Here’s how to make date syrup at home for a natural sweetener to add to drinks, recipes, and so much more!
Cutting down on refined sugars? Ran out of agave or maple syrup? This date syrup recipe is going to be your new best friend. Once you know how to make date syrup, it’s going to become a staple in your kitchen for sweetening everything from high-protein overnight oats to your morning coffee.
It really is as simple as cooking Medjool dates in water—okay, there are a few more steps than that, but the bottom line is that making date syrup is easy and requires only two ingredients. Who knew you could make your own sweetener at home?!
Why You’ll Love Date Syrup
- Versatile . You can use date syrup all the ways you use agave nectar, maple syrup, and other liquid sweeteners.
- Natural alternative to sugar . If sweeteners formulated in a laboratory make your nervous, you’ll appreciate that date syrup is completely natural.
- Delicious . Date syrup tastes absolutely divine, with notes of caramel and a lovely, deep colour. You know how some sugar substitutes just taste kind of “off”? That’s not the case with date syrup!
- Two ingredients . And one of the ingredients is water! So really, all you need to pick up at the grocery store is a package of dates.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Medjool dates – You’ll need pitted dates, so if yours still have the pits inside, remove them and then weigh out one pound.
- Boiled water – For soaking and simmering the dates.
Can I Make This Recipe With Another Type of Date?
You can use deglet noor dates to make date syrup, but they may take longer to soak and soften when boiling. I also think medjool dates make the most delicious syrup!
How to Make Date Syrup
- Soak . Combine the dates and boiling water in a pot and let them soak for 15 minutes, or until the dates are very soft.
- Boil . Bring the dates and water to a boil on the stovetop.
- Simmer and mash . Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, mashing the dates every 5 minutes or so. At the end of the simmering time, the mixture should look like loose applesauce.
- Remove from heat . Let the date mixture cool for 15 minutes.
- Extract the liquid . Strain the dates and liquid through a cheesecloth or nut milk bag, then squeeze the dates to extract as much liquid as possible.
- Reduce . Transfer the liquid back to the pot; bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Cool . Let the syrup cool, then use it or store it for later.
Tips for Success
- Make sure the dates are clean . Scrub the outsides of the dates since they’ll be soaking and cooking in the same liquid. Another option is to discard the soaking water and add new water for boiling.
- Don’t throw away the pulp . You’ll have about a cup of date paste left after extracting the liquid. You can use this as a spread for toast, waffles, and more!
- Adjust the consistency if needed . For thicker syrup, simply simmer it longer. If you’d like the syrup to be thinner, you can add more water.
My Favourite Ways to Use Date Syrup
Use this syrup anywhere you would use maple syrup or agave! Here are some ideas:
- Smoothies . Date syrup would be fantastic in this mango coconut smoothie .
- Pancakes, waffles, and French toast . Drizzle over protein pancakes , pumpkin waffles , and other breakfast foods that you’d normally top with maple syrup.
- Ice cream . The caramel flavour of this syrup makes it amazing on vegan ice cream .
- Yogurt . Sweeten vegan yogurt with your homemade date syrup.
- Overnight oats and puddings. I love using it in recipes like apple pie overnight oats , pumpkin chia pudding , and protein pudding .
- Baking . Use date syrup as a one-to-one substitute for maple syrup, agave nectar, or molasses.
How to Store
Refrigerate the date syrup in a jar or airtight container for up to 3 weeks. You can warm it in the microwave before using if you need to.
More Kitchen Basics
- How to Make Vegetable Broth with Veggie Scraps
- Homemade Oat Milk Creamer
- Vegan Sour Cream
- How to Make Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- How to Make Almond Butter
Ingredients
- 1 pound medjool dates , pitted or if not pitted, remove the pits, washed and drained*
- 3 cups boiled water , + more if needed
Instructions
- In a pot, add the dates, then add over 3 cups of boiled water. Let it soak for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, feel one of your dates – they should be extremely soft. Place the pan on the stove and bring the dates water mixture to boil. Lower to medium heat and cook for about 15 minutes, mashing down the dates every 5 minutes or so with a potato masher or fork or even just the sides of a wooden spoon, essentially breaking them up, scraping the pan to ensure the dates don’t stick to the bottom. They will be much softer now, almost dissolving and soft enough to extract all the sugars from the dates. The mixture should resemble a loose applesauce. Remove from the heat.
