to put it all together- thanks!
That’s an excellent question, I’ve never tried that but now I think I might have to! You know, I think I’d pop them into an airtight container and stick them in the freezer. They’d be fine for several weeks if not a month.
I was wondering about this also. I would just make them Tuesday or Wednesday before!!