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.
Have you tried these in a crock pot?! Will it still turn out as good?! Sounds delicious.
I haven’t but I would think it would work great, just be sure that you’re cooking them on low.
These were absolutely delicious. The best completely homemade baked beans we’ve ever had. My husband even made sure I had the recipe and planned to keep it. High praise, for sure. Thanks!
Thanks Tesa! I’m so glad they were a hit!
I’m trying this today to go with some chicken drumsticks!
That sounds like a great meal!
You can buy the beans in a jar too if your in a hurry to make they come out wonderful
Thanks Donna. I do have recipes that call for canned baked beans as well but love the idea of making my own from time to time.
Yeah, some of the measurements are missing. Looks like a great recipe.
Thanks Steve, I’ve got that updated. 🙂
Is that a 1/2 cup of b sugar and 1/4 cup of molasses? I don’t see the measuring type. Thanks, pumped to make this.
I really want to make these. When I was a kid I remember my Mom making homemade baked beans and homemade bread in the fall and the winter….Yum
Made these yesterday and today (my beans took a “long” time to soften up enough for us). Outstanding taste, added vegetable broth on two separate occasions to loosen the beans up. I would make these again in a heartbeat. Picky hubby loved them, just enough heat. Thanks so much for sharing this.
PS: I soaked the beans for two days, not just one.
Could I do this in the crock pot for 8 – 10 hours on low? I am dying to try these beans!
I think you should be able to with no problem but I haven’t tried it. If you do, come back and let us know how it turned out. 🙂
Use less liquid. It will work
Mine are in the oven right now ! I can’t wait to try them out tomorrow ! I’ve never liked beans but when they introduced me to baked beans I got obsessed and wanted them all the time and I’ve been on this I wanna make everything by scratch kick and thought this was PERFECT!!
Absolutely taking these beans to the next cookout we are invited to. I can already smell them.
Yummy
You’ll LOVE them Teri! I like to make a big batch and freeze them in smaller servings for later.
Are the beans spicy hot with the jalapeños my family does not like spicy hot?
They actually didn’t have any heat. My kids ate them with no trouble at all.
Well I must say first of all I DONT COOK..!
Ok that said recently I purchased an old Dutch oven (bcuz it was old), not knowing what to make I thought baked Beans. So far I’ve made this receipt 3 times it was so easy & so good. Well I’ve started making my changes. My next batch will include linguiça with 1/2 the bacon to add more meat to it. BBQ instead of tomato paste. Im interested how this will come out.
S.Manna
Just a touch of “twang”
Oh … My bad … I missed the 250 on your post 🙂
I’m glad you found it and hope you make them soon.
This sounds wonderful … What would be a temp to set the oven at ?
Aubrey,
Any advise to make these for a crowd of around 200? I’m looking for an excellent recipe to feed a crowd (reception). How many times would you double this?
Thank you!
Good question Alice. I’m not too sure. I doubled it and had a TON of beans. You could maybe make a double or triple batch and see how much you end up with and freeze until you’re ready to serve. Try to plan on 1/2 per person.
my grandmothe rALWAYS made baked beans, and they were my fave at BBQs. I have never tried, but this recipe makes me want to make them ASAP
I would definitely make them! They are so simple they just take time. 🙂
Craving baked beans so bad now, these look great!
Thanks Pamela!
I love Baked Beans!!! Your recipe sounds delicious!
Thanks Melissa!!!
This is an incredible dish. I’ve made it twice now, with minor variations, and it has been fantastic.
I have tried the recipe several times. All were good. The last two times I tried slight changes, with one more spice to add zing and the other more molasses to make it richer tasting. All good!