This delicious and healthy dairy free breakfast casserole is made with dairy alternatives, loaded with vegetables, and it is gluten free. Made easily in the oven it’s perfect for breakfast, any day of the week!
Delicious Dairy Free Breakfast Casserole
Breakfast casserole is totally comfort food, isn’t it? Well, that is when we consider a traditional breakfast casserole that is smothered in cheese, and filled with ham, eggs, cream, and more of those classic ingredients. This delicious dairy free breakfast casserole still feels like comfort food but is a whole lot more healthy and good for you!
Egg and potato are the stars of this dish, as they are in most breakfast casseroles, but in this recipe they are combined with crunchy bell peppers, flavourful green onions, fresh herbs, iron-rich spinach, and the perfect amount of dairy-free cheese.
How To Make A Breakfast Casserole Dairy Free
Traditionally, breakfast casseroles are made with cream, half-and-half, or milk, along with loads of cheese and the rest of the ingredients. This doesn’t fit the bill for those who have a dairy intolerance or choose not to eat dairy for any other reason, so my dairy-free casserole recipe is a great option for those who still love the idea of a breakfast casserole but need to go sans dairy!
When it comes to making a dairy free version of a breakfast casserole that still tastes rich, hearty, and delicious, here’s what you can do:
- Swap cream/milk for coconut milk or water: Using coconut milk whisked together with the eggs gives the same rich texture to the casserole as using regular cream. If you don’t want the coconut flavour in your casserole (although it is subtle) you can also use a little bit of water to whisk with the eggs and that helps to fluff them up.
- Switch regular cheese for a dairy-free alternative: Luckily, there are tons of dairy-free cheese options on the market now! A shredded dairy-free cheese such as Earth Island or Daiya brand will work, or you can choose a cashew or other nut-based cheese. I went with a mix of shredded dairy-free mozzarella and cheddar cheeses I found at my local grocery store for this recipe..
- Skip the butter and use oil: Instead of using butter with the potatoes or hash browns, use olive oil.
Dairy Free Breakfast Casserole Ingredients:
To make your own breakfast casserole at home, as long as you stick to the tips in the previous section, you can really do whatever your heart desires when it comes to additions. I chose to go with the following ingredients but the sky’s the limit for vegetable, herbs, and protein add-ins.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Olive oil
- Russet potatoes (swap for sweet potatoes for a delicious twist!)
- Red bell pepper, green onion, and spinach (swap for other veggies of choice if desired)
- Fresh dill (swap for fresh basil if desired)
- Free-range eggs
- Water (or canned coconut milk for extra creaminess)
- Dairy-free shredded mozzarella and cheddar (or another one of your fave dairy-free cheeses)
- Salt, pepper, and dried parsley
Making A Breakfast Casserole in the Oven:
There are a few different methods when it comes to making a breakfast casserole. Most people choose between tater tots, hash browns, or regular potatoes for the base of the casserole.
I chose to keep it healthier with whole-foods and used diced russet potatoes rather than frozen bagged tots. The casserole needs to be baked in two steps, potatoes first, then the egg, cheese, and veggie mixture second. This way you end up with perfectly tender potatoes and a light and airy egg layer.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Toss the potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried parsley and spread evenly in a baking dish.
- Bake the potatoes for 30 minutes (flipping once halfway through) then remove from the oven.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over the baked potatoes and give a quick stir.
- Bake for 15 minutes in the oven, or until the middle of the casserole is firm and feels spongy to the touch.
This is such an easy, versatile meal that is packed with protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and flavour! I also love that breakfast casseroles are great for leftovers (and really, you can enjoy them for lunch or dinner too).
Use the base of this recipe (roasted potatoes and egg mixture) and change up the vegetables and herbs every time you make it for extra variety. You can also try shredded hash browns in place of the cubed potatoes for a different texture.
Next time I plan to swap out the bell pepper and green onion for mushrooms and turkey bacon, then I’ll use my favourite dairy-free cashew cheese made by a local maker.
What would you add to your dairy free breakfast casserole? Tell me about it in the comments and be sure to pin the photo below to save this recipe for later!
Dairy Free Breakfast Casserole
This delicious and simple dairy free breakfast casserole is healthy, packed with veggies, and it's gluten free too!
Ingredients
- 3 cups peeled and diced russet potatoes (or swap for sweet potatoes)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 10 free-range eggs
- 1/4 cup water (or swap for coconut milk for a creamier casserole)
- 1/3 cup diced green onion
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill (or swap for fresh basil)
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 heaping cup spinach, loosely chopped
- 3/4 cup shredded dairy-free cheese of choice (I love Earth Island brand)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a large 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper on the bottom.
- Peel and dice the potatoes and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried parsley then spread evenly over the bottom of the baking dish.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
- When the potatoes are almost done, prepare the egg mixture.
- Crack eggs into a large bowl and whisk with the water (or coconut milk) until frothy.
- Add in the green onion, dill, bell pepper, spinach, dairy free cheese, and salt/pepper and whisk again to combine.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and pour the egg mixture over the potatoes, then give everything a quick stir and place back in the oven.
- Bake for another 12-15 minutes or until the middle of the casserole is slightly firm and spongy to the touch.
- Slice casserole into pieces of your preferred size and serve hot!
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Can the squares be frozen? If so, how would you recommend to reheat?
Can I assemble this this the night before?
I Tracy, did you want to assemble the night before to bake in the morning? Or make the whole thing the night before?
I would love to know if you could assemble the night before and bake in the morning?
Hi Jen, yes you can definitely do this!