Healthy Green Bean Casserole made dairy-free and gluten-free is a marvelously flavorful side dish perfect for any gathering! This healthier keto green bean casserole recipe is fun to assemble and is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Low-carb, creamy and delicious!
Welcome to my newest obsession.
Truthfully, I was never a huge fan of green bean casserole… That is…until I made this recipe.
No lie. As it turns out, a good, fresh, health-conscious green bean casserole is actually ultra palate-pleasing! Now I feel as though I need to make up for lost time and put this beauty on repeat!
While this healthy green bean casserole is more involved than most of the recipes I post, the way I see it is we typically make a dish like this for a special occasion and special occasions call for special food.
Let me tell you, this casserole is AMAZING! It is well-worth the time and effort, is much healthier than classic green bean casserole, and will most definitely wow your guests!
There are four main parts to preparing this recipe: caramelizing the onions for the topping, cooking the green beans, preparing the sauce, and finally, making the casserole itself.
Each step is super easy! If you look at the recipe as a series of steps, it won’t seem as daunting. Pro Tip: Read the whole recipe before you begin it so that you can figure out the best way of fitting it into your day.
Great news!: This casserole saves very well, so you can prepare it up to 4 days before the holiday feast or your big event.
Ingredients for Healthy Green Bean Casserole:
Crispy Onion Topping: Onions and almond flour are all we need for the delicious topping. We caramelize a couple of onions to perfection then toss them in almond flour for the crispy onion topping.
I will say, the topping does not turn out as crispy as the iconic crispy onions on traditional green bean casserole. Just thought I would mention that to set the expectation that the topping is more of a flavor blaster than it is a textural element.
Dairy-Free Sauce: Bacon, mushrooms, garlic, full-fat canned coconut milk, Italian seasoning, nutmeg, sea salt, gluten-free flour. Bacon is cooked to render fat in order to sauté the mushrooms and garlic.
Coconut milk is added to this, along with seasonings and flour to make a creamy dreamy dairy-free sauce. This mixture takes the place of condensed cream of mushroom soup from the traditional version.
Green Beans: Fresh green beans (you can purchase them pre-washed and pre-trimmed to save time!), avocado oil, and sea salt. Green beans are boiled so that they’re nice and tender once the casserole is out of the oven.
After boiling and draining the green beans, we toss them in avocado oil and sea salt to make them extra amazing in the casserole.
Let’s bake it now!
How to Make Healthy Green Bean Casserole:
Preparing this healthy green bean casserole is simple and easy, and requires four main steps. The most time-consuming part is caramelizing the onions.
The good news is, you can easily multi-task while the onions are caramelizing because they don’t require a huge amount of attention.
Make the Topping.
Begin by caramelizing the onions. Add the avocado oil to a large non-stick skillet and heat to medium-high.
Sauté the onions, stirring occasionally, until they turn translucent and have softened. Sprinkle in the sea salt. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onions are are deeply golden-brown and caramelized, about 50 to 60 minutes.
Remove caramelized onions from the heat and stir in the almond flour.
Set aside until ready to use (Note: If you perform this step ahead of time, you can transfer the onions to a bowl or even a tupperware container and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake the casserole).
Boil the Green Beans:
While onions are sautéing, prepare the rest of the recipe. Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stove top and chop the green beans into 2-inch pieces. Transfer the green beans to the pot of boiling water and cook until softened, but still al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Immediately drain the beans into a colander and set aside until ready to use.
Note: I allowed the beans to sit and cool and dry in the colander while I made the sauce so that they were easy to handle when it came time to make the casserole.
Make the Sauce:
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a cutting board and leave the drippings in the skillet.
Add the chopped mushrooms to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have turned golden-brown and are much smaller than they were when raw, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and continue cooking another 2 minutes.
Add the coconut milk, oregano, nutmeg and sea salt and bring to a full boil. Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and whisk well to combine. Continue cooking the sauce until it has thickened to a consistency similar to gravy and pulls away from the skillet when stirred, about 5 minutes.
Assemble the Casserole:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Transfer the cooked and dried green beans to a large (13” x 9”) casserole dish and drizzle with avocado oil and sea salt. Use your hands to toss everything together until all of the beans are coated with oil.
Transfer the sauce mixture to the casserole dish and stir well until the beans are well-coated in sauce.
Evenly distribute the caramelized onions over the green beans. Transfer the casserole dish to the pre-heated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the casserole is fragrant.
