A low carb and Keto friendly version of stuffing with cubes of herbed bread and ground sausage making a perfect edition to your Thanksgiving feast!
FREE EASY KETO DINNERS EBOOK
Jump to:
- What's in Low Carb Stuffing
- How to Make Sausage Herb Keto Stuffing
- Do You Always Put Eggs in Stuffing?
- Can You Make Keto Stuffing in Advance?
- Tips for the Best Gluten-Free Stuffing
- What are the Carbs in this Sausage Stuffing Recipe?
- Is Gravy Allowed on Keto?
- More Holiday Inspired Keto Recipes
- What is Oat Fiber? Is Oat Fiber Keto?
- What is a Substitute for Oat Fiber?
This low carb stuffing will not leave you feeling deprived this Thanksgiving! If you are looking for the perfect homemade substitute for stuffing mix, this sausage stuffing made with herb bread/crouton will deliver!
I make my own herb bread to cube up and use in this Keto stuffing recipe. It's an extra step, but trust me when I tell you it is SO worth it!
Crumbled sausage, celery, fennel and chopped pecans are also in this delicious dish, along with my Homemade Chicken Stock. Once you make this low carb and Keto friendly version, you'll see there is no reason to cheat with traditional stuffing!
One thing to note, this is not the type of stuffing that you could patch a wall with! You know the kind I am talking about, right?! It's more on the loose side, but the flavor is tremendous so it's totally worth the effort! It is perfect served with this Slow Cooker Turkey Breast.
What's in Low Carb Stuffing
- Almond Flour
- Oat Fiber
- Eggs
- Sour cream
- Butter
- Swerve confectioners
- Thyme
- Herbs De Provence
- Sage
- Celery
- Onions
- Pecans
- Parsley
- Fennel
- Ground sausage
- Chicken stock
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt and pepper
*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
How to Make Sausage Herb Keto Stuffing
To Make the Herb Gluten Free Bread
Preheat oven to 350F.
Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl, add the eggs, sour cream, herbs, Swerve and butter.
Whisk well until combined.
Mix in the dry ingredients in to the wet and stir just until combined.
Pour the mixture into an 9 X 13 glass or ceramic baking dish that's been sprayed with nonstick spray.
Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick, when inserted, comes out clean.
Lower the oven temperature to 250F.
Take the bread and invert it onto a cutting board to cool slightly, then cut it into small cubes and spread over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the bread has dried and firmed up, careful not to burn it!
Remove and set aside to cool slightly, and increase the temperature to 375F. Place it back in the oven and bake for 5 more minutes, then set aside.
To Make the Gluten Free Stuffing
Sauté the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked through. Once browned, scoop out and set aside.
Add most of the butter (reserving some to dot on the top of the stuffing) in the pan and saute the onions, fennel and celery for about 8-10 minutes or until slightly softened.
Add the sausage, onions, celery and fennel to a large bowl and mix.
Mix in the chicken stock, herbs and pecans.
Add in the herbed bread cubes and gently toss. Add more chicken stock if you prefer a more soggy stuffing. I prefer mine moist, but a little crunchy on top once baked, so 2 ¼ cups is the perfect amount for me.
Pour the mixture into a large casserole dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray and add small dots of softened butter to the top.
Bake for 45 minutes on 375F, first 35 minutes covered with foil and last 10 minutes uncovered. Allow to cool slightly before serving!
You can replace the pecans with walnuts or pine nuts, if you'd like. You can make the herb bread in advance and toast the day you plan on making the stuffing.
If you want to save a little time and make the bread a day in advance, just cook it according to the directions, then keep in the fridge until you're ready to make the stuffing.
Do You Always Put Eggs in Stuffing?
How do you get stuffing to stick together? Eggs! Eggs act as a binder and are a main ingredient into what creates the texture for stuffing. Because Keto stuffing made with almond flour is doesn't have gluten, you'll want to eggs to help give it a that fluffy texture.
Can You Make Keto Stuffing in Advance?
You sure can. In fact, a lot of people prefer to make it a couple of weeks in advance and freeze it precooked. It intensifies the flavors as it freezes. Just make this easy Keto stuffing recipe according to the instructions but place the uncooked stuffing mixture in an airtight container until you're ready to make it.
The night before you want to cook it, just thaw in the fridge overnight then continue with the baking instructions.
This can be a huge time saver when you're doing a lot of other holiday cooking.
