These meatless stuffed mushrooms are elegant, crowd-pleasing, and easy to make-a catering favorite made with pine nuts, fresh herbs, lemon zest, and cream cheese. Gluten-free and easily vegan-adaptable!
Why You’ll Love This
Here’s an elegant, easy appetizer that's always a hit - stuffed mushrooms! I used to make trays of them for my catering clients, and they never lasted long. Earthy cremini mushrooms are filled with a savory blend of mushrooms, sweet red peppers, onion, garlic, fresh herbs, toasted pine nuts, lemon zest, and cream cheese for the perfect balance of texture and flavor.
Whether you're hosting a dinner party, planning holiday hors d'oeuvres, or just craving something delicious and comforting, this recipe delivers gourmet flavor with simple, fresh ingredients. Plus, it's adaptable - keep it vegetarian, make it vegan, or add Italian sausage with just a few swaps.
Ingredients
- Cremini mushrooms: You’ll need twenty 2-inch baby bella mushroom caps. The stems are minced and sautéed for the filling.
- Pine nuts: Chopped walnuts or pecans, or toasted breadcrumbs work too, to give the filling a nice crunch.
- Onion, red bell pepper, and garlic: These make up the veggie filling along with the minced mushroom stems. They add savory, aromatic depth and subtle sweetness.
- Spices: Fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
- Cream cheese: Let it soften before mixing. Goat cheese also works, or for a dairy-free version, use vegan cream cheese.
- Pecorino: Or Parmesan cheese or vegan Parmesan.
- Flat-leaf parsley: Adds a fresh, herbal taste.
- Lemon zest: adds a vibrant, elevated finish to the dish.
What type of mushrooms to use for stuffed mushrooms
For best results, use large cremini mushrooms (called baby bella mushrooms). They have the ideal size -around 2 inches wide -meaty texture, and an earthy flavor.
White button mushrooms can also work, but cremini have more flavor and hold their shape and moisture better when baked.
Tip: If your mushrooms are much larger than 2 inches wide, pre-bake them with a little olive oil spray, salt, and pepper for 8-10 minutes until just softened.
Variations
- Make vegan stuffed mushrooms: Use vegan cream cheese or cashew cream and vegan parmesan.
- Make meaty stuffed mushrooms: Add a cup of browned Italian sausage for a meatier option, piling them a little higher. You could also top the mushrooms with chopped crispy bacon.
- Make a nut-free version: breadcrumbs or toasted panko can be used in place of toasted pine nuts.
How to Clean Mushrooms
To clean mushrooms, use a damp paper towel and gently rub them to remove dirt. Avoid rinsing them under water-this can result in a soggy mushroom because they soak up too much water.
How to Make the Best Stuffed Mushrooms
1. Toast the pine nuts. Add the pine nuts to a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir until golden and toasty.
2. Prep the mushrooms. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Carefully remove the stems and set aside. Place twenty mushroom caps on a parchment-lined sheet pan, coat with olive oil cooking spray, and season generously with salt and pepper. Mince the mushroom steps, measuring 1 1/2 cups.
3. Sauté the vegetables. In the same large skillet, warm olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell pepper, garlic, and mushroom stems, stirring until tender, reducing heat as needed. Add salt, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, chili flakes, and black pepper. Sauté a few minutes more.
4. Mix the filling. Transfer the sautéed veggies to a medium bowl. Add the cream cheese, pine nuts, pecorino, parsley, and lemon zest. Combine, then season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
5. Stuff the mushrooms. Use two small spoons to scoop out a tablespoon of filling and stuff each mushroom, dividing the mixture evenly.
6. Bake the stuffed mushrooms. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack. Bake 18-24 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and the tops are golden. Baking time varies depending on the size of the mushrooms.
7. Garnish and serve. Sprinkle chopped parsley over top and serve.
Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe Tips
- Let the cream cheese soften before mixing the filling. This will make it easier to mix and disperse the veggies, herbs, and pine nuts more evenly.
- Use large cremini mushrooms for the best texture, flavor, and size. If the mushrooms are too large, you can pre-bake them for 8-10 minutes with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Adjust to dietary preferences. Make the stuffed mushrooms vegan with vegan cream cheese and vegan parmesan, use breadcrumbs or toasted panko for nut-free, or add browned Italian sausage for a high-protein variation.
- Use olive oil spray. This is the easiest way to give each mushroom a thin coating of olive oil. Drizzling oil over top risks some of the mushrooms becoming too mushy, while others turn out dry.