- Let the mixture cool for at least 15 minutes so you don’t burn yourself. Carefully spoon/scoop the dates and liquid into a nut cloth bag or cheesecloth. Squeeze out the pulp to extract all the liquid. You want to ensure only the liquid is coming out. You’ll end up with about 1 cup of date pulp/paste leftover – you can make a date spread out of this or add it to muffins, waffles, pancakes and smoothies!
- Add the squeezed out liquid back to the pot (I got a little over 2 cups of liquid) and back over the heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer (position 2 or low on most stoves) and allow to simmer for about 20-30 minutes, until reduced to a syrup that can coat the back of your spoon. Watch and stir frequently so it doesn’t burn! The liquid will begin to thicken and darken in colour until it’s a deep colour and There’s syrupy texture. If it gets too thick, add a little bit more water to the mix.
- Allow to cool and use anywhere you would use maple syrup, agave or other sweeteners! Enjoy!
- Store the date syrup for up to 3 weeks (depends on when you bought the dates of course).
Notes
Here’s how to make date syrup at home for a natural sweetener to add to drinks, recipes, and so much more!
Cutting down on refined sugars? Ran out of agave or maple syrup? This date syrup recipe is going to be your new best friend. Once you know how to make date syrup, it’s going to become a staple in your kitchen for sweetening everything from high-protein overnight oats to your morning coffee.
It really is as simple as cooking Medjool dates in water—okay, there are a few more steps than that, but the bottom line is that making date syrup is easy and requires only two ingredients. Who knew you could make your own sweetener at home?!
Why You’ll Love Date Syrup
- Versatile . You can use date syrup all the ways you use agave nectar, maple syrup, and other liquid sweeteners.
- Natural alternative to sugar . If sweeteners formulated in a laboratory make your nervous, you’ll appreciate that date syrup is completely natural.
- Delicious . Date syrup tastes absolutely divine, with notes of caramel and a lovely, deep colour. You know how some sugar substitutes just taste kind of “off”? That’s not the case with date syrup!
- Two ingredients . And one of the ingredients is water! So really, all you need to pick up at the grocery store is a package of dates.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Medjool dates – You’ll need pitted dates, so if yours still have the pits inside, remove them and then weigh out one pound.
- Boiled water – For soaking and simmering the dates.
Can I Make This Recipe With Another Type of Date?
You can use deglet noor dates to make date syrup, but they may take longer to soak and soften when boiling. I also think medjool dates make the most delicious syrup!
How to Make Date Syrup
- Soak . Combine the dates and boiling water in a pot and let them soak for 15 minutes, or until the dates are very soft.
- Boil . Bring the dates and water to a boil on the stovetop.
- Simmer and mash . Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, mashing the dates every 5 minutes or so. At the end of the simmering time, the mixture should look like loose applesauce.
- Remove from heat . Let the date mixture cool for 15 minutes.
- Extract the liquid . Strain the dates and liquid through a cheesecloth or nut milk bag, then squeeze the dates to extract as much liquid as possible.
- Reduce . Transfer the liquid back to the pot; bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Cool . Let the syrup cool, then use it or store it for later.
Tips for Success
- Make sure the dates are clean . Scrub the outsides of the dates since they’ll be soaking and cooking in the same liquid. Another option is to discard the soaking water and add new water for boiling.
- Don’t throw away the pulp . You’ll have about a cup of date paste left after extracting the liquid. You can use this as a spread for toast, waffles, and more!
- Adjust the consistency if needed . For thicker syrup, simply simmer it longer. If you’d like the syrup to be thinner, you can add more water.
My Favourite Ways to Use Date Syrup
Use this syrup anywhere you would use maple syrup or agave! Here are some ideas:
- Smoothies . Date syrup would be fantastic in this mango coconut smoothie .
