The 6 Best Boxed Stuffing Mixes to Serve for the Holidays in 2025, Ranked by a Food Editor
A turkey is only as tasty as its...
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Dasha Burobina for PureWow
Sure, Thanksgiving is all about the turkey. But in some households, its bready BFF is just as important. Yup, I'm talking about stuffing (or dressing, if you prefer). You could go the route of baking, cubing and toasting your famous cornbread to make dressing from scratch…or you could use a store-bought stuffing mix to make your life easier. I vote the latter—come on, you’re already cooking a whole bird, mashed potatoes and two types of pie, so why torture yourself?
Here, you'll find six of the best boxed stuffings you can buy, whether you’re looking for one that’s gluten-free or one that comes together in minutes on the stove. And you can take it from me; I'm a food editor who prepared and tasted them all at home. My reviews and overall ranking are complete with original photos, so you'll know exactly what you're signing up for before you buy.
The Best Boxed Stuffing Mixes of 2025, at a Glance
1
Best Stuffing Mix Overall
Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Classic Stuffing
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2
Best Flavor
Williams-Sonoma Organic Classic French Bread Stuffing Mix
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3
Best for In-Bird Roasting
Martin’s Potatobred Stuffing
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How I Determined the Best Boxed Stuffing Mixes
Before I get into my top picks, here are the five factors I used to determine the best boxed stuffing for every need:
- Value: Is it worth the money for how it tastes and what’s in it?
- Ease of Use: How easy is it to prepare? Are there any fussy ingredients or instructions compared to other boxed stuffings?
- Quality: Are the ingredients high-quality? Is the stuffing loaded with any weird preservatives or ingredients?
- Texture: Is the stuffing soft on the inside and crispy on the outside? Did the bread maintain its shape or turn to mush after it was cooked? Was half the box powdery crumbs?
- Flavor: Does it taste bready and herbaceous? Is the flavor balanced? Could it accommodate add-ins, like sausage or cranberries?
The Best Boxed Stuffing Mixes of 2025, Ranked
Best Stuffing Mix Overall
Pepperidge Farm
- Value: 19/20
- Ease of Use: 18/20
- Quality: 18/20
- Texture: 20/20
- Flavor: 19/20
TOTAL: 94/100
I was truly shook by how crispy this stuffing mix turned out. The texture was straight-up drool-worthy—think a golden-brown exterior atop a soft, comforting inside. This Pepperidge Farm pick is borderline crumbly in some places, so I did wish it had stayed together a bit better for slicing purposes, but I wouldn’t trade that crunch for anything. Its flavor was comforting, wholesome and oniony, plus a bit earthy, due to malted barley and whole wheat flours in the bread. There are herbs and spices in it already, but a few additional shakes of dried thyme and sage wouldn’t hurt.
Best Flavor
Williams-Sonoma
- Value: 17/20
- Ease of Use: 18/20
- Quality: 20/20
- Texture: 18/20
- Flavor: 20/20
TOTAL: 93/100
This beauty from Williams-Sonoma was a *very* close second in my book. Its crispness was strong, but more sporadic than my top pick. But what really won me over was its flavor. Buckle up for an intense burst of anise-like fennel, aromatic rosemary, earthy thyme and peppery basil, along with organic herbs de Provence (the stuffing mix stars French bread, after all). The stuffing bakes to the ideal texture: crisp, fluffy and doughy all at once. It’s cubed into large pieces that hold their shape beautifully after a stint in the oven, so it’ll look just as good as it tastes to your holiday guests. (BTW, Williams-Sonoma’s Southern-style cornbread stuffing is also a total stunner, and the bestselling focaccia stuffing tastes legitimately homemade.)
