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Hawaiian Bread Cranberry Pecan Stuffing is a delightful twist on the classic holiday side dish, combining the flavors of tart cranberries, crunchy pecans, and fresh herbs for a burst of autumnal warmth for a classic stuffing recipe.
This cranberry stuffing recipe, an adaptation from the King’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread Stuffing original recipe, is ideal for holiday gatherings, such as Thanksgiving, or Christmas dinner.
It adds a sweet, nutty flavor and beautiful color that complements roast turkey, pork, prime rib, and other seasonal favorites.
Each bite is made with rustic bread, aromatic celery, and onions, perfectly balancing textures and tastes.
Whether serving it for your Thanksgiving table or one of the other holiday meals, cranberry pecan stuffing will impress and satisfy guests and become one of your favorite Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Each bite is made with Hawaiian Sweet bread or King’s Hawaiian rolls, aromatic celery, and onions, perfectly balancing textures and tastes. Whether you're serving it for your Thanksgiving table or other holiday meals, cranberry pecan stuffing will impress and satisfy guests.
This recipe combines Hawaiian Bread stuffing with Cranberry Pecan Stuffing and Hawaiian Sweet Rolls. It is served with your Thanksgiving Turkey for Thanksgiving Dinner. Some call it Hawaiian Roll Stuffing.
Equipment
Ingredients and Substitutions
Refer to the printable recipe card at the end of the post for detailed ingredients and measurements.
- Bread: For the best texture, Use day-old or slightly stale bread like King’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread, Hawaiian rolls, sourdough, French, or ciabatta. Stale bread absorbs the flavors without becoming mushy. Cube the bread and let it dry on a baking sheet for a few hours, or toast it lightly in the oven at 300°F for 15-20 minutes.
- Sauté the Aromatics: Sauté onions, celery, and garlic in butter or olive oil before adding them to the stuffing. This softens them and brings out their natural sweetness, creating a more robust flavor base.
- Add Herbs: Fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary can elevate the dish, giving it an earthy holiday aroma. Chop them finely, but don't overdo it-about one tablespoon of each (or to taste) should be enough.
- Butter Substitutes: Olive oil gives the stuffing a rich taste, though lighter than butter. Vegan butter is the way to go if you need a dairy-free option while keeping the buttery flavor.
- Onion Substitutes: Leeks offer a milder, sweeter flavor than onions and can enhance the stuffing's depth. Shallots: Add a slightly more delicate, sophisticated onion flavor.
- Cranberry Substitutes: Raisins add a mild sweetness similar to cranberries but softer in texture. Chopped Dried Apricots bring a tangy sweetness and chewiness to the stuffing. Dried Cherries Provide a similar tartness to cranberries but with a deeper flavor. Each of these substitutions can add a new element to the dish, allowing you to adjust the stuffing to match your menu or dietary needs. Enjoy experimenting!
How To Make Hawaiian Bread Cranberry Pecan Stuffing
Prepare the Bread
Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Spread the Hawaiian bread cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer. Toast in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the cubes are dry and lightly crisp. Set aside to cool.
Sauté the Aromatics
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and celery, and cook for 5-7 minutes or until softened and translucent.
Add Herbs and Mix-ins
Stir in the dried sage and thyme, cooking for 1-2 minutes until the herbs are fragrant. Remove the skillet from heat.
Add the dried cranberries and pecan halves, stirring to combine with the onion and celery mixture.
Combine Ingredients
Add the toasted bread cubes to the skillet.
Gently stir to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the beaten eggs and chicken stock.
Pour this mixture over the bread mixture, adding more stock if needed to ensure the bread is moist but not soggy.
Gently fold in the chopped parsley. Mix until everything is evenly coated and combined.
Bake the Stuffing
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Transfer the stuffing mixture to a 9×13-inch prepared baking dish.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and continue baking for 15-20 minutes or until the top is golden and crispy.
Serve
Remove from the oven and let the stuffing sit for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with extra parsley if desired.
This cranberry pecan stuffing is sweet, savory, and a perfect holiday side! Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Prevent Soggy Stuffing – Stuffing should be moist but not soggy. I recommend adding chicken stock a little at a time and gently stirring the stuffing after each pour. If you accidentally add too much liquid, add more bread cubes to soak up the extra chicken broth or stock.
- Got Leftover Stuffing? – Use the leftover stuffing in my delicious Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs recipe!
What To Serve With Hawaiian Bread Cranberry Pecan Stuffing
FAQs
It depends. Toasting the bread helps prevent it from becoming mushy when mixed with chicken broth and other ingredients. Otherwise, you can leave the bread cubes out for 2 days to dry out.
Absolutely, yes! Cook the sausage first. Drain excess fat, but leave a couple of tablespoons of fat in the pan. Cook the aromatics in the same pan as the sausage, then continue making the recipe as written, including the sausage in the stuffing mixture.
More Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes
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Recipe
Hawaiian Bread Cranberry Pecan Stuffing
Ingredients
- 12 slices Hawaiian bread cut into small cubes
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup pecan halves
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 2 cups chicken stock (or more as needed)
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
Prepare the Bread
- Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Spread the Hawaiian bread cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer. Toast the bread in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, until the cubes are dry and lightly crisp. Set aside to cool.
Sauté the Aromatics
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and celery, and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until they're softened and translucent.
Add Herbs and Mix-ins
- Stir in the dried sage and thyme, cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes until the herbs are fragrant. Remove the skillet from heat.
- Add the dried cranberries and pecan halves, stirring to combine with the onion and celery mixture.
Combine Ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, add the toasted bread cubes. Pour the sautéed vegetable and cranberry-pecan mixture over the bread.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the beaten eggs and chicken stock. Pour this mixture over the bread mixture, and toss bread until combined, adding more stock if needed to ensure the bread is moistened but not soggy.
- Gently fold in the chopped parsley. Mix until everything is evenly coated and combined.
Bake the Stuffing
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Transfer the stuffing mixture to a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the top is golden and crispy.
Serve
- Remove from the oven and let the stuffing sit for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with extra parsley if desired.
- This cranberry pecan stuffing is sweet, savory, and a perfect holiday side! Enjoy!
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