- Pancakes, waffles, and French toast . Drizzle over protein pancakes , pumpkin waffles , and other breakfast foods that you’d normally top with maple syrup.
- Ice cream . The caramel flavour of this syrup makes it amazing on vegan ice cream .
- Yogurt . Sweeten vegan yogurt with your homemade date syrup.
- Overnight oats and puddings. I love using it in recipes like apple pie overnight oats , pumpkin chia pudding , and protein pudding .
- Baking . Use date syrup as a one-to-one substitute for maple syrup, agave nectar, or molasses.
How to Store
Refrigerate the date syrup in a jar or airtight container for up to 3 weeks. You can warm it in the microwave before using if you need to.
More Kitchen Basics
- How to Make Vegetable Broth with Veggie Scraps
- Homemade Oat Milk Creamer
- Vegan Sour Cream
- How to Make Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- How to Make Almond Butter
Ingredients
- 1 pound medjool dates , pitted or if not pitted, remove the pits, washed and drained*
- 3 cups boiled water , + more if needed
Instructions
- In a pot, add the dates, then add over 3 cups of boiled water. Let it soak for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, feel one of your dates – they should be extremely soft. Place the pan on the stove and bring the dates water mixture to boil. Lower to medium heat and cook for about 15 minutes, mashing down the dates every 5 minutes or so with a potato masher or fork or even just the sides of a wooden spoon, essentially breaking them up, scraping the pan to ensure the dates don’t stick to the bottom. They will be much softer now, almost dissolving and soft enough to extract all the sugars from the dates. The mixture should resemble a loose applesauce. Remove from the heat.
- Let the mixture cool for at least 15 minutes so you don’t burn yourself. Carefully spoon/scoop the dates and liquid into a nut cloth bag or cheesecloth. Squeeze out the pulp to extract all the liquid. You want to ensure only the liquid is coming out. You’ll end up with about 1 cup of date pulp/paste leftover – you can make a date spread out of this or add it to muffins, waffles, pancakes and smoothies!
- Add the squeezed out liquid back to the pot (I got a little over 2 cups of liquid) and back over the heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer (position 2 or low on most stoves) and allow to simmer for about 20-30 minutes, until reduced to a syrup that can coat the back of your spoon. Watch and stir frequently so it doesn’t burn! The liquid will begin to thicken and darken in colour until it’s a deep colour and There’s syrupy texture. If it gets too thick, add a little bit more water to the mix.
- Allow to cool and use anywhere you would use maple syrup, agave or other sweeteners! Enjoy!
- Store the date syrup for up to 3 weeks (depends on when you bought the dates of course).
Notes
Here’s how to make date syrup at home for a natural sweetener to add to drinks, recipes, and so much more!
Cutting down on refined sugars? Ran out of agave or maple syrup? This date syrup recipe is going to be your new best friend. Once you know how to make date syrup, it’s going to become a staple in your kitchen for sweetening everything from high-protein overnight oats to your morning coffee.
It really is as simple as cooking Medjool dates in water—okay, there are a few more steps than that, but the bottom line is that making date syrup is easy and requires only two ingredients. Who knew you could make your own sweetener at home?!
Why You’ll Love Date Syrup
- Versatile . You can use date syrup all the ways you use agave nectar, maple syrup, and other liquid sweeteners.
- Natural alternative to sugar . If sweeteners formulated in a laboratory make your nervous, you’ll appreciate that date syrup is completely natural.
- Delicious . Date syrup tastes absolutely divine, with notes of caramel and a lovely, deep colour. You know how some sugar substitutes just taste kind of “off”? That’s not the case with date syrup!
- Two ingredients . And one of the ingredients is water! So really, all you need to pick up at the grocery store is a package of dates.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Medjool dates – You’ll need pitted dates, so if yours still have the pits inside, remove them and then weigh out one pound.
- Boiled water – For soaking and simmering the dates.
Can I Make This Recipe With Another Type of Date?
You can use deglet noor dates to make date syrup, but they may take longer to soak and soften when boiling. I also think medjool dates make the most delicious syrup!
