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

Can you eat green beans on a low carb diet? ›

Green beans are another low-carb wonder at just 4 grams of net carbs per cup, says Newlin. Plus, they're perfect for roasting and dipping—and can offer a satisfying crunch. Green beans contain high amounts of vitamins, fiber, folate, minerals and phytonutrients like carotenoids, flavonoids and phenols.

Does green bean casserole have a lot of carbs? ›

Green bean casserole contains 115 calories per 230 g serving. This serving contains 5 g of fat, 4.3 g of protein and 16 g of carbohydrate.

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

Mistake #5: A Runny Casserole

If you don't, the excess water from the beans can leak out into the casserole and make it thin and runny. If you sense it's a little watery, "add a thickener like roux or starch to absorb the additional liquid or cook a little longer," she says.

What vegetable has the least amount of carbohydrates? ›

List of the best low carb vegetables
  • Iceberg lettuce. Perhaps one of the most popular — though least nutritious — vegetables, iceberg lettuce has only 2.97 g of carbohydrate per 100 g. ...
  • White mushrooms. Mushrooms contain only 3.26 g of carbs per 100 g. ...
  • Spinach. ...
  • Broccoli. ...
  • Zucchini. ...
  • Cauliflower. ...
  • Asparagus. ...
  • Radishes.

How many carbs per day to lose weight? ›

As far as how many carbohydrates to eat, Pratt says 100 to 150 grams of carbohydrates is safe for most people who are trying to lose weight. It may be better for some people to eat carbs consistently throughout the day. “You can also break it up evenly with 40 to 50 grams of carbs per meal,” she says.

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.

Is green bean high carb? ›

Green beans are sometimes referred to as snap beans or string 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.

Why do people eat green bean casserole? ›

How It Became a Holiday Staple. Green bean casserole was considered a perfect dish for holiday entertaining because it was simple, inexpensive, and could easily be made ahead of time. It became known as a "jiffy casserole" because it went from one bowl to one pan.

Why is my green bean casserole runny after? ›

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.

Can you overcook green bean casserole? ›

The Green Beans Are Mushy

The first is simply that you overcooked them, and they lost their shape and texture.

Is green bean casserole better with canned or fresh? ›

this is a great classic Thanksgiving side dish! Are frozen or canned green beans better for green bean casserole? This green bean recipe uses the fresh kind, but frozen are your next best bet. Canned green beans are too mushy and will fall apart, so don't use those if at all possible.

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.

What onion is better for stir-fry? ›

GREEN ONION: Best Stir Fry Onion

Green onions, sometimes called scallons, are onions that have not yet matured, so they have a very small bulb. They are great for stir fry. You can use the green tops in a salad as well. And they make a wonderful garnish for soups or tacos.

What beans are best for low-carb diet? ›

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.

Are cooked green beans high in carbs? ›

Green beans

Green beans are sometimes referred to as snap beans or string 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.

Which green beans are 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.

What vegetables can I eat on keto? ›

Plenty of low-carb vegetable options include arugula, asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes. Those vegetables provide other benefits like reducing the risk of certain chronic diseases, containing antioxidants, and providing filling fiber.

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