Don’t miss out on all the traditional Christmas trimmings with this gluten-free bread sauce! It's wonderfully creamy, infused with warming spices like cloves and nutmeg, and can easily be made dairy-free, too. Perfect for everyone at the table!
🤔 What Is Bread Sauce?
Bread sauce is a classic British side dish, which is especially popular at Christmas.
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It's normally made with milk, stale bread made into breadcrumbs and spices like cloves, bay leaves, and nutmeg. The breadcrumbs thicken the sauce, making it creamy, smooth and comforting.
It’s great paired with roasted white meats like chicken & turkey without overpowering other flavours on your plate.
My recipe is completely gluten-free, using gluten-free bread to create the breadcrumbs (like you can in these egg-free chicken tenders), & you can even make it dairy-free if needed, making it ideal for those with multiple food allergies. Just scroll down to the “How can I make this allergy-friendly” section below for more details.
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🥘 Ingredients You Will Need
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients you will need to make this gluten free bread sauce. To find out how to make it suitable for other allergies, simply scroll down to the section below this one.
✋ Double check all packaging for allergens ✋
- Gluten-Free Bread - A white loaf works best. One thing I would say is to use your favourite brand of gluten-free bread. Mine was out of stock when I tested the recipe for the first time, so I used another (which shall remain nameless), and there was an unpleasant aftertaste. When I re-tested it with my favourite brand (Warburtons if you're asking) it tasted sooooo much better!
- Milk - Use full-fat milk for a thicker, creamier sauce.
- Onion - This is added to the milk for a subtle onion flavour.
- Herbs & Spices - I have used a mixture of whole cloves, ground nutmeg, black peppercorn and a bay leaf. You can either use a fresh or dried bay leaf.
- Butter - Butter makes the sauce richer and creamier.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🥜 How Can I Make This Dish Allergy Friendly?
- ✔️ Make It Dairy-Free: Swap the butter for a dairy-free spread & the milk for an unsweetened plant-based version. Also, check the ingredients of the gluten-free bread.
- ✔️ Make It Egg-Free: A lot of gluten-free breads do contain eggs, so double-check all packaging for ingredients. The sourdough bread from the brand BeFree is egg-free (although again, double-check the packaging!!)
✏️ How to Make Gluten Free Bread Sauce
⬇️ Here you will find an overview of how to make the recipe. For full information on ingredients and quantities please see the recipe card at the bottom of the page ⬇️
Step 1: Start by peeling the onion and slicing it in half. Take three cloves and stick them into each half of the onion, this is going to infuse the milk.
Step 2: Place a saucepan on a medium heat and add the studded onion, the peppercorns, a bay leaf, and the milk. Allow the mixture to simmer gently for 2-3 minutes to start releasing the flavours. Then, bring it to a boil before turning off the heat. Let the milk sit for 15 minutes so the spices and aromatics can infuse fully.
Step 3: While the milk is infusing, prepare the breadcrumbs by blitzing stale bread in a food processor until you check small chunks. Using slightly stale bread is key here, if you don’t have stale bread, scroll to the section below this one and I will show you how to make it “stale” quickly.
Step 4: Once the milk has finished infusing, pour it through a sieve into a clean saucepan to remove the bay leaf, studded onion, and peppercorns.
Step 5: Add the breadcrumbs to the infused milk, stirring over a low heat for 5-10 minutes until they’ve fully absorbed the liquid. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 6: Finally, just before serving, stir in the butter and a pinch of nutmeg for added richness and warmth. Serve the bread sauce warm as a perfect side to your roast dinner.
🤔What If My Bread Isn’t Stale?
If your bread isn’t stale, don’t worry—you can easily make it stale quickly! Simply slice the bread and lay it out in a single layer on a baking tray. Pop it in the oven at a low temperature, around 120°C (fan), for about 10-15 minutes.
You’re not looking to toast the bread, just dry it out so it becomes firm enough to blitz into breadcrumbs. Let it cool before using, and you’re good to go. This little trick works perfectly when you need breadcrumbs in a hurry.
💡 Lauren's Tips
- ✔️ Use Quality Gluten-Free Bread: Be sure to use your favourite tasting brand, it will make all the difference.
- ✔️ Watch The Breadcrumbs: When blitzing the bread, pulse it in short bursts to avoid creating fine dust. Coarser breadcrumbs will give the sauce a better texture and help it thicken nicely.
🍴 How To Serve
In the UK, bread sauce is a must-have for Christmas dinner! Add a generous dollop to your plate alongside roast turkey, gluten-free gravy, pigs in blankets, crispy air fryer roast potatoes, stuffing balls, slow-cooked red cabbage, and Brussels sprouts for the ultimate festive feast.
💬 Recipe FAQs
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a microwave or on the hob, adding a little milk if it’s too thick.
Yes, you can freeze bread sauce. Just let it cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container. It can be frozen for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat before serving.
This means you can prepare it in advance of Christmas Day and remove it from the freezer on Christmas Eve to defrost overnight in the fridge.
⚡ More Christmas Recipes
Check out these other festive favourites..
If you loved this recipe, please leave me a 5🌟 rating or comment below. I really do appreciate it. 😊
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Bread Sauce
Ingredients
- 160 g (5.5oz) gluten free bread approx 5 slices
- 570 ml ( 1 pint ) milk full fat
- 40 g ( 1.5oz ) butter
- 1 medium onion peeled and halved
- 10 black peppercorns
- 6 cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Peel the onion & slice it in half. Stick three cloves into each side of the onion.
- Heat a saucepan on a medium heat & add the studded onion, peppercorns, bay leaf and milk. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes then bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and leave for 15 minutes, to let the flavours infuse into the milk.
- Blitz the stale bread into breadcrumbs in a food processor.
- Pour the milk through a sieve into a saucepan to discard the bay leaf, studded onion & peppercorns.
- Stir the breadcrumbs into the milk over a low heat for 5-10 minutes until the breadcrumbs have absorbed into the liquid.
- Stir in the butter and nutmeg just before serving. Serve warm.
Notes
- Use Quality Gluten-Free Bread: Be sure to use your favourite tasting brand, it will make all the difference.
- Watch The Breadcrumbs: When blitzing the bread, pulse it in short bursts to avoid creating fine dust. Coarser breadcrumbs will give the sauce a better texture and help it thicken nicely.
Lauren Woodger says
this tasted great