Keto Chaffle Stuffing
Published November 3, 2019 • Updated February 27, 2026
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I built this recipe around one idea: stuffing should have real bread-like texture, even on keto. Toasted chaffle chunks baked with bacon, mushrooms, leeks, and a white wine deglaze that makes the whole dish sing.
I started making this when I realized every low carb stuffing recipe out there was faking it. Cauliflower rice, pork rinds, fathead dough cubes. They work in other contexts, but stuffing needs that toasty, crumby bite you remember from the real thing. Chaffles turned out to be the answer I didn’t expect.
The technique that makes this work is the toasting step. After I pull the chaffles off the waffle iron, I cut them into chunks, toss them with olive oil and parmesan, and bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes. That slow toast creates a crispy exterior that holds its shape in broth without turning to mush. Regular bread collapses. These don’t. Reader Heather made this as her very first chaffle recipe and said “the texture was surprisingly bread-like, especially after toasting the chunks.” That’s exactly the reaction I was going for.
I use leeks instead of the standard onion and celery base, and it’s on purpose. Leeks are milder and sweeter, so they don’t bulldoze the delicate texture of the base. Celery has always been more about tradition than flavor in stuffing, and I found it added a watery crunch that worked against what I wanted. The leeks cook down soft in bacon grease (all that smoky flavor carries right into the dish) and practically melt into the mixture.
Then there’s the white wine deglaze. After the leeks and mushrooms cook down, I pour in dry white wine and scrape up the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Those bits are where the deep savory flavor lives. Two minutes of reducing, and it coats everything. If you’ve tried my keto cornbread stuffing, you know I take this step seriously in every stuffing recipe I make.
I bring this out for Thanksgiving every year, but I’ve also made it on random Tuesday nights alongside roasted chicken. It works either way. If you’re putting together a full keto holiday table, it pairs well with keto green bean casserole, keto sweet potato casserole, and bacon wrapped brussels sprouts kebabs.
The bone broth goes in at the end, right before baking. I stir it halfway through the 25-30 minutes in the oven, and if the top looks dry, I add another splash. The finished dish should be crispy on the edges and soft in the center, with enough moisture to feel like real dressing without being soggy. That balance is the whole point.
How to Make Keto Chaffle Stuffing
Three steps make or break this recipe. First, toast the chaffle chunks at 250 degrees for a full 30 minutes. This dries them out and crisps the exterior so they hold their shape once broth goes in. Skip this and you end up with soggy mush. Second, cook the leeks and mushrooms in the bacon grease instead of reaching for butter or oil. That grease carries smoky flavor into every bite without adding a single extra ingredient. Third, deglaze with white wine and scrape up every brown bit from the skillet. Those bits are concentrated flavor, and two minutes of reducing turns them into a glaze that coats the vegetables.
If you’ve made 90 second keto bread, you know how different keto bread textures can be. The chaffle base here is denser and sturdier, which is exactly what I needed for a dish that bakes in broth for 25-30 minutes without falling apart.
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Chaffle Croutons Ingredients
4 egg -
2 cups mozzarella cheese
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1/2 cup almond flour
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1/4 cup parmesan cheese
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1 teaspoon baking powder
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1 teaspoon salt
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1/4 cup olive oil
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2 tablespoon parmesan cheese
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1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Stuffing Ingredients
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3 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
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1 small leek or onion, chopped
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8 oz sliced mushrooms
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1 tablespoon chopped sage
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1/4 cup dry white wine
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1/2 cup chicken broth
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2 tablespoons chopped parsley
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2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Make chaffle batter
Preheat waffle maker to medium high heat and preheat oven to 250 degrees. Whisk together all the chaffle ingredients – egg, mozzarella cheese, almond flour, parmesan cheese, baking powder and salt.
Make waffles
Pour 1/4 of the chaffle mixture into the center of the waffle iron. Close the waffle maker and let cook for 3 minutes or until waffle set.
Cut into chunks
Remove chaffle from the waffle maker and repeat with remaining batter until you have four chaffles. Cut the chaffles into small bite sized chunks.
