Extra, extra cheesy, this Keto Green Bean Casserole recipe is the creamy, dreamy casserole the traditional one dreams of being! With three types of cheese plus bacon and a hint of those classic “fried onions” on top, this green bean casserole is sure to satisfy even the pickiest carb-eater. There’s no going back to canned soup now! Perfect for any holiday meal: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, plus Sunday lunches or potlucks anytime!
This post was originally published on November 12th, 2021.
Although Thanksgiving dinner is not a tradition in the UK, we grew up celebrating it every year with other Americans and Canadians in Scotland because my dad is from the states. So yes, I know ALL about delicious green bean casserole, as well as sweet potato casserole and various tasty pies. As my family and some of our UK-American friends are leaning more towards low-carb recipes these days, I’ve started working on keto versions of Thanksgiving table classics like Apple Crisp, Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce, and of course my juicy Thanksgiving Turkey. The keto-friendly Green Bean Casserole really hits the spot! It has clean keto ingredients and is so easy to throw together. It’s MUCH tastier than the traditional recipe!
❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- It’s made with wholesome ingredients. Unlike traditional green bean casserole, there’s no canned cream of mushroom soup in this keto casserole recipe! Plenty of cheese plus green beans, bacon, chicken broth, and a little onion with almond flour.
- It is absolutely delicious. This green bean recipe is a keeper. It’s one of those recipes you’ll come back to every holiday season, and also get a random craving for 6 months later. Nothing will scratch that itch other than the real deal!
- This is a very easy recipe. It takes a little bit to prep, but nothing difficult, and then let the oven do the rest.
- You can make it ahead of time. You can prepare everything a day or 2 before and bake it on the day. Holiday dinners are much easier when there’s less to do!
- It’s keto-friendly and gluten-free. Of course! The carb count is only 5.1g net carbs per portion.
🗝️ Key ingredients
- Green Beans: Frozen or fresh green beans will work with this delicious keto green bean casserole recipe. I would avoid using canned – it would turn too mushy.
- Cheese: Three kinds of cheese (yes, three!): Cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, and cream cheese. We want it to be the creamiest cheesy green bean casserole possible, and that’s where these 3 kinds of cheese come in. The cream cheese is responsible for the creamy sauce, and the cheddar and mozzarella go on top for a stretchy golden topping.
- Bacon: Smoked, streaky bacon, for those in the UK. Regular smoked bacon for those in the USA.
- Onion: We’re not going to use those crispy fried onions this time (they’re addictive…and carby), instead I added fried sliced onions along with the bacon. It’s delicious and gives just enough of an onion hint that you don’t miss the carby alternative.
- Almond Flour: A little secret here! I toasted my almond flour in a non-stick pan on the stove to kind of imitate the crunchy topping that the crunchy onions would usually have in a classic green bean casserole. I mixed half of my bacon and onion with the toasted almond flour and used it as a topping and some more cheese.
- Chicken stock: This time I opted for a chicken stock cube instead of bone broth. I mixed it with some of the water the green beans were boiled in. A vegetable stock cube would work well too!
- Oil: I fried the onions and bacon in olive oil because it’s healthy and I always have it on hand. Avocado oil is a great alternative.
🥣 How to make Keto Green Bean Casserole
1. Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F.
2. Soften the beans: Boil the green beans in a large pot for 10-12 minutes, until just tender.
3. Cook bacon and onions: Add olive oil to a non-stick pan and cook the bacon and onions over medium heat until they are just beginning to brown, around 10 minutes.
4. Toast almond flour: In a separate large skillet, add the almond flour and toast it over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring continuously so it doesn’t burn, until it is golden.
5. Mix the cheese: Mix the cheddar and mozzarella together in a separate bowl.
6. Strain and mix: Strain the green beans, reserving 1 cup of water, and add the green beans to a large mixing bowl along with cream cheese, half of the cheddar & mozzarella, and half of the bacon and onions.
7. Add stock: Mix 1 chicken stock cube with the reserved cup of water and add it to the mixing bowl.
8. Combine: Stir all of the ingredients together until they are well-mixed.
9. Begin to layer the casserole: Add the green bean mixture to the bottom of a large baking dish.
The topping
If you prefer, you can switch the cheese and almond flour topping layers around to achieve the crispy topping you’d find on traditional green bean casseroles. It tastes just as good either way!
