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If you’ve only had canned baked beans in the past, then you’ve GOT to try these homemade baked beans. They’re seriously delicious and make really incredible leftovers. I used canned beans to keep this recipe super easy, but then combine them with bacon (bacon makes everything better!) and a super simple homemade BBQ sauce to take the beans to the next level. Then they’re slowly baked to rich, sweet, smoky perfection. You’re going to LOVE them!
“I followed the recipe except for using dried beans. They turned out exceptionally good. This is now my go to baked bean recipe. Thank you Beth.”
Michael
Homemade Baked Beans from Scratch
These easy baked beans are a rich and flavorful mix of tender beans baked low and slow in a tangy, sweet, and savory sauce. Many recipes also include some sort of salt pork for richness (I use bacon in mine), and sometimes finely diced onion and bell pepper. My baked beans recipe is incredibly simple, but I do use a homemade BBQ sauce to make sure the flavor is top-notch!
Recipe Success Tips & Suggestions
- Navy beans or Great Northern beans are the best beans to use for baked beans (in my opinion). The small shape, creamy texture, and neutral flavor of both navy and Great Northern beans make them the perfect complement to the rich and tangy sauce. Great Northern beans hold their shape better, whereas navy beans can break down a bit if stirred too much.
- I used a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet for this recipe, but any heavy-duty ceramic or cast-iron baking dish or Dutch oven will do well. Thinner materials like metal or glass may cause the sauce to overcook, thicken too much, or burn around the edges. You’ll want a dish that can hold about two quarts in volume.
- In a rush? Try our stovetop baked beans recipe instead and save this one for when you have a bit more time!
Baked Beans
Cost $9.01 recipe / $0.90 serving
Ingredients
- 8 oz. bacon ($3.06)
- 3 15oz. cans Great Northern Beans ($3.00*)
- 15 oz. tomato sauce ((1 can) $1.06)
- ¼ cup tomato paste ($0.31)
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar ($0.17)
- ¼ cup brown sugar ($0.16)
- ¼ cup molasses ($0.77)
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard ($0.05)
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce ($0.03)
- 2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.20)
- 1 tsp garlic powder ($0.10)
- ½ tsp onion powder ($0.05)
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper ($0.03)
- ¼ tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.02)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces and cook in a skillet over medium heat until brown and crispy. Drain off all but 1-2 Tbsp of the bacon fat.
- Drain the canned beans well, then add them to the skillet and stir to combine with the bacon.
- Add the remaining ingredients: tomato sauce, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, molasses, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne and black pepper.** Stir until everything is very well combined.
- Bake the beans for 60-75 minutes, stirring once at 30 minutes and again at 60 minutes. If the sauce is thick at 60 minutes, it's done. If it's still a bit runny, bake 10-15 minutes longer.
- Serve hot with your other favorite comfort foods!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Baked Beans Step-by-Step Photos
Brown the bacon: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cut 8 oz. bacon into 1-inch pieces. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until it is brown and crispy. Drain off all but 1-2 Tbsp of the bacon grease. If you’ll be baking your beans in a different vessel, go ahead and transfer the cooked bacon and remaining fat to your baking dish.
Combine the ingredients: Drain 3 15oz. cans of Great Northern or navy beans well. Add them to the skillet and stir to combine with the bacon.
Add the ingredients for the BBQ sauce to the skillet: 15 oz. tomato sauce, ¼ cup tomato paste, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup molasses, 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, and ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper.
Bake: Stir the ingredients until everything is evenly combined. Transfer the beans to the preheated 350ºF oven.
Bake the beans for 60-75 minutes (uncovered), stirring once after 30 minutes of baking, and again at 60 minutes. If the sauce is nice and thick at 60 minutes, they’re done. If it’s still a bit liquidy, bake until the sauce is thick. Serve and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
These easy baked beans are so good that they may become the focal point of your plate, even when served as a side! I like serving them with pulled pork or hamburgers for an easy backyard dinner, or spooning them next to scrambled eggs and breakfast potatoes for a super filling brunch. I also think they’re right at home next to mac and cheese just about any day of the week!
