Gluten-Free Vegan Green Bean Casserole (Allergy-Free)

Name: Gluten-Free Vegan Green Bean Casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 5 Cups Fresh Green Beans (about 20 ounces); 1 Large Vidalia Onion (thinly sliced 1/8-inch rounds); 1 to 1 1/2 Bags Vegan Sour Cream Onion Bean Chips (finely crushed); 2 13.5-ounce Cans (800mL) Light Unsweetened Coconut Milk; 1 1/2 Cups Chopped White Mushrooms; 2 TB Cornstarch (or Arrowroot); 1 TB Coconut Aminos; 1 Tsp Minced Garlic; 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper; 1/2 Tsp Ground Nutmeg; Salt (to taste)

Published: Nov 20, 2017 · Modified: Nov 18, 2024 by Rebecca Pytell · This post may contain affiliate links.

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This healthy Gluten-Free Vegan Green Bean Casserole is mind-blowingly delicious, easy to make, and allergy-free! Made with fresh green beans, a creamy dairy-free mushroom base, and a homemade crunchy onion topping! This from-scratch classic holiday side dish will be your new family favorite recipe!

Thanksgiving green bean casserole gets a bad rep for being unhealthy and very indulgent. Every family puts their own spin on it, some healthier, some not, some from scratch, some made with the original Campbell's mushroom soup can recipe. So let's make a healthier gluten-free and vegan recipe that everyone can "indulge" in and feel good while doing so! Simple, from scratch, packed with flavor, and just as easy as if you were making the back-of-the-can recipe!

Healthy Green Bean Casserole

No wheat and oil fried onions, no questionable condensed soup, no soy sauce, no dairy milk or cheese (did you know some people put cheese in their green bean casserole?) This allergy-free green bean casserole will put that 1955 recipe to shame! A vegetable side dish that you can actually count as a vegetable! This homemade recipe is:

Gluten-Free
Vegan & Vegetarian
Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Corn-Free)
Low-Carb, Grain-Free, Keto, Paleo
Sugar-Free & Oil-Free
Kid-Friendly
Make-Ahead & Freezer-Friendly
Healthy Holiday Side Dish For Thanksgiving or Christmas

Ingredients For Vegan Green Bean Casserole

Fresh Green Beans: Fresh, crisp green beans are the star of the show! They'll give your casserole a fresher taste, provide natural sweetness, and a beautiful bright green color! The fresh green beans will be simmered in the base of the homemade vegan mushroom sauce for this casserole.

For The Gluten-Free "Fried" Onions:

Vidalia Onion: A large sweet Vidalia onion is what you'll use for the homemade crispy onion topping on this gluten-free green bean casserole.
Lentil or Chickpea Chips: My secret to the best gluten-free substitute for crispy French fried onions in an oniony-flavored baked chip! I love using these vegan sour cream and onion Beanfields chips, sour cream and onion popchips, or a plain baked veggie bean chip! If soya oil isn't a concern, these Kibo Maui Onion chips would be great too!

For The Creamy Mushroom Sauce:

Coconut Milk: The coconut milk is the base of the mushroom sauce and the liquid that is used to simmer the fresh green beans in! Super creamy, delicious, and the perfect substitute for condensed mushroom soup!
White Mushrooms: The white button mushrooms get sliced up and added to the simmering coconut milk to make our vegan mushroom sauce base.
Cornstarch or Arrowroot: To thicken the sauce a bit, a couple of tablespoons of starch is used so your casserole doesn't end up like a liquidy soup!
Coconut Aminos: Soy-free soy sauce in the form of coconut aminos! It adds just the right amount of salty umami flavor.
Seasonings: Minced garlic, black pepper, salt to taste, and a dash of nutmeg! Just the essential seasonings for a deliciously classic green bean casserole from scratch!

More Ingredient Substitutions and Add-Ins

Canned or Frozen Green Beans: If you use canned green beans, you'll need 2 14.5-ounce cans, drained and rinsed. If you use frozen green beans, you'll need about 20 ounces, thawed or steamed in the microwave. For both of these options you won't be cooking the green beans in the coconut milk, but instead, adding them with the rest of the mushroom sauce ingredients.
Crunchy Chips: My original green bean casserole recipe used Mozaic's popped sea salt chips, but the brand is no longer available. You can use any baked/popped chip you like in this case! Just make sure they're gluten-free, vegan, allergy-free to fit your dietary needs.
Add Vegan Cheese: Want your casserole to have some cheesiness? You can add 1 cup of vegan cheddar shreds or 2-3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast to the mushroom sauce!
Add More Veggies: You can add some chopped red bell pepper, corn, cauliflower, broccoli, or shredded carrots! Another fun idea is to swap half the green beans for chopped broccoli.

How To Make Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole

Bake The Crispy Gluten-Free Onions:

Peel and slice your onion into thin rounds, about ⅛-inch thick, and add them to a bowl.
Crush the chips in the bag and add them to the sliced onions. Toss everything together before spreading the mixture out on a parchment paper or Silpat lined baking sheet.
Bake the crispy onions in the oven for 20 minutes while you make the green beans and mushroom sauce.

Cook The Green Beans:

Rinse and chop the fresh green beans into 1-inch-long pieces.
Bring 4 cups of coconut milk to a boil, before adding the green beans and reducing it to a simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove 2 cups of the liquid and set aside. (You'll only need the extra liquid unless you're sauce becomes too thick or you're adding more vegetables or vegan cheese).

Make The Sauce:

To the pot of green beans, add the mushrooms, coconut aminos, starch, and seasonings. Mix everything together and cover the pot with a lid.
Allow the sauce to simmer and thicken for 5 minutes before adding the mixture to a large cast iron skillet or casserole dish.

Bake The Casserole:

Evenly spread the crispy baked onions to the top of your unbaked casserole.
Bake the dish in the oven for 8-10 minutes, just until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbly.

How To Make The Healthy Green Bean Casserole Ahead Of Time

You can easily prep the components of this gluten-free casserole 1-2 days in advance so all you have to do is toss the final dish in the oven to bake up!

Bake the crispy gluten-free onions, allow them to cool on the baking sheet, and store them at room temperature in a closed container.
Cook the green beans and make the mushroom sauce as instructed.
Assemble the casserole with the sauce and green beans, covering the dish tightly, and storing it in the refrigerator.
When you’re ready to bake, uncover the casserole and add the crispy onions to the top. Bake the casserole as directed, adding 3-5 extra minutes if the casserole needs more time to heat through since it has been chilled. (Pro Tip: Allow the casserole to sit on the counter for 15 minutes before baking.)

Storage & Leftovers

Leftovers: You can store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave or large portions in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes. This will allow the onion topping to get crispy again.
Freezing: You can also prepare the entire casserole, including the crispy onion topping, tightly wrapped with plastic and foil, and freeze it for up to 3 months before baking. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then bake as directed, adding 3-5 more minutes to baking time if needed.

More Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Side Dishes:

Check out the entire Gluten-Free Vegan Allergy-Free Thanksgiving Guide here!