Baked Apple Cranberry Stuffing Recipe - Peas and Crayons (2024)

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Published: January 29, 2013Updated: February 25, 2022Author: Jenn Laughlin

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This sweet and savory baked apple cranberry stuffing is the best of both worlds! Sweet apples and cranberries kissed with cinnamon then baked into a warm Thanksgiving stuffing… DELICIOUS! See recipe card for both oven and slow cooker instructions!

Baked Apple Cranberry Stuffing Recipe - Peas and Crayons (1)

When the Thanksgiving prep rolls around in this kitchen, I can’t help but employ the tasty stuffing shortcut my mom served up pretty much my entire life.

Her ridiculously delicious veggie-loaded stuffing recipe relies on Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mix as its base and I love it so much that I couldn’t imagine Thanksgiving without it! I was feeling a bit nostalgic when Campbell’s asked me to peruse their massive recipe arsenal over at Campbell’s Kitchenand instantly sought out a new stuffing recipe to whip up.

Baked Apple Cranberry Stuffing Recipe - Peas and Crayons (2)

Their baked apple cranberry stuffing is nothing short of AMAZING!

I’ve whipped it up a few times now and it has been amazing every which way we’ve tried it. Honey crisp apples have to be my favorite so far, and I’m a huge fan of chopping my cranberries into little bits so I get lots of delicious cranberry flavor in every bite!

Baked Apple Cranberry Stuffing Recipe - Peas and Crayons (3)

Baked Apple Cranberry Stuffing

This scrumptious stuffing recipe yields approx. eleven 3/4 cup servings and tastes GREAT the next day!

You can bake this super tasty stuffing in the oven or use the slow cooker instructions at the bottom of the recipe card to make this Crock-Pot style and free up oven space on Thanksgiving! Woot!

Baked Apple Cranberry Stuffing Recipe - Peas and Crayons (4)

Baked Apple Cranberry Stuffing

This savory sweet baked apple cranberry stuffing combines the best of both worlds! Sweet apples and cranberries kissed with cinnamon and baked into a warm Thanksgiving stuffing… it's DELICIOUS. Oven + Slow Cooker Options.

5 from 25 votes

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Apple Cranberry Stuffing

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 11 servings

Author: Jenn Laughlin – Peas and Crayons

Ingredients

  • 12 oz Pepperidge Farm Herb Cubed Stuffing Mix (1 package)
  • 3 TBSP unsalted butter
  • 4 stalks of celery (1.5 cups chopped)
  • 1 medium onion (1.5 cups chopped)
  • 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth*
  • 1 large honey crisp apple, chopped**
  • 1 cup dried cranberries (whole or chopped)
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon (plus extra to taste)
  • tsp black pepper

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

  • Place stuffing mix in an extra-large bowl.

  • Heat butter in a large pan over medium-high heat.

  • Add your chopped onion and celery and sauté until tender and translucent. If you’d like a little crunch in your stuffing feel free to undercook until al-dente.

  • Stir in broth, apple, and dried cranberriesand season with cinnamon and black pepper.

  • Pour mixture over stuffing.

  • Whisk an egg, add to bowl, and mix until bread is coated.Adding an egg gives the stuffing a custard-like interior but feel free to skip it if you’re going egg-free! 1/4 cup of broth may be used in place of the egg.

  • If you’d like, you can season the top with an extra sprinkle of cinnamon (highly recommended – YUM!)

  • Transfer to a 9×13 baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until your stuffing is hot and fluffy on the inside and golden brown on the top. I like to drizzle a little melted butter over my stuffing and garnish with parsley before serving – totally optional but oh so tasty!

SLOW COOKER OPTION:

  • Complete steps 2-5 above.

  • Lightly butter the inner sides and bottom of a 6 QT Slow Cooker and add your fruit and veggie mixture.

  • Top with dry stuffing mix and a whisked egg and mix well. You can add an extra sprinkle of cinnamon on top if desired (I totally did!)

  • Set slow cooker to LOW for 2.5-3 hours.Stuffing may be cooked a bit longer if desired or switched to the warm function while you await dinner! Enjoy!

Notes

* Feel free to use veggie broth or chicken broth here.

** I’ve used honey crisp, granny smith, and pink lady apples for this recipe and loved them all! Honey crisp is my favorite if you have one!

White, Yellow, and Red Onion all work fabulous for this recipe! My favorite is to use a combination of yellow and red onion. The flavor combo is outstanding.

I didn’t use salt here since the broth and stuffing mix I use are already perfectly seasoned. Feel free to season to taste as you see fit and if you use plain cubed bread in place of the stuffing mix, season it well with your favorite herbs and spices, as the mix I used was pre-seasoned.

Recipe yields 11 servings at 3/4 cup each.Nutrition facts below are an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed! xo

Nutrition

Calories: 208kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 23mg, Sodium: 623mg, Potassium: 171mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 280IU, Vitamin C: 2.8mg, Calcium: 46mg, Iron: 1.4mg

Did you make this recipe?I want to see! Tag @peasandcrayons on Instagram and Facebook!

