This Sourdough Cranberry Apple Walnut Stuffing is a must have on your Thanksgiving table! It’s loaded with golden brown sourdough pieces, delicious dried cranberries, sweet crisp apples and walnuts. It’s unique, delicious and you are going to love it!
Can we just all agree that the side dishes are the real MVP of Thanksgiving? Sure, the turkey or ham is great and everything – but I’m here for the mashed potatoes. The mac and cheese. The buttery rolls…and of course, the stuffing!
Why I Love Side Dishes (And this one specifically!)
Specifically, this Sourdough Cranberry Apple Walnut Stuffing. Yes, it’s a mouthful. But after reading all about it, you’re going to want to have MANY mouthfuls of it. Wow, that was a lame joke. I’m just so excited about this dish!
Growing up, we always had the boxed stuffing. And while there is nothing wrong with that, I just absolute love the unique flavor this stuffing brings to the table.
It’s tangy from the delicious fresh sourdough bread. Also, the top of the sourdough cubes get SO super golden brown and crispy. They remind me of homemade sourdough croutons and they’re addictive. I like how the crunchy top helps balance out the more moist and delicious bread that is baked underneath.
I love the sweetness of the apples! They get slightly softer but still retain a bite to them that makes them unmistakably yummy.
The dried cranberries are sweet but still have a tartness to them. I thought about using fresh cranberries but knew that the dried would be a little bit sweeter and would balance better with the already tanginess of the sourdough bread.
Lastly, the walnuts add such a nice crunch to the dish. I don’t know about y’all, but I love a dish that combines a ton of different textures in one. This Sourdough Cranberry Apple Walnut Stuffing totally does that!
It’s the perfect fun and unique dish that everyone will rave about around the Thanksgiving table! Let’s get into how to make it!
Ingredients You Need for Sourdough Cranberry Apple Walnut Stuffing:
- day old sourdough bread, cubed
- yellow onion
- walnuts
- dried cranberries
- fresh thyme
- salted butter
- salt and pepper
- chicken broth (can also sub veggie broth)
How to Make Sourdough Cranberry Apple Walnut Stuffing:
Begin by dicing your onion and apple. I diced mine pretty finely as to not have big chunks of them within the dish.
To a skillet, add a tbsp of salted butter. Let it melt and add the diced apple and onion. Cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until soft.
While that is cooking, dice your day old sourdough bread into cubes. Add these to a large bowl.
To the bowl, add the dried cranberries, walnuts and cooked apples and onions. Add 1 and a half cups of chicken broth slowly – making sure that you evenly coat everything and don’t oversoak just one part of the stuffing. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Butter a casserole dish and then add the stuffing mixture to it. Put foil over top of it and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. When the 15 minutes are up, remove the foil and continue to bake for 5-10 more minutes or until the top gets a lovely golden brown color. Garnish with fresh thyme if desired.
And voila! A delicious and super easy side dish option. Don’t miss out on this one! XO
Recipe Tips and Questions:
Does your sourdough bread have to be a day old? No, but it just helps make it a little crustier. It’s not a huge deal if it’s not.
Can I use fresh cranberries? I feel like this would be okay, but you might need to add sugar to help balance the cranberries with the sourdough. They are both more “tangy” and the cranberries are super tart as well. I would try and just go with the dried cranberries if you have that choice!
Can you substitute walnuts? If you don’t have walnuts available, I would use pecans!
What about a different apple? If you don’t have honeycrisp on hand, I would use a gala! I would use an apple that is on the sweeter side and avoid apples like Granny Smith or Pink Lady.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Here are a few others you might like:
Honey Dijon Glazed Brussel Sprouts
Butternut Squash Mashed Potatoes
The Best Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Sourdough Cranberry Apple Walnut Stuffing
This Sourdough Cranberry Apple Walnut Stuffing is a must have on your Thanksgiving table! It’s loaded with golden brown sourdough pieces, delicious dried cranberries, sweet crisp apples and walnuts. It’s unique, delicious and you are going to love it!
Ingredients
- 6-7 cups day old sourdough bread, cubed
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium gala apples, diced
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1.5 cups chicken broth
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350. Dice your onion and apple finely into similar bite size pieces. Set aside.
-
Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a skillet on medium heat. Add the apple and onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft.
-
While the apples and onions are cooking, dice your sourdough bread into cubes. Add this to a large bowl.
-
To the same bowl, add the cooked onions and apples, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts. Mix together. Slowly add 1.5 cups of chicken broth and make sure you evenly coat each piece of the stuffing mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.
-
Butter a casserole dish (I used a 9x13) and then add the stuffing mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the top is golden brown and delicious! Garnish with fresh thyme if desired!
What a great looking stuffing! It has a little bit of everything in it. I love the addition of the apples and walnuts.
Thank you so much, Kathy! I love the apples and walnuts as well! 🙂
Haylie, what a lovely stuffing for the holiday table! So full of yummy flavors and so festive! Love those crispy bits of sour dough on top – so irresistible!
The crispy sourdough bits are my FAVORITE! Thanks, Kelly! 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m loving the addition of walnuts! I make a stuffing with apples and cranberries and walnuts would definitely be a great addition. This is a lovely side dish for the holidays Haylie!
Thank you so much, Leanne! So delicious! 🙂