Best for In-Bird Roasting
Martin's
- Value: 18/20
- Ease of Use: 19/20
- Quality: 18/20
- Texture: 19/20
- Flavor: 18/20
TOTAL: 92/100
You already love Martin’s famously soft potato bread, so you’re bound to enjoy the brand's stuffing. It was pretty neutral in flavor, so it can pair with just about any salty or savory main you’d like. But I think it’s especially great for putting in a chicken or turkey, since the stuffing recipe doesn’t call for any broth. Leaving it dry (besides butter, sautéed celery and onions) not only allows the bread to maintain its shape and texture, but it'll also soak up any flavorful fat and juice that the poultry releases while it cooks, making it ten times as tasty without turning mushy. Its flavor is basically buttery dinner roll meets herb-spiked stuffing—what’s not to like?
Best Gluten-Free Stuffing Mix
Aleia's
- Value: 18/20
- Ease of Use: 18/20
- Quality: 20/20
- Texture: 18/20
- Flavor: 18/20
TOTAL: 92/100
Are you cooking for someone with a wheat allergy this Thanksgiving? No worries—everyone at the table can get behind Aleia’s gluten-free stuffing. It calls on nutty, wholesome bread, made from brown rice flour, white rice flour, potato starch and tapioca flour. It tasted sort of like a really mild, slightly sweet pumpernickel when eaten dry. Cooked, it boasted vegetal notes and an impressively rich, buttery aftertaste. It baked with some mushy spots throughout, but the top still developed a nice crust. (I'll also say that it blew the other GF option I tasted—which shall remain nameless—out of the water, considering it had a chemical-like, metallic quality to it.)
Best Cornbread Stuffing Mix
Trader Joe's
- Value: 19/20
- Ease of Use: 19/20
- Quality: 18/20
- Texture: 17/20
- Flavor: 18/20
TOTAL: 91/100
Stuff it in the bird, layer it in a casserole dish or cook it on the stovetop—no matter what, this Trader Joe's fall product won't disappoint. I'm partial to the lightning-fast stovetop method, which calls for boiling water, butter and the seasoning pouch (no broth required) in a saucepan for a few minutes, then folding in the bread. The stuffing is a mix of toasted white bread and cornbread croutons, along with a slew of poultry spices and dried herbs (think mushrooms, sage, oregano and the like). The flavor is buttery, salty and savory, making the stuffing mix a great foil for mild turkey.
- Value: 18/20
- Ease of Use: 18/20
- Quality: 18/20
- Texture: 18/20
- Flavor: 18/20
TOTAL: 90/100
You know how far too many bagged or boxed stuffing mixes are mostly crumbs before they even reach the veggies and broth? Not this gem by Arnold. The white bread retained its shape and crunch like a charm instead of turning to mush. But most importantly, the mix would be a breeze to doctor up, in case you want to use it as a shortcut for homemade stuffing. Its savory, herby flavor shone through without being overpowering, meaning it can accommodate bold add-ins, like spicy chorizo, fennel-laced Italian sausage and juicy cranberries, with no issue. Be warned: Your relatives will ask you for your recipe once they taste it.
Additional Boxed Stuffing Mixes
While the aforementioned brands were the best of the bunch, here are a few other worthy options I tasted that didn't quite make the cut, but are still fine to serve:
- Kraft Stove Top Turkey Stuffing Mix: For a side that comes together in a flash with nothing but butter and water, its flavor and texture were both pretty impressive. In fact, I'd say it's the best stovetop stuffing mix I tried. It was decently seasoned, but the appearance and texture were a bit low-quality for the holidays.
- Aldi Chef’s Cupboard Cornbread Stuffing Mix: It's easily the most affordable on the list at 79 cents a box. While its chicken noodle soup-like flavor was solid enough, this stuffing was definitely more of a bargain buy than a gourmet one, and it turned out a bit too mushy for my taste.
- Bell’s Traditional Stuffing: If you're serving a crowd on a limited schedule (or with limited oven space), look no further, since this offers about twice the quantity of Kraft's stuffing mix. It's easy to dress up and can be prepared in five minutes flat on the stove, but I found its texture and flavor to be comparatively lacking.
The PureWow100 is a scale our editors use to vet new products and services, so you know what’s worth the spend—and what’s total hype. Learn more about our process here.
Food Editor
- Spearheads PureWow's food vertical
- Manages PureWow's recipe vertical and newsletter
- Studied English and writing at Ithaca College
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