Tips for the Best Gluten-Free Stuffing
Whether you call it dressing or stuffing, it is the utmost cornerstone of most Thanksgiving menus so it's important for it to turn out perfect every time. Here are some great tips and substitutions for you to try:
- Adjust the seasonings to suit your taste. One thing that most people understand is, the herbs used for dressing vary based on what part of the country you live. Some like a lot of garlic, sage or poultry seasoning and some do not. So test it before making it for your family to make sure you add just enough or not to much of your favorite stuffing seasoning. This gluten free stuffing recipe is a great starting point as it has a mild blend of the most commonly used stuffing ingredients.
- To keep your stuffing from being soggy, don's skip drying out the bread. In traditional stuffing, it calls for crackers or day old biscuits. But you can achieve the same results by toasting the cubes of this Keto bread recipe in the oven. The texture really depends on this step.
- A good quality chicken broth or stock is also essential. If you can not make this homemade chicken stock, try using Chicken Bone Broth. It has a more intense chicken flavor than most store bought brands of stock.
- There are several substitutions you can experiment with. You can use whatever ground sausage you like best. If you prefer ground Italians sausage, a mild breakfast style sausage or even chicken sausage, it will work just fine. Just adjust the amount of seasonings in the mixture accordingly. You can also use walnuts instead of pecans, or even omit the nuts all together. But, trust me, that little bit of crunch really makes the recipe.
What are the Carbs in this Sausage Stuffing Recipe?
Traditional cornbread stuffing can have as many as 40 carbs per serving. That's two days worth of carbs for those on Keto. Almond flour bread greatly reduces the carbs. For one serving of low carb free stuffing recipe, there are only 4 net carbs! How is that for low carb!?
Is Gravy Allowed on Keto?
Traditional gravy starts with a roux made with flour and some sort of fat. That's not good news for those on Keto or low carb diets. But if you enjoy gravy over your low carb stuffing, there is GREAT news for you! The gravy in this recipe for Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Gravy is gluten free and goes wonderfully with this sausage herb stuffing.
More Holiday Inspired Keto Recipes
- Pumpkin Crème Brulee
- Green Beans Almondine
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse
- Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- Cranberry Sauce Walnut Muffins
- Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake
What is Oat Fiber? Is Oat Fiber Keto?
Oat Fiber is made from grinding the outer husks of oats. How healthy is oat fiber? It's pure insoluble fiber, which doesn't dissolve in water and isn't broken down in the digestive tract, so it has zero net carbs and is perfect for a Keto Diet. It helps give a more traditional texture and that's why I use it so often. Check out all the Keto Oat Fiber Recipes you can make!
What is a Substitute for Oat Fiber?
To get the best results, it's best to use oat fiber if you can. If you're unable to find it, try a combination of psyllium husk powder and coconut flour. Since both are very absorbent, you might have to add more liquid.
Need more holiday recipes? Check out these 50+ Best Keto Thanksgiving Recipes roundup!
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Herb Sausage Keto Stuffing
Ingredients
For the Herb Bread
- 2 Cups Almond Flour
- 3 tablespoons Oat Fiber , see notes
- 3 Eggs, beaten
- 1 Cup Sour Cream
- ½ cup Grass-Fed Butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons swerve confectioners, or powdered erythritol
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, regular or lemon, chopped
- 3 teaspoons dried Herbs De Provence
- 1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of Salt
For the Stuffing
- 1 pound ground sausage
- 2 ¼ cups chicken stock , see my homemade chicken stock recipe here
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- ½ cup fennel, chopped
- ½ cup onion, sliced thinly
- ⅓ cup toasted pecans, chopped
- ½ cup grass fed butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, regular or lemon, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
To Make the Herb Bread
- Preheat oven to 350F. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, add the eggs, sour cream, herbs, swerve and butter, then mix to combine. Mix in the dry ingredients, just until combined.
- Pour the mixture into an 9 X 13 glass or ceramic baking dish that's been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick, when inserted, comes out clean.
- Lower the temperature to 250F. Invert onto a cutting board to cool slightly, then cut into small cubes and spread over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 25 minutes or until the bread has dried and firmed up, careful not to burn it! Remove and set aside to cool slightly, and increase the temperature to 375F. Bake for 5 more minutes, then set aside.
To Make the Stuffing
- Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Once browned, scoop out and set aside. Add most of the butter (reserving some to dot on the top of the stuffing) in the pan and sauté the onions, fennel and celery for about 8-10 minutes or until slightly softened.
