Low Carb Green Bean Casserole Recipe - Lowcarb-ology (2024)

A low carb green bean casserole that is so cheesy, creamy, and rich you won’t miss that holiday classic. It’s the perfect side to your Thanksgiving turkey, Christmas dinner, or New Years celebration. It’s Atkin’s friendly, gluten free, and easy to make. Cream cheese and heavy cream are reduced to form the base for the scrumptious sauce that clings to each green bean . This family favorite is so simple you’ll be making it often. How about for all three holidays meals?

For this recipe you’ll need: 1 cup cooked fresh green bean or one 14-ounces of canned green beans, dried onions, cream cheese, heavy cream, soy sauce, pepper, and shredded mild cheddar cheese.

If you are in a hurry click here to go straight to the low carb green bean casserole.

Table of Contents

Are green beans low carb friendly?

Mmmm…. this keto green bean casserole is so full of rich cheese flavor. It tastes much like the one your mom always made but without the mushroom soup. And that is where all the carbs come from. A cup of cream of mushroom soup has 16 net carbs. The first time you stick your fork through the thick, gooey cheese topping and pull up a big old forkful of saucy fresh green beans you’ll be hooked. And so will everyone at your dinner table. A fresh green bean has no carbs of course.

The perfect side to every holiday table

There are certain dishes that are always on our table during the holidays. This healthy green bean casserole is one of them. I grew up with the same green bean casserole everyone’s mom made in the 1960s. Cream of mushroom soup, green beans, and French’s fried onions. Oh that crispy onion topping, yum.

Am I right?

My mom always brought the green bean casserole to our Thanksgiving dinner and I can’t imagine a holiday meal without it. After she passed away I started making it with a few changes. I started using using fresh green beans instead of canned green beans like my mom did. Also, since I didn’t want all the carbs from the cream of mushroom soup, I made this homemade sauce for this low carb recipe. This turns this green bean casserole recipe into a keto green bean casserole recipe. The first year I ate a low carb diet during Thanksgiving I realized that I wasn’t going to be happy going without that green bean casserole on my plate. That year I totally blew it on Thanksgiving and it took me a couple of weeks to get the carb cravings back under control.

Keto green bean casserole

So I decided to develop my own. This keto green bean casserole with cream cheese is the perfect substitute. The sauce is a combination of heavy cream, cream cheese, and soy sauce that has been simmered with a little dried onion and reduced until it coats a spoon. The fresh green beans are stirred in and simmered some more. Finally, the whole thing is put into a oven proof casserole dish, covered with cheddar cheese and broiled until the cheddar cheese is golden brown and bubbling.

I tried using frozen green beans and for whatever reason, it came out too mushy. I tried chopped up fresh mushroom and that added too much fluid. Sliced mushrooms made it worse. A little minced garlic adds a bit of flavor as does a sprinkle of garlic powder. Try and add a drop or two of worcestershire sauce. Or even a bit of butter to really add some flavor. Oh, and be sure to check the soy sauce to make sure it’s a gluten free kind if it matters to you. Some are and some aren’t. Also if you are watching your sodium intake, try a low sodium soy sauce.

What are the carbs in a green bean casserole?

The traditional green bean casserole usually has a ton of french fried onions which are coated in a breading. That breading is where the carbs come from. For this keto green bean casserole recipe, you can add different toppings if you’d like. Crushed pork rinds, fried onion (no breading), parmesan cheese, crushed parmesan crisps, or crumbled bacon for a crunchy topping.

This keto casserole has tons of cheese richness already with the cream cheese and heavy cream. Sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese or some paprika for color.

Navigation Tip

This keto green bean recipe serves two people but you could certainly make more than enough for the whole family. If you tap the blue number “2” after the “Servings” in the recipe, a slider will appear that you can use to increase the number of servings. The ingredients will automatically change so you don’t have to do any math. I usually make a mistake when I try to do math in recipes lol.

Low Carb Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Here’s that low carb cheesy green bean casserole!

Low Carb Green Bean Casserole Recipe - Lowcarb-ology (4)

Print Pin Recipe

Low Carb Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Creamy and delicious, this low carb green bean casserole is the perfect keto friendly side dish for all of your holiday dinners. So easy you’ll make it often.

Course Dinner, Light Dinner/Lunch

Cuisine American, American – low -carb

Keyword Casserole, green beans

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2 servings

Calories 253kcal

Author Marye

Ingredients

  • 1 cup green beans cut and cooked
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 ounces cream cheese
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons dried onions
  • 1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce
  • 2 twists freshly ground pepper
  • 1-1/2 ounces shredded mild cheddar

Instructions

  • Drain the green beans well and pat dry with paper towels. Too much liquid on the beans will thin the sauce.

  • Place the heavy cream and cream cheese in a pan over medium heat.

  • Whisk until the cream cheese softens and the sauce is smooth.

  • Add the dried onions and soy sauce.

  • Continue to stir until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

  • Add the green beans and simmer, stirring often, about 5 minutes.

  • Sauce will be very thick and cling to the green beans. If not continue to simmer and stir.

