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
Print This Recipe
[mrp_rating_result show_count="false" show_rich_snippets="false"]
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
[email protected] Apple of My Eye says
Oh my yum those look so good! I’m a huge fan of baked beans, but don’t eat them as often as I’d like because of the high sugar ontent.
Thanks Katie!
Chris says
Your timing is perfect! I’ve been wanting to control the salt consumption around here more and this is exactly what I need right now. And the guys can throw their nasty bacon in it after I pull out my share…so…another win-win!!
Kevin says
This recipe is very high in salt
Eating 4 Balance says
The first thing that I ever learned to “cook” was cornbread. My mom taught my brother and I how to follow the instructions on the jiffy box, mix it up in a big bowl, and microwave ut until the bread was cooked. Then we would cut out big triangular slices and drizzle it with a mound of syrup. That was our breakfast on Saturday mornings when my parents were still asleep. Lol.
Joyce says
Hi Katie,
We love baked beans! Was wondering if you know if your recipe for the Baked Beans freeze well?
Thanks for all your posts. When I see an e-mail from you, it’s always the first to get read!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I’ve not tried freezing them… I do think it’d work, though.
Alyssa B says
I bet they would freeze well. I learned how to cook dry beans here: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2010/12/how-to-kick-the-can-of-beans/
and the author says she freezes them all the time.
Trajayjay says
I have frozen them successfully, all you need to do is just thaw them in the microwave.
Nessa says
This looks great! The first thing I made entirely by myself was a batch of honey cookies for the High Holidays. They were delicious 🙂
Sandra says
thanks a lot Katie you just read my mind I wanted a baked beens recipe
Toni says
These look really good. I’m planning to make them for a 4th of July party.
I noticed that you lightly greased the crock pot first. I’ve been using slow cooker liners and love how easy the cleanup is. Give these a try sometime: http://www.reynoldskitchens.com/products/slow-cooker-liners/
Thanks for the recipe!
Alisha @ Gluten Free Perspective says
My go to is normally the Bush’s Grilling Beans, but I love the idea of making your own with no added “stuff” in there! Brilliant.
lisa says
I tried to make Kraft Mac and Cheese once when I was little. My mom was sick, and we were out of soup, so I thought that Mac and Cheese was the next go to! 😉 Lol. I added WAY too much butter–or cream cheese, I don’t recall–and when my mom sat down to taste it, her face was priceless. I could tell that it tasted horrible no matter how much she diluted the hard truth. Haha, it wasn’t a surprise when my concoction disappeared from the fridge and was rediscovered by my dog in our backyard.
Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Faith says
This is genius! My husband and I both love baked beans, but I hate buying the canned stuff. Can’t wait to try this!
Lisa says
I still haven’t had baked beans before! They seem super simple to make though, I may need to try them out.
Haley says
Just wondering, would not adding the soy sauce change the flavor too much? I have a very low tolerance to salt and 500mg is still quite a bit for me.
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Sorry, I really don’t know.
Maria says
I use Braggs Liquid Aminos to replace soy sauce. It has about 1/3 the sodium of soy sauce and all the taste. The bottle says if you need to further limit your sodium intake you can dilute with water.
Monika says
Yes I second this! Braggs amino is amazing. It saves you so much on salt intake and tastes just as good. Even better!
Trajayjay says
I have successfully used Worcestershire (Idk if it’s vegan) as a one to one ratio. And you can successfully reduce the soy sauce by about 1 T if you slightly augment all the other flavoring agents.
Christine says
I wanted to provide those of you who swear by Bragg’s an article I read recently by a nutritionist. I always think if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
http://www.happybellies.net/the-digestive-system/braggs-liquid-aminos/
Julie Michelle says
Do you add any water to the crockpot? If so, how much?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Nope, the beans cook in the tomato sauce. Don’t add anything else but the amount in the recipe.
