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
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.
Katy says
These baked beans were very tasty! I followed the recipe as written. The sauce is excellent and thickened during the hour in the crock pot with the heat turned off. Thank you, Katie!