Toast chaffle chunks
Place chaffle chunks in a large bowl or plastic ziploc bag. Add olive oil, 2 tablespoon parmesan cheese, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Toss or shake until combined. Spread coated chaffle chunks onto a parchment lined baking tray and bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Increase oven to 350 degrees.
Fry some bacon
While chaffle breading is cooking, move on to make the bacon mushroom mixture. In a larger skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove bacon pieces from the skillet and set aside, leaving the bacon grease behind.
Add mushrooms
Add mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Continue cooking until mushrooms are partially softened.
Wine time
Stir in minced sage and cook for 1 minute. Add white wine and continue cooking while scraping the brown bits from bottom of the skillet. This has all the flavor. Let cook for 2 minutes.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead of time and freeze it?
I've done both. For make-ahead, I assemble the whole casserole the night before (chaffle chunks, mushroom mixture, broth, everything) and keep it covered in the fridge. Next day, I pull it out while the oven preheats and bake as directed, adding about 5 extra minutes since it starts cold. For freezing, I freeze just the toasted chaffle chunks in a ziplock bag. They keep for about a month. I don't freeze it fully assembled because the broth softens the texture more than I want after thawing.
Can I actually stuff this inside a turkey?
I've tried it. The short answer is yes, but I prefer baking it in a casserole dish. When I packed it inside the bird, the chunks absorbed turkey drippings (which tasted incredible) but lost some of their crispiness. If you go that route, pack it loosely so air can circulate, and make sure the turkey hits 165 degrees internally. I'd say bake a separate batch in the casserole dish too, so you get both versions on your keto holiday table.
What size waffle iron works best for this recipe?
I use a mini waffle maker. It produces smaller, thicker chaffles that cut into sturdier chunks. A full-size waffle iron works too, but the chaffles come out thinner, so your chunks will be flatter and a bit more delicate. Either way, the toasting step at 250 degrees is what gives them their structure. I've made this with both sizes and the end result is close enough that I wouldn't buy a new iron just for this.
Can I add sausage to this stuffing?
I've added cooked Italian sausage a few times and my family specifically requests that version now. Brown about half a pound, crumble it, and toss it in with the bacon before assembling. The fat from the sausage adds another layer of richness. I use mild Italian, but hot works if you want some heat.
How do I prevent the stuffing from getting soggy?
The toasting step is everything. I bake the chaffle chunks at 250 degrees for a full 30 minutes before they go anywhere near broth. That creates a dried, crispy exterior that resists soaking. The other thing I do is add the bone broth gradually. I start with half a cup, stir halfway through baking, and only add more if the top looks dry. You want moist, not wet.
What can I use instead of almond flour?
I've tested coconut flour and it works, but it absorbs way more liquid. I start with about 2 tablespoons (not the full half cup you'd use with almond flour) and add a bit more if the batter looks too thin. The chaffles come out slightly denser with coconut flour, which actually isn't a bad thing for stuffing. My keto cornbread uses a similar swap if you want to see how the two flours behave differently.
How should I store and reheat leftovers?
I keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When I reheat, I use the oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, covered with foil for the first 8 minutes, then uncovered to crisp the top back up. I always add a small splash of chicken broth before reheating because it brings the moisture back without making things soggy. The microwave works in a pinch but you lose the crispy edges. If you're reheating as part of a bigger spread, it goes well next to keto cauliflower gratin or keto sage and pumpkin biscuits.
No holiday menu is complete without a side of stuffing or dressing, as some parts of the world call it. Traditional stuffing is made up of dried chunks of bread or cornbread. That’s hard to accomplish when you are on a low carb diet. You can use some of the keto breads out now on the market; however, many of them contain vital wheat protein which is gluten. Gluten can cause inflammation so if you are trying to stay gluten-free, I wouldn’t go that way. Using a chaffle as the breading allows us to have stuffing on Thanksgiving or Christmas! All you need to add is your favorite ingredients like mushroom, bacon, broth, leeks and parsley!