Kristi says
Sorry, I’m confused because the recipe does list water as an ingredient. Are you just clarifying to the previous poster to not add any more water than what is listed? However, from her question it sounds like water was not listed and you state it cooks in the tomato sauce but then say not anything else but the amount in the recipe. A little confused by this exchange. Please clarify. Thanks!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Sorry for the confusion! It means to not add any extra. DO add the water listed in the ingredient list.
cocolex says
Hi Katie! I don’t mean to be a hater, but I feel like recently your recipes have been a bit boring and not very original. I used to try out every recipe of yours hours and sometimes minutes after you posted, but now I’m not thrilled. Is it because you are so busy writing the cookbook and putting the best recipes there? I want the old Katie back! Please, consider this a message from a fan, not a hate. I would love to see more creative desserts 🙂
A says
I think you need to read this thread. It sounds like it was written exactly for selfish people like you.
https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2013/04/24/the-healthy-fruit-yogurt-breakfast-bowl/comment-page-1/#comment-931785
Lily says
Oooh, thank you so much for this. I’ve been wanting to make some healthy baked beans for a while but never quite gotten round to it! I have sweet potatoes that need eating and I think that’s a perfect excuse to make this recipe! I’ll probably make my own tomato sauce as I have tomatoes that need using up too, but thank you so, so much for this recipe! Lily x (I’m new to your blog and I’m in love already!)
[email protected] says
My go to baked beans have always been in the can; I always thought baked beans needed to be baked. I never got the concept.
Lulu says
Awwww adorable toddler Katie learned how to cook! I am probably a noob when it comes to cooking. My first dish was tomato and egg stir fry in high school, and now I don’t really cook lol I just bake or microwave or throw a bunch of things into the pan or pot and hope it comes out okay 😛
Beth says
how do you microwave an egg? 🙂
Amanda says
Sounds great! I love new and (old) ideas for using beans!
Sarah says
Hi Katie
Would your ceipe work without a crockpot? Would you then just cook the beans until they’re ready for about 90 minutes? Thanks!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I’ve only tried it in a crockpot, but I think it’d be fine in a saucepan… just cook them uncovered so it doesn’t get too liquidy.
Alyssa B says
This looks like a great baked bean recipe! I’ve been looking for one without ketchup (it’s my least favorite food on this earth), so this will be great to try.
I don’t remember the first thing I learned to cook, but I do remember cooking for my family most nights. I would spend hours pouring through my mother’s cookbooks looking for the perfect thing to make.
Katy @ Katy's Kitchen says
I used to love baked beans and hot dogs and toast as a little kid. Gone are the days where I eat hot dogs, but I still love baked beans. I’ve been wondering about how to make them myself, and I love this recipe. However, I don’t have a crockpot. I pre-bake my beans and freeze them- any tips on how to do this sans-crockpot?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I’ve only tried it in a crockpot, but I think it’d be fine in a saucepan… just cook uncovered so it doesn’t get too liquidy.
Jenni says
I used to always melt a slice of American cheese on a croissant in the microwave. It was probably my favorite snack/meal/whatever you want to call it when I was younger. I hope by now I’ve cleaned the arteries that I surely clogged as a result of the numerous times I made that little concoction alone. Oh man.
Barbara says
When I was a young child, I tried to make nutella cake by mixing nutella and milk. I forgot about it and was surprised when my mother asked me what I was making.
The thing I always used to make was called Cat’s Tongues- dainty little cookies which tastes scrumptious! I learned to make them at a rather young age (I would bake with my mother when I was a tiny child). I also used to get English Muffins, and put ketchup, pineapple pieces and cheese on one piece, then microwave it until the cheese melted- pizza! lol
To this day, though, I can make brownies in my sleep. I love my mother’s recipe, though I’ve been playing around with variations recently.
debbie says
I love this recipe. May be trying this as a side dish for the 4th. I especially like that you can just throw all this together in the crockpot. It doesn’t get any easier…thank you!
stephanie says
Thank you for the recipe! I am so looking forward to trying these this week. Your timing is spot on too. I hate the high sugar content & “stuff” in the canned variety. Last recipe I tried for homemade baked beans ended in mush!!!! I have no clue what I did wrong, either. Yours look wonderful, so I cannot wait to try.
Question: Do you add any additional water to the crockpot after you drain & rinse the beans for the beans to cook?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Nope, they cook in the tomato sauce mixture. Much more flavorful than diluting with extra water :). No need to add anything but the amount called for in the recipe.