Baked Apple Cranberry Stuffing Recipe - Peas and Crayons (5)

Baked Apple Cranberry Stuffing Recipe - Peas and Crayons (6)

:: pin it for later ::

so . . . how was it?!

Why have I not been doing this all along? AHHH!

I love love LOVE the addition of cinnamon, apples, and cranberries in this baked apple cranberry stuffing! We seriously cannot get enough of it!

The aromatic veggiesbuddied up with the naturally sweet fruit so effortlessly and flavor was out of this world. I totally get the lure of adding a little sweetness to stuffing now – so good! Some lightly toasted sliced almonds or chopped walnuts might also be super fun added to the mix — I am dying to try that out now too!

I think it’s safe to say that I’ve officially broadened my stuffing horizons.It’s also a bit weird to say that… but whatever, it was yummy.

The sweetness of the cranberry and apples in this stuffing make it a perfect pairing for savory vegetables. If you have some leftover the next day, I highly suggest stuffing it into mushrooms, acorn squash, butternut squash, or even atop a hot and fluffy sweet potato! You can also get creative with the leftovers by making a sandwich out of them.

My ULTIMATE after-Thansgiving sandwich is piled high with stuffing,crockpot cranberry sauce, andcranberry-walnut cream cheese spreadand turkey. You can also make it vegetarian style with all your favorite side dishes. I’ve gone as far as to add mashed potatoes and hot corn to mine and pretty much died of yum!

This post was sponsored byCampbell’s Kitchen. Thanks for helping me keep the recipes free!

our favorite holiday side dishes:

  • Honey Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberries and Feta
  • Slow Cooker Creamy Red Potato and Cauliflower Mash
  • Cranberry Quinoa Salad with Candied Walnuts
  • Cranberry Goat Cheese Log
  • Epic Winter Veggie Gratin

Peas and Crayons is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliated sites at no cost to readers.

Baked Apple Cranberry Stuffing Recipe - Peas and Crayons (7)

About The Author:

Jenn Laughlin

Hi! I’m Jenn and I’m here to help you eat your veggies! It'll be fun, painless, and pretty darn delicious as I teach you to plan your meals around fresh, seasonal produce with a little help from healthy freezer and pantry staples.

Learn More

Baked Apple Cranberry Stuffing Recipe - Peas and Crayons (2024)

FAQs

Should you pre cook cranberries before baking? ›

There's really not much you need to do to prepare fresh cranberries for baking. I just soaked and rinsed my berries to wash them off and then folded them into my cranberry orange pound cake batter. Pro tip: toss your fresh cranberries with a little flour so they won't sink in the batter!

Is it OK to make stuffing a day ahead of time? ›

No matter where you fall, getting a head start on what can be prepared before the big day is essential. One question that always crops up: Can you make stuffing ahead of time? The short answer to whether you can making stuffing ahead of time is yes.

Why should cranberries not be eaten raw? ›

Is it safe to eat cranberries raw? Cranberries are generally considered safe whether they are cooked or raw. However, because of their notoriously bitter, sharp taste, most people prefer not to eat them raw or unsweetened. This bitterness is due to the high tannin content of cranberries.

How long to soak cranberries before baking? ›

Rehydrate the fruits: Dried fruits can be quite hard and dry, so it's often a good idea to rehydrate them before adding them to your baked goods. To do this, simply soak the dried fruits in warm water or fruit juice for 15-20 minutes until they are plump and tender.

Should you put an egg in stuffing? ›

The most important ingredient of stuffing may be the binder, which keeps all the other elements in place. For a fluffy texture, use eggs. Stock is the most-used binder. Less conventional possibilities include fruit juice (such as apple or orange) and alcohol (wine or liqueur).

Can I refrigerate stuffing overnight before baking? ›

USDA recommends that you never refrigerate uncooked stuffing. Why? Remember, stuffing can harbor bacteria, and though bacteria grow slower in the refrigerator they can cause problems because stuffing is a good medium for bacteria growth, therefore a higher risk food in terms of cooking safely.

How wet should stuffing be before baking? ›

The stuffing should be moist but not wet. If there is a puddle of broth at the bottom of the bowl, you've added too much. Add more bread to soak up the excess moisture. If the mix is still dry and crumbly, add more liquid and toss gently until it starts to clump together.

How do you soften cranberries for baking? ›

This is very simple, and works on any kind of dried fruit. Put your dried fruit in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let it steep for 10 to 15 minutes, and then strain the fruit and discard the water. The fruit will be plumper, juicier, and softer.

Is it better to bake with fresh or frozen cranberries? ›

If cooking your berries into a pie filling, you may need to add additional thickening agents because frozen berries tend to release more liquid than fresh and will lead to a runnier consistency. For best results in your baking, don't defrost the berries before use but instead toss them in flour.

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