Since chaffles are easy to make, this Thanksgiving side dish is fairly easy to make and can easily be made the day of your holiday meal or the day before. You can even make the chaffles up ahead of time, cut them up and get them dried and ready to soak up all that delicious broth that goes into the stuffing.
These savory chaffles are cut into bite sized chunks and toasted with olive oil and parmesan cheese. A bacon, mushroom and leek mixture rounds out this low carb holiday dressing. All of it is combined with chicken broth or 
You can use any waffle maker to make the chaffle bread chunks. I prefer to use my 
These chaffles are tossed with olive oil, parmesan cheese, garlic powder and pepper before they are toasted in the oven over low heat. As mentioned before, you can do this step ahead of time. Then on the day that you want to serve the stuffing, continue with the rest of the recipe.
The rest of this chaffle stuffing recipe is made up of bacon, sliced mushrooms, and leeks. If you don’t like leeks or have access to them, you can use a small onion instead.
This recipe also calls for fresh sage and parsley. If you don’t have access to fresh herbs, dry herbs can be used in their place. Use about 1/3 the amount if using dried herbs.
If you choose to make the entire dressing the day before, leave the final baking step until the day of your holiday meal. This will only take about 30 minutes to cook.
Swapped the mozzarella for sharp cheddar in the chaffle batter to see if I could get more flavor into the base before it even hit the oven. The chunks came out less stretchy and held their shape better after baking, which I actually preferred for stuffing. One thing to watch: cheddar browns faster at the edges, so I pulled mine at 15 minutes instead of going the full time.
I genuinely gave up on stuffing when I went keto two years ago and then I found this and the white wine deglaze with bacon, I actually got a little emotional.
Stuffing was one of the ones I thought I'd just never get right on keto. Took a lot of failed batches before the chaffle base clicked.
The white wine deglaze on the bacon and mushrooms pulled everything together in a way I wasn't expecting. Only note: the chaffle chunks need more salt than the recipe calls for before toasting, otherwise they get a little lost in the dish. Minor thing, but glad I caught it on the second batch.
The deglaze is what makes the whole dish. And yeah, I go heavier on the salt before toasting too. The chunks need it going in or they get lost once everything else comes together.
Swapped the leeks for shallots because that's what I had, and the caramelization made a real difference. The white wine deglaze smells so good when it hits that hot pan. Only knock is the chaffle chunks take a bit of time, but the texture once they're baked into the stuffing makes it worth it.
Shallots caramelize faster so you'd've gotten a slightly sweeter base than leeks give. Good call. Can't figure out how to shortcut the chaffle step without losing that texture.
Added fresh sage to the bacon mixture and that was the thing that finally made it taste like stuffing. Kept the white wine deglaze too, but the sage was it.
Yeah sage makes stuffing taste like stuffing. I use dried but fresh in the bacon fat sounds way better.
My mom used to make this bread stuffing with mushrooms and I haven't been able to touch it since going keto two years ago. Made this last weekend just to see if I could get close, and I genuinely got a little emotional about it. The leeks and bacon together give it this savory depth I wasn't expecting from a waffle-based recipe. I kept thinking I was messing something up while making the chaffles but once they were toasted and baked in with everything, it clicked. The white wine deglaze is what really got me, that smell when it hit the pan. Not exactly my mom's but close enough that I texted her the link.
Brought this to a dinner last weekend and it was gone before the main course hit the table. The chaffle chunks held their texture even after sitting out, which I wasn't sure about. Docking a star only because I want more bacon, but that's on me.
More bacon is never wrong. I go heavier than what's written every time.
I was nervous about this since I've never made chaffles and wasn't sure if they'd work as stuffing. But I followed the recipe and it turned out great. The texture was surprisingly bread-like, especially after toasting the chunks with oil and seasonings. My husband had seconds and said it's going on the table next time we do a big dinner. I'm excited to try other chaffle recipes now.
That toasting step is what makes it, honestly. The chunks get this crispy outside that regular bread stuffing never has. Glad it won over your husband too.
This wants to print 6 pages when I click print. Please condense the print recipe to be user friendly b
It doesn't sound like you clicked the print button under the first photo. When you click that it should pull up a document to print that is only 2 pages.