This delicious Butternut Sausage Paleo Stuffing with apples and cranberries has all the flavor of traditional Thanksgiving stuffing or dressing but is grain free, gluten free, dairy free and Whole30 friendly too! Toasty, sweet roasted butternut squash and savory sausage form the base for this Paleo style holiday favorite.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.
I have nothing but great memories of cooking and eating classic, comforting, delicious food and laughing for hours on end with my family.
What do we laugh about? Everything and nothing all at once – like all families should during the holidays, don’t you think?
There are some things, however, that we do take pretty seriously on Thanksgiving.
I think we might all agree that even above the desserts and the turkey, it’s the stuffing that has our committed attention on this holiday.
I can’t totally explain it, but something about bread cubes with lots of butter and poultry seasoning captures our emotions more than all the other stuff combined.
As a result, we can all be a little intense and particular about this side dish fulfilling our wildest of expectations. A lot is invested in it.
So, when I first thought about recreating stuffing without the bread, I was pretty intimidated. But guess what? Good things happened with this grain free butternut stuffing!
What You Need to Make Butternut Sausage Paleo Stuffing
We’re not using bread or copycat bread type products in this stuffing at all.
Nope! It’s Whole30 compliant and made with veggies, fruit, fresh herbs and plenty of protein.
Here’s everything you’ll need to prepare the stuffing:
- Butternut squash
- cooking oil, like olive or avocado
- ground sausage (sugar free if you’re doing the Whole30)
- salt and pepper
- fresh poultry herbs (or dried, as an alternative)
- apple
- dried cranberries (fruit sweetened for Whole30)
- onion
- celery
- egg (optional)
How to Make This Paleo Stuffing
The first step is to roast the butternut squash cubes. You’ll want to roast them until crisp and toasty on the outside to get the best flavor and texture for your stuffing.
While the butternut roasts, prepare the rest of the stuffing mixture. Sauté the onions and celery and brown the sausage.
Season and add in the fresh herbs (or dried) and apples until softened. Stir in the cranberries, then toss everything with the roasted butternut squash.
If you want your stuffing to “stick”, you can add the whisked egg to the mixture now. It’s totally optional.
Transfer the stuffing mixture to a large baking dish and bake until set, then serve!
Hint – if you used an ovenproof skillet, you can bake the stuffing right in the skillet instead of a baking dish.
After trying this stuffing, don’t be surprised if yo love it more than any bread stuffing you’ve ever had!
I also have a few more grain free Thanksgiving stuffings I’ve made since that also beat out regular bread stuffing –
Low carb cauliflower sausage stuffing
I’ve made this stuffing many times over the years and it has served as a base for many of my other recipes, like stuffed butternut squash and ultimate roasted stuffed acorn squash.
My family has loved it over the years and I’m sure yours will too! Get this on your Thanksgiving menu because it’s sure to become a favorite this year!
Butternut Sausage Paleo Stuffing with Apples and Cranberries {Whole30}
Paleo Butternut Sausage Stuffing with Apples & Cranberries
This delicious Paleo Butternut Sausage Stuffing with apples and cranberries has all the flavor of traditional Thanksgiving stuffing or dressing but is grain free, gluten free, dairy free and Whole30 friendly! Toasty, sweet roasted butternut squash and savory sausage form the base for this Paleo style holiday favorite.
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes, about 6 cups
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil, for roasting
- sea salt and black pepper
- 2 tbsp ghee or olive or avocado oil, more as needed
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 celery stalks chopped
- 1 lb pork sausage no sugar added, for Whole30
- 1 large apple or 2 small, cored and chopped
- 1/4-1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary minced***
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves ***
- 1 teaspoon fresh sage leaves minced***
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries fruit sweetened for Whole30
- 1 egg whisked (optional**)
- Fresh parsley minced, for garnish
Instructions
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First prepare to roast the butternut squash cubes.
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Preheat your oven to 425° F. Toss the butternut cubes with the 1 1/2 Tbsp oil, salt and pepper and spread out in a single layer on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
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Roast in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, stirring or turning once for even browning. Squash should be soft and toasty brown before removing.
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While the squash is roasting, get your other ingredients chopped and ready.
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Heat a large skillet med to med-hi heat and add the 2 Tbsp additional cooking fat. Once heated, add chopped onion and celery and cook for about 3-5 minutes, until softened.
