This southern cornbread dressing, accented with fresh cranberries and green herbs, is based on the traditional homemade dressing my Granny Martha made every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. She didn’t really cook from recipes, just by feel, taste, and many years of experience.

We’d sometimes have a regular bread cube stuffing on the table too, but it wasn’t a holiday meal without Granny’s cornbread dressing. It was one of the things that I missed most after moving away from home, so I learned to make it and bring home to wherever I was for the holidays.

Over the two decades since leaving home, I’ve made my own version of this southern cornbread dressing for every Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or Christmas dinner that I’ve hosted (or brought a dish to potluck gatherings with friends). Dressing or stuffing, I use them both pretty interchangeably, though I don’t stuff my birds, so it’s technically a dressing… but whatever you call it, it’s delicious and it tastes like home.

It’s part of my annual holiday rituals, dancing around and making a big batch of this cornbread stuffing while a pot of turkey stock simmers on the stove, pies are cooling, and Alice’s Restaurant plays in the background (or rather, all of Arlo’s greatest hits, it’s kind of a whole thing)… and since I’ve probably already opened a bottle of white wine for the garlic butter sauce that I injected in the turkey that’s roasting, it’s a merry affair.

Lately, our gatherings have been smaller, but I still make a double batch of cornbread dressing so we’ll have plenty of leftovers and a spare casserole dish or two to stash in the freezer. These frozen dishes get pulled out over the next three months for an easy winter meal, paired with some canned turkey breast and a quick pan gravy, or a venison or pork roast and vegetables. It’s also great served with roasted chicken or cornish hens, or a rotisserie chicken on a night when you don’t have time to cook.

I make this stuffing the same way she did, by feel, but have taken notes so that I can share it with y’all! I’ve made changes to the simple, relatively plain stuffing she usually made, adding fresh herbs, and fresh or frozen cranberries to the mixture.

Southern Cornbread Dressing Ingredients

Cornbread:

Crunchy, southern-style cornbread is the key to making a dressing with a nice texture. It’s best to make your cornbread a day or three in advance, so that it can dry out a bit. Freshly baked or soft cornbread will be more likely to dissolve into mush, instead of staying together.

While I usually make a double batch, so we have lots of leftovers, or enough to fill another casserole dish to freeze for later, I’ve adjusted the quantities of this recipe for a single batch of cornbread. If you’re having a large gathering, or want to make extra for the freezer, just double everything to make a big batch.

Onions:

You can use white, yellow, or sweet onions, but I use yellow onions, as they have a stronger flavor. You’ll sweat your onions with plenty of butter until they are translucent and just beginning to color.

Celery:

You’ll use a little less than two cups of chopped celery stalks and inner leaves, minus any tough outer stalks. I buy whole heads of celery (which are usually on sale at Thanksgiving and Christmas) rather than celery hearts.

Wash the celery well to remove any dirt and grit, and save any stringy or tough stalks and trimmings for the stockpot so there is no waste!

Eggs:

Start with six large eggs for a single batch of cornbread. The exact quantity may vary, depending on the size of the eggs, how dry the crumbled cornbread is, and the final texture you prefer in your dressing.

Adding more eggs will make a denser dressing, as will adding more stock, but not enough liquid will leave your stuffing dry. If you feel that the stuffing mixture isn’t well coated, you can add an extra egg, or another ladle of stock.

Stock:

I make my dressing with homemade turkey stock, either home-canned or freshly made with the neck and giblets of the holiday bird. You can also substitute chicken stock, or use vegetable stock if you want to make sure your stuffing can be shared with vegetarian guests.

Turkey Liver (optional):

If you don’t have vegetarians joining your table, if you like, you can finely dice up the raw turkey liver from the giblets and mix that into the dressing before baking.

It’s such a small amount that it won’t taste like liver, I promise, just adds an additional richness and meaty flavor to the dressing. Feel free to skip this step if you have other plans for the liver, aren’t roasting a turkey or other poultry with giblets, or need to keep your stuffing vegetarian.

If you only have one or two vegetarian guests, you could also make smaller ramekins or a mini-casserole for them before mixing in the liver to the rest of the dressing.

Cranberries:

These were not in my Granny’s recipe, but I love the contrast of the tart cranberries with the warm, buttery herb-flavored stuffing. They add textural contrast and a bright pop of flavor, but if you prefer a more traditional dressing, you can leave the out, or substitute dried cranberries for a less assertive flavor.

Use fresh or frozen cranberries in this recipe, or substitute half as many dried cranberries. You can also swap them for diced tart baking apples if you want a milder but still fruity flavor in your dressing.

