Thick, smoky, sweet, and savory, this Old Fashioned Baked Beans recipe is one you’ll come back to again and again! Serve these oven baked beans at your next BBQ, picnic, potluck or family dinner and watch your guests lick their plates clean and ask for more! The best baked beans made from scratch!
Baked beans are an American staple. The combination of sweet, savory and smoky flavors makes them irresistibly delicious. Making your own homemade baked beans from scratch is easier to make than you may think, you just need to set aside enough cooking time. They need time to cook low and slow to allow the beans to soak up all those amazing flavors.
The perfect make-ahead dish, these baked beans are even better the next day after the flavors have had more time to develop!
Can I Cook “Baked” Beans in the Slow Cooker?
Yes. While the traditional method cooking “baked” beans is to bake them in the oven, which is the method we present here, you can also make them in a crock pot. The sauce may be thinner at the end of the cooking time in which case remove the lid towards the end of the cooking to allow some of the liquid to evaporate.
SLOW COOKER METHOD: Follow steps 1 and 2 in the recipe and then pour everything into the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours or until the beans are tender. Open the lid for the last 30 minutes or longer until the sauce has thickened. If the beans are too thick at any point and too much liquid has evaporated, stir in a little extra water.
Help, My Beans Are Still Hard After Hours of Cooking!
You’re not alone, this is a not an uncommon problem. From Fine Cooking: “Some beans refuse to soften. You can soak them overnight and then simmer them all day long, and they’re still hard as pebbles. The main causes of this are age and improper storage.”
As dried beans age the pores in the beans that allow water to enter close up which will prevent the beans from softening no matter how long they are cooked.
Be sure to follow the instructions to soak the beans overnight and then boil them for an hour. For especially hard beans one classic trick you can try is to add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to the beans while you’re boiling them (1/4 teaspoon for every pound of beans). Be careful though: If too much is added or if it’s added to beans that aren’t too hard, you could end up with mushy beans.
BEST Baked Beans Recipe
Let’s get started!
Soak the beans overnight in a pot of water. Make sure the beans are covered by at least a couple of inches of water. Drain the beans and put them in a pot of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour. Drain and reserved the bean liquid.
In a large pot or Dutch oven fry the bacon until crispy then add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Stir in the tomato sauce, molasses, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and bay leaf.
Add 1 1/2 cups of the reserved bean water and the beans.
Bring everything to a simmer for a minute or two to heat it up.
In the meantime preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Transfer the Dutch oven with the lid on to the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 2 to 3 hours or until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened, removing the lid during the last 20-30 minutes to help the sauce thicken.
NOTE: If at any point during the cooking process too much liquid evaporates and the beans get dry, add a little more of the reserved bean water. The beans themselves can vary from batch to batch and you may end up either needing to add more liquid if the beans are too dry or you may need to bake the beans longer with the lid off if there is too much liquid. Adjust as needed.
Add more salt the pepper to taste.
Serve immediately or let cool completely and refrigerate until ready to serve. Can be reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Enjoy!
For other classic sides to complement your BBQ or cook-off be sure to try our:
- Creamy Coleslaw
- Freezer Slaw
- Macaroni Salad
- Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Salad
- Crunchy Broccoli Salad
- BEST Chicken Salad
- Classic Potato Salad
Old Fashioned Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried navy beans
- 8 ounces thick cut bacon , diced
- 1 medium yellow onion , finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/2 cup plain tomato sauce or ketchup
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Place the dried beans in a pot of water covered by a few inches of water and let soak overnight. Drain the beans, place them back in the pot with fresh water and bring to a boil. Simmer for one hour, then drain, reserving the liquid. See NOTE.
- In a Dutch oven or other oven-proof pot fry the bacon until crispy then add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.Stir in the tomato sauce, molasses, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and bay leaf.Add 1 1/2 cups of the reserved bean water and the beans.Bring everything to a simmer for a minute or two to heat it up. In the meantime preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Transfer the Dutch oven with the lid on to the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 2 to 3 hours or until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened, removing the lid during the last 20-30 minutes to help the sauce thicken. NOTE: If at any point during the cooking process too much liquid evaporates and the beans get dry, add a little more of the reserved bean water. The beans themselves can vary from batch to batch and you may end up either needing to add more liquid if the beans are too dry or you may need to bake the beans longer with the lid off if there is too much liquid. Adjust as needed.Add more salt the pepper to taste.Serve immediately or let cool completely and refrigerate until ready to serve. Can be reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- SLOW COOKER METHOD: Follow steps 1 and 2 and then pour everything into the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours or until the beans are tender. Open the lid for the last 30 minutes or longer until the sauce has thickened. If the beans are too thick at any point and too much liquid has evaporated, stir in a little extra water.
Erika says
These have become a staple for our Easter dinner with ham and scalloped potatoes! I am just wondering if these can be portioned and frozen once cooled? We are expecting baby #2 in December, and I would love to have these pre-made for easy reheating!
Kimberly Killebrew says
Fantastic, Erika, thank you! And yes, these can absolutely be frozen. Congratulations on Baby #2!! :)
Jan says
I haven’t tried this recipe yet but it sure looks like it would be delicious. So here’s a Question I have. I’m taking The somewhere where there are some vegetarian people. Has anyone tried these without the bacon? I could add liquid smoke flavoring to give a little bit of that taste. What do you think about doing it like that?
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Jan, yes, adding some liquid smoke is a great idea and substitute for the bacon. Happy cooking!