- Add the sausage, onions, celery and fennel to a large bowl and mix. Mix in the chicken stock, herbs and pecans. Add in the cubed herb bread and gently toss. Add more chicken stock if you prefer a more soggy stuffing. I prefer mine moist, but a little crunchy on top once baked, so 2 ½ cups is the perfect amount for me.
- Pour the mixture into a large baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray and add small dots of softened butter to the top. Bake for 40 minutes @ 375F, first 30 minutes covered with foil and last 10 minutes uncovered. Allow to cool slightly before serving!
Recipe Notes
*Make sure to scroll up and read the post for substitutions, additions and helpful tips for making this recipe.
*Nutritional data is provided as a courtesy and is accurate to the best of my knowledge. You can verify it using the nutrition calculator of your choice. All data is based on net carbs, without sugar alcohol: Swerve, Erythritol, Monk Fruit or Allulose.
© Copyright for Keto Cooking Christian LLC. Please use the share buttons to share on social media, but please do not copy/paste the recipe.
Rate this Recipe*Originally published on November 19, 2018, updated on November 8, 2021 with recipe info and helpful tips.
Shelli odom french
I made this using your Jalapeno cornbread recipe first therefore making cornbread stuffing.
It was great. I love all your recipes.
Keto Cooking Christian
Thank you so much.
Ryckie
Hi, Thank you for all the yummy recipes! I can't wait to try the bread and the dressing too! I do have a question about after you make the bread and are getting the recipe to make the dressing. Are there any eggs added when you make the dressing? I only see the eggs for when you make the bread. Thank you also for your witness to our Blessed Lord!!! Sending hugs! Happy Thanksgiving!
Keto Cooking Christian
I did not add additional eggs to the stuffing mixture. But if you'd like to add some to create a fluffier stuffing you certainly can. Just offset some of moisture from the stock with an egg or two.
Linda
You mention adding eggs in the notes but there are no eggs in the recipe except for the bread part. When and how many eggs go into the stuffing? Thanks!
Keto Cooking Christian
Hi, thanks for the question, but I am confused. The instruction for the eggs is listed in the body of the post then again in the actual recipe at the bottom on the post in the printable recipe card. Please let me know if that helps.
Janet Plumb
I made your stuffing for Thanksgiving. I had to do some substations because of family preferences. I used dry herbs sage, rosemary, thyme and parsley but ground them in my spice blender. I substituted chopped turkey for the sausage and left out the fennel. I had rave reviews from my family especially my pickiest eater. Thank you for sharing your recipe with us I gave you 5 stars but your recipe deserves a much higher rating.
Keto Cooking Christian
That's wonderful that your family enjoyed it! Thank you for letting me know and for sharing your modifications 🙂
GinaE
I just made the breading for tomorrow (Thanksgiving dinner). It's so tasty and flavorful!!! I made an additional batch to use as croutons, they are perfect for a Caesar salad addition! Thank you, Julianne, for all the wonderful recipes you share with us! Blessings to you and your loved ones, from California <3 🙂
Keto Cooking Christian
That's awesome, I'm glad to hear you like it!! I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving and may the Lord bless you all 🙂
Julie
Do you know the amount do carbs that are in a serving.
Keto Cooking Christian
Each serving has 4 net carbs.
Linda
Daughter has nut allergies. Can I substitute coconut flour for the almond flour?
Keto Cooking Christian
I've never tried subbing with coconut flour, so I can't say for sure how it might turn out.
Terri
Not a big fan of sausage stuffing — would this recipe be tasty without sausage? Or do you have an alternate recipe for low carb stuffing/dressing? Thank you and blessings.
Keto Cooking Christian
It wouldn't be quite as flavorful, since most of the flavor does come from the sausage. Would there be another protein that you could use instead, like bacon, pancetta or prosciutto?
sterling
Hi - what is your note about the oat fiber? I'm not seeing it in the recipe notes. Thanks!
Keto Cooking Christian
Not sure how that got removed, but I've added it back. Sorry for any confusion!
Elizabeth
I'm looking for a stuffing recipe more traditional for us. One with no meat. Any suggestions? Could I just double the Herb Bread?
Keto Cooking Christian
Sure, or even add more veg to give it more flavor.
Darcie F
Absolutely the best Keto Stuffing I have ever had. So full of flavor and heats up nicely.
Keto Cooking Christian
Thanks for the feedback, good to hear you enjoyed it!