Seasoning:

The cornbread dressing is flavored with generous amounts of fresh or dried sage, thyme, and plenty of fresh parsley and garlic. I also use a healthy dash of Old Bay, though that’s optional (substitute half as much celery salt if you prefer).

dressing recipe process shot showing cornbread cubes, sauteed vegetables, and a bowl of eggs.

Kitchen Equipment Needed for Cornbread Dressing

cast iron skillet:

I always bake my cornbread in a cast iron skillet, to get a nice crunchy texture that will stand up to crumbling, mixing, and baking into a nice stuffing.

It’s also what I use to sweat and saute the onions and celery in butter before mixing them into the dressing, but you can use any heavy skillet or even a dutch oven for this step.

large mixing bowl:

You’ll need a few large bowls, or at least one for the beaten egg mixture and one large enough to toss and mix all of the ingredients together before baking.

casserole dish or heavy baking pans:

You can use a wide shallow dish (like a 9″x13″ baking pan or small roasting pan) or some heavy ceramic or metal baking dishes. You can also use a sturdy foil baking dish on a baking sheet if you need a portable or disposable option to take to a party or share with friends!

I usually split my double batch of this cornbread dressing recipe between medium and large oblong Corningware casserole dishes, and freeze the smaller pan for a future meal. The wider and shallower the dish you choose, the faster it will bake.

Likewise, two smaller dishes will bake faster, but are more likely to dry out than one large pan. It’s not rocket science, and you’ll probably be juggling oven space and baking dishes with the rest of the sides for your meal, so adjust as you need to!

How to Make Southern Cranberry Cornbread Dressing

four photos of the cranberry cornbread stuffing being mixed and baked.

prep ingredients:

Crumble the day-old cornbread into large pieces and place in a big mixing bowl. Leave the pieces between 1″-3″, with a mix of sizes to add to the texture of the baked dressing. You can always break them up smaller, but you can’t put them back together, so don’t over crumble it.
Peel and dice the onion (medium dice).
Wash and chop the celery (medium dice).
Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves.
Rinse the herbs, pat them dry, and chop them finely.
If you are adding the turkey liver, rinse and chop it very finely, then set aside in the fridge.

cook vegetables:

In a large, heavy skillet or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat (watch carefully so that it doesn’t burn).
Add the diced onions to the pan and stir. Lower the heat slightly.
Sweat the onions, along with a large bay leaf or two, a teaspoon of salt and some freshly ground black pepper, until the onions are translucent and just beginning to color.
Add about a tablespoon each of chopped fresh sage, parsley, and thyme, and stir again.
Add the chopped celery & garlic & stir well. Saute lightly for a few minutes over medium-low heat until the celery is translucent.
Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly. Remove the bay leaves (toss in your stockpot if you have turkey stock simmering for gravy).

egg mixture:

Crack eggs & whisk together with a pinch of salt and some more freshly ground black pepper.
Add about one cup of hot stock to the eggs, carefully whisking well while pouring to avoid curdling the eggs.

combine dressing:

Mix the cornbread cubes with the slightly cooled onion, celery, and butter mixture, folding gently to mix.
If you are using the turkey liver in your dressing, fold the finely chopped liver into the mixture now.
Fold in the beaten egg mixture, fresh herbs, and fresh or frozen cranberries.
Add additional stock, a half cup at a time, until the cornbread is uniformly coated and moist without being soggy or soaked through. The mixture should hold together but not swimming in liquid. You can always add more stock as the mixture bakes if it is drying out.
Don’t overmix the dressing… you don’t want a uniform mush, but a chunky mixture that is evenly moist and well combined.

prepare the casserole:

Carefully pour the cornbread dressing mixture into a buttered casserole dish or baking pan.
For crispier stuffing, use a wider, shallow pan, and a deeper pan or dutch oven for a denser dressing (this will affect baking time- a shallower pan will bake faster).
Gently spread out the mix in an even layer, and cover the pan with foil.
If you are making the cornbread dressing ahead of time, it can be quickly refrigerated overnight, or frozen for several months. Do not let the mixture sit out at room temperature, especially if any of the ingredients were still warm when you combined them.

bake & serve:

Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for 45-55 minutes, or until the temperature in the center of the dressing is at least 165 F and the top is golden brown.
Remove the foil from the pan during the last 20 minutes of baking so that the dressing can crisp up on top without drying out or burning.
You can bake this in a slightly hotter or cooler oven, if you have other things in the oven. Adjust baking time as needed to make sure the dressing gets up to 165 F before serving.

