Being on a gluten-free diet doesn’t mean sacrificing your favorites on Thanksgiving. Try this Gluten Free Cornbread Dressing made in your slow cooker, and you won’t miss a thing!
If there is one dish that says, “Thanksgiving” to me, it’s cornbread dressing (or stuffing if you aren’t from the south). This has always been my very favorite part of the meal. I grew up near lots of family on my mom’s side, and we had big Thanksgiving dinners at my grandma’s house with probably over 30 people. My grandma would always make two giant pans of dressing, one hot with lots of cayenne and one mild. I always went for a heaping helping of the hot.
My mom is pretty good at making that family favorite dish too, and she taught me how. I have been practicing my cornbread dressing since I moved to California almost 15 years ago, and I like to think I’ve gotten pretty good at it too. I miss those big gatherings, and recreating Ma-Ma’s dressing gives me a taste of home even when I’m far away.
Since cornbread dressing is my favorite part of the holiday, imagine my dismay when I learned that I couldn’t stomach wheat anymore. I considered just eating whatever I wanted for this one day of the year and dealing with a week of feeling sick afterward. Then, I decided there must be a better way.
Cornbread is mostly cornmeal, which is A-OK, and it’s easy to make with gluten-free flour. I was taught to use day-old canned biscuits for the other part of the bread, so I really just needed to substitute that ingredient. This version uses gluten-free sandwich bread instead, and it turns out great!
I am willing to say this slow cooker cornbread stuffing is just about as good as the version I grew up with. It’s extra convenient too since it’s made in the slow cooker and doesn’t take up precious oven space on Thanksgiving. If you can’t eat wheat, this is the dressing for you!
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 4 hours |
| Servings |
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- 1 tablespoon shortening
- 1 egg
- 1 cup buttermilk (see notes for substitution)
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 cup gluten-free flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon table salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium-sized white onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 4 ribs celery diced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 6 slices gluten-free sandwich bread cut into 1" squares (I used Udi's Flax and Fiber bread)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1 egg
- cayenne pepper to taste optional
Ingredients
Gluten-Free Cornbread
Slow Cooker Dressing
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- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place shortening in a 10" iron skillet (or 8" square baking dish) and place in oven to melt.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together corn meal, flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Beat buttermilk and egg together in a measuring cup, and stir into cornmeal mixture.
- Carefully remove skillet from oven, and pour cornbread batter into pan. Return to oven and bake for 17-20 minutes, until golden brown.
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery, and saute for 10-15 minutes until vegetables are very tender. Stir in salt and poultry seasoning, and turn off heat.
- Crumble cornbread into a very large mixing bowl, and add cubed sandwich bread. Stir in butter and vegetables.
- Add two cups of broth, and stir well.
- Whisk egg and half and half together in a measuring cup (plus cayenne pepper if desired), and stir into cornbread mixture.
- Spray crock of slow cooker VERY well with cooking spray, and pour in cornbread mixture. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
If you don't have buttermilk, stir a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into a cup of milk. Allow it to set for a few minutes until curdled.
Looking for more recipes for your Thanksgiving table? Try these!
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Sarah says
Would this still turn out good to make a day ahead of time? Or is there any part of the recipe that I could do the day before Thanksgiving?☺️
Andi Gleeson says
Hi! You can make it up the day before and cook it on Thanksgiving. I actually made it today and will bake it in the oven tomorrow instead of cooking it in the slow cooker. You can also cook it completely ahead of time and just reheat it when you are ready to eat, but I personally prefer to cook it fresh the day of.
Joann says
lol, this will either be the best gluten free stuffing or the worst. I put the cornbread in a pan that I thought would be big enough. Set off all the smoke alarms in my house. Baking the cornbread until a knife comes out clean. Almost 40 minutes now. Oh my. Hope this works. :) I also plan to add some giblets. My Auntie used to make the most amazing cornbread and regular break stuffing, I would be so jazzed if this comes out anything like hers. I’ll let you know if it works.
Joann says
I accidentally made 4x’s the batch of cornbread lol. It was really stiff and not creamy batter when I put it in to bake in the oven. Hope it turns out. So I’m using dried gluten free cubes, how many cups per single batch. Should I add extra moisture? Lastly since i’m making a huge batch now lol, what should the internal temperature be. I’m planning on 4 hours. Hope this works and I didn’t wreck it :(. Hope you can respond in time.
Andi Ricks says
I like Pamela’s GF Cornbread. Could I just use a pan of Pamela’s in this recipe? Just curious – Thanks so much. PS – LOVE your name ;-).
Ivey says
Question above it says make one pan of cornbread them it says mix egg and half and half into cornbread….do you make cornbread in pan ahead or does it cook in crockpot?
Andi says
Hi! You make the cornbread separately in the oven and then crumble it into the slow cooker. I’m going to update this recipe today to make that more clear. Thanks for your question!