How to Make Date Syrup
- Soak . Combine the dates and boiling water in a pot and let them soak for 15 minutes, or until the dates are very soft.
- Boil . Bring the dates and water to a boil on the stovetop.
- Simmer and mash . Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, mashing the dates every 5 minutes or so. At the end of the simmering time, the mixture should look like loose applesauce.
- Remove from heat . Let the date mixture cool for 15 minutes.
- Extract the liquid . Strain the dates and liquid through a cheesecloth or nut milk bag, then squeeze the dates to extract as much liquid as possible.
- Reduce . Transfer the liquid back to the pot; bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Cool . Let the syrup cool, then use it or store it for later.
Tips for Success
- Make sure the dates are clean . Scrub the outsides of the dates since they’ll be soaking and cooking in the same liquid. Another option is to discard the soaking water and add new water for boiling.
- Don’t throw away the pulp . You’ll have about a cup of date paste left after extracting the liquid. You can use this as a spread for toast, waffles, and more!
- Adjust the consistency if needed . For thicker syrup, simply simmer it longer. If you’d like the syrup to be thinner, you can add more water.
My Favourite Ways to Use Date Syrup
Use this syrup anywhere you would use maple syrup or agave! Here are some ideas:
- Smoothies . Date syrup would be fantastic in this mango coconut smoothie .
- Pancakes, waffles, and French toast . Drizzle over protein pancakes , pumpkin waffles , and other breakfast foods that you’d normally top with maple syrup.
- Ice cream . The caramel flavour of this syrup makes it amazing on vegan ice cream .
- Yogurt . Sweeten vegan yogurt with your homemade date syrup.
- Overnight oats and puddings. I love using it in recipes like apple pie overnight oats , pumpkin chia pudding , and protein pudding .
- Baking . Use date syrup as a one-to-one substitute for maple syrup, agave nectar, or molasses.
How to Store
Refrigerate the date syrup in a jar or airtight container for up to 3 weeks. You can warm it in the microwave before using if you need to.
More Kitchen Basics
- How to Make Vegetable Broth with Veggie Scraps
- Homemade Oat Milk Creamer
- Vegan Sour Cream
- How to Make Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- How to Make Almond Butter
Ingredients
- 1 pound medjool dates , pitted or if not pitted, remove the pits, washed and drained*
- 3 cups boiled water , + more if needed
Instructions
- In a pot, add the dates, then add over 3 cups of boiled water. Let it soak for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, feel one of your dates – they should be extremely soft. Place the pan on the stove and bring the dates water mixture to boil. Lower to medium heat and cook for about 15 minutes, mashing down the dates every 5 minutes or so with a potato masher or fork or even just the sides of a wooden spoon, essentially breaking them up, scraping the pan to ensure the dates don’t stick to the bottom. They will be much softer now, almost dissolving and soft enough to extract all the sugars from the dates. The mixture should resemble a loose applesauce. Remove from the heat.
- Let the mixture cool for at least 15 minutes so you don’t burn yourself. Carefully spoon/scoop the dates and liquid into a nut cloth bag or cheesecloth. Squeeze out the pulp to extract all the liquid. You want to ensure only the liquid is coming out. You’ll end up with about 1 cup of date pulp/paste leftover – you can make a date spread out of this or add it to muffins, waffles, pancakes and smoothies!
- Add the squeezed out liquid back to the pot (I got a little over 2 cups of liquid) and back over the heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer (position 2 or low on most stoves) and allow to simmer for about 20-30 minutes, until reduced to a syrup that can coat the back of your spoon. Watch and stir frequently so it doesn’t burn! The liquid will begin to thicken and darken in colour until it’s a deep colour and There’s syrupy texture. If it gets too thick, add a little bit more water to the mix.
- Allow to cool and use anywhere you would use maple syrup, agave or other sweeteners! Enjoy!
- Store the date syrup for up to 3 weeks (depends on when you bought the dates of course).
Notes
Here’s how to make date syrup at home for a natural sweetener to add to drinks, recipes, and so much more!