Storage & Make-Ahead Tips

Your homemade southern cornbread dressing is best served warm from the oven, but reheats well if you need to make it in advance. If you are baking it in advance, either keep it hot or chill quickly and reheat within 3-4 days, checking that it reaches a safe serving temperature.

You can also freeze the unbaked dressing for up to six months. Wrap well and defrost overnight in the fridge before baking, and check the internal temperature with a thermometer to make sure it is at a safe temperature (at least 165 F) before serving.

Southern Cornbread Dressing with Cranberries

Alewyfe

This traditional homemade southern cornbread stuffing recipe will brighten up your holiday table with the pop of fresh cranberries & herbs.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 50

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

YIELD servings

Ingredients

1 batch Southern Skillet Cornbread make a day or two ahead and let dry

Sauteed onions & celery

8 oz salted butter (2 sticks)
2 cups yellow onions, medium dice (substitute white or sweet onions)
1 tbsp kosher salt or to taste
2 large bay leaves (optional)
1 ½ cups celery ribs and inner leaves, medium dice
3-5 cloves garlic, chopped

Wet ingredients

6 large eggs
2 cups turkey, chicken, or vegetable stock (approximately)
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Seasonings

1 large turkey liver, washed and finely chopped (optional)
⅔ cup fresh or frozen cranberries
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fresh sage leaves, chopped (sub 1 tbsp dried sage)
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stems (sub 2 tsp dried thyme leaves)
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning or celery salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)

Instructions

prep ingredients:

Crumble the day-old cornbread into large pieces and place in a big mixing bowl. Leave the pieces between 1″-3″, with a mix of sizes to add to the texture of the baked dressing. You can always break them up smaller, but you can’t put them back together, so don’t over crumble it.
Peel and dice the onion (medium dice).
Wash and chop the celery (medium dice).
Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves.
Rinse the herbs, pat them dry, and chop them finely.
If you are adding the turkey liver, rinse and chop it very finely, then set aside in the fridge.

cook vegetables:

In a large, heavy skillet or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat (watch carefully so that it doesn’t burn).
Add the diced onions to the pan and stir. Lower the heat slightly.
Sweat the onions, along with a large bay leaf or two, a teaspoon of salt and some freshly ground black pepper, until the onions are translucent and just beginning to color.
Add about a tablespoon each of chopped fresh sage, parsley, and thyme, and stir again.
Add the chopped celery & garlic & stir well. Saute lightly for a few minutes over medium-low heat until the celery is translucent.
Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly. Remove the bay leaves (toss in your stockpot if you have turkey stock simmering for gravy).

egg mixture:

Crack eggs & whisk together with a pinch of salt and some more freshly ground black pepper.
Add about one cup of hot stock to the eggs, carefully whisking well while pouring to avoid curdling the eggs.

combine dressing:

Mix the cornbread cubes with the slightly cooled onion, celery, and butter mixture, folding gently to mix.
If you are using the turkey liver in your dressing, fold the finely chopped liver into the mixture now.
Fold in the beaten egg mixture, fresh herbs, and fresh or frozen cranberries.
Add additional stock, a half cup at a time, until the cornbread is uniformly coated and moist without being soggy or soaked through. The mixture should hold together but not swimming in liquid. You can always add more stock as the mixture bakes if it is drying out.
Don’t overmix the dressing… you don’t want a uniform mush, but a chunky mixture that is evenly moist and well combined.

prepare the casserole:

Carefully pour the cornbread dressing mixture into a buttered casserole dish or baking pan.
For crispier stuffing, use a wider, shallow pan, and a deeper pan or dutch oven for a denser dressing (this will affect baking time- a shallower pan will bake faster).
Gently spread out the mix in an even layer, and cover the pan with foil.
If you are making the cornbread dressing ahead of time, it can be quickly refrigerated overnight, or frozen for several months. Do not let the mixture sit out at room temperature, especially if any of the ingredients were still warm when you combined them.

bake & serve:

Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for 45-55 minutes, or until the temperature in the center of the dressing is at least 165 F and the top is golden brown.
Remove the foil from the pan during the last 20 minutes of baking so that the dressing can crisp up on top without drying out or burning.
You can bake this in a slightly hotter or cooler oven, if you have other things in the oven. Adjust baking time as needed to make sure the dressing gets up to 165 F before serving.

Keyword autumn, holiday, old-fashioned, savory, savory baking, southern, Thanksgiving, traditional, winter, Yule

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Loved this? Check out these related recipes!

One Comment

Jayne says:

November 24, 2025 at 4:59 pm

I have made your cornbread (for dressing) three times in the last few days. I really like this recipe! Thanks.

BAKE: Southern Cornbread Dressing with Fresh Cranberries & Herbs