Whole Wheat Stuffing Recipe (2024)

This Whole Wheat Stuffing Recipe is made with whole wheat bread, kielbasa sausage, tart cranberries, juicy apple and fresh herbs! It bakes up golden brown with crispy edges and makes the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas menu!

We have a few essential side dishes for holiday meals, and this easy whole wheat stuffing is one of them!

Okay, we have more than a few essentials, like this homemade cranberry sauce and air fryer green beans, but stuffing is definitely non-negotiable!

*This post was originally published in November 2019. It has been updated with new photos and text, including adjustments to the recipe and helpful tips for readers.

This recipe is the perfect combination of sweet, tart and savoury and it couldn’t be easier! The herbs, sausage and aromatics cook up together while the bread cubes get toasty in the oven. Then, it’s all mixed together with fresh cranberries, apples and broth and baked for an hour!

This stuffing is a meal in itself and if you haven’t tried adding fresh cranberries to your stuffing, it’s a must try!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• The recipe calls for whole wheat or multigrain bread cubes instead of boxed stuffing cubes. Making your own bread cubes is super easy and making them with whole wheat or multigrain bread makes it a little healthier too!

• The addition of kielbasa sausage is my favourite shortcut for this recipe. Instead of spending time cooking crumbled sausage, kielbasa is normally pre-cooked (smoked) so you just need to brown it for a few minutes.

• Using fresh cranberries, instead of dried cranberries, adds a pop of tart flavour to the stuffing, which pairs nicely with the sweet apple and savoury sausage.

• The crispy, golden brown topping is irresistible. It’s seriously worth the wait while this stuffing bakes for an hour in the oven.

What’s the difference between stuffing and dressing?

The difference is in how they are prepared.

Traditionally, it’s called stuffing when it’s stuffed in the turkey and it’s called dressing when it’s baked in a separate dish.

Over time, the practice of cooking stuffing in the bird has decreased as food safety concerns have increased. Now, the term ‘stuffing’ is applied more broadly. So, even if it’s baked separately in the oven, it’s usually called stuffing.

What you call it will likely depend on where you live or what you grew up calling it.

We’ve always called it dressing in Newfoundland, regardless of how it was prepared.

Newfoundland dressing is actually a bit different than most. It’s a simple mix of bread crumbs, butter, onion, salt, pepper and summer savoury (a locally grown herb that isn’t too common elsewhere).

Perhaps one day I’ll share this recipe, but for now, let’s focus on this sausage, apple and cranberry stuffing recipe!

Details on the ingredients

Bread – The recipe calls for whole wheat or multigrain bread cut into 1-inch cubes. You’ll want your bread to be stale so it’s more absorbent, and fresh bread will just create soggy stuffing. For the best results, I normally toast the bread cubes.

Cranberries – For a tart pop of flavour, the recipe calls for ½ cup of fresh cranberries. I prefer the flavour and texture of fresh cranberries in this stuffing recipe. Dried cranberries will add a different taste and texture.

Apple – One Honeycrisp apple is chopped into ½-inch pieces and added to the stuffing mixture. I keep the skin on but you can peel the apple if you prefer.

Sausage – You’ll want to use smoked (pre-cooked) kielbasa for this recipe. I’ve tried it with both pork and turkey kielbasa. Using pre-cooked sausage is a great way to save a little time in preparing this stuffing. Feel free to use other types of pre-cooked sausage.

Celery, onion, garlic, sage and rosemary – These veggies and herbs are the aromatics that add a depth of flavour to the stuffing. You’ll want to saute them before adding them to the stuffing. This will draw out the aroma and soften them a bit.

Oil – I used extra virgin olive oil in place of melted butter to help keep the stuffing moist. You can use another type of oil or butter, if you prefer.

Broth – This also helps keep the stuffing moist and adds a flavour as if the stuffing was cooked in the turkey! I prefer to use no salt added chicken broth. If you only have regular chicken broth, you may wish to reduce the amount of salt you add to the stuffing.

Egg – Just 1 egg is added to help bind the stuffing and keep it from drying out.

Salt and pepper – You’ll need 1 teaspoon of salt and a 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Add more or less to suit your taste.

How to toast bread cubes for stuffing

Preheat the oven to 250F and arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet.

Toast the cubes for 25-35 minutes, or until they are crispy, like croutons. Keep an eye on them. They shouldn’t brown but they will dry out.

How to make whole wheat stuffing

Preheat the oven to 350F and grease an 8×11 inch baking dish.

Heat a tablespoon of oil over medium heat in a skillet and brown the sausage. (This should just take 3-5 minutes).

Add the celery, onion, garlic and herbs. Saute until softened and fragrant, or about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat if necessary.

In a large bowl, add the toasted bread cubes, sausage/veggie mixture, cranberries and apple.

In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, oil and egg. Pour over the stuffing mixture, add the salt and pepper, and gently toss to combine until the bread cubes are coated.

Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish and bake for 55-65 minutes. (Check on it after 30 minutes. If it’s browning too quickly on top, just cover with foil and continue baking).

When it’s golden brown and crispy on top, remove from the oven and serve.

Storage and reheating leftovers

If you have leftover stuffing, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

You can warm leftovers in the microwave but, to get the stuffing crispy again, it’s best to reheat it in the oven. Just spread it out on a baking sheet or in a dish and bake it on 350F for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through and crispy on top. Just keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t burn or dry out too much.

Make ahead options

I don’t recommend fully preparing the stuffing in advance and letting it rest in the fridge, but you do have some make ahead options.

You can prep some of the ingredients in advance and assemble when ready to bake. This includes toasting the bread cubes and storing them covered at room temperature. You can also chop the sausage and prepare the aromatics and store them in the fridge until ready to use.

The other option is to bake the stuffing and store it in the fridge for 1-2 days. Then, you just need to reheat it the day of your holiday feast.

Frequently asked questions

Key recipe tips

• Toast the bread. While stale bread might be dry enough, I usually don’t take any chances and toast the bread cubes to make sure they’re dried out. This will help prevent soggy stuffing.
• Too much salt. Be careful not to add too much salt to the stuffing as you don’t want it to over shadow the herb flavour. If you’re using regular broth (as opposed to no salt added) and your kielbasa is overly salty, you may wish to reduce or omit the extra salt added to the recipe.
• Balancing the liquid. Stuffing should be wet enough to bind together as it bakes but not too wet that it turns out soggy. If you use too much liquid or the bread cubes aren’t dried out enough, the stuffing may turn out mushy. If you’re concerned about this, you can always add the liquid to the bread cube mixture a little at a time.
• Browning too quickly. To get the top of the stuffing golden brown and crispy, it’s baked uncovered. If it looks like the top is starting to brown too much or too quickly, just cover it with foil and continue baking.

Other Thanksgiving side dishes

• Mashed Acorn Squash is a simple side dish that’s sweet and savoury and makes a delicious alternative to mashed potatoes.
• Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with cranberries, pecans and prosciutto are salty and sweet and roast up quickly in the oven.
• Refined Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce is a healthier spin on a holiday essential. It’s sweetened with maple syrup and thickened with chia seeds.
• Air Fryer Butternut Squash Home Fries are seasoned with herbs, spices and maple syrup and come together quickly in the air fryer.
• Roasted Red Pepper and Butternut Squash Soup is a warm and cozy side dish (or appetizer), with a hint of smokey flavour and spices.
• Air Fryer Carrots are sliced into coins and air fried until tender, with sweet, savoury and spicy options to choose from in the recipe.
• Air Fryer Baby Potatoes are perfectly seasoned with crispy skin and a soft and tender middle!

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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