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Add the ground sausage to the skillet and use a wooden spoon to break up lumps and stir as it cooks. Cook the sausage with the onions and celery until browned, then lower the heat to medium.
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Add the chopped apples and herbs (or poultry seasoning) and cook for a minute or two until just softened, then add salt. Lower the heat and stir to combine all flavors. Simmer for 2 more minutes, remove from heat and set aside.
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Once the butternut squash is roasted (it should be light brown and crisp on the outside) add it to the sausage mixture along with the dried cranberries and toss to combine. If you want your stuffing to "stick" add the whisked egg** to the mixture and toss/mix to incorporate.
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Lower the oven heat to 375° F. If you used an ovenproof skillet, you can bake right in the skillet. If your skillet is not ovenproof, transfer the stuffing mixture to a large baking dish and spread out evenly.
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Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes if you used the egg, and 15-20 without the egg. The top should be toasty. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Enjoy!!
Recipe Notes
**Adding the egg will make the stuffing stick together as it sets in the oven. It's an optional step depending on your preference.
***You can also use 2-3 teaspoons of dried poultry seasoning in place of the fresh herbs.
Nutrition
Want More Paleo Thanksgiving Recipes? Try One of these!
Maple Pecan Apple Crisp {Paleo & Vegan}
Paleo Candied Sweet Potatoes {Vegan}
Paleo and Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
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Squash is a perfect addition to an all time classic favorite. yum!
Don’t miss the old version at all 🙂
This sounds amazing! And I am really excited for more Thanksgiving recipes!
Can’t wait until I can take my focus off of running for a while and back to cooking 🙂
I love anything with butternut squash lately. I am sure this is terrific! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday too and it works just fine as a vegetarian because I live for side dishes!
The side dishes definitely make the holiday!
I love this recipe!!! I have been making it for a couple of years now. I have made it for many Thanksgiving parties, and it is always loved. I also make it for myself all winter. I eat it for any meal of the day. Thank you!
This sounds AMAZING! Holy yum! I love anything with butternut squash! What a great combination of flavors! Bring it to my thanksgiving please? This is my first thanksgiving I am in charge of cooking, eeeek!
You’ll do great! Thanksgiving is the best holiday to cook for!
The first recipe I made after finding out about my celiac 5 years ago with stuffing! I make it every year now! Everyone loves it, even though it is vegan and GF 😉 Even my brother does 😉
Ooh I’d love to try your recipe!
you know i will be trying this! loooove the combo and squash!
Hope you try, seriously delicious!
Yeah, I can’t say that I would be missing the bread with this! Sounds amazing!
You wouldn’t even think about it!
I make a very similar dish except I mix pumpkin cubes and butternut squash cubes and use purple carrots for a varying color as well as celery, chives and a homemade apple sausage very similar. To change it up, I made it the other day with a very light curry, turmeric, cinn, sunbutter light stock. My family loved it. Just a modern bent on an old favorite. Paleo is so much fun because it is so easy to be creative. Made an awesome pumpkin pudding the other day also. Not a sweet desert one, but one to accompany dinner. It was delicious with bits of bacon in it.
Sounds great! So many delicious variations on this!
Looks good! I love stuffing! By far my favorite T day item.
The side dishes are the best. Can’t wait to experiment with more!
I love stuffing! Thanksgiving is such a fun holiday. 🙂
The best! And the most fun to cook for!
this looks amazing! i love any type of squash – i think this will still be yummy if i replace the meat with some sort of plant based item… my sweeties is a veg head 😀 so my project will be to make things that we both like. it’s been a fun challenge so far actually! i have found a love for mushrooms and marinating them makes them ‘meaty’. i will probably add mushrooms to this recipe and some walnuts.. yeah that sounds yumm. might make it tonight since i’m hosting girls’ dinner at my place!
my signature dish lately is my curried fish – i just get some good brand or fresh thai curry paste, saute it with with veggies and add a can of coconut milk. then i add chunks of whatever fish looks fresh! i used to do this with chicken but now i like the fish. i squeeze lime juice and sprinkle with cilantro or green onion, and huge hunks of avocado. this is also nice with roasted sweet potato slices… now i’m hungry, lol.
i can’t wait to make my paleo pumpkin coconut pie this year, it was a huge hit last year. yay!