But one of my favorite ways to serve them is as a cozy bowl meal. I pile them over mashed potatoes, top with cheese and sliced green onion, for a bowl of instant comfort food.
Storage & Reheating
Keep your leftover baked beans in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Let them cool first before storing in an airtight container. You can reheat them in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove, but you might need to add a splash of water or broth if the sauce thickens too much during reheating.
I followed the recipe and ingredients as written, but it was very thick. Almost no sauce. Probably won’t make again.
can I put this in a smoker instead of baking?
That sounds amazing but we’re not very well-versed in smoking so I’m not 100%!
Easy to make, and the sauce is outstanding!
I followed the recipe except for using dried beans. They turned out exceptionally good.
This is now my go to baked bean recipe.
Thank you Beth.
I’ve been looking for ages for a good recipe using canned PLAIN beans. This one is excellent. I only wanted to use 2 cans of beans because it’s just 2 people in our house. I kept the sauce measurements the same and mixed it up in a separate bowl. I kept about 1/3 of the sauce to put on the top after stirring at the 30 min mark. Mine were done in another 15 minutes. I did saute’ onion and green pepper to add.
Turned out great. No bacon, so I browned and pressure cooked a pork steak, then added it with the bone to the beans and cooked it on the Weber to give it some smoke flavor.
I was worried that it wouldn’t be enough liquid, but it was the perfect amount.
I made these and followed the directions exactly, but my beans came out super thick and the sauce had an almost paste-like consistency (I stopped baking them at 60 minutes but probably could have done with no baking team). The flavor is good, but the consistency is way off. Any suggestions for how to fix this?
Hi Rochelle, unsure what to say as I wasn’t there and can’t see what you did to get that kind of result.Unsure how they came out pasty, as our recipe has been tested. XOXO -Monti
HI, this recipe looks yummy and delicious. Your descriptions are self-explanatory as well. Thanks for this amazing recipe.
I purchased all the ingredients for this recipe and will be making it tomorrow. It sure looks like there’s additional liquid added in one of the pictures. It looks like broth or liquid from the canned beans. Just want to be sure before I cook it.
I’ve had great success with all your recipes.👍
Drain the beans. There are no additional liquids besides those listed in the recipe card. XOXO -Monti
Just a simple gorgeous pot of baked beans. Next I wanna try Beth’s bbq sauce as this recipe basically made it along with the beans, and it’s very tasty. I added a sprig of rosemary to the bacon, I like it with beans.
As I always look at and read the photo instructions for your recipes, I noticed your little error, ‘if the sauce looks nice and thick after 60 SECONDS(LOL!!!), Obviously you meant MINUTES!EXCELLENT RECIPE AS ALWAYS
HI BETH, can the recipe be made in a slow cooker or do you already have one on your website?
Yes, you can make this recipe in a slow cooker. However, we haven’t tested it and don’t have definitive directions for you. But if I were you, I’d double the cook time and taste taste taste. XOXO -Monti
Great suggestions Monti! 🙏Thanks. I’m trying the recipe again this weekend. K
This looks amazing. My dad used to make spicy-sweet baked beans that were ADDICTIVE, and this looks really similar (although he usually cheated a bit by starting with good canned baked beans). This is even more budget-friendly. I’m already looking forward to them!
Even in these times of ever rising prices, it’s possible to get canned beans on sale in the $.50-$.60 price range. Whenever I see them at good prices, I add a few cans to my pantry, but they never stay long on my shelves. A couple of weeks ago, I picked up 8 cans of beans for $.47 each–the limit for that price. My grocery cart had kidney beans, pintos, garbanzos, and navy beans. Canned tomatoes often go on sale simultaneously.
If I use dried beans from the bulk section would that change the cook time?
Yes. You would need to hydrate etc. XOXO -Monti