Dairy Free Green Bean Casserole Recipe

This dairy free green bean casserole from scratch is one of the most delicious holiday classics. It features wild chanterelle mushrooms but it can be adapted with whatever mushrooms are in season: shiitakes, oysters, lobster mushrooms or baby bellas. Silky creamy, super easy to make and naturally vegan.

Dairy Free Green Bean Casserole

An American classic, the green bean casserole makes its appearance on the Thanksgiving and Christmas table as a family favorite side. This recipe is made without canned cream of mushroom but entirely from scratch for an even more delicious, healthy and dairy free rendition.

Go all out with a crispy topping of fried onions or a spectacular mix of panko bread crumbs and fennel seeds fried in olive oil until golden brown. Serve alongside our favorite Vegetarian Stuffing, Cranberry Wild Rice Pilaf and Orange Cranberry Sauce for a divine Thanksgiving feast.

Ingredient Tips

• Green Beans – Fresh or frozen they are both fine. If going for fresh make sure to snap the ends and break them in half so they are easier to eat. If frozen they will already have been cleaned so you can add them straight into the steamer basket or to boiling water if you prefer that method. The most important thing is to not overcook. Check after the 5 minute mark and once they are al dente to your liking make sure to drain immediately and stop the cooking process by plunging them in a bowl of ice cold water.
• The Mushrooms – To me there’s no mushroom like a wild chanterelle. It makes this dairy free green bean casserole exquisite, so when they are in season it’s totally worth the splurge. Of course you could also make this recipe with a mix of wild mushrooms like hen of the woods or lobster mushrooms, really any mushroom you love. Thinly sliced shiitakes caps, oyster mushrooms and baby bellas are readily available year round and can be used in this recipe.
• Dairy Free Milk – Homemade cashew milk is my absolute go to favorite milk. You can use a plain store bought plant based milk of your choosing, almond or oat will work just fine if you don’t want to make your own.
• Crispy Onions – The store bought version is simply perfect, a shortcut I like to take during Thanksgiving. Alternatively you could sprinkle your casserole with panko breadcrumb and broil until golden brown, or fry them in some olive oil together with some fennel seeds until crispy golden and sprinkle on top of the casserole before serving. Can’t go wrong with either!
• Make it Gluten Free – This can be easily achieved by using gluten free flour or omitting all flour and cooking down the gravy a few minutes longer until naturally reduced and thickened to your liking.
• Storage + Reheating – Refrigerate any leftovers in lidded glass containers for up to 5 days, freezing is not recommended. Reheat @350″F for 20 minutes loosely covered with aluminum foil. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or so until the topping is toasty. The microwave will also work in a pinch.

how to make dairy free green bean casserole

1. Cook the green beans. Steam or boil, fresh or frozen it’s all good!
2. Make the Mushroom Cream Sauce. I’m enamored with wild chanterelles but you can use whatever you have available right now. Use homemade cashew milk and you won’t believe how good this vegan cream sauce really is.
3. Combine the casserole. Mix the cooked green beans with the mushroom sauce and top with the crispy crunchy onions or breadcrumbs.
4. Bake. This is optional if you’d like to get the center bubbly hot and the topping extra toasty.
5. Make Ahead. Prepare all the above steps but hold off on the topping. When ready to bake just transfer the combined casserole to a baking dish, top with the crispy onions or breadcrumbs and bake @375″F until the center is bubbly and topping is golden brown to your liking.

5 from 1 vote

Dairy Free Green Bean Casserole

This dairy free green bean casserole from scratch is one of the most delicious holiday classics. It features wild chanterelle mushrooms but it can be adapted with whatever mushrooms are in season: shiitakes, king oysters, lobster mushrooms or baby bellas. Silky creamy, super easy to make and naturally vegan.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Cook Time:15 minutes mins

Total Time:25 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 1 lb Green Beans (fresh or frozen)
• 1 lb Chanterelle mushrooms (lobster mushrooms or your favorite kind)
• 1 onion - chopped
• 4 cloves garlic - minced
• 2 cups warm cashew milk (almond or any plant based dairy free milk- unsweetened)
• 8 sprigs thyme - leaves only
• 8 leaves Sage chopped
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp nutritional yeast
• 1 pinch sea salt - to taste
• 2 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour would be ok too
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup crispy fried onions or panko bread crumbs

