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
I made these last year and again today. The taste is perfect, but I always have way too much liquid at the end. It’s so wet I have to drain it off and save the liquid for another batch. I’m surprised no one else has mentioned this. I don’t think it’s anything I’m doing because, as I said, it happened last winter too. The taste is amazing though, so aside from the extra messy step it’s not so bad having enough leftover liquid for another batch.
Tried this recipe with canned beans and my one year old loved it! Going to try again with dried beans this time and really not sure how much 1/2lb of beans is? I’ve never used dried beans before but they’re so much cheaper! Thanks!!
Very good! I used agave instead of molasses and honey instead of brown sugar. No cumin, no chili powder, no onion – I didn’t want a mexi taste. It was a big hit with the fam (even the kids!)
Is sugar necessary? What’s if it’s not sweetened?
Katie, this is a fabulous recipe! I now live in Ireland and the Irish LOVE their baked beans. In fact, my Irish husband was sceptical that I could improve on the much loved pre-prepared varieties. Well, he was happy to concede defeat- your recipe is a vast improvement! They are just delicious! I did make the maple syrup substitute for the stevia/coconut sugar/brown sugar – really good! Thank you for posting and I look forward in trying other recipes!
I am almost 6 hours into making these beans, they look and smell delish! I am not vegan and used bone broth to make them instead of water. In my experience, bone broth does disapate, but I am waiting for the beans to thicken and there is still a great deal of liquid in there, will the consistency turn pasty or will the liquid remain?
My wife loves baked beans, but I don’t like the sugar calories in them, I tasted a few of these beans and she is going to love them and hopefully the cook too!
I was so excited to find this recipe, as I wanted one a little lighter on the sugar. It smelled delicious in the slow cooker. However, I was disappointed in the final product as it lacked a depth of flavor and the beans were still rather toothsome after 8 hours. I added some tomato paste, salt, and liquid smoke to fix the flavor. After digging in, I remembered what I read in Suzanne White’s “The Daily Bean,” which is “Never add acidic ingredients (e.g., tomato, lemon, or pineapple) before the beans are tender. They will never soften after you add the acidic ingredients.” I would recommend starting the beans in the broth and adding the tomato and vinegar a little further along in the cooking process.
That said, I’ve loved every other CCK recipe I’ve tried, though, so I’ll be back to try some others.
Hannah, every time i make this recipe its in a conventional oven (i dont own a slow cooker) and they finish dark, smoky and flavorful. I always double the recipe using Braggs Amino instead of soy sauce and maple syrup instead of stevia, brown or coconut sugars. I also omit cumin and chili powder (just because i usually dont have any on hand). I begin with dry beans which I always forget to soak overnight so i use the quick soak method. I bake in a 350 degree oven, uncovered, for about 6 or 7 hours in an 11″ x 17″ glass baking pan. Every hour I add about a cup and a half of water. They begin to get really dark a d sticky around the edges so I stir as well. I make plenty to freeze for later cause when it takes over 1 hr to bake something i want it to last? Hope that helps you. I believe this recipe is worth trying again.
Is there a way to make this not in a crock pot?
You can always experiment. Let us know the result, if you do.
A crock pot on high is about 250. Put it in the oven at 250.
@katie: Thank You Sooooo Much! This is the baked bean recipe I had been searching for! First time I followed the recipe verbatim, except for the slow cooking in a crock pot. I used the oven @ 350 degrees for approx 45 minutes. They came out too wet (for my taste). So this time I omitted the water and they are a really nice rich texture! All-in-all EXCELLENTE! 🙂 BTW, I am cooking for my 87 year old mother who-in her remaining years-has had transition to a vegan diet. And your blog and recipes are helping me with her transitioning process. Double Thanks!
These are the best home made beans that I have ever eaten. I did the recipe exactly to what it said. Did not change a thing. They were delicious. This recipe is a keeper. Thank You so very much fir sharing this wonderful recipe with us all.