That sounds great with the mushrooms! My husband and kids won’t eat mushrooms so sadly neither do I most of the time. Curried fish sounds delicious! I would love to try something like that 🙂
I hate stuffing. I can’t remember a time ever in my life that I actually ate it. I’ve been trying to figure out something this year to make as a substitute. Love this recipe. I will be trying it!
Great! I hope you do, it’s awesome!
YUM! This looks freakin’ delicious. I’m attempting to add some healthier/paleo meals to my family’s usual carb-fest that we call Thanksgiving dinner.
We used to do the carb fest too, I’m going to have some fun experimenting with some paleo style recipes though. You can have the best of both I think 🙂
I wish Thanksgiving was a bigger deal here in Canada! As it stands, it seems to be one of those things that just kind of passes before anyone even realizes it’s here… and we have ours in the middle of October, which just feels way too early and weird. Can I come over to your place for the holidays? 😀
Yes, come visit! Thanksgiving in October does seem strange. I like the way it segues into the winter holidays being in late november. Of course you can make amazing holiday recipes anytime you want though 🙂
This sounds PERFECT. I’m definitely making this even if it isn’t for Thanksgiving. I don’t think my family has a mutual favorite dish for the holidays. Mine is definitely mashed potatoes, (on Thanksgiving and every other day,) my mom loves her homemade cranberry sauce, and the boys all care about the turkey. I don’t think any of us ever really gave the stuffing much attention.
I’ve been eating the leftovers and it’s something you can eat anytime, not just for the holidays 🙂 Mashed potatoes were always a favorite too. The side dishes are just the best.
Wow, that sounds amazing!
It was so delicious, hope you try it!
I could eat a meal of just this. Stuffing has always been my favorite thing. What you have here is uniquely different and exciting at the same time. Which isn’t an easy thing to do when it comes to food.
It’s great! Hope you try it!
This was so delicious!! It will be a fall and winter staple for sure. As long as I can find the butternut squash in stores. Thank you for this!
Really happy to hear you liked it since it’s one of my favorite recipes!
I’m new to Paleo after doing a couple rounds of Whole30. I was wondering what to do about stuffing in a turkey and then I found this. Oh, my word…this was delicious! I didn’t have the cranberries and used sweet Italian sausage links, diced small. My husband and I both loved it and I think it was even better the next day. Next time I’m thinking about adding some roasted walnuts or pecans. Thanks for sharing this!
That’s great! This is one of my favorites. I also made a stuffing with pumpkin bread which is great, but, there’s something about the sausage and butternut combo that gets me every time!
I just made this but I added brussel sprouts that I roasted with the squash and it was so good! Thank you for the recipe I would have never have thought to mix sausage and butternut squash, so good!
Yum, sounds delicious!
Hands down the best thing I have ever made. So flavorful. Thank you for the delicious recipe.
Amazing! So happy you liked it 🙂
Does this hold over well? Can I put it together a
Day ahead and then bake it on thanksgiving?
The day before should be just fine 🙂
Could you make this with fresh cranberries instead of dried if I can’t find whole30 approved dried cranberries?
If you don’t mind very tart flavor it could work (I’ve had people do it and enjoyed it), personally I would just leave them out since fresh cranberries are just too tart for me, and the other flavors make it work in my opinion without cranberries 🙂
Would it alter the taste too much if I left out sausage? I’m looking for a vegetarian and grain free stuffing and this one looks and sounds delicious!
You may want to add something else in – roasted Brussels sprouts and toasted pecans maybe?
Amazing and addictive. Everyone’s favorite dish!
This is my favorite too! I’m sad ours is gone now 🙂 So happy you guys liked it!
Made it today, trying not to eat it all before dinner! Truly delicious! Thank you!
Just wanted to say this recipe was PERFECT! Made it for Thanksgiving this year and my whole family loved it. My little boy is gluten/dairy/soy-free so I needed to find a stuffing that he could eat and just crossed my fingers that the rest of the family would like it. Well, they LOVED it and said it was better than our traditional stuffing, so thank you!!
That’s amazing to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you guys loved it 🙂
Total agreement. My friends and family go back for 3rd and 4th helpings. We use vegan sausage for kosher needs, and it’s just as fabulous. Enjoy!!
How heavily does celery flavor come through? Or do you not really notice it? Celery is literally the only food I don’t like but I can handle it when it’s sauteed small in stuff with strong flavors and this looks amazing! Thanks!