Siobhan says
Hi Katy,
I was wondering if you could clarifie what you mean by tomato sauce; would passata work?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Do you mean pasta sauce? If so, I would get one that doesn’t have any flavorings. But pretty much any grocery store should sell tomato sauce. It’ll be near the canned tomatoes.
Rosette says
Passata are pureed tomatoes, usually low in sodium. There are no flavors added. I also wondered if it can be substituted for tomato sauce.
Moni Meals & Fitness says
Yum! What a great recipe and alternative! Great one Katie!
Makayla says
Hey Katie, this isn’t about the recipe, but there is a product that I really think you would like. It is called Melt Organic buttery spread. Have you heard of it or tried it? It is sooooo delicious and healthy at the same time. You can bake with it too. The main ingredient in it is virgin coconut oil! There are 2 flavors available now, and a chocolate flavor is coming out this fall. Just thought I would pass this on… 🙂
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I will look out for it 🙂
Suzanne says
I LOVE baked beans! So comforting and easy to make. I love throwing them in the slow cooker and coming home to dinner 🙂
Sarah @ SimplyScrumptiousBySarah says
Katie I love this!! I love baked beans, and it would be so nice to make them from scratch! I normally open a can and doctor it up, but this looks so much better!!! 🙂
JD says
The first thing I learned to cook was pasta. I was the queen of Kraft macaroni and cheese! And homemade baked beans are the stuff. After having them once, the canned ones taste so bland to me now.
Neena says
This recipe looks fabulous! I have been on the lookout for a good, vegetarian, baked beans recipe – so I am really excited to try it.
I am just discovering your site, and love everything I see here. Nice layout, yummy recipes – I will be visiting often.
The Vegan Cookie Fairy says
Hm… as lovely as this sounds, the main thing I love about baked beans, aside from their fab taste, is that they come out of a can. Haha 😛 I think I’d give this a try, but when I want baked beans, I want ’em right now. And there’s that feeling of instant comfort when you come home after a long day at work and you pop open that can… you just know everything’s alright. But I do try to buy organic baked beans – gotta look after myself!
Carol says
I’ve got the beans cooking in my crock pot right now. They smell so good. Only 6 more hours!
Zack says
Any suggestions on altering this recipe for a dutch oven?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Sorry, I have never tried :-?.
Meliss says
I hate to say it but the first thing I could cook by myself was Kraft dinner, yuck!
Angela says
This recipe for beans is amazingly simple to follow and the end result is delicious! I made enough for two days and found that the flavour and richness of the sauce had intensified so much that they tasted even better, second time around.
Claudia says
Thank you finally someone commented on how it tasted :o)
Karly says
If this recipe is anything like your lentil sloppy joes, I’m probably going to like it much better than the original. I’m not a huge fan of either sloppy joes or baked beans but I loved the lentil recipe. Can’t wait to try this!
My first thing I learned to cook was Kraft mac and cheese out of a box. Not too hard but it sure made a 12 year old feel accomplished. I think my first real food I learned to cook was probably scrambled eggs on the stove but I don’t totally remember. I enjoyed reading your first cooking experiences because of the similarity. I guess certain foods (such as eggs) must make good beginner foods. 🙂
Katherine says
Hi Katie,
Just want to clarify that when you say 1/8 tsp pure stevia extract, can I use the stevia drops, and if so, would it be the same amount? Making this tomorrow! Thanks! 🙂
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I’m sure you can use them. For the correct amount, try this chart: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/stevia-conversion-chart/
Monika says
My boyfriends favorite favorite food ever… but the canned ones are just so awful for you. Thank you for this recipe! I made this today for our 4th of July cookout. It came out amazing! I used pinto beans and braggs amino instead of the soy sauce. It was absolutely delicious. I had to quadruple the recipe because I knew my boyfriend would eat more than half on his own. Also, he totally approves!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Thank you so much for trying them, and also for reporting back that they work well with the Braggs. Someone else had wondered about that :).
