Vegan Broccoli Casserole (Gluten-Free)

This super easy Vegan Broccoli Casserole is just like the old-fashioned Southern classic! It's gluten-free and allergy-free, made with 6 ingredients and baked in 30 minutes! Just stir everything together in your baking dish and pop it in the oven for a comforting no-fuss side dish recipe everyone will love! Creamy, cheesy, perfect for holidays and feeding a crowd!

When it comes to classic Southern casseroles, Strength and Sunshine is the only place to get the perfect vegan, gluten-free, allergy-free version of the recipe! From the famous corn casserole to the southern squash casserole and the divisive pineapple casserole, we've got it all! Except for the creamy, cheesy broccoli casserole, but that changes now! Keeping the recipe super simple with frozen or fresh broccoli, mixed together right in the casserole dish, and baked!

What Is Broccoli Casserole?

Broccoli casserole is similar to green bean casserole in that many recipes use condensed cream of mushroom soup. But it has the Southern classics of cheddar and buttery cracker topping. It's typically just broccoli, baked in a creamy base with mayo and cream or mayo and condensed cream of mushroom soup, add cheddar cheese, and topped with crushed buttery Ritz crackers.

Why You'll Love This Vegan Southern Broccoli Casserole

This recipe uses a ton of shortcuts, so you can spend less time prepping your holiday meal and more time with family! However, you can also go the more homemade from-scratch route as well! Frozen broccoli florets or fresh broccoli, which you'll need to steam, vegan mayo or homemade vegan mayo, coconut milk, seasonings, vegan cheddar, and crushed gluten-free crackers. It's very easy and no-fuss, plus you only need to dirty your casserole dish! This recipe is:

• Gluten-Free
• Vegan & Vegetarian
• Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Corn-Free)
• Kid-Approved & Customizable
• Healthy Ingredients & No Condensed Soup
• Quick, Easy, One-Bowl, Simple 6 Ingredients
• Make-Ahead & Freezer-Friendly
• Perfect For Potlucks, Cookouts, BBQs, Holiday Gatherings like Christmas and Thanksgiving, or Just a Weeknight Side Dish

Ingredients For Vegan Broccoli Casserole

• Broccoli: I used thawed, frozen broccoli florets (use florets instead of cut so you get more of the tree, less of the trunk). However, if you have fresh broccoli on hand, you can give it a quick steam before hand and use it in the casserole. Remember, kids, frozen veggies actually have more nutrients locked in (in case you thought that was going to be your logical argument against using frozen).
• Vegan Mayo: You can use store-bought or homemade eggless mayo! This broccoli casserole is eggless, but using a thick creamy vegan mayo acts as a binder for the entire thing, giving you a 2-for-1 on ingredients.
• Coconut Milk: I used canned LIGHT coconut milk. You don't need to use full-fat, which means you can swap the coconut milk with another non-dairy milk if you have to, but the coconut milk does give it an extra creamy mouthfeel. Whatever milk you use, make sure it's plain and unsweetened!
• Vegan Cheddar Cheese Shreds: Almost every good Southern casserole has cheese and even when it's vegan, there must be a way! Use your favorite melty vegan cheddar shreds to turn everyone into a broccoli lover with this casserole!
• Gluten-Free Crackers: Since traditional Ritz crackers are out, use your favorite gluten-free vegan butter or club-style crackers for the topping of this casserole! You can really use any type of relatively plain cracker, but don't shy away from seasoned ones too, for a unique flavor profile!
• Vegan Butter: Use your favorite non-dairy butter to add extra butteriness to the crushed cracker crumb topping.
• Seasonings: You can customize the seasonings to whatever you'd like! Salt and black pepper, plus a good dose of onion powder and garlic powder, are what I recommend starting with!

Ingredient Customizations

• Add Veggies: You can add sliced mushrooms or cauliflower to mix in with the broccoli.
• Vegan Cheese: You can add other flavors of vegan cheese shreds, like mozzarella or pepper jack.
• More Spices: Throw in a little spice with cayenne or have fun with dried herbs like thyme, sage, or rosemary!
• No Vegan Mayo: If you really want to lighten up with dish, you can use a plain vegan Greek-style yogurt (or vegan sour cream!); however, it won't be as creamy and flavorful, and I would opt to use full-fat coconut milk if you go the yogurt route.
• For The Topping: If you don't want to use gluten-free crackers, you can use crushed corn or rice cereal (like Chex) or gluten-free panko breadcrumbs! Cheesy vegan crackers would be amazing as well! Or...add some vegan bacon!

How To Make Vegan Broccoli Casserole

1. Thaw and drain your broccoli florets ahead of time before adding them to a 2-quart casserole dish. Add the vegan cheddar, mayo, coconut milk, and seasonings.
2. Mix everything together right in the casserole dish so everything is coated and combined.

3. Crush your gluten-free crackers before adding the melted vegan butter and mixing together.
4. Add the crushed buttery crackers over the top of the casserole before placing it in the oven to bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

How To Prepare Broccoli For The Casserole So It's Not Watery

• Using Frozen Broccoli: Since frozen broccoli is already par-boiled, you don't have to do any extra cooking, but if you put it right in the casserole frozen, it can lead to a soggy, watery casserole. I suggest allowing the broccoli to thaw, drain any excess water, and pat dry before adding it to your casserole dish.
• Using Fresh Broccoli: Since fresh broccoli is not cooked at all, you'll need to steam it, BUT not overcook it, leady to soggy, mushy, overcooked broccoli. To steam the broccoli, you can add it to a bowl with a little water and microwave for 3-4 minutes until al dente (drain excess water and pat dry). You can also fill a steamer with water and bring it to a boil on high heat. Place the broccoli in the basket and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. If you don't have a steamer basket, you can also blanch the broccoli by adding it to boiling water for about 60-90 seconds, before transferring it to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

What To Serve With Broccoli Casserole

Broccoli casserole is holiday side dish gold! Think of any big holiday meal (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter) or potluck-style gathering. Of course, if you want to whip up this vegan side dish casserole on a normal weeknight...everyone will be asking for seconds of broccoli! It pairs beautifully with entrees like this lentil loaf or these portobello mushroom steaks. Meat-eaters will enjoy it with this whole roasted chicken or slow cooker cranberry chicken.

Make-Ahead & Storage Instructions

• Make Ahead: You can assemble the entire broccoli casserole (except the cracker topping) ahead of time and wait to bake it! Store it in the fridge for up to 2 days before baking or 4-5 months in the freezer. Then just pop it in the oven and bake as normal, but increase the baking time but 10 minutes if it's frozen.
• Storage & Freezing: You can store leftover vegan broccoli casserole for 5-6 days covered in the fridge. You can freeze the baked broccoli casserole for 4-5 months in the freezer for longer-term storage. You can reheat larger portions of leftovers in the oven at 325°F until warmed through, or you can warm single servings right in your microwave.

More Vegan Casserole Recipes:

• Vegan Pineapple Casserole
• Vegan Corn Casserole
• Vegan Green Bean Casserole
• Vegan Squash Casserole
• Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
• Vegan Breakfast Casserole

Print

Broccoli is one of the best veggies out there, but if you (or a loved one) needs a little more convincing...this southern vegan broccoli casserole is your solution!

So tell me:

+ What is your favorite way to eat broccoli? I loved dipping raw broccoli in ranch dressing as a kid!

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