It’s not too prominent in this but you can always leave it out and you won’t miss anything 🙂
Can you recommend a substitute for pork? I was thinking sausage but I’m having a hard time finding compliant sausage. Thanks!
Any ground meat will do. I have a couple of sausage recipes on the site if you want to spice up ground meat yourself 🙂
Do you think you could make this the day before and then just do the final oven cook the day of? Or would the squash get mushy?
I love this recipe! The flavor combination is incredible!! Definitely a must make dish!! Thanks for sharing.
Seriously this is my favorite, I’m so thrilled you liked it!
This sounds terrific and I’m taking it to my SIL’s house next week as an addition to her cornbread dressing. Can I double this straight up? Or any tips on doubling it?
Thanks very much!
Made this tonight and it’s absolutely delicious! I didn’t miss the bread at all. Thank you for this amazing recipe.
Made this for Friendsgiving tonight and it was SUCH a hit! I had zero leftovers to bring home. I was assigned to bring the dressing and gave no one a heads up that I’d be bringing a grain-free version but there were no complaints! Everyone loved it!
Can I substitute the butternut squash for sweet potatoes?
Made this for Thanksgiving yesterday, it was a hit! The only thing I would change when I make this again is to leave out the poultry seasoning and season to my taste. This is just a personal preference though as I don’t really care for poultry seasoning. Definitely reccomend this especially if you have any gluten sensitive family members!
It tastes like childhood stuffing!!! Like it may have been in the bird. Now I made mine w/mild Italian turkey sausage w/no casing and it turned out fantastic. I actually ruined the mashed potatoes & my dad forgot the rolls so this was our only starch and no one minded!!! It really is good. I will say I have to make it to take to a 2nd t-day today & im not very hopeful it will travel/reheat well ?
Let me start off by saying you are going to want to at least double or triple this recipe. It’s THAT good! Easily the best stuffing I have ever had. I brought it to my Non-Paleo family’s dinner, and it was the first thing to be devoured and received the most compliments! High praise when non-paleo people say they liked it more than regular stuffing! Absolutely fantastic recipe!
So amazingly delicious! I doubled the recipe and still no leftovers. Will definitely add this to our Thanksgiving tradition.
Thrilled you all enjoyed it!
We made this at Thanksgiving, and it was *beyond*.
I screwed up and didn’t get enough butternut squash, left out the egg intentionally, since it triggers migraines for my wife, and added some hot sausage to spice it up a bit. It was still our favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner. We’re making it again today, and can’t wait.
As ususal, excellent! I ate some while it was hot and it was so good, I had some more when it was cold. I like it much better hot. I love stuffing and this is a way to get the taste of stuffing as often as you like and you’re still eating healthy! How cool is that?
This was a hit with my 15 month old and my husband! We even decided that we could use it as a breakfast dish if we want. Probably will down the poultry seasoning or add something different in there for breakfast but it definitely reminded us of a sweet potato hash I’ve made before. My husband was a big fan of having the sausage 😉 I did have to use a 3 qt dish as my cast iron skillet was not big enough to fit everything in, but it still came out phenomenally!!!
I’m sorry, but I’m sort of new to paleo. Trying to keep Thanksgiving compliant for my kids who are eating paleo. Is there a certain “cooking fast for roasting” I should get? Can’t wait to try this recipe! Think everyone will love it!
this looks great! any suggestions for making this ahead of time and how to store? thanks!
I am wondering if anyone has tried a mix of butternut squash and sweet potatoes? Or just sweet potatoes?
this might sound silly – but i want to add some bread to this dish. would i just add in some broth also to soak up the bread?
Can this be made the night before and put in the oven the next day
What’s considered one serving?
Found this last Thanksgiving when we started paleo as a way to better manage around food allergies. Wow. This is now mandatory. Love the mix of sweet, tart, savory and salty. Thanks for putting it out there!
I made this today for Thanksgiving. My grandpa always put sausage in his dressing and so do I. This recipe is amazing and I may never eat bead stuffing again. Thank you so much!
Can you make this ahead of time and then bake before serving? Like the night before?
Fantastic! I substituted mushrooms for the sausage, sautéed them with the onions. I had fresh rosemary,thyme, and sage so I added them to the onion mixture as well. Thanks!
