Homemade Baked Beans
These Homemade Baked Beans from scratch are so good that you will refuse to eat baked beans from a can for the rest of your life!
Savory, sweet and spicy Homemade Baked Beans are a bit of a time commitment, but entirely worth the wait! Flavored with brown sugar, molasses and bacon these beans are slow cooked to give them plenty of time to soak in all the amazing flavor that you expect from this classic BBQ staple!
THROW AWAY YOUR CAN OPENER
Sure, there may be some nostalgia for that canned BBQ baked bean flavor from your childhood, but nothing beats this Homemade Baked Bean recipe! They say good things come to those who wait, and these beans are guaranteed to be the best thing on your plate this summer!
If you need something a little quicker try my Aunt Patti’s BBQ Baked Beans or these zesty Black Beans!
OTHER RECIPES TO SERVE WITH HOMEMADE BAKED BEANS
- Barbecue Pork Loin Sliders – These sliders are delicious on their own, but scoop some baked beans on there and wow!
- Grilled Ribs – Anything off the grill goes great with beans, especially barbecued ribs!
- Crock Pot Honey BBQ Pulled Chicken – These recipes take at least 6 hours to cook so they are perfect to prep at the same time and enjoy dinner together!
Ingredients
Beans: You’ll need a pound of dried Great Northern Beans.
Meat: These beans wouldn’t be the same with a pound a thick cut bacon!
Veggies: Have one large onion and jalapeno (or two) on hand.
Base: The base of this recipe consists of veggie broth, tomato paste, dark brown sugar, and molasses.
Seasoning: Finally, add in some cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper to taste.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BAKED BEANS
STEP ONE: Start this recipe the night before by soaking the beans in water inside of a plastic container stored in the fridge. The next day, preheat the oven to 250 degrees and place a large, oven-safe pot on the stove over medium heat.
STEP TWO: Add the chopped, uncooked bacon, onion, and jalapeno to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft.
STEP THREE: Stir in the tomato paste, brown sugar, and molasses. Now drain the soaked beans, but keep the liquid in a large measuring cup.
STEP FOUR: Add enough vegetable broth to the drained liquid to amount to 4 cups and add it to the pot along with the beans. Once all the components are added, raise the heat on the stove to high and bring the contents of the pot to a boil. Finally, stir in the cayenne seasoning, salt, and pepper and cover the pot with an oven-safe lid. Place the pot directly into the oven for 6-8 hours until the beans are soft.
Tips for Success
- If you can’t find Great Northern Beans, Cannellini beans are a great substitute.
- When measuring the molasses, spray the cup with cooking spray to keep the molasses from sticking when you’re adding it in.
HOW LONG DO HOMEMADE BAKED BEANS LAST?
Homemade Baked Beans can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can reheat them in the microwave or on the stovetop. Make sure to allow the beans to cool to room temperature prior to refrigerating them, but don’t let them sit out at room temperature for longer than an hour or two.
CAN YOU FREEZE BAKED BEANS?
Freezing these Homemade Baked Beans is a great option considering how long they take to make! To freeze these baked beans, allow them to come down to room temperature and place them in an airtight container. I like to store my beans in smaller portions in freezer bags. To reheat, you can defrost them in the fridge and heat them in the microwave or on the stovetop.
OTHER SUMMER BARBECUE RECIPES
- Honey Mustard Chicken Kabobs
- Grilled BBQ Chicken Legs
- Honey Barbecue Sauce
- Grilled BBQ Pork Roast
- Surf and Turf Kabobs
- BBQ Dry Rub
*This post was originally posted on 08/06/2013.
Homemade Baked Beans
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried Great Northern Beans
- 1 pound thick cut bacon chopped
- 1 large yellow onion peeled & chopped
- 1 jalapeno seeded & chopped
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ¼ cup molasses
- 3 cups vegetable broth plus more as needed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Place the dried beans in a food storage container. Cover with water, snap the lid in place, and soak overnight in the fridge.