- Use two spoons to stuff the mushrooms. This easy, mess-free method keeps the stuffed mushrooms uniform and helps distribute the filling evenly.
- Baking time varies depending on the size of your mushrooms. Check the mushrooms at 18 minutes. They’re done when they’re tender and the tops are golden.
Serving Suggestions
- Party appetizer: Stuffed mushrooms are the perfect bite-sized app for holiday hors d'oeuvres or dinner parties. Serve with cured olives or see our 50+ Easy Appetizer Recipes for more ideas! Enjoy with our Whiskey Sour for happy hour! Plus, these individual Cardamom Panna Cottas make the perfect party dessert!
- Side dish: Serve stuffed mushrooms as a vegetable side to a protein like Baked Dijon Salmon, Pomegranate Salmon, Mushroom Dusted Halibut, Oven Roasted Turkey Breast, or Baked Tofu.
- Serve with a salad: This is my favorite way to enjoy leftovers (if you have any!). Serve with a salad, like White Cheddar Apple Salad, Waldorf Salad, Beet and Goat Cheese Salad, or Pear Salad for lunch the next day!
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating
- Make-ahead: Make the filling and stuff the mushrooms the day before. Store them covered in the fridge, then bring to room temperature, and bake just before serving. Perfect for parties or holiday prep!
- Refrigerator: Leftovers keep up to 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Let them cool completely before storing to prevent a soggy texture.
- Freezer: Freeze the stuffed mushrooms before baking. Arrange the stuffed mushrooms on a parchment-lined tray, freeze until solid, then store in a freezer-safe container or bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding 5-10 extra minutes of baking time.
- To reheat: Reheat in a 375°F oven for 10-12 minutes, or until warmed through and lightly crisp on top. Avoid microwaving, as it softens them too much. However, if you're in a pinch, use short bursts and a paper towel underneath to absorb moisture.
FAQs
The filling is made of sautéed veggies, cream cheese, toasted pine nuts, pecorino, parsley, lemon zest, and seasonings.
It is not necessary to pre-cook the mushrooms unless they are overly large. If they are larger than 2 inches wide, then you can pre-bake them for 8-10 minutes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. This helps them soften and shrink a bit. Let cool before stuffing.
Stuffed mushrooms bake for 18-24 minutes at 400°F, depending on size. They’re done when the mushrooms are tender and the tops are golden brown.
Dried herbs pair particularly well with mushrooms. Here I use dried Italian seasoning to enhance the flavor. A simple seasoning of salt and pepper goes a long way in bringing out the earthy, deep flavors of the mushrooms.
More Favorite Party Appetizers
After you try this Stuffed Mushrooms recipe, let us know how it turns out in the comments below. Your review will help other readers, too! Sign up here to join our community and receive our latest recipes and weekly newsletter! xoxo Sylvia
Stuffed Mushrooms
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 20 1x
- Category: appetizer, thanksgiving, christmas, fall, entertaining
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These stuffed mushrooms are so delicious! Elegant, crowd-pleasing, and easy to make-a catering favorite made with pine nuts, fresh herbs, lemon zest, and cream cheese. Gluten-free and vegan-adaptable!
Ingredients
- 24 ounces of large cremini mushrooms (2-inch baby bellas), stems removed and chopped finely.
- 1/2 cup pinenuts (or sub chopped walnuts or pecans or toasted bread crumbs)
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil, use some for spraying or brushing
- 1/2 cup diced onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, more for sprinkling
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, more for sprinkling
- 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened (or goat cheese or vegan cream cheese)
- 1/3 cup pecorino or parmesan, grated ( or vegan parmesan)
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped, more for garnish
- 1–2 teaspoons lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Toast the pinenuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring until golden and toasty, set aside.
- Prep Mushrooms. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them very finely; you’ll need 1 ½ cups (set them aside). Place 20 mushroom caps on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Spray with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Saute the filling. Heat the olive oil in the same skillet, add the onions, bell pepper, garlic, and mushroom stems, and saute over medium-high heat, stirring until tender, reducing the heat if necessary. Add the salt, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and pepper, and saute for a few more minutes.
- Combine. Place this in a medium bowl with the cream cheese, pine nuts, pecorino, parsley, and lemon zest and mix until combined. Season to taste.
- Stuff. Using two small spoons, stuff each mushroom with about 1 tablespoon of filling, dividing equally.
