Raise your hand if stuffing is the first thing you go back for at Thanksgiving. Me too! This apple sage stuffing is the only stuffing I eat on Thanksgiving. It's the recipe my mom used to make, with the addition of apples. They cook down in butter with the onion and celery, so every bite of savory, sage-filled bread has a little sweetness running through it. Bake it in a 9x13 for soft middles and golden edges, or scoop it into a muffin tin and give everyone their own crispy stuffing cups.
What makes this different
- This recipe takes seasoned stuffing cubes from a bag and jazzes them up making it taste like you made the whole thing from scratch.
- Cooking the apples, onion, and celery in butter before they hit the bread is what makes this work: the butter carries all that sweet and savory flavor into every single cube
- It takes a little over an hour start to finish, and you can make the apple mixture a day ahead.
What I Learned Making This Recipe
Most stuffing goes wrong with the broth (too little and it's dry, too much and it's a soggy mess), so I add it a little at a time and stop when the bread is moist but not swimming.
This recipe started on the site as stuffing cups, and I later turned it into a 9x13 when I needed to feed a bigger table, so you'll find both ways here. I don't save it just for Thanksgiving, either. It shows up next to roast chicken whenever I want something that tastes like home.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Ingredient notes:
Sage and onion stuffing cubes. Store-bought stuffing cubes are already dried, and dry bread is what you want. It soaks up the broth and butter without turning to mush. The sage and onion kind gives you a head start on flavor. If you can't find them, plain cubes work too. Just add an extra teaspoon of rubbed sage.
Butter. This is where the flavor starts. The apples and vegetables cook in it, and then it coats every cube of bread, which is how you get those golden, toasty edges.
Apples. They bring a little sweetness, a little tartness, and soft bites of fruit all the way through. Plus they add great color! Use a firm, crisp apple that holds its shape when it cooks. I leave the peel on, but peel them if you'd rather.
Celery and onion. The classic stuffing base. Cook them until they're soft so they melt into the stuffing instead of crunching. Celery isn't your favorite? Leave it out.
Sage and poultry seasoning. Sage is the herb everyone recognizes as "stuffing." Fresh or dried both work. Dried sage is more concentrated, so you need about a third as much. Poultry seasoning is a blend of herbs that rounds it out with a deeper, savory flavor. Are you a sage lover like me? Add a little more.
Chicken broth. Broth is what turns dry bread cubes into stuffing. How much you need depends on how dry your cubes are, which is why the recipe gives a range.
How to make apple sage stuffing
- Cook: Melt the butter and cook the apples, celery, and onion until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Stir: Pour it all over the bread cubes.
- Season: Stir in the sage and poultry seasoning, then add the broth a little at a time until the bread is moist.
- Stir: Stir to combine and add more broth if necessary.
- Bake: Spread it in a greased 9x13 (or scoop it into a muffin tin) and bake until the top is golden.
My best tips
Add the broth gradually. Bread cubes soak up broth at different rates depending on the brand and how dry they are, and once it's in, you can't take it back. Start with 2 cups and stir. The cubes should be moist all the way through with no puddle in the bottom of the bowl. Still dry in spots? Add a splash more.
Pick your texture with the bake time. If you love crispy, browned bits around the edges (who doesn't?), bake it toward the longer end of the time. The top and edges keep drying out and browning the longer it's in the oven. If you like it softer, add a little more broth before it goes in.
Season after the broth is in. The stuffing cubes and the broth both bring salt, so taste a cube once everything is mixed, then add salt and pepper. Seasoning first is how stuffing ends up too salty.
Use an ice cream scoop for stuffing cups. It portions the stuffing evenly, so every cup bakes in the same amount of time and none of them burn while the others catch up.
Make it as stuffing cups
This recipe started on Garnish with Lemon as apple sage stuffing cups, and when I first shared them, the crispy edges were what readers raved about. Every cup gets crisp all the way around, and they fit right on a crowded holiday plate without taking over. To make them, whisk 2 eggs into the broth before you add it. The eggs act like glue, so each cup holds together and pops out of the pan in one piece. Scoop the stuffing into 12 greased muffin cups and bake at 375°F for about 20 minutes, until they're lightly browned on top.
FAQ
Stuffing is cooked inside the bird, and dressing is baked separately in a pan. So technically this is dressing, but I always call it stuffing.
It's a mix of seasonings that adds a rich, savory flavor to homemade stuffing. You can find it in the spice aisle of your grocery store.
Yes! If you added too much broth, spread the stuffing on a baking sheet and bake it until it dries out to the texture you like. Spreading it out gives the extra moisture more room to cook off.
A firm, crisp apple that holds its shape when it cooks. You want soft bites of apple all the way through the stuffing, not apple sauce. I leave the peel on for color and ease, but peeled works too.
For this recipe, I use 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh sage or 2 teaspoons of dried sage. Sage lover? Add a little more.
Make-Ahead Tips
Thanksgiving means a lot of dishes competing for your time and your oven. Here's how I get the stuffing prep done the day before.
- Make the apple mixture ahead of time, cover it tightly, and refrigerate.
- Measure the bread cubes and seasonings into a large bowl and set it aside until you're ready to bake.
- When it's time to bake, warm the apple mixture just enough to melt the butter, toss it with the bread cubes, then add the broth.
More Holiday Side Dishes
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Recipe
Homemade Apple Sage Stuffing
Ingredients
- 12 oz Sage and Onion Stuffing Cubes
- ½ cup butter
- 2 apples diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 tablespoons sage fresh, chopped (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups chicken broth plus more if needed
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set it aside.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apples, celery, and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.½ cup butter, 2 apples, 2 stalks celery, 1 small onion
- Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Pour the apple mixture over the top, scraping in all the butter, and toss to coat. Add the sage and poultry seasoning and stir.12 oz Sage and Onion Stuffing Cubes, 2 tablespoons sage, 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, salt and pepper
- Add 2 cups of broth and stir. If the bread cubes still look dry, add more broth a little at a time until they're moist all the way through, with no liquid pooling in the bottom of the bowl. Taste, then season with salt and pepper. Spread the stuffing in the prepared dish.2 cups chicken broth
- Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Bake toward the longer end for crispier edges.
Notes
- No sage and onion cubes? Use plain cubes and add an extra teaspoon of rubbed sage.
- Add the broth gradually. Too much at once makes soggy stuffing.
- Crispier edges: bake longer. Softer stuffing: add a little more broth.
- Soggy stuffing: spread it on a baking sheet and bake until it dries out to your liking.
- Stuffing cups: Whisk 2 eggs into the broth before adding it. Scoop into 12 greased muffin cups (an ice cream scoop works great) and bake at 375°F for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned.
- Make ahead: Make the apple mixture up to 1 day ahead, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Warm it just enough to melt the butter, then toss with the bread cubes and broth.
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Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
Terri Grund says
This is genius on so many levels including ...dare I say it ...portion control. And, you are stuffing the dressing into the muffin cups so I think the name is still politically correct!
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life says
I love stuffing muffins!!! And I love the apple sage flavor combo in yours! YUM!!!
Sarah @ SnixyKitchen says
Those crispy muffin stuffing cups sound amazing! Sage and apple are the best two parts of stuffing! Well, that and the crispy bits. Genius.
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says
I always make stuffing cups from leftover stuffing! Love them!
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
What a great way to make stuffing! Crispy stuffing is the best!