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Paleo Moussaka (Dairy-free, Whole30)

July 2, 2019

(updated July 9, 2021)

4.12 from 59 votes
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What’s Inside: Paleo Greek Casserole (Moussaka) that tastes like the real deal except the bechamel sauce is dairy-free and it’s naturally gluten-free and grain-free! It’s a reader favorite that you’ll soon love too. It’s Paleo and Whole30-friendly.

Paleo Moussaka (Greek Eggplant Casserole) - gluten-free, paleo, dairy-free, Whole30 via foodbymars

This paleo moussaka recipe (think: Greek casserole) will be your new FAVE (especially around summertime). Using up amazing seasonal produce like eggplant and tomatoes, it’s bursting with flavor and great for meal prep!

Greek Moussaka is already gluten-free since, in place of any noodles, this is stacked with layers of delish eggplant slices. The only real change here is removing the dairy from the traditional cheesy bechamel sauce on top. Luckily, I have my handy dandy dairy-free bechamel sauce made with coconut cream and cauliflower that works and tastes perfectly in here. My Greek husband gave it two thumbs up with a very full mouth – so it’s passed all the tests.

Are you a cheese-lover who needs to cut back on dairy? Welcome! Be sure to check out this list of my best dairy-free cheese sauces for more variations.

Paleo Moussaka (Greek Eggplant Casserole) - gluten-free, paleo, dairy-free, Whole30 via foodbymars

Eggplant moussaka is the ultimate comfort food and the gift that keeps on giving (like all casseroles lol) as it sits and you keep re-heating to eat!

Paleo Moussaka (Greek Eggplant Casserole) - gluten-free, paleo, dairy-free, Whole30 via foodbymars

Ingredients needed for Paleo Moussaka

  • Dried seasonings: oregano, cinnamon, paprika, and salt
  • Eggplant, sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Grass-fed ground lamb (or other ground meat if preferred, but lamb or beef is recommended and traditional)
  • Tomato paste
  • Dry white wine or bone broth
  • Aromatics and herbs: onion, garlic, and chopped fresh mint
  • Fresh vine tomatoes, peeled and chopped

For the dairy-free cauliflower bechamel sauce… you’ll just need cauliflower, coconut cream, nutritional yeast, arrowroot flour, lemon juice, and salt.

If you have nightshade aversions but still are craving something like this, don’t miss my Paleo Pastitsio which is AIP!

Paleo Moussaka (Greek Eggplant Casserole) - gluten-free, paleo, dairy-free, Whole30 via foodbymars

More Greek-inspired Paleo Recipes to try:

Paleo Moussaka (Greek Eggplant Casserole) - gluten-free, paleo, dairy-free, Whole30 via foodbymars

Paleo Moussaka (Greek Casserole)

Paleo Moussaka (Greek Eggplant Casserole) - gluten-free, paleo, dairy-free, Whole30 via foodbymars

Paleo Moussaka

4.12 from 59 votes
Layers of delish eggplant, meat, and a dairy-free bechamel make a dreamy Greek Moussaka (casserole) dish that is perfect for meal prep!
(Whole30, Paleo, Gluten-free, Grain-free, Dairy-free)
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Author: Alison Marras
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 8

Ingredients

Meat & Eggplant

  • 1 Tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 medium eggplant sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
  • ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil divided
  • Sea salt to taste
  • 1 pound ground lamb or other ground meat if preferred
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ¼ cup dry white wine or bone broth
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves finely grated, divided
  • 1 Tbsp chopped mint divided
  • 2-3 fresh vine tomatoes peeled and chopped

Dairy-free Cauliflower Bechamel Sauce

  • 2 cups cauliflower steamed
  • 1 cup coconut cream
  • 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 Tbsp arrowroot starch/flour
  • 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions:

  • Pre-heat oven to 400f degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Slice eggplant in ¼ inch slices and coat with a bit of olive oil and season with sea salt on the baking sheet. Bake in a single layer (slices can touch each other a bit for more room) and roast for approx. 30 mins. until cooked and golden, flipping half-way.
  • Meanwhile, add 2 Tbsp olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Add the ground lamb, seasoning with the salt, paprika, and cinnamon and breaking up with a wooden spoon until browned on all sides and liquid from the meat is evaporating, approx. 10 mins or so. Remove meat from the pan and set aside, leaving fat/oil in the pan (or adding more if needed).
  • Next, add the chopped onion and mint, continue to saute while seasoning with salt until translucent, approx. 5-8 mins. Add garlic last (be careful not to burn it) for a few minutes. Then add in the tomato paste, stir around the veggies and lastly add your wine or bone broth, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes.
  • Add tomatoes and break up with a wooden spoon into small pieces. Add lamb back in, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid is evaporated and mixture looks like a thick meat sauce, 5–7 minutes. Set aside and make the bechamel sauce.

