Save oven space during the holidays with this Crock Pot Green Bean Casserole! Made with all wholesome ingredients from scratch, this delicious side dish is always a crowd-pleaser!
If you’ve followed along The Roasted Root for a number of years, you know one of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes is my Healthy Green Bean Casserole.
Last year, I got a bee in my bonnet to start making green bean casserole in the slow cooker rather than making my classic recipe.
What I love about making green bean casserole in the crock pot is it saves valuable oven space and is easy to transport.
Plus, it doesn’t require any additional time than making green bean casserole in the oven, as it only needs an hour on high heat.
This healthier green bean casserole recipe is made completely from scratch using all natural ingredients.
That means no condensed cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup, and no French’s crispy fried onions that is typical in classic green bean casserole.
Don’t get me wrong, traditional green bean casserole is positively delicious for holiday meals, but I actually think this slow cooker version tastes even better.
I will say, this crockpot green bean casserole recipe contains a great deal of fat so keep that in mind if you’re watching your fat intake.
I also wouldn’t suggest it for those following a low calorie diet. Otherwise, it is a delicious lower-carb side dish that is bursting with flavor!
The most time-consuming part about this recipe is caramelizing the onions.
The good news is, you can multitask while cooking the onion and prepare it ahead of time, or you can prepare the rest of the recipe while the onion is caramelizing, which is what I do.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for slow cooker green bean casserole. Any grocery store carries all of them.
Ingredients For Healthy Green Bean Casserole:
Fresh Green Beans: The main ingredient here! Fresh green beans get chopped then boiled to soften them to al dente perfection for the casserole.
To save time, you can use 4 cans of cut green beans (drain them before use). You can also use frozen green beans but be sure to thaw them completely before using.
Creamy Mushroom Sauce: Bacon, fresh mushrooms, fresh garlic, dried oregano (or Italian seasoning), sea salt, black pepper, full-fat and canned coconut milk.
Thick cut bacon gets crisped up in a skillet and the bacon drippings are used to sauté mushrooms and garlic. We then add full-fat canned coconut milk and seasonings for a dairy-free rich and creamy sauce.
Use 1.5 cups of heavy cream or unsweetened evaporated milk here if you aren’t dairy-free. You can also replace the garlic with garlic powder.
If you aren’t a fan of mushrooms, you can omit them and add 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce to replace the umami flavor.
To thicken the sauce, I use gluten-free all-purpose flour but you can also use regular flour or cornstarch.
Caramelized Onion Topping: Yellow onions and almond flour take the place of the crispy onions on top of the casserole.
The green bean casserole topping consists of caramelized onions that have been tossed in almond flour for a delicious cherry on top. We also chop up the crispy cooked bacon and sprinkle it on top.
Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients, let’s make this slow cooker green bean casserole.
How to Make Crock Pot Green Bean Casserole:
Make the Topping:
Begin by caramelizing the onions. Add the avocado oil to a large non-stick skillet and heat to medium-high heat on the stove top.
Add the sliced onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until they turn translucent and have softened. Sprinkle in the sea salt.
Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deeply golden brown and caramelized, about 50 to 60 minutes.
Remove caramelized onions from the heat and stir in the almond flour. Set aside until ready to use (Note: If you perform this step ahead of time, you can store the caramelized onions in a bowl covered with plastic wrap or an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the casserole).
Boil the Green Beans:
While onions are caramelizing, prepare the rest of the recipe. Bring a large pot of water to a full boil on the stove top and chop the green beans into 2-inch pieces.
Carefully transfer the green beans to the pot of boiling water and cook until softened but still al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Immediately drain the beans into a colander.
I perform this step when using raw green beans because it makes for tender green beans, which to me yields the best results.
Note: if you’re using canned green beans, you can skip this step because they are already cooked.
Make the Sauce:
While the green beans are cooking, prepare the dairy-free cream of mushroom sauce.
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, flipping every 1-2 minutes until crispy. Place the bacon on a cutting board and leave the bacon drippings in the skillet.
Add the chopped mushrooms to the skillet with the bacon drippings and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have turned golden-brown and are much smaller than they were when raw, about 5 to 8 minutes.
If need be, add a tablespoon of avocado oil or olive oil to the skillet if it seems like the mushrooms are sticking.
Add the garlic and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the canned coconut milk, dried oregano, nutmeg and sea salt and bring mixture to a full boil. Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and whisk well to combine.
Continue cooking until the sauce has thickened to a consistency similar to gravy and pulls aways from the skillet when stirred, about 5 minutes.
Assemble the Casserole:
Spray the inside of the Crock Pot with cooking spray and transfer the green beans to the bottom of the crock pot. Toss with avocado oil and sea salt.
Pour the creamy mushroom sauce mixture into the slow cooker and stir well until the beans are well-coated in sauce.
Evenly distribute the caramelized onions over the green beans. Secure the lid of the crock pot and cook on High heat for 1 to 2 hours or Low heat for 2-3 hours.
Once the green bean casserole has finished cooking, chop the bacon and sprinkle the bacon crumbles over the casserole.
If you aren’t dairy-free, you can also sprinkle some fresh grated parmesan cheese on top.
Keep the casserole on the Keep Warm setting until you’re ready to serve it for Thanksgiving dinner.
Serve alongside you main dish and other side dishes, and enjoy your holiday dinner!
