Keto Green Bean Casserole is the ultimate holiday side dish. This healthier low carb recipe features a rich mushroom cream sauce and a crunchy, cheesy topping.
When it comes to holiday feasts, the side dishes often play the starring role. The turkey is great, and the standing rib roast is divine, but everyone has their favorite sides that they look forward to all year long.
But side dishes can also be the hardest part to figure out when you embark on a keto diet. Many of them are incredibly starchy and full of excess carbohydrates.
Rest assured that you don’t need to forego all of your old favorites. Potatoes might off limits, but this Keto Green Bean Casserole is going to blow your old version out of the water!
It’s so good, you may decide to enjoy it all year long.
Why you need this recipe
I’ve never been a huge fan of the traditional, as it usually relies on canned green beans and gelatinous pre-made cream of mushroom soup. I much prefer my beans to be fresh and slightly crisp, and my mushrooms to be sautéed to perfection.
But this keto green bean casserole strikes all the right notes, with that amazing umami you can only get from homemade keto cream sauce. Plus a cheesy, crunchy topping made with crushed Parmesan crisps. So yummy and so much healthier.
Trust me, making your own mushroom sauce isn’t much more work than opening a can of soup. And it’s so worth i! Not only do you avoid all the junky ingredients but you also get incredible depth of flavor.
And this healthier green bean casserole has only 5g net carbs per serving!
Reader testimonials
Thanksgiving is next week, so I made this green bean casserole tonight for practice. WE LOVE IT! So much better than traditional canned soup version! Fresh bean, fresh mushrooms, and so much healthier! — Gail
This was absolutely amazing! I followed the directions exactly and the whole family raved about it. Will be making this for company. — Corrie
I made this for Easter supper today and all my family liked it better than the “regular” GBC. I used the quisinart to cut the mushrooms up smaller and didn’t have quite enough Mozzeralla so I added a small bit cheddar. It was SO good!! — Shelley
Ingredients you need
- Avocado oil: You can also use olive oil or coconut oil.
- Green beans: Use fresh green beans. They should be plump and crisp and easily trimmed by snapping the ends off.
- Mushrooms: I like to use small cremini or button mushrooms.
- Garlic: You can swap in 1 small shallot for the garlic, if you like. Both provide wonderful flavor.
- Dry white wine: This provides a unique acidity and depth of flavor that you don’t get in traditional green bean casserole. But you can easily substitute with chicken broth.
- Heavy whipping cream: Heavy cream helps thicken the sauce without the use of any flours or thickeners. Some of my readers have substituted this with coconut cream.
- Shredded cheese: This keto green bean casserole is delicious with mozzarella, cheddar, gruyere, or any cheese you prefer.
- Parmesan crisps: Using crushed Parmesan crisps gives a wonderful crunch to the topping, in place of the high carb fried onions. You can also use crushed pork rinds.
- Kitchen staples: Butter, salt, pepper.
Step-by-step directions
1. In a large skillet, heat the avocado oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the green beans and sauté until bright green, about 4 minutes. Spread the beans evenly in a medium-sized glass or ceramic baking dish.
2. Add the butter and melt. Add the mushrooms and cook in butter until they are nicely browned, to bring out the umami flavor. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
3. Add the wine to the skillet and let cook until reduced by about two thirds. Stir in the heavy whipping cream and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened, 4 or 5 minutes.
4. Pour the sauce over the beans and sprinkle with the shredded cheese. Bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with the crumbled parmesan crisps and bake another 5 minutes.
Expert tips
When making a keto sauce with heavy cream, you shouldn’t need any thickeners. Simply cook the cream down until it reduces and thickens on its own. Coconut cream may not thicken as well, so you can whisk in ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum if you find the cream sauce very thin.
If you are prepping this recipe ahead, leave off the crumbled cheese crisps until you re-heat the casserole. They tend to soften as they sit. The same goes for crushed pork rinds, which can become very chewy as they soften.
Like any green bean recipe, this Keto Green Bean Casserole is best served soon after you bake it. However, you can prep it a day or two ahead and bake it when you need it. Any leftovers should be stored in the fridge and consumed within a few days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, green beans are a good choice for the keto diet. According to the USDA database, 1 cup (100g) of raw chopped beans has 7g of carbohydrate and 3.4g of dietary fiber.
