Name: Vegan Green Bean Casserole
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1-2 TB vegan butter; 2 TB all purpose flour; half onion (chopped); 8 oz mushrooms (diced small); 1/4 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp pepper; 1/4 tsp thyme; 2 garlic cloves; 3 cans green beans (drained); 3/4 cup raw cashews; 2 TB flour; 1/2 cup non-dairy milk; 1/2 TB lemon juice; 1 tsp apple cider vinegar; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp dijon mustard; 1 TB nutritional yeast; 1 tsp sugar; 1 container of fried onions; 1 TB melted vegan butter *optional

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This is the best vegan green bean casserole. It's simple to make and is the perfect classic side dish. It has a quick creamy sauce mixed with cooked green beans and topped with classic crispy fried onions.

If you live in America, you have likely come in contact with green bean casserole on your Thanksgiving table.

I used to despise the stuff as a kid, but to be fair, I never even tried it. It was the onions that threw me off.

Now that I'm an adult, I love the stuff. We only have it on a special occasions like; Thanksgiving, Christmas, or if we are having a fancy dinner.

My husband has always tolerated green bean casserole. It's not his favorite. He actually never really wants traditional Thanksgiving food; he would rather have a big Mexican fiesta with homemade tamales, etc.

So far, his wishes haven't been granted, but it does sound fun to switch it up.

When I made this green bean casserole, he went back for seconds. My 12-year-old also loved it.

I love that it's super tasty, doesn't taste super heavy, and is made with ingredients you likely have in your pantry (except for the mushrooms).

Vegan Green Bean Casserole Recipe Q&A

Can I use fresh green beans instead of canned?

I much prefer the taste of canned green beans only because that's the nostalgic taste for me eating green bean casserole growing up. However, if you like fresh, you can use fresh.

Just make sure to cook them before putting them in the recipe.

Some people will recommend blanched green beans (which just means the green beans are lightly cooked), but I think they need to be more tender green beans because they won't cook much when in the oven.

You definitely don't want them mushy but similar to a can of green beans texture.

Can you make green bean casserole ahead of time and reheat?

You can make the whole mixture, but the topping, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

When you're ready to bake it, bring it to room temperature (or add more baking time if baking from cold), put the topping on, and then bake as directed in the recipe.

This is a great one to make up a few days before thanksgiving dinner so it's one less thing to physically prep and you can just bake the day of.

Is there a substitute for French Fried Onions in green bean casserole?

If french fried onions aren't your thing, you can use a couple of different options;

Ritz crackers
Dried Bread crumbs
Panko bread crumbs
Potato chips

If you want to use any of these as an alternative, mix them with a little bit of melted vegan butter before sprinkling them on the casserole.

Does green bean casserole thicken as it cooks?

Yes, the sauce will start out thin, thicken as it bakes, and thickens a little bit more as the green bean casserole cools.

Can I make this a gluten-free green bean casserole?

Yes, sub out the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free all-purpose flour in a 1:1 ratio.

What ingredients do I need for this vegan green bean casserole recipe?

Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.

Casserole

vegan butter
half onion, chopped
fresh mushrooms, diced small
salt
black pepper
thyme
fresh garlic
canned green beans, drained

Sauce

raw cashews
all purpose flour
non-dairy milk (make sure to use unsweetened plain)
lemon juice
apple cider vinegar
salt
dijon mustard
nutritional yeast
sugar

Topping

fried crispy onions
vegan butter *optional

How do I make the perfect green bean casserole?

The first step is to preheat your oven to 400 degrees, grease an 8x8 casserole dish, and set it aside.

Let's start with making the creamy mushroom sauce.

Take a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add your vegan butter, chopped onion, and chopped mushrooms.

Cook this for 5-8 minutes until soft, stirring with a wooden spoon (or whatever you have) as needed, then add your garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme, stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute and remove from heat.

While the onions and mushrooms are cooking, make your sauce.

You're going to need a high-speed blender or allow time to soak the cashews in boiling water for 30-60 minutes.

Add all your sauce ingredients into the blender and mix until blended smooth.

vegan cheese sauce for vegan green bean casserole

prepared vegan cheese sauce for vegan green bean casserole

Then add this sauce to your hot but turned-off pan, and stir until combined.

Take your prepared 8x8 pan and add your green bean mixture evenly to the pan.

You can either melt vegan butter in a small bowl and combine the topping with the vegan butter or just put the fried onion topping evenly on top.

I typically take half of the can and mix it in with the green bean mixture and then sprinkle the other half on the top.

Bake this uncovered for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven.

How do you serve this delicious vegan green bean casserole?

This is best served warm as a side dish.

This classic green bean casserole always has a spot on our holiday table.

How do you store leftovers?

Let the casserole come to room temperature before putting it in an airtight container or covering the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap.

Place it in the fridge for up to 5 days.

To reheat, place in the microwave or oven if you want to get the top a little crispy again.

Can you freeze green bean casserole?

Yes, you can freeze leftovers fully cooked if you need to.

To freeze, place them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

Want some other delicious vegan side dish recipes?

Want some vegan holiday dessert recipes?

If you loved this recipe, then give it a 5-star rating and leave a comment! I love to chat with you all. Please feel free to share on social media and tag #courtneyshomestead. I would love to see you over on Instagram or Facebook.