Cutting down on refined sugars? Ran out of agave or maple syrup? This date syrup recipe is going to be your new best friend. Once you know how to make date syrup, it’s going to become a staple in your kitchen for sweetening everything from high-protein overnight oats to your morning coffee.
It really is as simple as cooking Medjool dates in water—okay, there are a few more steps than that, but the bottom line is that making date syrup is easy and requires only two ingredients. Who knew you could make your own sweetener at home?!
Why You’ll Love Date Syrup
- Versatile . You can use date syrup all the ways you use agave nectar, maple syrup, and other liquid sweeteners.
- Natural alternative to sugar . If sweeteners formulated in a laboratory make your nervous, you’ll appreciate that date syrup is completely natural.
- Delicious . Date syrup tastes absolutely divine, with notes of caramel and a lovely, deep colour. You know how some sugar substitutes just taste kind of “off”? That’s not the case with date syrup!
- Two ingredients . And one of the ingredients is water! So really, all you need to pick up at the grocery store is a package of dates.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Medjool dates – You’ll need pitted dates, so if yours still have the pits inside, remove them and then weigh out one pound.
- Boiled water – For soaking and simmering the dates.
Can I Make This Recipe With Another Type of Date?
You can use deglet noor dates to make date syrup, but they may take longer to soak and soften when boiling. I also think medjool dates make the most delicious syrup!
How to Make Date Syrup
- Soak . Combine the dates and boiling water in a pot and let them soak for 15 minutes, or until the dates are very soft.
- Boil . Bring the dates and water to a boil on the stovetop.
- Simmer and mash . Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, mashing the dates every 5 minutes or so. At the end of the simmering time, the mixture should look like loose applesauce.
- Remove from heat . Let the date mixture cool for 15 minutes.
- Extract the liquid . Strain the dates and liquid through a cheesecloth or nut milk bag, then squeeze the dates to extract as much liquid as possible.
- Reduce . Transfer the liquid back to the pot; bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Cool . Let the syrup cool, then use it or store it for later.
Tips for Success
- Make sure the dates are clean . Scrub the outsides of the dates since they’ll be soaking and cooking in the same liquid. Another option is to discard the soaking water and add new water for boiling.
- Don’t throw away the pulp . You’ll have about a cup of date paste left after extracting the liquid. You can use this as a spread for toast, waffles, and more!
- Adjust the consistency if needed . For thicker syrup, simply simmer it longer. If you’d like the syrup to be thinner, you can add more water.
My Favourite Ways to Use Date Syrup
Use this syrup anywhere you would use maple syrup or agave! Here are some ideas:
- Smoothies . Date syrup would be fantastic in this mango coconut smoothie .
- Pancakes, waffles, and French toast . Drizzle over protein pancakes , pumpkin waffles , and other breakfast foods that you’d normally top with maple syrup.
- Ice cream . The caramel flavour of this syrup makes it amazing on vegan ice cream .
- Yogurt . Sweeten vegan yogurt with your homemade date syrup.
- Overnight oats and puddings. I love using it in recipes like apple pie overnight oats , pumpkin chia pudding , and protein pudding .
- Baking . Use date syrup as a one-to-one substitute for maple syrup, agave nectar, or molasses.
How to Store
Refrigerate the date syrup in a jar or airtight container for up to 3 weeks. You can warm it in the microwave before using if you need to.
More Kitchen Basics
- How to Make Vegetable Broth with Veggie Scraps
- Homemade Oat Milk Creamer
- Vegan Sour Cream
- How to Make Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- How to Make Almond Butter
Ingredients
- 1 pound medjool dates , pitted or if not pitted, remove the pits, washed and drained*
- 3 cups boiled water , + more if needed
Instructions
- In a pot, add the dates, then add over 3 cups of boiled water. Let it soak for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, feel one of your dates – they should be extremely soft. Place the pan on the stove and bring the dates water mixture to boil. Lower to medium heat and cook for about 15 minutes, mashing down the dates every 5 minutes or so with a potato masher or fork or even just the sides of a wooden spoon, essentially breaking them up, scraping the pan to ensure the dates don’t stick to the bottom. They will be much softer now, almost dissolving and soft enough to extract all the sugars from the dates. The mixture should resemble a loose applesauce. Remove from the heat.
