How To Make Dairy-Free Green Bean Casserole That Everyone Will Love

Green bean casserole is a beloved Thanksgiving classic, though its original preparation isn’t suitable for dairy-free folks. Thankfully, dairy-free green bean casserole recipes are as delicious as the original dish. Keep reading to learn what’s in a dairy-free green bean casserole, what to know when baking it, and where to get the necessary ingredients (and other plant-based Thanksgiving side dishes).

How did green bean casserole become so popular?

Green bean casserole traces its origins back to 1955. That year, Dorcas Reilly, a home economist for the popular soup brand Campbell’s, made a splash by combining Campbell’s canned cream of mushroom soup with fried onions and canned green beans, all common pantry items.

Green bean casserole’s easy cooking and low-fuss ingredients made it a hit. By 2004, a Campbell’s survey revealed that 20 million households serve this classic recipe at their Thanksgiving tables.

What’s in a dairy-free green bean casserole?

Cream of mushroom soup isn’t dairy-free, so a mixture of flour, vegetable broth, and unflavored, unsweetened dairy-free milk is typically used in its place. The dairy-free milk you choose plays a large role in your plant-based green bean casserole’s final texture:

• Canned coconut milk or cream typically leads to a creamy, velvety casserole.
• Full-fat oat milk usually yields a thick and creamy (but not quite velvety) dish.
• Soy milk is a reliable pick for a milder but still creamy texture.
• Almond milk results in a texture similar to when using soy milk.

Tips for a delicious dairy-free green bean casserole

Your choice of toppings, your baking time, and bean freshness all contribute to a perfect green bean casserole.

Consider more toppings than classic French fried onions

Although packaged fried onions are the signature topping for a green bean casserole, you have so many other options. Sprinkle your casserole with plant-based bacon, panko breadcrumbs, or chopped pecans or walnuts instead. You can also swap out fried onions for their cousin, fried shallots. And if you’ve got time, consider frying your own onions or shallots instead.

Give your casserole 15 to 30 minutes in the oven (longer with toppings)

The longer your bake time, the crispier the top will get. Keep an eye on your casserole, though, because longer bake periods risk a burnt top. Additionally, if your casserole spends too long in the oven, the liquid may evaporate. In any case, your casserole is best served warm, so time the baking period to line up with dinnertime!

Cook your green bean casserole partway a day ahead of serving

Cutting down prep time on the day of your Thanksgiving feast makes for a lower-stress holiday, and there are plenty of shortcuts for green bean casserole. For starters, you can prepare your green beans and roux the day before you bake your casserole. If your recipe calls for any toppings, make them the day before too. Toppings that are ready-to-go from the store should remain in their packaging until the day of baking.

Store the beans, roux, and toppings in separate covered containers. Then, on Thanksgiving day, assemble your casserole and bake it as your recipe describes. You can prepare everything up to three days before baking as long as you cover it all tightly.

Aim for fresh beans, but frozen or canned beans are OK too

Fresh green beans will give your casserole the most flavor, but trimming the ends can be tedious, and blanching fresh green beans adds another step. To save time, use frozen green beans and thaw them overnight before cooking. The creamy, rich roux in your casserole will largely make up for the amount of flavor you lose with this shortcut. That said, some people find that frozen green beans have a more rubbery texture.

You can also use drained and rinsed canned green beans in place of fresh beans. Doing so, though, runs the risk of your casserole coming out a bit mushy, which some people enjoy.

Use cast iron or Dutch oven for cooking

Since a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven can go directly from the stovetop to the oven, it’s especially convenient for making your green bean casserole. Cook your roux in cast-iron kitchenware, then combine all the casserole ingredients in that same cast-iron and move it to the oven for baking.

Since cast iron is heavy, a traditional casserole dish is a better baking vessel if you’re bringing your casserole elsewhere. It is, after all, the tried and true way to make a classic green bean casserole.

Store leftovers tightly covered (and reheat them covered)

Any green bean casserole left over after your feast will last three to five days in your fridge if you cover it tightly. Place it in an airtight container, or keep it in your cast-iron or casserole dish and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. To reheat it, place it in an oven-safe baking dish (such as your cast-iron or casserole dish), cover it with foil, and heat it at 350°F for 25 minutes.

Swap wheat flour for another flour if gluten-free

Since a typical dairy-free green bean casserole recipe swaps out cream of mushroom soup for flour, vegetable broth, and plant-based milk, it isn’t gluten-free. It can be, though, if you swap out traditional wheat flour for an alternative such as cornstarch.

Also check whether any toppings that your recipe calls for, such as bagged fried onions, contain gluten. If they do, find a gluten-free substitute — gluten-free panko breadcrumbs are a great example — or make it yourself. Many fan-favorite green bean casserole recipes call for doing exactly this when it comes to fried onions.

Add mushrooms if you want

Some plant-based green bean casserole recipes call for mushrooms, whereas others exclude them. If you’re a fan of mushrooms and your recipe doesn’t call for them, you can add up to two cups of sauteed mushrooms cooked how you would prepare mushroom meat. Doing so approximates the mushroom flavor of the classic casserole’s cream of mushroom soup.

Excluding mushrooms is OK too if you’re mushroom-averse. If you go this route, though, consider adding some more green beans in place of the mushrooms.

Shop Thanksgiving side dishes with Purple Carrot

If plant-based green bean casserole is on your Thanksgiving menu this year, get your plant-based milk from Purple Carrot, where groceries are only the start. Our meal kits, which are prepared by chefs and dietitians, include options perfect for your Thanksgiving table, with loaded baked potatoes and so much more. Shop Purple Carrot today for $100 off your first month of deliveries!