Goodbye canned beans.
After trying this homemade baked beans recipe, it’s hard to imagine going back to canned. Bush’s is good and all, but it just doesn’t compare to the heightened flavor and superior texture of baked beans made from scratch. Since July is National Baked Bean Month, there’s never been a better time to learn how to make your own healthy baked beans. It’s much easier than you might think…
When I first started learning to cook, one of my favorite meals to make was a large sweet potato topped with Bush’s baked beans and melted cheddar cheese. I wasn’t even a vegetarian yet, but I’d eat this meal at least once a week. It was quick and simple, and I loved the revelation that I no longer needed to rely on someone else to always cook for me.
In middle school, feeling independent is of the upmost importance… I remember around the same time, my friends’ moms and mine would take us to the mall and sit on a bench while we shopped. We had to check back in every thirty minutes, but we felt super cool, shopping by ourselves. Other people in the mall were probably rolling their eyes at the 7th graders who strutted around the mall like they owned the place. But we didn’t notice or care. And then I’d come home and prepare my very own homemade dinner, feeling very grown up.
Never mind that said “homemade dinner” was as simple as popping a potato in the oven, opening a can of beans, and microwaving everything together. That’s beside the point 
.
I felt the same sense of accomplishment the first time I made this vegetarian baked beans recipe from scratch a few days ago. Never mind the fact that it’s as simple as throwing all the ingredients into a crockpot, putting on the lid, and waiting for it to cook.
That’s beside the point.
Baked Beans Recipe
Baked Beans Recipe – Healthy & Homemade
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb pinto or white beans, soaked overnight in water
- 1 can “no salt added” tomato sauce (15oz)
- 2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce or gluten-free soy sauce (45g)
- 1 3/4 cup water or vegetable broth (420g)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (30g)
- 2 tsp minced garlic (10g)
- 1 tbsp molasses (blackstrap or regular) (15g)
- 1/8 tsp pure stevia extract, or 4 tbsp brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 1 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
Instructions
Crockpot baked beans recipe: Drain and rinse the beans. Lightly grease a crockpot (mine is 4 quarts), then add all ingredients. Cover with the lid, and cook on high 7 hours or until beans are soft. Turning off the crockpot, but keeping the lid closed, let sit 1 hour. Serve immediately, or transfer to a container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. If reheating, add a little water (up to 1/2 cup for the entire recipe) and stir, then heat. Yields about 3 1/2 cups.
Question of the Day:
Do you remember the first thing you learned to cook?
Link of the Day: Homemade Larabars Recipes
Thanks so much for this recipe! I look forward to trying it!
One question: if I use canned beans, would I use the same amount, a half pound? Or more? (I only use Eden brand, as they have no added salt — only kombu — and their cans are BPA-free.)
Sorry, I’ve never actually tried it with canned. I’d think you would have to use a lot more beans… and much less liquid.
Can anyone recomend a homemade tomato soup that would go nice with this. I don’t do tins or pack soup. Thanks edd
I don’t know what happened. I tried to double the recipe because I wanted to use the whole bag of beans. It smells good but I have a pot of very liquidy soup now, with way too much liquid.
I’m going to try this recipe and then I’ll get back to you all
Can the molasses be left out?
I would think you’d have to add a different sweetener such as maple syrup.
nothing replaces molasses, in my opinion, but I have had great success with dates. Just take ‘cooking’ (basic, cheap ones) and chop them up dry, toss in with beans and sauce. They add sweetness, but also a richness beyond sugar (not beyond blackstrap though. Nothing tops that stuff).
Hi Katie, I absolutely love the idea of this recipe, and I want to make it, but I wonder if you could tell me how many grams (or ml) in the “can of tomato sauce”? I live in Portugal, and mostly the tomato sauce comes in large bottles, so I really don’t know how much you would need…
Just saw the 15oz bit 🙂
Tried these the other day. My crock pot only has low soooooo,
Did a 24 soak (delayed unexpectedly) then everything into the pot. 12 hr on low got them about 20% soft. Those are hard little devils.
Onto the stove for another 8 hours! Stirred every half hour as these babies were really cookin’ (low slow boil as too high can make them tough–as if). Could use these for buckshot.
Anyways, when I do take them off the heat, they are marvellously soft and ooooh, the flavour. Fantastic recipe.
Go for this one. Just be prepared for a cook longer than you expect.
Thanks for this one. It’s a keeper.
Agreed, mine took much longer to cook, 10 hrs on high and they’re still not done, maybe because I did a quick soak. Fantastic sauce, though!
can you use canned beans?
I made these the other day, and they were fabulous! Seriously, the best baked beans I’ve ever had. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Thank you so much for making them 🙂
I love the idea of making my own beans. My 6 yr old boy has type 1 diabetes and I have always wanted a recipe that was vegan and LOW sugar. Can’t wait to try out the recipe.