Healthier Green Bean Casserole

If you’re looking for a side dish that brings all the comfort of traditional green bean casserole, but without the heavy cream and boxed soup, my Healthier Green Bean Casserole is it! This lightened-up version is creamy, flavorful, and delicious!

It is totally gluten-free and dairy-free. It’s a lightened-up version of a classic holiday side dish!

Why I Love This Green Bean Casserole

Growing up, having green bean casserole for the holidays wasn’t something we ate; instead, my family opted for these Garlicky Blistered Green Beans. But once I developed this version… I have not gone back; it’s a family favorite!

Don’t get me wrong, I serve blistered green beans year-round, but for the holidays? This casserole is here to stay! This casserole retains the essence of the classic! With green beans, mushrooms, that rich “cream of mushroom” flavor, and a crunchy topping, but we’re doing it my way: all from scratch, full of good ingredients, and diet-friendly.

This lightened-up classic is made up of crisp-tender, fresh, green beans baked in a dairy-free cream of mushroom soup, and topped with my homemade, healthier, crispy fried onions! You cannot go wrong with this recipe for the holiday season.

Whether you’re feeding a crowd at Thanksgiving, prepping ahead for a potluck, or just treating your everyday dinner to a little extra love, this casserole hits that comfort zone without compromise.

Ingredients You’ll Need

This green bean casserole is entirely made from scratch, from the revamped cream of mushroom soup to the healthier fried onions! *See the recipe card below for the full instructions and cooking time.

• Butter (or oil for a full dairy-free option): Using grass-fed butter adds richness, but you can substitute with oil if desired.
• Fresh Green Beans: Use fresh green beans that are trimmed and cut; this will result in the best firm and crisp tender green beans.
• Mushrooms and Onions: Slice both thinly; this builds the savory base.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic makes for the best flavor. Pre-minced garlic will also work if that’s what you have on hand.
• Coconut Aminos, Cashew Cream, and Vegetable Broth: This trio replaces the traditional cream of mushroom soup, providing a full-on creamy flavor without dairy. *Note: You can use store-bought cashew cream or easily make your own. I always make my own! It’s super easy.
• Seasonings: You’ll use a simple blend of sea salt, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
• Bacon: This is a totally optional addition if you want to keep your green bean casserole vegetarian, but it does add a delicious, smoky, indulgent touch.
• Crispy Onions: I include a homemade, healthier recipe for crispy onions, but you can use store-bought if preferred.

How to Make This Green Bean Casserole

This easy green bean casserole recipe takes just 10 minutes to prepare. 

• Make the crispy onions: Whisk an egg with arrowroot flour, dip thin onion rings in it, and then fry in avocado oil until golden brown. Set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Blanch the green beans: Add the green beans to a large pot of boiling water with salt and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. This keeps them crisp-tender.
• Build the creamy sauce: In a cast-iron skillet, melt the butter (or heat the oil), then sauté the mushrooms until they release their moisture. Add the onion, garlic, and coconut aminos (soy sauce alternative), and stir in the cashew cream and broth. Reduce the heat, season with garlic/onion powder, salt, and pepper, and let it thicken.
• Combine green beans and sauce: Season the blanched green beans, add them to the skillet, and toss to coat so every piece is silky with sauce.
• Bake and serve: Transfer the mixture to a 9×9” baking dish and bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes. Remove, top with the crispy onions (and bacon, if using), then bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until bubbly and tender. Serve warm!

Pro tip: If your onions are browning too fast, the casserole isn’t done yet. Cover with foil and continue baking.

Let’s Talk About Healthier Crispy Fried Onions

How We’re Making These Fried Onions Healthier! We are using avocado oil instead of canola oil (avocado oil is tasteless and great for high-heat cooking) and arrowroot flour instead of white flour. We also aren’t deep-frying and wasting tons of oil; rather, we are pan-frying. We’ll still get those crispy onions we want, but on a lighter note!

FAQ’s:

Holiday side dish? Weeknight upgrade? Yes & yes.

Whether you’re putting this on the table for Thanksgiving, squeezing in one last “summer-to-fall” dinner with friends, or simply looking to upgrade your weekend menu, this casserole has the depth, comfort, and flavor to deliver. Plus, it’s a great way to add in some veggies (hello, vibrant green beans) while keeping things elevated.

More Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes You’ll Love:

• Scalloped Potatoes
• Gluten-Free Stuffing
• Roasted Veggies
• Cranberry Walnut Roasted Acorn Squash
• Crockpot Cranberry Sauce

Watch the Video:

Green Bean Casserole

5 from 5 votes

If you’re looking for a side dish that brings all the comfort of traditional green bean casserole—but without the heavy cream and boxed soup—this is your winner, my Healthier Green Bean Casserole.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

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Ingredients

  

• 2 tablespoons butter use oil for dairy-free
• 1 1/2 pounds green beans trimmed and cut into pieces
• 2 cups mushrooms sliced thin
• 1 small onion sliced thin
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon coconut aminos
• 1/2 cup cashew cream
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper more to taste
• Optional: 4 strips bacon cooked crispy and broken into pieces

Crispy Onions:

• 1 medium onion sliced into thin rings
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour
• Avocado oil for frying

Instructions

• Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x9 inch baking dish with butter or oil and set aside.

Make The Crispy Onions:

• Slice the onion into thin rings.
• In a small skillet, heat avocado oil until hot.
• While waiting for the oil to heat up, whisk the egg and arrowroot together in a medium mixing bowl.
• Working in batches, dip the onion into the egg/arrowroot mixture and then place into the hot oil. Cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until a dark brown.
• Set aside on a plate lined with paper towels.

Blanch The Green Beans:

• Bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in an 8-quart saucepan.
• Add the green beans and blanch for 5 minutes.
• Drain in a colander and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.
• Drain and set aside. See notes for recipe steps if you would rather roast the green beans.
• Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat.
• Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the onion, garlic, and coconut aminos and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the cashew cream and mix well.
• Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute.
• Decrease the heat to medium-low and add salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
• Cook over low heat until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.
• Season green beans with salt and pepper. Add green beans to skillet with the sauce and mix until the green beans are well covered. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
• Pour the green beans and sauce into the 9 x 9 baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes.
• While baking, make the bacon if using.
• Remove from the oven and top with crispy onions and optional bacon, if adding.
• Bake for an addition 15-20 minutes, or until green beans are tender and bubbly.
• Serve warm!

Notes

1. See post: How to Make Cashew Cream!
2. Roasting Instead of Blanching. You can roast the green beans, instead of blanch them if you like. Just toss with some oil and roast at 375ºF for 20-30 minutes. If you do roast the green beans, do not salt them!
3. Blanch the beans. Blanching the green beans gives them that perfect crisp-tender texture. After you boil them, make sure you plunge them into a cold water bath right away to stop the cooking process, otherwise they could become mushy.
4. Dry the green beans. After you wash the gree beans, be sure to drain and dry them to remove any excess moisture. If they’re too wet, the casserole can become watery.
5. Wait to add the crispy onions. You want the onions to be crispy, not burnt! Make sure you bake the casserole without the onions at first, then add them when it’s closer to being done.
6. You can roast the green beans, instead of blanch them if you like. Just toss with some oil, salt, and pepper and roast at 375ºF for 20-30 minutes. If you do roast and season the green beans, be careful not to add too much salt later on.

Nutrition

Serving: 4gCalories: 153kcalCarbohydrates: 17.2gProtein: 7.3gFat: 7.7gSaturated Fat: 4.1gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 497mgFiber: 7gSugar: 4.4g

Author: Lexi

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