Store leftover green bean casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Reheating Instructions:
If you make this recipe ahead of time, store the crock pot vessel with the lid in your refrigerator.
On the day you’re serving the green beans, place the container back into the body of the slow cooker and reheat on high for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the casserole is hot.
Add this easy green bean casserole recipe to your Thanksgiving menu and bring it to all of your holiday gatherings.
While green bean casserole is a classic Thanksgiving side dish, it can also be made any time of year when you’re serving guests or participating in a special event.
If you’re looking for more holiday side dishes, also make these reader favorites.
More Holiday Side Dishes:
- Crock Pot Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
- Gluten-Free Cornbread
- Pear Apple Avocado Spinach Salad with Candied Walnuts Feta and Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
- Garlic Herb Roasted Vegetables
- Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
- Maple Bourbon Cranberry Sauce
The easiest way to simplify holiday cooking! Enjoy this Thanksgiving favorite on your holiday table.
Crock Pot Healthy Green Bean Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
Topping:
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil
- 2 large yellow onions
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- ½ tsp sea salt
Dairy-Free Cream of Mushroom Sauce:
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil optional
- 8 ounces mushrooms chopped
- 5 large cloves garlic minced
- 1 (15-oz.) can full-fat coconut milk or 1.5 cups heavy cream
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp gluten-free all-purpose flour or regular flour
- 1 tsp sea salt to taste
Green Beans:
- 2 lbs green beans trimmed and chopped into 2-inch pieces*
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
Make the Topping:
- Begin by caramelizing the onions. Add the avocado oil to a large non-stick skillet and heat to medium-high heat on the stove top. Add the sliced onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until they turn translucent and have softened. Sprinkle in the sea salt. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deeply golden-brown and caramelized, about 50 to 60 minutes.
- Remove caramelized onions from the heat and stir in the almond flour. Set aside until ready to use (Note: If you perform this step ahead of time, you can store the caramelized onions in a bowl covered with plastic wrap or an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the casserole).
Cook the Green Beans:
- While onions are caramelizing, prepare the rest of the recipe. Bring a large pot of water to a full boil on the stove top and chop the green beans into 2-inch pieces. Carefully transfer the green beans to the pot of boiling water and cook until softened, but still al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Immediately drain the beans into a colander.
- Note: if you’re using canned green beans, you can skip this step because they are already cooked.
Make the Sauce:
- While the green beans are cooking, prepare the dairy-free cream of mushroom sauce.
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, flipping every 1-2 minutes until crispy. Place the bacon on a cutting board and leave the bacon drippings in the skillet.
- Add the chopped mushrooms to the skillet with the bacon drippings and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have turned golden-brown and are much smaller than they were when raw, about 5 to 8 minutes. If need be, add a tablespoon of avocado oil or olive oil to the skillet if it seems like the mushrooms are sticking.
- Add the garlic and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the canned coconut milk, dried oregano, nutmeg and sea salt and bring mixture to a full boil. Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and whisk well to combine. Continue cooking until the sauce has thickened to a consistency similar to gravy and pulls aways from the skillet when stirred, about 5 minutes.
Assemble the Casserole:
- Spray the inside of the Crock Pot with cooking spray and transfer the green beans to the bottom of the crock pot. Toss with avocado oil and sea salt.
- Pour the creamy mushroom sauce mixture into the slow cooker and stir well until the beans are well-coated in sauce.
- Evenly distribute the caramelized onions over the green beans. Secure the lid of the crock pot and cook on High heat for 1-2 hours or Low heat for 2-3 hours.
- Once the green bean casserole has finished cooking, chop the bacon and sprinkle the bacon crumbles over the casserole.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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50-60 mins to caramelize onions? Just wanted to confirm this time or if this was an error.
All in all looks lovely and I will be trying this out this weekend!
@Magnus, NVM! I just did some searching and that is about the right amount of time to caramelize onions haha. Happy Thanksgiving season everyone!
I am wondering how mushy the green beans are if you pre-cook them. I prefer them more al dente when I eat them. Can I skip this step if I am using fresh green beans to get a more al dente texture?
The green beans still turn out al dente when you boil them ahead of time, although depending on how crunchy you want them, you could cook them for less time. You could boil them for 3-5 minutes instead of 8 to 10 if you’d like. My concern with not pre-cooking them at all is I assume they will turn out just slightly softer than raw green beans, although I haven’t tried it myself. If you’re fine with very crunchy green beans, you can definitely skip the pre-cooking process 🙂 Hope you enjoy the casserole!! xoxo
I’m going to make this for our town Thanksgiving. It’s perfect for a crowd and will keep warm throughout serving. Thank you!
I’m so thrilled to hear it, Kelly! I hope your family enjoys the recipe – we love it over here!! xo
This recipe sounds delicious. I would like to try it, but unfortunately my family doesn’t like mushrooms. Can you suggest another ingredient as a substitute? Thank you!
@Melissa,
Zucchini or yellow squash. 🙂
@kelly, Thank you 😊
Hi Melissa! I suspected there would be people who don’t like mushrooms, so I actually mention this in the post 🙂 I would replace the mushrooms with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce. The goal here is to replace the umami flavor that you get from the mushrooms without adding any texture. As another commenter suggested, you could add zucchini although I would probably just stick with 1 Tbsp soy sauce, myself. Hope you enjoy! xo