Elfwynn says
I just finished prepping and put everything in the oven. Even though they still have to bake a while, I can already tell they will be great! One point I’d add, is for anyone wanting to reduce sugar, it’s just a simple matter of cutting down to your own taste. Often, I only use molasses, no additional sugar. With this recipe, I used about what was indicated, however, next time I will reduce it some.
Also, I added a blend of normal yellow mustard and whole-corn mustard, since I like the Irish types of mustard. Added about double what the recipe called for, for a little more kick. (No cayenne because of young children. Don’t want it to be too spicy for them.) And I used more smoked paprika as well as smoked salt instead of regular salt.
For people having trouble with hard beans, seriously, if you follow the tips, this shouldn’t happen. I’ve been cooking dried beans for twenty years. Never had a problem. Presoak over night is the key. Then cook the beans until tender. For some beans, an hour is enough, for others, you need to cook longer. So, test them after about 45 mins to an hour and then adjust the cook time accordingly. I used a mix of white and pinto beans, as that’s all I had here. But the results are great!
Miles Thompson says
Really good recipe, and I’ve been baking beans for years.
My question, how to get “syrupiness” in the sauce I don’t want bean soup, nor a thick sludgy sauce. Iif you toell me to just pay attention to it, that’s OK.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you, Miles, I’m happy you enjoyed them! The addition of the reserved bean water (as opposed to regular water) along with the molasses and brown sugar help give these a good consistency. They definitely shouldn’t be soupy but if you find they’re a little thicker than you like you can some additional water at the end.
Sandra says
I’m making these now
Twisted the recipe somewhat but it smells heavenly
3 hrs to go in the oven…..
Cindy Vanderzalm says
These beans were amazing! Even my “non-bean eating” son loved them. I’ve been asked to make way more next time. I followed the recipe exactly, using tomato sauce instead of ketchup. Next time I will try the ketchup to compare which version is liked best. The next day, I just added a bit more water to re-sauce them. Thank you for the wonderful, now my go to, recipe.
Kimberly Killebrew says
I’m so glad they were a hit, Cindy, thank you so much!
Laurette Robinson says
Can I use cane syrup instead of molasses?
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Laurette, cane syrup is not only sweeter but it also lacks the flavor component of molasses. Cane syrup will only impart sweetness without any flavor. I strongly recommend using molasses.
Elfwynn says
Molasses is also rich in minerals. A healthier option than cane syrup. Maple syrup would probably be alright, if you don’t like molasses or don’t have any on hand.
Miles Thompson says
Probably the best bean recipe I’ve used – minor changes:
1) I salt the soaking liquid, maybe a tbsp. or so, water is just slightly salty.
2) I’ve used ketchup for the sauce – probably makes them sweeter and a little more complex
3) Used Dijon mustard, just because I don’t like the yellow stuff. Yet its vinegary-ness may cut the sweetness. Mustard powder would likely serve, especially Keen’s
4) I rinsed out the molasses carton with some of the bean liquid, that made the current batch a little too sweet.
That’s a LOT of bacon – just about every forkful has a piece of bacon.
Overall a really good, well-balanced recipe. Has some ingredients that would not occur to Fanny Farmer or Marion Cunningham, but I’d take this recipe and serve it with pride ANYWHERE.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thanks so much for the compliment, Miles, and I appreciate the feedback!
mary says
Could these be canned for future use?
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Mary, if you’re pressure canning them, yes. Offhand I’m not sure about the pressure and length of time though.
Bob Weaver says
I have canned dry beans and chili in my pressure canner. I processed at 11 lb pressure for 75 minutes for pints and 90 for quarts. I would probably skip the baking at your step 3 and can the beans instead. The beans will absorb the liquid during canning and should be nicely soft but not mushy. Best to leave 1” head space and have extra liquid. I can’t see how this wouldn’t work for baked beans. If they are a bit dry when opening the jar, add a bit of water. Happy eating.
Tina says
Looks good, I’m going to make this in the crock pot… You left out adding the mustard in the cooking instructions.
Marta says
Hi Tina, did you make any adjustments to the recipe to make in the slow cooker? I wanted to make in the slow cooker tomorrow but have never made beans before
Meredith says
These came out perfect. I followed the recipe exactly. Best beans I’ve ever made.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Fantastic, Meredith, thank you so much!
Jason says
Making these today — I’m sure they’ll be great based on the recipe. Quick question— can these be made in advance (cooked and then refrigerated and reheated for a gathering) OR does that not impact the flavour or texture too much?
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Jason, these can absolutely be made in advance and then reheated. If anything, they taste even better the next day :)
Melissa Burdick says
The instructions say to add 1 1/2 cups reserved bean cooking liquid. If I’m tripling the recipe, that liquid should also triple, correct?
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Melissa, yes that’s correct. Happy cooking!
Julie Palin says
Easily the best baked beans I have ever made or tried.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you so much, Julie! :)
Christine cooke says
Made these today in the crock pot. Beat beans I ever made! I added a sprinkle of cayenne to the doubled recipe. I used both molasses and pure maple syrup combined…..delicious!
Kimberly Killebrew says
So awesome, Christine, I’m thrilled you enjoyed them, thanks so much!
Anonymous says
I think I will do that also, in the crock pot and using molasses and organic maple syrup. (I might add a tsp of chili powder?). So glad you shared your comment. Sounds delish!
Michelle tatro says
First time making beans …recipe is perfect …soaking the beans overnight is an absolute must …. I kind of winged it for first batch of beans ..those were great not the sweet kind then tried this recipe beans turned out awesome ….
Kimberly Killebrew says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Michelle, thank you!