Lauren says
Hi Katie, your recipe calls for 1/2 lb of beans; if I’m doing the math correctly that is about half a can (a typical can being 15 oz.)? That doesn’t seem like it would yield a large amount. In my family baked beans are usually made with a lot of different types of beans thrown in (black, kidney, white, etc.) Also, cooking 7 hours on high seems like a lot. Do you stir frequently or just leave them alone?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Dry beans will cook up. In other words, 1/4 cup dry beans makes something like 1 cup cooked. And no need to stir.
Kaycee @ FitFace says
holy smoke shows, I MUST make this. my husband and I depend on the canned Bush’ beans waaaayyyy too much. (but they’re so good right?)
Im pretty sure the first thing I ever cooked myself was a pot of soup.. my mom loved to cook and I was always in the kitchen “helping”, or just watching, so I did a lot while being supervised. but I think soup was my first on my own meal.
Alison Broadley says
This recipe is such great timing for me – thank you!
Tanya @ Playful and hungry says
Yummy!
trajayjay says
Although I’ve made a few adaptations to this recipe, I don’t think I’ll be able to go back to plain beans anymore. This recipe is addictive, and it’s really sweet without adding that much sugar.
trajayjay says
Re: Variations
I thought I might like to share with everybody what you can do differently
If you don’t want to cook it in a crockpot, here’s what I do and it turns out fine
If you prepare 1 cup of dry beans as directed on the package, it should make about 3 cups of cooked beans. I usually just make the sauce and pour it over the beans.
If you want to use fresh tomatoes, what I do is, I put them in my Ninja blender, and I make about 2 cups of tomato puree, which I then reduce (reduce means to boil out the water) to 1 cup. I would suggest starting out with 3 cups of raw tomato smoothie, but if you don’t have that much, 2 cups should do.
If you want your recipe to be lower in sodium, you can use Worcestershire sauce instead of soy sauce, omit the salt and use slightly more of the other spices, and the vinegar.
I’ve been successful using date puree in place of the 4 TBSP of sugar. To make my date puree, I use my Ninja blender, I only put in enough dates to cover the bottom, then I blend them until they form a kind of squishy mess that balls up like dough. Like the larabars without the nuts. This works in a 1 to 1 substitution. I highly recommend keeping in the molasses, though.
Amy says
The first thing I learned to “cook” was a toasted cheese sandwich. (My family called it toasted cheese instead of grilled cheese.) 2 slices of white sandwich bread, toasted. Then microwave for 25 seconds on power level 5 with a slice of fat free Kraft singles in the middle. When I think about it now, ew!!
Can’t wait to try these beans! I have made several of your recipes and they are all delish!
Iris says
Katie, I want to try this recipe tomorrow and don’t have a scale. How many cups is 1/2 lb of dried pinto beans? Thanks!
kreachr says
I’m going to have to try this baked beans recipe! My youngest son is very fussy when it comes to food, but baked beans is one thing he will eat (along with eggs, cheese, bread, apples and rice. He seems happy with anything white or yellow. Especially if it’s covered in tomato sauce!) I’m trying very hard to lead a healthier lifestyle, running, exercising and ‘eating clean’ I believe is the American term, cooking and baking for my family instead of feeding them store-bought packaged foods. I love your website! But it’s dangerous – I keep following all the links! The problem with that? I can’t eat everything all at once!!!
Judy says
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.)
Chocolate Covered Katie says
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.
Edd says
Can anyone recomend a homemade tomato soup that would go nice with this. I don’t do tins or pack soup. Thanks edd
Cyndi M says
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.
john says
I’m going to try this recipe and then I’ll get back to you all
Janessa says
Can the molasses be left out?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I would think you’d have to add a different sweetener such as maple syrup.
Tammy says
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).
Susanna says
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…
Susanna says
Just saw the 15oz bit 🙂
Len says
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.
Amanda says
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!
meg says
can you use canned beans?
Lizzie says
I made these the other day, and they were fabulous! Seriously, the best baked beans I’ve ever had. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Thank you so much for making them 🙂
Kj says
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.
Amanda says
Very good, but I did omit the soy sauce, it just didn’t feel right when comparing this to my mom’s recipe. Next time I’ll probably add less broth and cumin.