- The next day preheat your oven to 250 degrees F. Place a large oven-safe pot over medium heat.
- Add the chopped bacon, onion, and jalapenos to the pot. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft.
- Stir in the brown sugar, tomato paste, and molasses. (Spray the measuring cup with cooking spray before pouring the molasses to help get it out easily.)
- Drain the beans, keeping the liquid reserved in a measuring cup. Add the beans to the pot.
- Add enough vegetable broth to bean liquid to total 4 cups and then pour the broth mixture into the pot. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil.
- Add the salt, pepper, and cayenne to the pot. Stir and then cover with the lid.
- Place in the oven for 6-8 hours until the beans are soft. Stir and serve warm.
BACON FAT! Why bother baking beans.
This is a keeper! I have made this for years.
Substitutions that work for us: turkey kielbasa instead of bacon (just in case, we are out) and brown sugar instead of molasses (which I don’t have on hand, most of the time.)
Because I am afraid that this site will go away (like others), I have saved it to my gmail. It is that good!
I have made tons of baked beans in my life but this recipe beats all. Absolutely delicious…thank you for sharing it!
Can you bake these in a bean pot in the oven as per directions? They sound yummy!
Honestly I have not tried it that way but it should work out just fine. I would challenge you to try it and let us know how it worked out for you! 🙂
This was a huge hit! I will absolutely make it again! It definitely serves more than 6.
Yessss!!! So glad you liked it.
Just made these Baked Beans! First time I’ve done this & they tasted amazing! Gave some to my daughter & son-in-law! he loved the beans so much, he said had to give him the recipe!! Thanks so much.
Alie
I love hearing when you can share recipes! Thank you Aleta.
Hi, I’m making these right now and I have a couple of questions .. it says keep the bean water, what am I to do with the bean water? Is the oven to be set as f or c? Thank u so much 😉
You would just want to discard the bean water. The temperature setting explained in the recipe is (F)
How long will the dish last in the freezer when it’s frozen? About the ingredients, can i use 1/4 cup of honey instead of 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar for this recipe?
Depending on how you package it(air tight container), they can last up to 8 months in the freezer. As for the honey, yes you can certainly substitute the brown sugar for honey, let me know how you like it!
My sis recommended your recipe and I’m so glad she did – delicious! I’ve made them many times now.
I’ve started adding some garlic, and making them in my instant pot (pressure cooker) which makes them so quick! (45min on high pressure, and only 3c liquid for anyone wanting to try it)
Oooo! I love my Instant Pot. So glad you like them!
How do the great northern beans turn brown?
Molasses! (Among the other sauce ingredients.)
My sister highly recommended this recipe… Trying it today! 🙂
I am going to try this. I have always bought name brand Pork N Bean in the can and made my baked beans from this. I was so disgusted with what I found in all three 31oz cans of beans that I will never use them again. Hope this is a winner.
I received a small cast iron Dutch oven for Christmas. I’ve tried to make baked beans in the past but always bombed. I gave this recipe a try and it is a keeper. Low and slow in the cast iron oven for six hours. I had to top up the water a few times but this was soooooooo easy. My wife even had seconds. Wonderful! Thank you for sharing.
Is there another name for “Great Northern Beans”? I’m from Ont, Canada
Nope. Cannellini beans would be close, but not the same.
Navy Beans work well too.
Aubrey, I haven´t made them yet, but I am already a big fan. I have been dying for some baked beans since I came to Brazil 2 years ago. I was actually wondering if the point of cooking it for so song is just so the beans can be softened. If that is the case, it takes us about 40 minutes to cook our beans here with the help of a pressure cooker (without soaking them!). So, if y’all can find one over there, that could help make it faster, and still use only real ingredients. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your recipes!
Found this recipe a year ago & have made these a half dozen times. My family loves them- even the picky eaters who claim to hate beans if any kind! Almost as good as the taste is the way my home smells as it slowly cooks all day long.
Five stars all the way 🙂