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Homemade Baked Beans

homemade baked beans in a white bowl with a gold spoon beside it.
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These delicious homemade baked beans are sweet, savory, smoky and the perfect side dish for all of your summer BBQs! Includes instructions for both dried and canned beans, with vegetarian and gluten-free options.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb. dry navy beans (see notes for canned beans instructions)
  • Water
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2-3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (you can also use a ham hock, if you have one)
  • 2/3 cup ketchup
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf

Instructions

  1. Soak beans overnight: Place beans in a large bowl and cover with 2-3 inches of water. Allow beans to sit on the counter at room temperature. The next morning, drain beans. (See notes for quick soak method.)
  2. Place soaked and drained beans in a large pot or Dutch oven. Cover with about 2 inches of fresh water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.
  3. Heat oven to 375°F.
  4. Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid. Add beans back to the Dutch oven with remaining ingredients and about 1 cup of reserved cooking liquid. Stir to combine. Cover and bake 1 hour.
  5. Remove cover and bake an additional 30-40 minutes, or until beans are tender. You may need to add more cooking liquid if beans appear dry.
  6. Remove bay leaf (and ham hock, if using) before serving.

Notes

  • For vegetarian version, omit bacon and make sure your Worcestershire sauce is vegetarian.

  • For gluten-free, make sure Worcestershire sauce is gluten-free.

  • If you don't have a Dutch oven, you can pour the beans into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish and cover with foil for baking.

  • If you forget to reserve the cooking liquid, no worries! Just use water or broth.

  • If you prefer your baked beans with bell pepper, add 1 diced green bell pepper with the onion.

To make the recipe with canned beans:

  1. Skip the soaking and boiling steps. Add 4 (15 oz) cans of navy beans, drained and rinsed, to a Dutch oven or casserole dish with remaining ingredients (omit salt) and add 3/4 cup water or broth. Stir to combine.
  2. Bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes, or until beans are tender and sauce is thick. Add additional water as needed. Remove bay leaf (and ham hock, if using) before serving.

For Quick Soak (if you forget to soak your beans overnight):

  1. Add beans to a large pot of water and bring to a rolling boil. Boil 1 minute.
  2. Turn off heat, cover pot, and let the beans sit for 1 hour.
  3. Drain the beans and continue with the recipe.

Keywords: homemade baked beans, baked beans from scratch

Find it online: https://livelytable.com/homemade-baked-beans/