- Let the mixture cool for at least 15 minutes so you don’t burn yourself. Carefully spoon/scoop the dates and liquid into a nut cloth bag or cheesecloth. Squeeze out the pulp to extract all the liquid. You want to ensure only the liquid is coming out. You’ll end up with about 1 cup of date pulp/paste leftover – you can make a date spread out of this or add it to muffins, waffles, pancakes and smoothies!
- Add the squeezed out liquid back to the pot (I got a little over 2 cups of liquid) and back over the heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer (position 2 or low on most stoves) and allow to simmer for about 20-30 minutes, until reduced to a syrup that can coat the back of your spoon. Watch and stir frequently so it doesn’t burn! The liquid will begin to thicken and darken in colour until it’s a deep colour and There’s syrupy texture. If it gets too thick, add a little bit more water to the mix.
- Allow to cool and use anywhere you would use maple syrup, agave or other sweeteners! Enjoy!
- Store the date syrup for up to 3 weeks (depends on when you bought the dates of course).
Notes
How To Make Date Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 pound medjool dates pitted or if not pitted, remove the pits, washed and drained*
- 3 cups boiled water + more if needed
Instructions
- In a pot, add the dates, then add over 3 cups of boiled water. Let it soak for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, feel one of your dates - they should be extremely soft. Place the pan on the stove and bring the dates water mixture to boil. Lower to medium heat and cook for about 15 minutes, mashing down the dates every 5 minutes or so with a potato masher or fork or even just the sides of a wooden spoon, essentially breaking them up, scraping the pan to ensure the dates don’t stick to the bottom. They will be much softer now, almost dissolving and soft enough to extract all the sugars from the dates. The mixture should resemble a loose applesauce. Remove from the heat.
- Let the mixture cool for at least 15 minutes so you don’t burn yourself. Carefully spoon/scoop the dates and liquid into a nut cloth bag or cheesecloth. Squeeze out the pulp to extract all the liquid. You want to ensure only the liquid is coming out. You’ll end up with about 1 cup of date pulp/paste leftover - you can make a date spread out of this or add it to muffins, waffles, pancakes and smoothies!
- Add the squeezed out liquid back to the pot (I got a little over 2 cups of liquid) and back over the heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer (position 2 or low on most stoves) and allow to simmer for about 20-30 minutes, until reduced to a syrup that can coat the back of your spoon. Watch and stir frequently so it doesn’t burn! The liquid will begin to thicken and darken in colour until it’s a deep colour and There’s syrupy texture. If it gets too thick, add a little bit more water to the mix.
- Allow to cool and use anywhere you would use maple syrup, agave or other sweeteners! Enjoy!
- Store the date syrup for up to 3 weeks (depends on when you bought the dates of course).
Notes
Nutrition
How To Make Date Syrup https://jessicainthekitchen.com/make-date-syrup/ May 1, 2024
Add this cornbread stuffing to the menu for your next holiday celebration and watch it disappear! No one can resist tender, sweet cornbread baked with fresh herbs, celery, and onions.
After making this cornbread stuffing, I am NEVER going back to the boxed stuff. Not only did I love it, but the non-vegans in my family devoured it too—let me tell you, this stuffing went FAST. Whether you call it cornbread dressing or stuffing, it’s going to be a hit!
With sage, celery, onions, garlic, and thyme, every bite of this cornbread stuffing is packed with flavour. But, of course, the star of the show is the cornbread itself. I used my jalapeño gluten free cornbread muffins , which is the perfect cornbread to soak up all that flavourful goodness—plus, it adds a little zip to the stuffing, which I love.
Why You’ll Love This Cornbread Stuffing Recipe
- Vegan and gluten-free . As long as you use a gluten-free and vegan cornbread, this stuffing is suitable for plant-based and gluten-free eaters. But it’s so delicious, everyone at the table will love it!