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Prepare a double boiler with a couple of inches of water and bring to a simmer. Add the fresh green beans to the top basket making sure it doesn’t touch the water below it. Cover with lid and steam for about 10 minutes until the beans are al dente to your liking. Make sure not to overcook them, you want a nice firm texture not mushy. Check after 5 minutes and keep a close eye on them from there. Once ideal texture is achieved drain promptly and transfer the beans to a bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well and set aside while making the gravy.
  1 lb Green Beans

Mushroom Gravy

• Heat a large skillet over medium low flame and add a drizzle of olive oil. Sautee the onion and a pinch of sea salt until translucent, about 5 minutes.
  1 onion - chopped, 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 pinch sea salt - to taste
• Manually tear the chanterelle mushroom into smaller pieces or slice with a knife if using shiitakes or baby bellas. Add to the skillet with the onion together with the thyme leaves and sage and cook another 5 minutes or so until they have wilted. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes.
  1 lb Chanterelle mushrooms, 4 cloves garlic - minced, 8 sprigs thyme, 8 leaves Sage, 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• Whisk together the onion powder and flour with the cashew milk until combined and there are no lumps. Pour into the skillet with the mushrooms and stir.
  1 tbsp onion powder, 2 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour, 2 cups warm cashew milk
• Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for a few minutes until thickened up to your liking. Season to taste with sea salt, the nutritional yeast and if desired a fresh squeeze of lemon.
  2 tsp nutritional yeast

Assemble Casserole

• Add the steamed green beans to the mushroom gravy and toss to combine well. (Optional: At this point you can transfer everything to a broiler proof dish, sprinkle with crispy onions or Panko bread crumbs and broil for a few minutes until golden on top.)
  1 lb Green Beans

Oven Method

• Preheat your oven to 400 “F. Top the green bean casserole with the panko or the onions and bake for 15 minutes until bubbly and golden brown on top to your liking.

Video

Notes

• Green Beans - Fresh or frozen they are both fine. If going for fresh make sure to snap the ends and break them in half so they are easier to eat. If frozen they will already have been cleaned so you can add them straight into the steamer basket or to boiling water if you prefer that method. The most important thing is to not overcook. Check after the 5 minute mark and once they are al dente to your liking make sure to drain immediately and stop the cooking process by plunging them in a bowl of ice cold water. 
• The Mushrooms - To me there's no mushroom like a wild chanterelle. It makes this green bean casserole exquisite so when they are in season it's totally worth the splurge. Of course you could also make this with a mix of wild mushrooms like oysters, hen of the woods or my second fave: lobster mushrooms. Thinly sliced shiitakes  caps or baby bellas are also nice and readily available year round. 
• Dairy Free Milk - Homemade cashew milk is my favorite, you can use a plain store bought plant based milk of your choosing, almond or oat will work just fine if you don't want to make your own. 
• Crispy Onions - The store bought version is simply perfect! I don't even know anyone who insists on making their own especially during Thanksgiving. Alternatively you could sprinkle your casserole with panko breadcrumb and broil until golden brown, or fry them in some olive oil together with some fennel seeds until crispy golden and sprinkle on top of the casserole before serving. Can't go wrong with either!
• Make it Gluten Free - This can be easily achieved by using gluten free flour or omitting all flour and cooking down the gravy a few minutes longer until naturally reduced and thickened to your liking.
• Storage + Reheating - Refrigerate any leftover casserole in lidded glass containers for up to 5 days, freezing is not recommended. Reheat @350"F for 20 minutes loosely covered with aluminum foil. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or so until the topping is toasty. The microwave will also work in a pinch. 

Nutrition

Calories: 128kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 113mg | Potassium: 620mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 599IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 4mg

Course: Sides

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dairy free, green bean casserole, Vegan

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 128kcal

Thanksgiving Holiday Recipes