Ariel says
Could you make all this on the stove top and just let it simmer instead of in the crock pot? Would all the ingredients be the same?
Len says
See my comment above.
nan says
I can’t wait to try both the bean and lentil sloppy joes. I need to avoid dairy & all sugar/corn products. I can easily adapt these as needed
Mirandamom says
I make my own baked beans all the time. The recipe is a little different each time but it’s pretty close to yours. Except I like to use maple syrup as my sweetener. Then I eat them over toast. Yum!
Jen says
Canned baked beans are my daughter’s favorite, so I decided to search for a vegan, homemade alternative and found yours! I made them today, followed your recipe exactly and they are awesome! The whole family gives two thumbs up! Thank you 🙂
Amber M. says
Hi Katie, I clicked your recipe because your name caught my eye. Same as my sisters, lol. I’m making these baked beans right now as we speak. I did add chopped onion vs dried onion, and I didn’t have any soy sauce or worsteshire so I added a little steak sauce. I’m only 18, but I cook better than many people older than me. Haha. Here lately, I’ve really gotten into making everything from scratch. I actually write every successful recipe down in a notebook that I plan to turn into a personal cookbook when it’s full. Most of the recipes in there are a few i find online and then tweak them to make one recipe. So far so good , I have only gotten compliments. The one thing I can’t make is rolls and biscuits though. They always turn out dry. Well, anyways thanks for the recipe….it may be going in the notebook, lol.
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Hope it turns out well! 🙂
Charity says
Good job learning how to cook from scratch! I love cooking from scratch, too. Biscuits are tough and I’ve been trying for years. Part of the secret to a successful biscuit is to not handle the dough too much. And take them out when the top is barely brown. Let them sit for a couple minutes on the cookie sheet, and they will continue to cook without drying out. Good luck!
anne says
Okey doke. I just put this on the stove. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Claudia says
I always drain the sauce out and add vinegar I have been meaning to try my own and as theres a print button I can. Thanks !
Kristi says
These are some great tasting beans! However, it does NOT work to cook the dried beans with all the ingredients. I have tried it several times, and the beans never get soft! Now I cook the beans first in plain water (don’t use hard water because it also prevents the beans from softening). Then add all the other ingredients and simmer for at least 30 min. I also like adding some liquid smoke for that smoky flavor.
amy says
Made these the other night. I didn’t have salt free tomato sauce but I had some diced tomatoes that were. I used my hand blender on them and the recipe came out great!!! Thanks Katie!
Also, Just got your cookbook in the mail! Happy birthday to me!!! It is AWESOME!!! GREAT JOB!!!! WORTH THE WAIT!!!!
Chelsea says
Made this recipe as a side dish when we were having company (I have a habit of trying out new recipes on guests… adrenaline junkie I guess). Turned out fabulously! The guests and husband loved them and the CCK cornbread. My slow cooker is a bit of a beast, so I cooked them on low for 8 hours and they were perfect.
Megan says
I tried to make these a few days ago and the beans burned to holy heck! I am trying them again tomorrow but this time on LOW for 8-10 hours. Hope they turn out better this time. They smelled so good before we couldn’t wait to eat them!
Karen says
These were so good! Thank you for the recipe!!!! 🙂 🙂
Katherine says
I make these at least once/month. They freeze like a dream, too. Perfect for the (weekly) cookouts and a nice pair to the mounds of smoked meat that are usually on the table. 🙂
Charity says
I made these this past weekend for Mother’s Day, and while they were good, I think they could’ve been better if I had followed the recipe more. I thought the beans had to cook on low, so they took a really long time – 13 hours! I just reread the recipe and see it was 7 hours on high. Oops! Everyone really liked them though. I’m going to make it again for sure.
charity Boisseau says
I just tried the baked beans and sweet potato combo! Wow! So good! I forgot the cheese, but it doesn’t even need it. I used Katie’s baked bean recipe. Really delicious!!!
Rhiannon says
Tried these for a Memorial Day barbecue and loved that they could be prepped in advance and could be kept warm in the crock pot out on the patio. I was skeptical about the stevia, so used brown sugar but reduced it down to 2 Tbsp? I was tasting as they cooked and it seemed like something was missing so I added a teaspoon of liquid smoke and BAM! Better than canned, though next time I will also reduce the amount of cider vinegar because the finished product was a bit tangy for me. Glad I doubled the recipe so I could freeze the leftovers.