Sherry Ann says
I am a Hurricane Harvey victim, living in a FEMA hotel this Thanksgiving. I was searching for a slow cooker cornbread dressing recipe because in my room I only have two burner cook tops, therefore, I thought your dressing recipe would do the trick, but I have no oven to cook the cornbread. Randall’s in Houston, have already prepared cornbread but it is too sweet for dressing. In other suggestions. Your ingredients were basically close to my recipe but instead I use red and yellow bell pepper, parsley, green onions, fresh garlic, one can of cream of chicken soup or cream of celery and a can of chicken broth, plus one well beaten egg to this mixture. Also, I sautee the vegetables used in dressing. I use a little bit of sage or poultry season sometimes, I prefer not to. Plus sometimes I add crawfish or cajun pan sausage to my dressing, but if I do leave out the sage or poultry. With crawfish I had a cajun seasong, something like Slap Your Momma. My family are from Houston, Texas and my dressing derives from my grandmother and mom’s way of cooking.
Priscilla martinez says
I am making the gluten free cornbread dressing for the first time! The directions were very clear and easy. I’m excited to see how this is going to turn out!
Toni Mitchell says
If I double this recipe, should the cook time increase as well? Or would 4 hours still be suitable? Thank you!
Andi Gleeson says
Hi, Toni! The four hours should still work. You can use a probe thermometer if you have one to make sure it is cooked through, but it should be fine!
Patti haugen says
Could I substitute soy milk for the half and half?
Andi Gleeson says
Hi! Yes, that should work. I hope you enjoy it, Patti!
Bonnie says
I will be traveling and I want to take this in a pan, is there anyway I can prepare this in the oven?
Andi Gleeson says
Hi, Bonnie! Yes, make it just as described except put in a 13 x 9″ pan sprayed well with cooking spray. Bake it at 350 for about an hour. I usually cover it with foil for the first 40 minutes or so and then remove the foil so it will brown on top. I’m traveling too and plan to make this for Thanksgiving at my MIL’s house :) I hope you like it!
Elizabeth says
I cannot have egg or dairy. Has anyone tried substituting out those ingredients in this listing?
Andi Gleeson says
Hi, Elizabeth! So sorry for missing this question sooner. You should be able to substitute almond or soy milk for the half and half, and you could leave the egg out. It might just be a bit more crumbly. The trick will be also making the cornbread and finding sandwich bread that is dairy and egg free. You might want to check out this recipe from Petite Allergy Treats for gluten-free and vegan stuffing: http://petiteallergytreats.com/easy-gluten-stuffing-vegan/
paula says
how many servings does this make?
Andi Gleeson says
Hi, Paula! I would say it makes 8-10 servings. I eat dressing by the mountain, so it’s hard for me to judge. Thanks!
Megan says
How many does this recipe serve? Thanks!
Andi Gleeson says
Hi, Megan. It would serve 8-10 people generous helpings. I like to eat a lot of dressing, so I want to be conservative when I say how many servings it makes.
Elizabeth says
I made this dish last year and it was delicious! How many servings do you think this is? I’m serving 24 people.
Andi Gleeson says
Hi, Elizabeth! I’m so excited that you are coming back to my recipe for this year! For 24 people I would probably make two slow cookers full or triple it and bake it in the oven (if you don’t have slow cooker space). That’s a big crowd, and you never want to run out of dressing! Happy Thanksgiving!
Jaren (Diary of a Recipe Collector) says
This looks great! I love that I’m learning it isn’t too hard to make things gluten free now.
Andi says
Thanks, Jaren! Yes, it’s definitely easier than I expected!
Nancy P.@thebittersideofsweet says
You did a fabulous job in recreating this for those who need to eat gluten free! Looks so good!
Andi says
Thank you so much, Nancy! I appreciate your sweet comment :)
Annie @Maebells says
GREAT idea! Love the idea of making stuffing in a crock pot! It is always so hard to fit everything in the oven for Thanksgiving!
Andi says
Glad you like the idea, Annie! I hope you give it a try because it does make life easier! Thank you :)
Cate @ Chez CateyLou says
I’m so glad you found a way to enjoy your favorite holiday dish! This looks delicious, and I love that you used the slow cooker to make it!
Andi says
Thanks, Cate! I highly recommend the slow cooker for dressing/stuffing. It works great!
Ashlyn @ Belle of the Kitchen says
How awesome is this, Andi! We are trying to limit gluten, plus I have a friend coming for Thanksgiving who is completely gluten-free. This would be perfect! :)
Andi says
Ooh yes this would be great for your GF dinner guest! Thank you, Ashlyn! xo
Kristine @ Kristine's Kitchen says
That plate of turkey, cranberry, and stuffing looks mouthwateringly good – I am so ready for Thanksgiving! This cornbread stuffing looks delicious, and I love that it’s made in the slow cooker!
Andi says
Thank you, Kristine! Maybe you should have a pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving too so you don’t have to wait!
Ginny McMeans says
Dressing is one of my favorite things in the world. I had not thought of putting it in the slow cooker so this is great. So glad you also developed a delicious gluten-free recipe too.
Andi says
I think last year was the first time I tried it in the slow cooker, and I will probably never go back since it’s so easy and turns out great! Thank you, Ginny :)
KalynsKitchen says
What a great post, and you really nailed it on the photos!
Andi says
Thank you, Kalyn! That is so nice of you to say!
Sheena @ Hot Eats and Cool Reads says
This is a fantastic gluten free recipe! Great Thanksgiving addition!
Andi says
Thank you, Sheena! I’m relieve that I don’t have to give up dressing :)