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Green bean casserole is a beloved holiday side. Learn how to recreate the comforting classic without any dairy or cream. This dairy free green bean casserole happens to be completely gluten free too!
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Every year, I look forward to green bean casserole. It’s one of my favorite recipes at Thanksgiving dinner, but it can often be packed with ingredients that don’t agree with my body or if someone in my family has a dairy allergy.
So I decided to make a dairy-free green bean casserole recipe that happens to be gluten-free too! This vegan green bean casserole is made with a creamy mushroom sauce and crispy fried onions, just like traditional green bean casserole.
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh green beans: there’s nothing better than using fresh beans for this recipe! They’re cooked perfectly in the casserole and add some fresh greens to your plate.
- Yellow onion: we’re making these a little healthier than the traditional fried onions on top of the casserole.
- Almond flour: use blanched (peeled) almond flour. It’s in the baking aisle!
- Salt, black pepper and garlic
- Vegan butter or coconut oil: I love the flavor vegan butter adds to the dish, but coconut oil also works. We like Miyokos vegan butter.
- Mushrooms: this makes up the creamy mushroom sauce. You can use a white button or baby bella.
- All Purpose Flour: we tested this with 1:1 gluten-free flour, and both worked great.
- Vegetable broth: this helps thin out the sauce a bit and lighten it up.
- Non-dairy milk: Any dairy-free milk is great to make the sauce while keeping it nice and creamy. We used unsweetened almond milk, but coconut milk works too!
How to Make Dairy-Free Green Bean Casserole
Here are the simple steps to make this dairy free green bean casserole (with photos!). Jump down to the recipe card for the full recipe.
- Prep the green beans: trim the ends off the green beans and clean well.
- Blanch green beans: place the beans in a large pot of salted water then add the fresh green beans and boil for 2-3 minutes. Drain them right away to stop the cooking process then transfer them to a greased 9×13 casserole dish.
- Make the crispy onion topping: Heat 1 tablespoon of vegan butter or avocado oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the sliced onion and cook until translucent, 2-3 minutes. Remove them from pan to a medium bowl. Add the almond flour and sea salt to the same pan and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir constantly for 3-5 minutes to toast the almond flour. It should start to turn a golden brown color the almond flour with the onions and set aside.
- Start the creamy sauce: Melt more vegan butter or coconut oil to the same pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until it becomes fragrant. Add the flour or gluten-free flour to the mixture and stir well to coat the mushrooms. It will become thick and the flour will be like a paste on the mushrooms.
- Finish the sauce: Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, stirring constantly, then pour in the dairy-free milk and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. The mixture will continue to thicken. If it looks like it’s becoming too thick, add a splash or two more of milk to thin it out. Stir in salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
- Assemble and bake: Pour the mushroom sauce over the green beans in the baking dish and stir well to coat them evenly. Top with crispy onions. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and heated all the way through. Serve warm!
Frequently Asked Questions
This particular recipe is gluten free, dairy free and low carb. So if you like to follow any one of those diets, then it fits in great! And of course, it’s also vegan.
You shouldn’t have that problem with this dish, however, if you’re sensing it’s too watery, mix a little tapioca starch or cornstarch with water then add it to the mushroom sauce and cook to thicken.
Cooked or uncooked dairy free green bean casserole can be left out for about 2 hours before needing to be covered and stored in the fridge.
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions
Make ahead: This dairy-free green bean casserole is great to prep ahead of time. Follow the directions to make all of the steps and assemble the casserole then cover it with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days. Uncover and bake right before you’re ready to serve.
Store or freeze: cover the baked casserole in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge then bake at 350°F until warmed through.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
More dairy free side dishes
- Easy roasted maple carrots
- Best dairy free mashed potatoes
- Air fryer butternut squash
- Maple roasted brussel sprouts and butternut squash
- Healthy scalloped sweet potatoes
Dairy Free Green Bean Casserole
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Ingredients
For the green beans:
- 2 lbs fresh green beans ends trimmed
- 1 tablespoon salt
For the french-fried onions:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegan butter
- 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
- 2/3 cup almond meal
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
For the creamy mushroom sauce:
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter or coconut oil
- 8 ounces white button or baby bella mushrooms thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour or 1:1 gluten free flower
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 1 1/2 cups almond milk
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more if desired
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Cook the green beans
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Spray a 9×13 inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Bring a gallon of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil then add the fresh green beans and cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain them right away to stop the cooking process and transfer them to the prepared casserole dish dish and set aside.
Make the french-fried onions
- Heat or melt the olive oil or vegan butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook until translucent, 2-3 minutes. Transfer the onion to a medium bowl.
- Add the almond flour and salt to the same pan and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir constantly for 3-5 minutes to toast the almond flour. It should start to turn a golden-brown color. Be careful not to burn it. Toss the toasted almond flour to the bowl with the onions, toss gently then set aside.
Make the creamy mushroom sauce
- Melt the vegan butter or coconut oil to the same pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until it becomes fragrant.
- Add the flour or gluten free flour to the mushrooms and garlic and stir well. The flour will coat the mushroom mixture and they should become thick and somewhat clumpy. Add the chicken broth, stirring constantly, then pour in the dairy-free milk and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. It should start to thicken well. If it's looking too thick, add a splash or two of milk until it thins out. Stir in the salt and pepper and remove it from the heat.
Assemble and bake
- Pour the mushrooms sauce over the green beans and stir well to coat them evenly. Top evenly with the crispy onions.
- Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and heated all the way through.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
uhhh chicken broth is not vegan
The onions do not get crispy
For about how many people/servings does this recipe make?
This serves 6-8!
Hi, could I use fresh green beans for this? What would the difference be compared to canned? Thanks!
Yes you can! fresh would be great.I would blanch them first!
Bring a gallon of water and 1 tbsp of salt to a boil then add the beans for 5 minutes. Drain them right away and quickly place them in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Once cold, drain again and follow directions!
Thank you!