At first glance, it’s tempting to dismiss muffin tin stuffing (affectionately known as stuffin’ muffins around here) as a gimmick. But now that I’ve put this holiday classic twist through its paces in the test kitchen, I’m ready to declare the muffin tin the ideal vessel for enhancing stuffing’s greatest attributes.
Yes, stuffing muffins really are cuter than a typical stuffing baked in a pan. But they bring much more than a fresh visual aesthetic. They bring the ultimate combination of textures.
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Consider: A truly superb Thanksgiving stuffing isn’t just deeply flavorful—complex, buttery, and savory—it also has a crisp exterior and a tender, soft interior. As a particular fan of the crisp bits, I wanted to find a way to deliver more crunch per serving. And so I turned to the muffin tin.
By filling each recess with stuffing, you increase the overall amount of surface area that comes in contact with the hot tin, meaning that each serving will yield crisp, browned exteriors—in addition to the crunchy browned tops—to complement the luscious interiors.
But producing a great stuffing muffin takes more than simply scooping your old dressing recipe into a muffin tin and popping it into the oven. After extensive experimentation, I’ve optimized the ingredient lineup, the bread cube size, and, most important, the balance of wet and dry ingredients for the muffin tin method, ensuring that each serving emerges with the best possible mix of flavors and textures—and, thanks to two beaten eggs in the mix, holds its shape once released from the tin.
Classic Stuffing Muffins
A sure route to deep flavor and the perfect ratio of crispy to custardy.
Get the RecipeOne essential technique is to start with dried (rather than staled) bread. By baking the cubes in a 300-degree oven for 45 minutes before combining them with the wet ingredients, we’re able to better control the moisture level, allowing the bread to readily soak up the flavorful mix of butter, sautéed aromatics, poultry stock, and seasonings.
About those seasonings. Two pantry powerhouses help deliver intensity while keeping the ingredient list refreshingly short. Poultry seasoning, an all-in-one blend that includes sage, rosemary, and thyme is key to this classic stuffing’s signature complexity. And chicken bouillon base—which we use to create an extra-concentrated stock for maximum savoriness—infuses the mix with a robust meatiness reminiscent of those stuffings that thrive on drippings from the roasted bird.
One more gift these muffins provide: They can be fully made ahead and frozen up to a month before your celebration meal. All you need to do on the day is defrost and reheat them just before you sit down, which means more time feasting and less time cooking.
Oh, and if you want to zhuzh up your stuffing even more, try our Sausage-Herb Stuffing Muffins for a delicious twist.
Key Steps to Stuffing Muffins
1. Mix bread cubes, aromatics, broth, and eggs to make stuffing.
2. Mound stuffing into greased muffin cups, brush with melted butter, and bake.
3. Gently turn baked, slightly cooled muffins out of muffin tin onto baking sheet before transferring to wire rack.
