How to Make Dairy and Soy Free Cornbread Dressing

It’s time to kick off my dairy and soy free Thanksgiving recipe series with one of my favorites! This dairy and soy free cornbread dressing recipe is one my mom has made a version of every Thanksgiving as long as I can remember. She made the recipe her own over the years, and I have made my own modifications to make it dairy free and soy free.

Additionally, the seasoning measurements have never been written down. It’s always been our personal preference how many herbs we add in. I’ve measured out my favorite amounts, but feel free to add in more or less of a specific seasoning to suit your personal taste.

This dairy and soy free cornbread dressing recipe uses my favorite cornbread recipe that I’ve posted here on the blog. It’s great served by itself or as a side dish! Today, let’s make it into delicious dressing for a dairy and soy free Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

Ingredients you will need:

For the Cornbread:

6 tablespoons of coconut oil: I like to use this as my butter substitute in this recipe. As the coconut oil becomes cool, it returns to solid form, which gives baked goods a really nice texture.

1 cup yellow cornmeal: Can’t have good cornbread without yellow cornmeal! I buy the Quaker brand, but there are many out there to choose from.

1 cup all purpose flour: Unbleached all purpose flour is best. However, whole wheat can be used.

1 tablespoon baking powder: This helps the cornbread to rise.

1/2 teaspoon baking soda This also helps the cornbread to rise.

1 teaspoon salt: A very important seasoning for this recipe since we are making a savory side dish.

1 1/4 cups filtered water: We currently use a Brita Filtered Water Dispenser. However, we are planning to upgrade to a Berkey Water Filter as soon as we can! Learn more about the Berkey Water Filter HERE. Note: you may use your favorite non dairy milk if desired. There is so much flavor in this recipe, using only water to make the cornbread does not change a thing.

2 eggs: Adds substance, structure, and protein to the cornbread.

For the Dressing:

1 cup chopped celery: Or more if you are a particular fan of celery. This recipe is really very versatile and can be modified easily.

1 cup chopped onion: I use a medium large sized yellow onion.

Olive oil: Drizzled into the pan to sauté the onion and celery.

2 more eggs: In addition to baking eggs into the cornbread, we will add 2 more eggs to the batter of the cornbread dressing.

1 1/2 quarts chicken bone broth: Yes, go ahead and pour the whole thing into the cornbread in order to create a really great texture for the dressing that is full of flavor and isn’t dried out. It will look soupy before baking, but afterwards it will be perfectly solidified and delicious!

Salt: We have 1 teaspoon of salt in the cornbread recipe itself. This is an additional sprinkling over the dressing batter before baking. I use about 1/2 a teaspoon.

Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Sage and Thyme: Dried sage along with the dried thyme create a lovely poultry seasoning. You could also opt to use freshly chopped sage and thyme. I’ve made it both ways and they both turn out great! Feel free to add rosemary as well.

Tools you May need:

• 8″ or 10″ cast iron skillet
• glass mixing bowl
• mixing spoons
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• silicone spatula
• whisk
• 12″ cast iron skillet or 9″ x 13″ glass baking dish

How to Make Dairy and Soy Free Cornbread Dressing from Scratch:

First, make the cornbread:

Begin by preheating the oven to 400° F.

Place the coconut oil into the cast iron skillet and melt it on the stove top on low heat until completely melted.

In a large mixing bowl, measure and add the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and combine together with the whisk.

Next, add the eggs, melted coconut oil, and filtered water to the dry ingredients and whisk together until completely incorporated. I leave a little bit of coconut oil in the cast iron skillet to keep the dairy and soy free cornbread from sticking. After pouring the melted coconut oil into the mixing bowl, place the skillet into the oven to preheat with the oven.

Once the oven has preheated to 400°, scrape the batter into the hot, seasoned cast iron skillet with a silicone spatula and bake at 400° F until the cornbread is golden brown on top. This should be about 20-25 minutes.

Let the cornbread cool, then crumble it into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Now, let’s make it into dairy and soy free cornbread dressing:

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

First, chop the onion and celery into small, bite sized pieces.

Sauté the chopped onion and celery with a couple teaspoons of olive oil in the cast iron skillet on medium heat until soft.

Next, combine the cool, crumbled cornbread in the large mixing bowl with the sautéd onion and celery, 2 eggs, chicken bone broth, and seasonings. Mix it all together with a large mixing spoon. It will be soupy.

Then, pour the dressing batter into the 12″ cast iron skillet or 9″ x 13″ baking dish and smooth the top.

Place it into the oven and bake at 350° for 60 minutes.

When it has finished baking, let it cool for about 15 minutes or more. Serve with turkey and all the fixings for a delicious holiday meal!

Storage:

This dairy and soy free cornbread dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You could also freeze it for up to 5-6 months, however, we never do! It’s always eaten up before freezing is necessary.

Check out more of my dairy and soy free Thanksgiving recipes:

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Cast Iron Skillets

Glass Mixing Bowl (full set)

Did you Make this Dairy and Soy Free Cornbread Dressing Recipe?

If you tried this recipe and love it, I would love to hear about it! Leave me a comment below and tag me on instagram @simplysarahcatherine with your own Dairy and Soy Free Cornbread Dressing. Don’t forget to pin it for later!

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