  • Taste and add pepper as needed.

  • Place the green beans in 2 individual cast iron casseroles OR a small, heat proof dish.

  • Sprinkle with cheese.

  • Broil, watching carefully, until the cheese bubbles and turns golden.

Notes

If you don’t drain the green beans and pat them dry they will add liquid to the sauce and it will be runny.

Nutrition

Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 416mg | Potassium: 197mg | Fiber: 4.4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1270IU | Vitamin C: 7.7mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 0.8mg

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Low Carb Green Bean Casserole Recipe - Lowcarb-ology (2024)

FAQs

How many carbs are in a green bean casserole? ›

A 1-cup serving of green bean casserole contains 360 calories, 26 grams (g) fat, 10 g saturated fat, 26 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, and a whopping 960 mg of sodium, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Can I eat canned green beans on a low-carb diet? ›

Green beans are a low-calorie, nutritious vegetable that can be a part of your healthy diet. However, if you're on a low-carb diet, you may wonder if you can still enjoy green beans as part of your diet. The good news is green beans are also low-carb, so they can be incorporated into a keto-friendly diet.

How do you keep green bean casserole from being soupy? ›

The Casserole Is Too Soupy

Don't worry, there's a relatively easy and quick fix that will help soak up the excess liquid: Make a slurry of flour or cornstarch in liquid (broth or water) to help thicken it up and then cook it for a bit longer.

How many net carbs are in 2 cups of green beans? ›

Green beans make a tasty, nutritious side for a variety of dishes. According to the USDA, 1 cup of green beans offers 7 g of total carbs, 4 g of net carbs, 0.2 g of fat, and 2 g of protein.

How do you calculate carbs in a casserole? ›

Calculating the carbohydrate content of any recipe involves three simple steps.
  1. Looking up and calculating the carbohydrate value of each ingredient in the recipe,
  2. adding them together,
  3. dividing the total number of carbohydrates in the recipe by the number of servings.

What canned vegetables are lowest in carbs? ›

Green beans, olives, sauerkraut, pickles, and tomatoes are all good low-carb canned vegetable choices. Carrots are slightly higher in carbs, but can also be a good choice. You can also find canned coconut flesh and canned broccoli and cauliflower at many international grocery stores.

Should you avoid beans on a low-carb diet? ›

Here's Why Beans Are Actually One of the Smartest Foods You Can Eat on a Low-Carb Diet. Beans are an excellent source of plant-based protein, but if you've assumed you can't have them on a low-carb diet, think again.

What vegetables have no carbs? ›

A. Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, celery, iceberg lettuce, cucumber, and tomatoes contain very few or almost no carbohydrates. The carbohydrate count ranges from 2.97 to 3.89 grams. One cup of raw kale contains 0.9 g of carbohydrates (0% DV), making it a low-carb option.

Can you overcook green bean casserole? ›

Using canned green beans

As canned beans are pre-cooked, it can make it easier to overcook them in your casserole which may impact the flavor, and they're more likely to lose their fresh coloring and turn a less appealing shade of gray-green.

Which is better, frozen or canned green beans for green bean casserole? ›

When I make green bean casserole, I skip canned beans all together. Frozen green beans are the best green beans to use for green bean casserole.

Why is my green bean casserole so watery? ›

Green bean casserole should have a nice thick sauce that coats the green beans—it should not resemble soup. One common cause of a watery casserole is not adding enough thickener, such as flour or cornstarch, to your sauce.

Should you cook onions before putting in casserole? ›

To prevent a soupy casserole, be sure to fully thaw any frozen vegetables in a colander over a bowl, and pat dry, squeeze excess moisture out of greens like spinach or chard, and quickly precook watery fresh vegetables like onions, mushrooms or squashes just until they release their moisture.

Which onions are best for casseroles? ›

Yellow onions are perfect for stews, soups, barbecues, roasts and sauces. Avoid eating them raw as they have a strong flavour.

Can I use spring onion instead of green onion? ›

Spring onions, which have a slightly stronger flavor, taste great pickled or grilled. Though there are slight differences between scallions, green onions and spring onions, they can be used interchangeably in recipes.

Is green bean high carb? ›

Green beans

They're a member of the legume family, along with beans and lentils. However, they have significantly fewer carbs than most legumes. A one-cup (125-g) serving of cooked green beans contains 10 g of carbs, 4 g of which are fiber.

Is green bean Keto friendly? ›

Green beans and black soybeans are keto-friendly bean options, each containing only 2 grams of net carbs per 1/2-cup (60–90-gram) serving. Some promising keto substitutes for beans include mushrooms, eggplant, avocado, ground meat, and boiled peanuts.

Are cooked beans low carb? ›

Highest and Lowest Carb Beans

Among these, black soybeans and green beans have the lowest carbs, potentially making them better for a keto diet. On the other hand, chickpeas, pinto beans, and navy beans have high carbs. You might want to avoid these if you're strictly following a keto diet.

Which is better frozen or canned green beans for green bean casserole? ›

When I make green bean casserole, I skip canned beans all together. Frozen green beans are the best green beans to use for green bean casserole.

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