Chop the bacon and sprinkle the crumbles over the casserole.
Serve and enjoy!
More Healthy Holiday Side Dishes:
- Creamy Cauliflower Casserole (Keto)
- Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
- Wild Rice Stuffing with Butternut Squash and Pecans
- Caramelized Onion and Roasted Garlic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
- Big Batch Roasted Vegetables
- Creamy Brussel Sprout Casserole
- Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
- Creamy Kabocha Squash Mash
- Herbed Coconut Milk Potatoes Au Gratin
- Smashed Sweet Potatoes
For you and yours!
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Healthy Dairy-Free Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
Onion Topping:
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil
- 2 large yellow onions
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 tsp sea salt to taste
Creamy Mushroom Sauce:
- 4 slices thick cut bacon
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 15-oz can full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg optional
- 1 Tbsp gluten-free all-purpose flour or tapioca flour
- 1 tsp sea salt to taste
Green Beans
- 2 lbs fresh green beans trimmed and chopped into 2-inch pieces
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
Make the Topping:
- Add the avocado oil to a large non-stick skillet and heat to medium-high. Sauté the onions, stirring occasionally, until they turn translucent and have softened. Sprinkle in the sea salt. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onions are are deeply golden-brown and caramelized, about 50 to 60 minutes.
- Remove caramelized onions from the heat and stir in the almond flour. Set aside until ready to use.
Boil the Green Beans:
- While onions are sautéing, prepare the rest of the recipe. Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stove top and chop the green beans into 2-inch pieces. Transfer the green beans to the pot of boiling water and cook until softened, but still al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Immediately drain the beans into a colander and set aside until ready to use.
Make the Sauce:
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a cutting board and leave the drippings in the skillet.
- Add the chopped mushrooms to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have turned golden-brown and are much smaller than they were when raw, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk, oregano, nutmeg and sea salt and bring to a full boil. Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and whisk well to combine. Continue cooking the sauce until it has thickened to a consistency similar to gravy and pulls away from the skillet when stirred, about 5 minutes.
Assemble the Casserole:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Transfer the cooked and dried green beans to a large (13” x 9”) casserole dish and drizzle with avocado oil and sea salt. Use your hands to toss everything together until all of the beans are coated with oil.
- Transfer the sauce mixture to the casserole dish and stir well until the beans are well-coated in sauce.
- Evenly distribute the caramelized onions over the green beans. Transfer the casserole dish to the pre-heated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the casserole is fragrant.
- Chop the bacon and sprinkle the crumbles over the casserole. Serve with your main entrée and enjoy!
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Nutrition
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This was SO GOOD! Thank you!! Can’t wait to make on repeat, not even on Thanksgiving!!!
I’m so happy you like it! We’ve been making it non-stop since October, too, lol. It’s a great one for sure! xoxo
Do you have a suggestion for a substitution if we don’t eat bacon or pork?
Hi Alli!
You could add some chopped walnuts or pecans – if you go this route, I would roast the nuts then sprinkle them on top just before serving. If you do cheese, you can always sprinkle some grated cheese on top. xoxox
I made this for a birthday dinner. Slaved over some short ribs as the main event and the guests could not stop raving over the green beans! No mention of the ribs. Lol. They went for seconds and all they had on the plate were the green beans. That’s all I’m serving next birthday. 🙂
LOL, that makes me so happy! I’m thrilled everyone enjoyed it. It’s definitely a great one for serving to guests! xoxo
Any suggestions for an alternative to the almond flour. Unfortunately we have a nut allergy in my family.
Thanks!
Hi Tanys! You can replace the almond flour with gluten-free breadcrumbs or regular bread crumbs (if you do wheat). Hope you enjoy!
This recipe sounds delish. Any recommendations on substitution for mushrooms. We are allergic. Can’t find a recipe without them…
If I want to make this a day ahead, should I keep everything separate and wait to combine in dish until day of baking.
Hi Sue,
I think that sounds like a great idea! I like the idea of keeping it separate versus making the whole casserole and waiting to bake it so that the sauce doesn’t all sink to the bottom. Hope you love the casserole! xoxo
Hi! Thank you for the recipe. Would I cook it now in the oven and reheat on thanksgiving or prepare and cook it on thanksgiving? Sorry for the silly question
Hi Shannon! Either way works! If it were me, I would cook it now and then reheat on Thanksgiving 🙂 Hope you enjoy! xo
@Shannon, Did you reheat it? Did it turn out well?