10. Mix crispy topping: In a clean bowl or one of the pans, mix the toasted almond flour with the melted butter and remaining bacon and onion, and spread it over the cheesy green beans.
11. Sprinkle cheese: Top with the remaining cheese.
12. Bake! Bake for 25-30 mins, until golden.
🪄 Recipe Notes and Tips
- Switch the top 2 layers around. If you’d prefer a keto green bean casserole that looks like the original (with the crispy topping), sprinkle on the cheese layer before the almond flour, bacon, and onion layer. I wanted to see the golden, bubbly cheese on top of the casserole, but if you’re used to seeing the golden, crispy onions, the other way around may look better to you. It’ll taste the same!
- Make it ahead of time. I like to make this low-carb green bean casserole a couple of days ahead to save time in the kitchen later. Usually, I premake and assemble everything apart from the almond flour, bacon, and onion topping. I store half of the bacon and onions in the fridge and make the toasted almond flour right before baking. All I have to do is toast the almond flour, mix it with the bacon and onion, spread it over the casserole, and then sprinkle the remaining cheese over that.
- How to store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven until it’s hot all the way through.
- Looking for more keto green beans? Try my Keto Green Bean Hamburger Casserole!
❓ Are green beans acceptable on the keto diet?
Absolutely! Green beans have 2g net carbs per half-cup (around 75g) making them perfect for, and easy to fit into the keto diet.
🤷♀️ Why is green bean casserole a thing?
Green Bean Casserole was first printed on the side of a Campbell’s mushroom soup can, and called “green bean bake”. The recipe was inspired by two ingredients Americans tended to have on hand at the time: mushroom soup and green beans, as well as being a fast and very easy recipe.
🦃 When was Green Bean Casserole added to Thanksgiving?
Green Bean Casserole was part of a Thanksgiving feast featured in the Associated Press Thanksgiving edition in 1955. It caught on and has become a Thanksgiving tradition ever since.
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📖 Recipe
Keto Cheesy Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 720 g 6.5 cups Green beans, ends trimmed and halved
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 10 streaky smoked bacon strips diced
- 1/2 large onion 80g
- 280 g 1.5 cups almond flour
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- 360 g 12.5oz cream cheese
- 200 g 1 2/3 cups cheddar, shredded
- 200 g 1 2/3 cups mozzarella, shredded (not buffalo mozzarella)
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 1 cup water reserved from boiling green beans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F.
- Boil the green beans for 10-12 minutes, until just tender.
- Add olive oil to a non-stick pan and cook the bacon and onions over medium heat until they are just beginning to brown, around 10 minutes.
- In a separate pan, add the almond flour and toast it over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring continuously so it doesn't burn, until it is golden.
- Mix the cheddar and mozzarella together in a separate bowl.
- Strain the green beans, reserving 1 cup of water, and add the green beans to a large mixing bowl along with cream cheese, half of the cheddar & mozzarella, and half of the bacon and onions.
- Mix 1 chicken stock cube with the reserved cup of water and add it to the mixing bowl.
- Stir all of the ingredients together until they are well mixed.
- Add the green bean mixture to the bottom of a large baking dish.
- In a clean bowl or one of the pans, mix the toasted almond flour with the melted butter and remaining bacon and onion, and spread it over the cheesy green beans.
- Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 25-30 mins, until golden.
Video
Notes
- Switch the top 2 layers around. If you'd prefer a keto green bean casserole that looks like the original (with the crispy topping), sprinkle on the cheese layer before the almond flour, bacon, and onion layer. I wanted to see the golden, bubbly cheese on top of the casserole, but if you're used to seeing the golden, crispy onions, the other way around may look better to you. It'll taste the same!
- Make it ahead of time. I like to make this low-carb green bean casserole a couple of days ahead to save time in the kitchen later. Usually, I premake and assemble everything apart from the almond flour, bacon, and onion topping. I store half of the bacon and onions in the fridge and make the toasted almond flour right before baking. All I have to do is toast the almond flour, mix it with the bacon and onion, spread it over the casserole, and then sprinkle the remaining cheese over that.
- How to store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven until it's hot all the way through.