Dairy-free Cauliflower Bechamel Sauce

  • In a pot, steam cauliflower florets with boiling water until it’s tender when pricked with a fork (approx. 8 mins.).
  • Meanwhile, add coconut CREAM (not milk), nutritional yeast, and lemon juice to a high-speed blender.
  • Separately, take 1/2 cup of water and add arrowroot flour to it. Stir it around to create a slurry. It will thicken slightly in the cup, make sure it’s stirred well with no clumps at the bottom. Once that’s mixed well, pour HALF into the blender. Save the other half in case you need it (depending on how large your baking dish is, you might want more liquid).
  • When cauliflower is ready, add it to the blender, season with salt. Blend everything for a minute or so, until a thick sauce has formed.

Assemble:

  • Grease an 8×8 baking pan with olive oil. Layer half of eggplant in pan, covering the bottom entirely. Spread half of lamb mixture over eggplant in an even layer. Repeat with remaining eggplant and lamb to make another layer of each. Top with cauliflower béchamel and smooth surface.
  • Bake moussaka on a middle rackin the oven until bubbling and béchamel are browned in spots, 30–45 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes before serving. Serve or store in the fridge or freezer.
Diet: Greek
Keywords: dairy-free, eggplant moussaka, gluten-free, grain-free, greek casserole, greek moussaka, moussaka recipe, paleo casserole, paleo moussaka, whole30 recipes
Course: dinner, Main Course
-Alison Marras
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

browse more recipes:

Dairy-free Entrées Gluten-free Grain-free Lamb Paleo Recipes Summer Whole30
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43 comments

  2. Not yet fresh tomato season here (but I have some beautiful eggplant). Can I use canned tomatoes in place of fresh? Quantity? Thanks!

    Reply

    • You certainly can! I haven’t tried but I’d just google 1:1 swap from fresh tomatoes to canned to confirm and play with it.

      Reply

  3. This recipe is blowing my mind. I feel like I should have paid for it.
    I followed it almost exactly but added an egg into the bechamel when I blended it so the top would hold together nicely. BRAVO + THANK YOU!

    Reply

  4. To cook from frozen, do I need to defrost the Moussaka first?
    I cannot wait to try this recipe! It looks absolutely amazing!

    Reply

  5. I’m doing a Whole30 and stumbled upon this recipe … I will say it was a labor of love, felt like I was chopping forever and prepping all of the various components for hours. But, the pièce de résistance was SO worth it. My husband raved and we both went back for seconds. This is truly delicious and all of your steps were spot on. Thank you!!

    Reply

    • Absolutely! Moussaka is definitely a labor of love hahaha – you nailed it, definitely worth the effort and leftovers are the gift that keeps on giving. I’m so happy you guys enjoyed it!

      Reply

  7. It looks amazing! And I never thought of making béchamel sauce with cauliflower and coconut cream. I bet that is delicious and creamy.

    Reply

  10. This is the perfect way to use all those tomatoes that I’ve got sitting in the kitchen. Looks absolutely delicious, too!

    Reply

  12. Hi, absolutely loved this. Only thing is I can’t see at what point you add the dry oregano in the method…? So I just added it to the mince. Very delicious… I LOVED the fresh mint element.  

    Reply

  15. We made this for dinner last night and it was incredible! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!

    Reply

  18. Thus recipe is amazing. It’s perfect for anyone who is whole30 or dairy free and it’s delicious!

    Reply

  19. Just wanted to drop a comment and say that this recipe is FANTASTIC! I follow a semi paleo diet due to dietarty restrictions. So when I found this recipe, I was beyond excited! My husband and I loved the recipe so much, we made it twice!

    Reply

  21. This sounds amazing – I’m mid-way through the recipe and it smells wonderful! Just wondering when the oregano is added? And the dividing of the mint – when is the second portion added? Thanks so much

    Reply

    • Ahh! Andrea, looks like I missed that in the directions. The 2nd bit of mint can be added throughout the layers and the oregano can go with the ground meat. Honestly, no bad place to add either, but I will revise. Thanks for pointing this out and hope you enjoyed it!

      Reply

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