Hi,could you recommend a substitute for the coconut milk? Someone in my family is allergic. Thanks! Can’t wait to try this tomorrow!
Hi Mar! You can replace the coconut milk with heavy cream. Just be sure you don’t bring it to a full boil or it will cause the cream to separate and burn 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
Could you make this ahead of time and freeze it?
Hi Bri!
I personally don’t like the way green beans taste after freezing and reheating, but I’d say it’s a matter of preference. I’d suggest making the casserole up to 7 days ahead of time and refrigerating it versus freezing it. Hope this helps! 😀 xoxo
Great Recipe! Even my daughter who does not like green beans loved this recipe! Thank you!
So delicious! I used ripple milk (that’s all I had at home) and it worked great. I wanted to test the recipe out before thanksgiving and it was a hit. Definitely making this for the upcoming holiday!
So happy it worked out with an alternative milk! Thanks so much for sharing! xoxo
Any thoughts on what you could replace mushrooms with?
Hi Mark! If it were me, I would probably add another onion. Aside from potentially adding more onion, I don’t see anything wrong with omitting the mushrooms and not replacing them with anything 🙂
Hi, Is it necessary to drizzle oil on the green beans? Will it make much of a difference if I do not?
Hi Kris! You can skip the oil if you’d like. The sauce contains plenty of fat so as long as you mix it in well with the beans, skipping the oil is fine. I just like the oil because I feel like it gives a little extra pizzaz, but it also does add fat 🙂
Have you ever frozen the “sauce” portion to make the casserole at a later date? Just wanted to see if any experience with this to see if it thaws ok or separates.
Hi Laura! I haven’t tried thawing just the sauce so I’m not completely sure how it would turn out. In general, sauces that have a lot of fat tend to freeze and thaw well, but I would be slightly concerned about the texture of the mushrooms. They can be a bit rubbery when thawed. I wish I had better first hand information for you, because I love the idea of making the recipe in parts! let me know if you try freezing the sauce! xo
Is there a way to make this creamier? It just doesn’t look as creamy as id like it to be.
Hi Angelica! You can use two cans of coconut milk instead of one if you’d like. I personally think it’s creamy enough, although the photos might be deceiving 😉 Nevertheless, two cans will work too! xo
I haven’t even cooked the casserole yet but judging by the look and smell of the mushroom sauce….WOW.
Prepping a couple days before Thanksgiving. I did see one discrepancy- the recipe calls for Italian Seasoning but the instructions list Oregano. I used Italian Seasoning.
Thx for the recipe!
Aww I love hearing that! Thanks so much for pointing that out, Amanda! Either dried oregano or Italian seasoning works, so I’m happy you were able to figure it out! Thanks so much for the sweet note! xo
I made this last Thanksgiving and everyone liked it so much better than the traditional green bean casserole. I’m about to make it again. Thanks for the great recipe!
I’m so thrilled to hear that, Karel! It’s a staple for my family too 🙂 Have a marvelous Thanksgiving and holiday season! xo
This was a big hit for me 2 years in a row… going for a 3rd. And I think it is an official Thanksgiving staple for me. This year i will be making it for my husband’s firehouse.. the only difference I made is..I use store bought crispy onions to top instead of making my own. But still a favorite dish for all try it. Thank you.
Aww I love hearing that, Michelle! It warms my heart knowing you’re making the green bean casserole for your husband’s firehouse! What an honor! Thanks so much for the sweet note, and Happy Holidays! xoxoxo
Made this last year and loved it. Made it again this year. Haven’t done the final bake yet, but I can tell it’s going to come out great, because the gravy is insanely good. My cook times on the mushrooms and onions were significantly shorter than the recipe suggests. Maybe a range strength variation.
I used the below recipe to make vegan/gf bacon bits, substituting more smoked paprika for the liquid smoke. They didn’t get “crispy” in a “couple minutes” at 225 (not sure how that would work), but they taste delish if a little chewy and will do the trick. I used a little extra avocado oil in the mushrooms to compensate for the missing bacon fat and put some of the bacon bits in there for flavour.
https://shaneandsimple.com/easy-vegan-bacon-bits/
Amazing! I’m happy to hear the cook time was lower for you! I love the idea of subbing the bacon for vegan bacon bits – this is super helpful to others who want to try the same thing 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing and Happy Holidays!