Traditional versions of this side dish have quite a few carbs from the canned mushroom soup and the french fried onion topping. However, this keto green bean casserole recipe has 6.7g of carbs and 1.7g of fiber per serving. That amounts to only 5g net carbs.
Yes, you certainly can. Just follow the recipe and prepare the casserole up to the point of baking it, but leave off the cheese crisps. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Then bake as directed in Step 5.
More delicious holiday side dishes:
- Creamy Keto Mashed Cauliflower
- The Best Keto Stuffing
- Keto Flatbread with Mushrooms and Sage
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash
- Roasted Delicata Squash
Keto Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 lb green beans washed, trimmed, and cut in half
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 6 ounces crimini or button mushrooms sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Salt and pepper
- ¾ cup shredded cheese cheddar, mozzarella, etc.
- ½ cup Parmesan crisps crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- In a large skillet, heat the avocado oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the green beans and sauté until bright green, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add the butter to the skillet and let melt, then add the mushrooms and cook until browned and they have begun to release their juices, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Transfer to a medium glass or ceramic baking dish.
- Add the wine to the skillet and let cook until reduced by about two thirds. Stir in the heavy whipping cream and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened, 4 or 5 minutes.
- Pour the sauce over the green beans and sprinkle with the shredded cheese. Bake 20 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with the crumbled parmesan crisps and bake another 5 minutes.
Kari says
I wonder what you could use to substitute for the mushrooms. I know its classic, but hubby asked me not to put them in… should I just omit them?
Carolyn says
Yes, just leave them out.
Cherie Curtis says
Last Thanksgiving I told everyone that I would bring this dish to pass. I was told fine, but we’re still making the traditional (high carb) as well. Except for one other member, none of the family does Keto. I got a call the next week asking me to bring this to the Christmas get-together. It was a HUGE hit, and a definite “go to” recipe for me!! Thanks Carolyn!
Carolyn says
That makes me so happy to hear!
Vicki says
This sounds so good! Any ideas how to make it dairy free?
Carolyn says
Sorry, I don’t really know. I don’t think cheese replacements melt very well.
Kathy Cooke says
Fantastic! We all really liked this. I used coconut milk in place of the heavy cream for less dairy and couldn’t taste the difference. I probably added about 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. I liked the crunchy topping.
Pat says
In the 2nd photo of all your notes for this Healthy Green Bean Casserole recipe, there is definitely a chicken looking up from behind the garlic bulb. It’s kind of strange, since I was expecting a turkey…
Thank you for your WONDERFUL gift, an amazing Keto Thanksgiving with all the fixin’s!
Closing laptop, headed for kitchen.
Carolyn says
That’s hilarious. It took me a bit to get it but I see it now!
Tamera Alexander says
We had this for Thanksgiving. Gracious, so good!!!
Aimee Shugarman says
We just had this for dinner and it’s fantastic. My kids loved it too.
Tanya Schroeder says
This casserole is so much better than the bean casserole I grew up with!
Ashley F says
We love the healthier twist on this family favorite!
Katerina @ diethood .com says
YUMMY!! I can’t wait to try this!! It looks incredibly delicious!!
Rachael Yerkes says
one of my favorites! so yummy
Sharon Rausch says
I learn so much from you as well! Thank you so much for sharing your helpful information.
Red in Keds says
Used chardonnay in place of the cooking wine and homemade Parmesan crisps… Was a hit at Easter dinner. Thank you!
Claudia says
Can you use coconut milk or coconut cream in place of the heavy cream for dairy-free?
Corrie F. says
This was absolutely amazing! I followed the directions exactly and the whole family raved about it. Will be making this for company.
Carolyn says
So happy you liked it!
Marsha says
Is there anything that can be substituted for the wine?
Carolyn says
Broth is fine.
Aimee Shugarman says
My new favorite side dish. Will be making again this weekend, so tasty!
Suzy says
Going to add this to my Easter menu!
natasha says
perfect easter side dish! can’t wait to feed these to the whole family!!
Anne Dalin says
Love this recipe, but cooking wine had 190 mg of sodium. Real wine only has 7mg. As any good chef will tell you, if you can’t drink it, don’t cook with it.
SusanLevine says
You are so right, but Holland House is doing the sponsoring for the recipe.
Anna says
Great holiday side dish!
Laura Reese says
This looks delicious, what a great twist on a classic recipe.