Green Bean Casserole with Cream Cheese

I love to make this green bean casserole with cream cheese as an easy holiday side dish starting with a bag of fresh green beans. It's cheesy, made without canned soup, and naturally low carb.

Instead of cream of mushroom soup, we make a simple homemade cream cheese sauce with mushrooms, garlic, heavy cream, and chicken broth. It's creamy and flavorful but still tastes like the classic green bean casserole everyone expects on the holiday table. Cruncy onions are optional!

If you're short on time, making our easy baked green beans (cheesy edition) or air fryer green bean bacon bundles are both great short cut recipes! And readers are obsessed with our hamburger green casserole if you want to make a main dish option later!

Things to Know About Green Bean Casserole with Cream Cheese

• Made with fresh green beans - We use thin haricots verts sold in a bag when we can find them (pre-washed and prepped!), but regular fresh green beans work great too.
• No canned soup - The creamy sauce is made from scratch with cream cheese, heavy cream, chicken broth, garlic, and mushrooms.
• Low carb - Each serving has 13 grams of total carbs, 8 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fiber before adjusting for optional toppings.
• Add a crunchy topping -You can add a crunchy topping like store bought fried onions (my personal favorite), crushed chips, or crushed butter crackers like Ritz

I've been creating low carb recipes for our readers since 2018, and a few of our other favorite holiday sides to make on the side include our pureed butternut squash, sugar-free cranberry sauce, and slow cooker cabbage and bacon.

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Ingredients You'll Need

Please see the recipe card below for exact quantities.

• Fresh green beans - We usually use thin French haricots verts. Buying pre-washed and trimmed green beans saves prep time.
• Mushrooms - Cremini mushrooms or white button mushrooms
• Onion -White, sweet, or red onion can also be used.
• Cream cheese - we used regular cream cheese,not low fat (it is the holidays)
• Heavy whipping cream
• Chicken broth
• Butter
• Garlic - mince fresh garlic or use jar garlic
• Worcestershire sauce - swap this for coconut aminos if preferred
• Sharp cheddar cheese - We love the flavor of sharp cheddar, but you can also use medium cheddar, Colby Jack cheese, or white cheddar.
• Store bought fried onions (optional)- Add them during the last few minutes of baking for the traditional crunchy topping, or leave them off for a lower carb and gluten-free casserole.

How to Make Green Bean Casserole

Step 1: Soften the vegetables

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion and mushrooms until softened but not browned.

Add the fresh green beans and continue cooking until they're just starting to soften. You want them partially cooked at this stage since they'll continue cooking in the oven.

Step 2: Make the cream cheese sauce

While the vegetables are cooking, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.

Add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute.

Stir in the softened cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.

Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and stir until the cream cheese is completely melted, the sauce is smooth, and it's starting to slightly thicken.

Step 3: Assemble the casserole

Pour the cream cheese sauce over the cooked green beans, mushrooms, and onions.

Gently stir until the vegetables are evenly coated, then transfer everything to a 9x9-inch baking dish.

Step 4: Add the cheese and bake

Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the top.

Bake the green bean casserole for 30 minutes at 350°F, until the sauce is hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted.

If you're adding fried onions or a crunchy topping, sprinkle them over the casserole during the last 5 minutes so they stay crisp.

Recipe Tips

• Don't overcook the green beans. Saute them until they're just starting to soften since they'll continue cooking in the oven.
• Soften the cream cheese first. It melts into the sauce much more smoothly than a cold block.
• Add fried onions at the end. Sprinkle them on during the last 5 minutes so they stay crisp.

What to Serve with Green Bean Casserole

This creamy green bean casserole works especially well with simple holiday proteins like our easy roast turkey, air fryer turkey breast for those smaller occasions, our lemon roasted whole chicken, or our slow cooker spiral ham.

When we're cooking for the holidays, we usually add 2-3 side dishes to the table. Here's some of our favorites!

More Low-Carb Side Dishes

• Low carb broccoli fritters
• Low carb cauliflower mac and cheese
• Cauliflower keto mashed potatoes
• Creamed spinach (with fresh spinach)
• Keto cauliflower casserole with bacon
• Low carb baked radishes
• Brussel sprouts casserole with bacon
• 35+ low-carb sides

Make Ahead Tip and Storage

• Make ahead: Assemble the casserole up to 1 day in advance. Cover and refrigerate, then bake when needed. Add a little extra baking time since the casserole will be cold.
• Refrigerator: Store leftover green bean casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Reheating: Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm a larger portion in the oven until heated through.
• Freezing: Cream cheese and heavy cream sauces can change texture after freezing and thawing, so this casserole is best made fresh or refrigerated rather than frozen.
• Crunchy topping: If making the casserole ahead, wait to add fried onions until the final few minutes of baking so they stay crisp.

Nutrition / Macros

Per serving:

Calories: 284 Carbohydrates: 12g Fiber: 3.5g Net carbs: about 8.5g Protein: 7g Fat: 24g

FAQs

Can you make green bean casserole without cream of mushroom soup?

Yes. This green bean casserole is made without canned cream of mushroom soup. Cream cheese, heavy cream, chicken broth, mushrooms, garlic, and seasonings create the homemade creamy sauce instead.

Can I use fresh green beans in green bean casserole?

Yes. Fresh green beans work very well in green bean casserole and honestly turn out better than using canned. Sauté them until crisp-tender before assembling the casserole so they finish cooking in the oven without becoming mushy.

Is green bean casserole low carb?

This green bean casserole is naturally lower in carbs because the sauce is made with cream cheese and heavy cream instead of condensed soup. One serving has 13 grams of total carbohydrates and 5 grams of fiber before adjusting for optional toppings.

Is green bean casserole keto friendly?

This recipe can work for a keto diet, especially when the optional fried onion topping is omitted. The casserole uses fresh green beans, cream cheese, heavy cream, mushrooms, and cheddar rather than a flour-thickened canned soup.

Can I use frozen green beans?

Fresh green beans give the casserole the best crisp-tender texture. Frozen green beans can be used in a pinch, but they should be thawed and well drained first so excess water doesn't thin the cream cheese sauce.

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This recipe has been on our website since 2022, in 2026 we rewrote the post, added new tips, and photographed new images.

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