Creamy Dairy Free Broccoli Rice Casserole Recipe
This dairy-free broccoli casserole is one of my favorite ways to turn leftover rice into a quick, comforting dinner that actually feels filling. It has all the cozy vibes of a classic broccoli rice casserole, but without any cheese or heavy ingredients. Instead, everything gets coated in a creamy, savory sauce that still gives you that familiar flavor, just made with real, simple ingredients.
I started making versions of this when I wanted a broccoli rice casserole without cheese that still felt satisfying enough for dinner, not just a side dish. After testing a few different options, I found that blending white beans with cashews gives the creamiest texture and makes it much more filling, with about 19 grams of protein per serving. This is one of those meals I come back to on busy weeks when I have leftover rice in the fridge and need something easy, flexible, and made with real ingredients.
If you’re looking for more easy ways to use broccoli, I have a few go-to recipes I make all the time. My roasted broccoli and potatoes is a simple, hands-off option that works with just about anything, and the crunchy broccoli salad with lemon tahini dressing is great when you want something fresh but still really satisfying. I also love keeping a bag of frozen broccoli on hand for my air fryer frozen broccoli, which is probably the easiest way to get a veggie on the table with almost no effort.
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Ingredient spotlight
- Broccoli – I like to use broccoli florets for this recipe, and you can use fresh or frozen. Either works great, just try to keep the pieces about the same size so everything cooks evenly. If your florets are large, go ahead and cut them down a bit.
- Cooked Rice – You’ll need cooked rice for this, which makes it perfect for using up leftovers. Jasmine, basmati, brown rice, or white rice all work well here. I don’t recommend using leftover plain white rice that’s dried out or crunchy, since it doesn’t soften as well when baked into the casserole.
- Raw Cashews – The cashews are what help create that creamy, dairy-free sauce. Soaking them in very hot water for at least 5 minutes softens them and makes them much easier to blend smooth.
- White Beans – I use a can of white beans (cannellini or great northern are best) to add creaminess and make the casserole more filling. I don’t recommend chickpeas here, they won’t give you the same smooth texture in the sauce.
- Nutritional Yeast – Nutritional yeast is what gives the sauce that subtle cheesy flavor without any dairy. It’s common in dairy-free cooking and easy to find in most grocery stores now. If you prefer to skip it, I’d recommend adding a squeeze of lemon juice or another acid to help boost the flavor; lemon works especially well with the broccoli here.
How to make vegan broccoli casserole
Start by soaking cashews in boiling water. Let them soak at least 5 minutes. Start by sauteing chopped onions in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook 3 minutes. Once the onions have become translucent, add the broccoli and cook 3-4 minutes. Once the broccoli has softened, turn off the heat and add the cooked rice, vegetable broth and salt and stir well. Put a lid on the skillet. Pour the broccoli and rice into a large casserole dish. Drain the cashews and discard the soaking liquid. Make the dairy free sauce by combining drained soaked cashews, white beans, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder and paprika Blend well until smooth. Pour the dairy free sauce over the broccoli mixture and stir well. Optional: make the breadcrumbs. Combine almond flour, avocado oil, salt and garlic powder. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the casserole dish. Bake in a 425F oven for 10 minutes, after 10 minutes turn on the broiler and broil 3 minutes (be sure your casserole dish can handle the broiler or keep this in a cast iron skillet to cook).
Top tips
- Short on time? Use the broiler only – If everything is already warm, skip baking and broil for about 3 minutes to crisp the topping.
- No leftover rice? No problem – Use frozen cooked rice and heat it in the microwave before adding it to the casserole.
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Easy Broccoli Rice Casserole Without Cheese
This dairy-free broccoli rice casserole is a simple, satisfying dinner made with broccoli, cooked rice, and a creamy white bean and cashew sauce. It has all the comfort of a classic broccoli casserole without any cheese, and comes together quickly using leftover or frozen ingredients. With about 19 grams of protein per serving, it’s filling enough for a weeknight meal and easy to customize based on what you have on hand.