- Bake on the middle rack until the mushrooms get tender, and the tops are just golden, about 18-24 minutes, depending on size. See notes.
- Sprinkle with more chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
Mushrooms: Large cremini mushrooms (called baby bella) are ideal for their size ( 2 inches wide), meaty texture, and earthy flavor. White button mushrooms also work well, but cremini have more flavor, and tend to hold their shape and moisture better when baked. TIP: if your mushrooms are much larger than 2 inches wide, I would prebake them for 8-10 minutes (spray with olive oil, season with salt and pepper) until just softened, then stuff.
Make ahead: You can prepare the filling and stuff the mushrooms up to one day in advance. Store them covered in the fridge, then bring to room temp, and bake just before serving. This makes them perfect for parties or holiday prep - they come out just as delicious and golden.
Variations: Substitute vegan cream cheese (or cashew cream) and vegan parmesan in place of pecorino. The flavor stays rich and satisfying - no one will miss the dairy! Or add a cup of browned Italian sausage for a meatier option- piling them up high. If allergic to nuts, use bread crumbs or toasted panko.
To Store: Leftover stuffed mushrooms will keep beautifully for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let them cool completely before storing to prevent condensation that can make them soggy.
To Reheat: For best texture, reheat in a 375°F oven for 10-12 minutes, or until warmed through and lightly crisp on top. Avoid microwaving if possible - it softens the mushrooms too much - but if you're in a pinch, use short bursts and a paper towel underneath to absorb moisture.
To Freeze: You can freeze them before baking for make-ahead convenience. Arrange stuffed mushrooms on a parchment-lined tray, freeze until solid, then store in a freezer-safe container or bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding about 5-10 extra minutes of bake time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 mushrooms
- Calories: 125
- Sugar: 2.5 g
- Sodium: 257.5 mg
- Fat: 10.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 6.4 g
- Fiber: 1.4 g
- Protein: 4.2 g
- Cholesterol: 14.7 mg
These were not only easy and delicious, can be tweaked in many ways to your preference, they were also very beautiful to serve! No leftovers!
Glad they were a hit Stacey!
These were a hit at friendsgiving! Used parmesan and accidentally cooked the parsley. Lol. They turned out all brown like a meatball. Any chef tips to make them pretty before I make a double batch at Christmas?
Hi Pamela, glad everyone enjoyed! I add parsley to the filling, but then also top with more parsley after. When you go to fill, make sure there is a little red pepper and pine nut showing on the top. Don’t let them get too brown in the oven- check them sooner, and maybe tent with foil if needed.
I brought these as an appetizer to Thanksgiving. They were a huge hit! So delicious!! Thank you for another incredible recipe!!
Great to hear Joanna!
I don’t think to submit comments very often but, gosh, I don’t know why not since I basically get ALL my inspiration form your website and am cooking from it daily. Seriously. This stuffed mushroom recipe has great depth of flavor and is the best I have tried. I often make a light mid-week main course, like soup, and need a little something to round out the meal, so these mushrooms are a great appetizer course to nibble as we chop vegetables and sip wine! They make the simplest menu feel like an occasion.
Thanks Annie- appreciate the comment and glad you enjoyed the mushrooms!
These stuffed mushrooms 🍄 are so pretty & colorful! I can’t wait to try this recipe on Thanksgiving ♥️
🍂🍁🌻🍁🍂
Let us know how it goes Lori!
This appetizer was a hit at a party. Very easy to make and delicious!
Happy to hear this Donna!
Do these need to be eaten warm, and can they be made ahead of time and refrigerated before baking?
Hi Lisa, yes, absolutely!
I have not made these yet, but was wondering about how they would fare if made ahead of time and refrigerated until baking and do they need to be eaten warm?
I think they are best served warm or at room temp. What if you prepped ahead, refrigerated, and baked before serving? Or baked ahead but reheated a little?
We had our vegan neighbors over last night for dinner. Made these mushrooms as you noted with vegan products. I kept hearing can I have another mushroom? Another mushroom please…
Yay! Nice to hear this Julie!
This one is a winner.
Thank you for your expert cheffing!
Glad to hear Gloria!
That’s it, I’m cancelling my NY Times subscription- this website consistently beats it in my opinion. These stuffed mushrooms were incredible- everyone loved them. You knocked it out of the park again ladies.
Nice to hear you enjoyed! 🙂
EASY & GREAT
Happy you enjoyed this Dennis!