If you love stuffing but are looking for something a little different from the norm, possibly a stuffing made without bread, or a stuffing option that you can serve to guests who may eat gluten free, dairy free, and/or vegan, then this is it! Your Thanksgiving table is about to get even more delicious with this colorful and delicious Sweet Potato Stuffing. It comes together with a variety of winter vegetables, toasted pecans, dried cherries, apples, mushrooms, and herbs that represent the flavor of stuffing that we all love. This unique take on stuffing is perfect if you’re looking for a lighter side-dish option to serve, a vegetable heavy side dish, or simply something new and fun to try.
The recipe was originally published November 18, 2016; Updated November 11, 2022.
A thanksgiving Side Dish for everyone
This Sweet Potato Stuffing recipe will elevate your Thanksgiving menu in a way you didn’t think was possible. The delicious combination of plant-based ingredients comes together to create a full-flavor and healthy stuffing side dish. But you don’t have to wait for Thanksgiving to enjoy it. You could also serve it for a weeknight dinner or side. Just add your favorite protein for a meal that will satisfy.
Recipe Highlights: Sweet Potato Stuffing
- An easy way to elevate your Thanksgiving menu
- A stuffing recipe made without bread
- Full of nutritious ingredients, including sweet potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, carrots, mushrooms, apples, and nuts
- Makes a great weeknight meal or side when served with or without your favorite protein, such as pork or chicken
- No extra steps – simply toss it all together and bake!
Ingredients to Make Sweet Potato Unstuffing
Here’s what you need to bring this amazing tasting and wonderful smelling stuffing to your table!
- Sweet potato – a hearty, starchy vegetables that add color and nutrition
- Carrots – an every day veggie that add great texture
- Brussels sprouts – a cruciferous vegetable that’s perfect for roasting
- Celery ribs – a common ingredient in stuffing that adds a nice crunch
- Mushrooms – we love the addition of mushrooms in this recipe, But if mushrooms aren’t for you, you can omit them
- Yellow onion
- Garlic cloves
- Apple – adds a lovely touch of sweetness
- Fresh thyme – may substitute dried thyme
- Fresh rosemary – may substitute dried rosemary
- Chili powder
- Avocado oil or olive oil
- Dried cherries – may substitute dried cranberries
- Pecans – use any favorite nut, or omit for a nut-free stuffing
Find the ingredients list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
How to make Sweet Potato Stuffing
After you get all of the vegetables and apple chopped, this recipe comes together quick with these basic steps:
- Combine the ingredients: In a large baking dish add all of the ingredients (except for the cherries and pecans). Toss the ingredients with your favorite oil (we recommend avocado oil or olive oil).
- Bake the unstuffing: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake. At 20 minutes into the baking time, remove the foil and add the pecans and dried cherries. Then bake an additional 20-25 minutes.
- Garnish and serve: Once the vegetables are nice and tender and starting to turn golden brown, the Sweet Potato Stuffing is ready to serve. Garnish with fresh herbs if you desire. If you need to keep the stuffing warm while you prepare the rest of the meal, transfer it to a slow cooker and set it on warm until the meal is ready.
For the complete directions, ingredient amounts, and nutrition analysis that lists calories, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, sodium per serving, scroll down to the recipe card below.
Time Saving Tips and How to Make This Sweet Potato Stuffing Recipe Ahead
This recipe does require a little bit of chopping so prepping some of the ingredients ahead will help save you time whether you’re cooking up a Thanksgiving meal or a weeknight dinner.
- We recommend chopping all of the ingredients the day before it’s on the menu. Toss the chopped apple in a little lemon juice to prevent it from browning.
- You may bake this dish up ahead of time (the day you plan to serve it) and then keep it warm in a slow cooker set on the warm setting. That way you can keep your oven open for all of the other delicious foods you may be cooking for your holiday meal.
When to serve Sweet Potato Stuffing
We think this bread-free stuffing is a great choice for many occasions, including:
- Thanksgiving – a must-make recipe for your holiday meal. It’s flavorful, it’s delicious, and a recipe that all will be surprised to enjoy similar to our Parmesan Roasted Acorn Squash
- Weeknight side-dish – Sweet Potato Stuffing pairs great with pork or chicken, making it a nutritious and tasty weeknight meal
- Special dinner – Have a fall or winter dinner date or special occasion meal with friends or family coming up? Make this Sweet Potato Stuffing and impress everyone at the table. Tip: It’s also great for serving to guests who may have special dietary needs, such as avoiding gluten, dairy, eggs, or meat.
- Meal prep – we even love this recipe for meal prep because it reheats nicely. Portion it out into individual servings (we love these meal prep containers) and add cooked chicken to round out the nutrition in your meals. Simply reheat and eat throughout the week. Trust us, you’ll be looking forward to your lunch!
Sweet Potato Stuffing: Easy Substitutions To Fit Your Dietary Preference
This recipe is naturally gluten free, grain free, dairy free, egg free, vegetarian, and vegan. You can also make it nut free by simply omitting the nuts.
Make this recipe nut-free by using pumpkin seeds instead of pecans (or simply omit the nuts)
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Sweet Potato Unstuffing
Sweet Potato Unstuffing makes for a crowd-pleasing Thanksgiving side dish or a tasty addition to your weeknight menu. It has the flavors of stuffing, just without the bread. This plant-based stuffing is loaded with a variety of veggies and flavor boosts from dried cherries, apples, pecans, and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed (1 ½ to 2 cups, cut into ¼–½ inch cubes)
- 1 1/2 cups halved or quartered Brussels sprouts
- 2 medium carrots, chopped (3/4 to 1 cup)
- 2 celery ribs, chopped (3/4 to 1 cup)
- 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
- ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium apple, cored and diced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary or sage (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or oil of choice
- 1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries, unsweetened if possible
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Combine all of the ingredients (except for dried cherries and pecans) in a large baking dish (9×13 or similar size). Toss with oil. Cover with foil.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, add the dried cherries and pecans, toss and then bake for an additional 20-25 minutes longer or until sweet potatoes are cooked through.
- Remove from oven and serve.
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Notes
Prep Ahead Tip: Chop all of the ingredients the day before serving. You may also bake this dish ahead of time (before it’s ready to be served) and keep warm in a slow cooker set on low.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/8th of recipe (3/4 cup)
- Calories: 144
- Fat: 7 g
- Sodium: 260 mg
- Carbohydrate: 21 g
- (Fiber: 4 g
- Sugar: 9 g)
- Protein: 3 g
Dietary
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The photos in this blog post were taken by Rachel Cook of Half Acre House.
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This looks great! Is there a preferred specific type of apple?
Hi Analysa! Any kind will work in this recipe. Enjoy!
Due to nut allergies, I can’t add the pecans. I imagine the crunch adds to the appeal of the dish and am curious if you think there might be a good alternative. Would sunflower or pumpkin seeds be a good alternative?
Hi Jen! Yes, you certainly can sub the pecans for sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!
I made this last night and found myself smiling during dinner. This recipe is absolutely fabulous! Thank you.
Awesome! It is such a delicious dish. I make it all year round. In fact, I had some last night too and leftovers today!
I’m about to make swordfish for a dinner party of ten, do you think this would be s nice side for fish?
Hi Holly! Yes. This recipe could be served with really any meal. Not just Thanksgiving dinner 🙂 It’s so good!
Have you tried this using butternut squash or regular potatoes instead? I’m making candied yams along with this and didn’t want to over-do the sweet potatoes/yams. Now that I’m thinking maybe even rutabaga would work too. I’m drooling thinking about it.
Yes, those substitution would definitely work! Rutabaga…yummmmm!