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Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion (white or yellow)
- 1 pound broccoli, florets only
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice (white or brown) - about 1 package frozen rice
- ½ cup vegetable broth
Creamy Cheesy Sauce
- ¼ cup raw cashews, soaked and drained
- 1 can white beans
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1.25 teaspoon sea salt
- 1.25 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Almond Flour Breadcrumbs (optional)
- 3 tablespoons almond flour - or gf panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Chop the broccoli florets into bite size pieces.1 pound broccoli, florets only
- Finely dice the onions.1 medium onion (white or yellow)
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add boiling water to a bowl or cup filled with raw cashews to soak. I like to use an electric kettle for this.¼ cup raw cashews, soaked and drained
- Spray preheated skillet with olive oil or avocado oil and add onions, cook 3 minutes stirring occasionally.1 medium onion (white or yellow)
- After 3 minutes, add chopped broccoli florets to the onions and stir well. Cook 3-5 minutes until broccoli is bright green and starting to soften.1 pound broccoli, florets only
- Sprinkle the broccoli with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Turn off heat.½ teaspoon sea salt
- Add the cooked rice and 1/2 cup vegetable broth to the skillet. Stir well and add a lid to the skillet.3 cups cooked jasmine rice (white or brown), ½ cup vegetable broth
- Drain the cashews from the water they are soaking in along with draining and rinsing the beans from the can.
- Add drained cashews, beans, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder and paprika to the blender. Blend on high 1 minute.1 can white beans, 1 cup vegetable broth, ¼ cup nutritional yeast, 1.25 teaspoon sea salt, 1.25 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, ¼ cup raw cashews, soaked and drained
- Optional: Transfer the broccoli rice mixture to a casserole dish (can leave it in an oven safe skillet as well).
- Pour the sauce from the blender over the broccoli and rice, stir well to ensure all the ingredients are well combined. Flatten the ingredients in the casserole dish or skillet so you can add the topping.
- In a small bowl combine the almond flour breadcrumb ingredients. Sprinkle them over the top of the casserole dish.3 tablespoons almond flour, 1 teaspoon avocado oil, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Bake in a 425F oven for 10 minutes. Immediately turn on broiler and broil for about 3 minutes (stay close so it doesn't burn).
Recipe Notes
Top tips
-
- Soak the cashews
Soaking ensures the sauce blends smooth and creamy, not gritty. Use boiling water and soak at least 5 minutes. - Use an oven-safe skillet (optional)
If cooking and baking in one pan, make sure your skillet is oven-safe (cast iron or stainless steel). - Cook off moisture from frozen broccoli
If using frozen broccoli, add 2–3 extra minutes of cook time to remove excess water before adding the sauce. - Watch the broiler closely
The topping can burn quickly. Start checking around 1½ minutes under the broiler.
- Soak the cashews
- Store leftover casserole in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- This recipe does also freeze well, so if you want to freeze, transfer individual portions to a freezer safe bag/container and freeze up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
404
Fat
9
g
Carbohydrates
66
g
Fiber
10
g
Sugar
4
g
Protein
19
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
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Common Questions
Can I make this nut free?
Yes! Cashews are great to make a creamy sauce but you can also use these nut free alternatives if needed!
- Hemp hearts – you don’t need to soak hemp hearts ahead of time
- Sunflower seeds or pepitas (pumpkin seeds) – soak these the same way you would cashews
- Tahini – tahini is made from ground sesame seeds and adds a ton of creaminess to the sauce.
- Use gluten free crackers pulsed in the food processor or gluten free panko breadcrumbs in place of the almond flour.
What if I don’t have rice prepped ahead?
If you don’t have rice prepped in advance, you can use frozen rice (you can find this at many grocery stores, Trader Joe’s carries a frozen jasmine rice) or quick cooking rice packets from the grocery store. You can make fresh rice before starting this recipe, which can take about 20-30 minutes depending on your cooking method and the kind of rice you decide to make.