Ella says
These were absolutely amazing – thank you for sharing the recipe. I could’ve eaten the whole batch. Perfect base recipe to add extra flavours to as well.
Kathy says
Im breaking a record for the longest cooking beans. Firstly, take my advice and NEVER quick soak. Secondly, I guess if you dont have a crockpot, get one. Its 10 p.m., I set the timer for another two hrs. at which time they will have been cooking for a full twelve hours. The sauce is amazing and becomes more intense and flavorful with every hour. The beans are kind of grainy, past the rock hard stage, so theres still hope. And maybe the smoky flavor is because they have cooked so long, because I didnt add smoke flavoring. I substituted Braggs Amino for the soy sauce and maple syrup for the brown sugar or stevia. Im baking them instead of cooking them on the stovetop. So far Ive added about five cups of water. I plan to crumble bacon in there after they soften. All my ingredients are organic, including the bacon.
Next time Ill soak overnight, although i think an all day slow bake should still be planned. Making these several days ahead for a barbecue would be awesome. I’ll let you all know how these turn out……the family has tasted the gritty beans and sauce to “check” them for doneness and we cant wait:D
Kathy says
Aww, sweet success! They are soooooo awesomely delicious. The sauce is rich and delicious. Worth the long wait. Next time I will soak overnight and probably oven bake slow for several hours. Yum. Ty Katie♥️
Cyndi says
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.
danielle says
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!!
Kate says
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!)
Rob Nicholson says
Is sugar necessary? What’s if it’s not sweetened?
Maria says
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!
David says
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!
Hannah says
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.
Kathy Foster-Martin says
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.
Amanda says
Is there a way to make this not in a crock pot?
A H says
You can always experiment. Let us know the result, if you do.
Shannon Roberts says
A crock pot on high is about 250. Put it in the oven at 250.
Mark Barnett says
@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!
Muriel Duhamel says
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.
Acehigh Jenkins says
I’ve been looking for a good baked bean recipe I’ve looked at other healthy beans recipes but the long ingredients list overfaced me and put me right off but I’ve always found your recipes easy, delish, straightforward and with realistic ingredients. Also I love the substitutions you provide so everyone can enjoy your stuff! The first thing I learned to cook I invented myself. I microwaved a chicken breast (it was the 80’s, microwaves were ‘the very thing!’) stuffed with butter, chopped onion and herbs. Then warmed cream with Dijon mustard on the stove for a sauce. Not bad for an 11 year old! N.b I over microwaved the chicken and it was as tough as old boots but still!
Devika says
I can’t wait to try it out!!! One tiny question please. How long do we need to cook it for and at what temperature?
Shannon Roberts says
Just made this. Yum. Made this with pinto beans. Used salt free beef broth because I had it in the fridge. Also added a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Very tasty. Will double next time and freeze.
Dee says
Is the nutrition calculated using brown sugar or stevia?
Amber says
Is that right?
A TBSP of cumin?
Homeschool Mom says
I was a little hesitant when I saw that the beans were cooked in with the tomato sauce and the salt since I recently learned that either of those in high enough amounts will prevent beans from softening. (Side note, the book “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat” by Samin Nosrat was super interesting.) However, I’m a long-time fan of Katie’s Blog and almost all the recipes we’ve tried of hers are rockstars. I soaked my beans for 13 hours, then followed the directions and had them in the crock pot on high for 7 hours. They’ve been bubbling for hours smelling up our home with delicious smells. Sadly, they are still quite firm. Enough so, that they won’t be able to be eaten today. I transferred them to the stovetop to cook the remainder of the evening. My crock-pot does not have a vented lid, so it retained more moisture than perhaps intended, and I have a very soupy situation. If we like the taste of these when we do finally get them cooked, I think I’ll try preparing the sauce separately (simmering on the stovetop, or in a small crock pot by itself for a few hours) while cooking the beans using just water and then combine them to serve.