Stuffing Muffins: Classic Thanksgiving Stuffing in Extra-Crispy, Individual Portions!
Golden, crispy edges with a soft, savory center—these Crispy-Edged Stuffing Muffins take everything there is to love about classic Thanksgiving stuffing and pack it into the cutest personal portions. 🥰
I have to admit…stuffing was never my favorite part of Thanksgiving—until I tried my Aunt Kari’s famous Sourdough Stuffing. It turned me from a lifelong skeptic to someone who considers eating the entire pan!
For a fun twist this holiday season, I took all the best parts of Aunt Kari’s recipe—big flavor and delicious textures—and packed them into individual servings. Just like that, stuffin muffins were born!
Made with tangy sourdough bread, garlic, parmesan, and fresh herbs like rosemary, sage, and thyme, these stuffin muffins are loaded with classic Thanksgiving flavor.
And since they’re portioned in a muffin pan, each serving is loaded with texture—extra golden, crispy edges and a tender, savory center.
No mushy casserole—just individual portions that make serving (and grabbing seconds 😏) a total breeze. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or any holiday gathering!
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The Secret Weapon for the Best Stuffing: Homemade Bread Cubes
The best stuffing starts with really good bread cubes. Dried-out bread soaks up all the savory flavor from the aromatics and herbs, creating a soft, custardy stuffing with perfectly crispy edges.
While you can make these stuffing muffins with store-bought seasoned bread cubes for a convenient shortcut, homemade bread cubes give you full control over flavor and texture—and they’re surprisingly easy to make!
Depending on your prep schedule, there are 2 easy options for getting the bread cubes ready to go…
- Ahead of Time (1-2 Days): Slice or tear the bread into cubes and arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Leave them out at room temperature until the cubes dry out to your desired crispiness. Tip! ⇢ For extra counter space, pop the baking sheet in the oven so it’s out of the way.
- Day of Prep: Toast the cubed bread in the oven at 350℉ for 10-15 minutes, until dry and golden. Allow the bread cubes to cool before assembling the stuffing muffins.
🍞Best bread to use? ⇢ I love sourdough for its tangy flavor and hearty texture, but a softer French or Italian-style loaf works well too.
How to Make Stuffing in a Muffin Pan
If you’ve ever made traditional Thanksgiving stuffing, the process for making stuffing muffins will look familiar! Soften the aromatics, mix everything together, and bake—easy!
The only difference? Here, it’s portioned into a muffin tin to make the perfect individual servings.
Thanksgiving Prep Tip!
For the best flavor and texture, serve stuffing muffins fresh out of the oven. For a head start, you can prep components in advance: dry out the bread cubes and cook the aromatics, then mix, portion, and bake just before dinner. Check the Recipe Notes below for more guidance!
I can’t wait for you to try these Crispy-Edged Stuffing Muffins! If you do, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!
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Crispy-Edged Stuffing Muffins aka, Stuffins! (Individual Portions)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Inactive Time: 1 -2 days
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Category: Side Dish Recipes
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Introducing the hit of your next holiday dinner—Crispy-Edged Stuffing Muffins (aka, stuffins 🥰)!
Made with hearty sourdough bread, fresh herbs, garlic, and parmesan cheese, these muffins pack all the classic flavors of Thanksgiving stuffing, but are baked in a muffin pan for perfect, individual portions. Each stuffin is deliciously crispy on the outside, with a soft, tender center.
All that’s missing? A big spoonful of Turkey Gravy!
Ingredients
- 16 ounces sourdough bread, sliced or torn into ½-inch cubes (see Recipe Notes)
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 3 stalks celery, finely diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup finely chopped hardy fresh herbs (e.g. rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, etc.)
- 1 cup finely grated parmesan
- 2 large eggs
- 1 – 1 ½ cups chicken or turkey broth/stock
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
- nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- 1-2 days ahead of time, prepare the bread cubes: Slice the bread into ½-inch cubes. Transfer the bread to a baking sheet, spreading it in an even layer. Set aside, uncovered, for 1-2 days or until the bread is dried out—provided I’m not baking anything, I set the baking sheet in the oven to keep it out of the way. (See Recipe Notes for day-of and store-bought options.)
- Prep: When you’re ready to prep and bake your stuffing muffins, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, ensuring an oven rack is positioned in the upper third of the oven.
- Soften the aromatics: To a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add the butter. Once melted, add the onions and celery, seasoning with 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and fresh herbs. Cook 1-2 minutes longer, until fragrant. Remove from the heat.
- Finish the stuffing: To the pot with the aromatics, add the dried bread cubes, parmesan, and eggs. Stir to combine well. Working ½ cup at a time, stir the chicken/turkey broth into the stuffing mixture. Mix well between additions and use just enough broth to rehydrate the bread cubes such that they’re softened but not soggy.
- Assemble the stuffing muffins: Generously grease a nonstick muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer the stuffing mixture to the prepared tin, gently packing the stuffing in each cup. I like to use a spring-loaded cookie scoop, reshaping the the stuffin tops with my fingers if needed.
- Bake the stuffing muffins: Spritz each stuffing muffin with nonstick cooking spray, then transfer the muffin tin to the oven. Bake 30-35 minutes, until the tops of the stuffins are as golden and crispy as you like. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
- Serve: If needed, run a knife around each stuffing muffin to release from the pan. Transfer to a serving tray and serve warm, preferably with lots of Easy Turkey Gravy. Enjoy!
Notes
Jess’ Tips and Tricks:
- Bread: I can’t resist the rich, tangy flavor and hearty texture of sourdough bread, especially in stuffing. If you prefer a more classic stuffing, use your favorite loaf of soft French or Italian-style bread.
- Alternate bread cube prep options: If you do not want to prepare bread cubes a few days in advance, the following methods work just as well:
- Day of bread cubes in the oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the bread into ½-inch cubes. Spread them into an even layer on a baking sheet. Transfer to the oven to toast until dried out, 10-15 minutes. Set aside to cool before mixing the stuffing as directed in Step 4, above.
- Store-bought bread cubes: Let the store do the work! Buy a bag of prepared bread cubes. You’ll need 12 ounces of dried bread cubes for this recipe.
- Easy Recipe Variations for Dietary Restrictions: These stuffing muffins are naturally meatless. To ensure a vegetarian result, be sure to use your favorite rennet-free parmesan cheese.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing:
- Make-Ahead Instructions: To prep these stuffing muffins ahead of time, prepare the bread cubes according to Step 1 (store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days) and soften the aromatics according to Step 3 (cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days). At dinnertime, just finish mix and bake the stuffing muffins according to Steps 4-6. Serve warm.
- Storage Instructions: While best enjoyed fresh, leftover stuffing muffins can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The cooled stuffins may be a little tough—just reheat in the oven or microwave until warmed through and they’ll soften back up.
- Freezer Instructions: You can also freeze leftover stuffing muffins. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in the microwave or oven until warmed through.
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This recipe came at the perfect time. I just started baking my own sourdough and wanted to make a sourdough stuffing for Thanksgiving. This was easily my favorite dish of the day! I can see myself making this regularly because it is SO good, so easy to make and so dang tasty. I’m actually sad the leftovers are gone. 10/10!
Homemade stuffing with homemade sourdough?! YES PLEASE! So happy to hear it turned out great for you, Pragati!
Could you make this with cornbread? I’m thinking dried cornbread would be delicious and my family prefers it.
Hi Laura, you can absolutely use cornbread! Make sure to let us know how they turn out for you!