I have made this recipe 3 years in a row now. It not only became a family favorite, but extended family now request I bring it over for thanksgiving. It is so delicious that we don’t miss traditional bread stuffing. The best part, we don’t feel “stuffed” after dinner!
Made my thanksgiving! We all (even non whole30ers) loved it!
This is delicious – definitely one of my favorite recipes I’ve tried! I used about 1/2 cup of frozen whole cranberries because I like the tartness, and reduced the dried cranberries to 1/4 cup. I’ll definitely be making this at least once every Thanksgiving season, hopefully more!
I made this for Thanksgiving this year and NOBODY missed traditional stuffing. It’s absolutely delicious! I warmed it up for breakfast the following morning and topped with fried eggs. Yummy
This is SO yummy! A new staple for our Thanksgiving table.
Can I make this a couple days ahead and freeze?
Was wondering what could be used in place of cooking fat?
Absolutely amazing. Not only was this the first time making this dish, it was our first time eating Butternut Squash. Both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is definitely a keeper!!
This was SO delicious! It truly is all the flavors of Thanksgiving in one dish.
Thanks Michelle for the care you put into each and every recipe.
This looks wonderful! Will chicken sausage work in this recipe?
My whole family loved it! It tastes like Thanksgiving.
Can you stuff/cook the stuffing in the turkey?
Looking forward to making this! Can you make in advance and reheat the day of?
Can’t wait to try this. Can I make this the day before thanksgiving?
Has anyone stuffed this in the Turkey?
Love love love this recipe!! Much better than traditional stuffing – so flavorful but without the bread so it doesn’t weigh you down. My son is GF and he requests this every Thanksgiving and during the winter months. Great comfort food!
Amazing side dish for our Thanksgiving meal!
So delicious! So nice to have a recipe that makes me not even miss traditional bread stuffing. Thank you
Can I make this ahead and keep in fridge for a day or two?
AMAZING! All the Thanksgiving flavors!!!
Love this unique stuffing! It’s a thanksgiving staple in our house. So yummy!
10/10 would make again. A large butternut squash didn’t yield 6 cups so we added a white sweet potato.
I love your recipe and have made a modified version for Thanksgiving the last couple years now. I skip cooking the apples ahead of time to give them a little more texture, and like to mix in a cup or 2 of almond flour before adding the egg. It just gives a little more of the bread-y feeling of stuffing. I also use frozen butternut squash cubes to save time, and it comes together so quickly! I’ve grown to prefer this over any gluten filled stuffing!
This stuffing is soooo delicious! Everyone in my family loved it! My husband wants it on the menu again as a stand alone casserole. Hot tip: it was great heated up for breakfast with a couple poached eggs on top!
almond flour before adding the egg?
It’s so delicious and yummy. I like the taste much.
This Butternut Sausage Paleo Stuffing recipe sounds like the perfect addition to a healthy and flavorful Thanksgiving meal. The combination of sweet roasted butternut squash and savory sausage, along with the added sweetness and tartness from the apples and cranberries, is sure to satisfy any taste buds. And the fact that it’s grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and Whole30 friendly makes it a great option for those with dietary restrictions or who are simply looking for a healthier alternative to traditional stuffing. I can’t wait to try this delicious and nutritious recipe for my next holiday gathering!
Hi Michelle. I am going to make this recipe for Thanksgiving and wonder what size casserole dish to use? Also, do I need to grease the dish before baking the stuffing? I’ve made many of your recipes, so m sure this will be delicious!
I have made this recipe many times. I used to have it memorized, but I haven’t made it in a bit. I love it for Thanksgiving! I will definitely have it for breakfast on Friday. I use a tart apple when I make it, and I always use the egg. Thanks for this awesome recipe!
Just made this for our Thanksgiving meal. Both my husband and I agree it is the best stuffing we have ever eaten! This will be a new tradition at our house.
I made this for my family thanksgiving this year and it was a huge hit!!! I’ll definitely be making it again, excellent recipe! Only change I made was substituting turkey sausage because I have a sister that doesn’t eat pork but the dish was still perfect. Thank you!!!
Thanks for providing valuable information in this blog post. Solar
Did anyone try to put together the day before and then bake the next day? Or cook it and reheat the next day?
Did you get a reply? I was hoping to do the same thing for Thanksgiving!