- Easy to make . Yes, you can buy stuffing in a box, but you don’t need to! It takes just 12 minutes of prep work to put together this recipe, and it’s done cooking in 25 minutes. (This traditional vegan stuffing recipe is also super easy.)
- So flavourful . In theory, stuffing should be full of savoury flavour, but some versions fall flat. This cornbread stuffing won’t let you down! It has so much depth, from the subtly sweet cornbread, to the fresh herbs and aromatics.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Cornbread – If you don’t use my cornbread muffins, you can use this vegan cornbread recipe or your favourite store-bought vegan cornbread.
- Coconut oil – Or another oil you like to use for cooking.
- Celery and onion – Two classic vegetables for making stuffing! They create a base of flavour.
- Fresh herbs – I use sage and thyme.
- Salt and ground black pepper
- Vegetable broth – I love to use my homemade vegetable broth made from kitchen scraps.
- Garlic
- Flax egg – Here’s how to make a flax egg .
How to Make Cornbread Stuffing
- Prepare . Preheat your oven to 400ºF.
- Cook the aromatics . Melt the coconut oil in a pan set over medium heat, then add the onion, garlic, celery. Stir in the herbs, salt, and pepper; cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the onions are tender and garlic is fragrant.
- Assemble . Add the cornbread to a casserole dish with the vegetables and flax egg. Stir to combine, then add the broth and stir again.
- Bake . Place the dish in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and slightly crispy.
Tips for Success
- Make sure the cornbread is stale . If it’s still a bit moist, place it in the oven while it preheats to dry it out. Dry cornbread soaks up more flavour!
- Adjust the moisture level . If you want a more tender stuffing, add more vegetable broth ¼ cup at a time.
- Know when it’s done . Because there’s no egg in this cornbread stuffing recipe, you don’t have to wait for it to set. I like to pull it out of the oven when the top is a little bit crusty, but you can pull it out earlier if you prefer your stuffing softer—without the egg, it’s perfectly safe to do so.
Cornbread Stuffing Variations
- Add mushrooms . Sautéed mushrooms (or these garlic mushrooms ) make a savoury addition to this cornbread stuffing.
- Use half the cornbread . Some stuffing recipes call for half regular bread, half cornbread. If you try this, use a good quality bakery-style bread—or my crusty no-knead bread .
- Make it (vegan) meaty . Add your favourite crumbled plant-based sausage or even diced bits of vegan turkey or vegan chicken .
How to Store
Store leftover cornbread stuffing in an airtight container or covered in the baking dish for up to a week. Reheat in the oven at 350ºF until it’s warmed through.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
You can freeze your cornbread stuffing in an airtight container for up to a month. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating according to the instructions above. If needed, you can add vegetable broth before baking it keep it moist.
More Classic Holiday Recipes
- Cranberry Orange Sauce
- Vegan Green Bean Casserole (From Scratch)
- Sweet Potato Soufflé
- Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Caramelised Onions
- Vegan Wellington
Ingredients
- 9-10 cups of 1 batch gluten-free cornbread muffins , dried out for a day and broken into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 4 stalks celery , chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh sage , chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme , chopped finely
- 1 small onion , chopped finely
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth , or more for your preference
- 3 cloves garlic , minced finely
- 1 flax egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Ensure your cornbread is dried out. If it’s still a bit moist, stick it in the oven on a baking sheet while the oven is preheating for about 15 minutes or so until dried out. It should feel like just gone stale bread.
- In a pan over medium heat, melt the coconut oil and add the onion, garlic, celery. Add the thyme, sage, salt and pepper, stir together, and cook until onions are tender and garlic is fragrant, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a casserole dish, add the cornbread pieces. Add the cooked down veggies. Add the flax egg and combine everything. Add the vegetable broth and stir everything together once more to incorporate. If you want more liquid, just add some more vegetable broth by the ¼ cup until it’s moist enough for you. Alternatively, if you prefer drier cornbread, add a cup at a time until your preferred moist level.
- Bake for 25 minutes until cornbread is set and top becomes golden brown and slightly crusty.. Remove, cool slightly and serve. Enjoy!
