Introducing the most delicious vegan baked beans in the world! The secret to quick and easy baked beans? Canned beans, of course! Sure to be a hit at any barbecue.
You will never want to eat canned baked beans again once you try this mouthwatering, delicious and easy recipe for vegan baked beans! Baked beans are a classic summer barbecue dish, but I like to enjoy them year round.
All you need is a few cans of beans, and a handful of pantry staples you probably already have on hand. Prep time is only about 10 minutes, then they cook in the oven for an hour. These beans are the perfect blend of sweet, savory and smoky! Another bonus – my kids love ’em!
How do you make vegan baked beans?
It’s easy! First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Saute a chopped onion in a tablespoon or two of olive oil for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Now add the sauce ingredients (molasses, brown sugar, ketchup, salt, apple cider vinegar, vegan Worcestershire sauce, Sriracha hot sauce) and stir.
Next add the beans and stir, then transfer to a large baking dish. I used a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Cover and bake in the oven for 1 hour.
The sauce will thicken up a bit in the oven, and they will come out looking something like this:
That’s it! Keep them warm until ready to serve.
What to serve with baked beans:
- The Best Vegan Cornbread
- Vegan Mac and Cheese
- 3 Minute Instant Pot Kale
- Vegan Potato Salad
- Vegan Macaroni Salad
- Roasted Potato Wedges
- Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Can I make baked beans without sugar?
You can, but of course they won’t be as sweet! To make them without refined sugar, simply omit the brown sugar or replace it with pure maple syrup. Instead of ketchup, use canned tomato sauce.
Can I used dried beans instead of canned?
You can, but the recipe will obviously take much longer to make. To use dried beans, you will need to soak them and cook them first. Soak 1 lb of dried navy beans overnight. Rinse well, then add the a large pot with water and cook for about 1 hour until done. Then continue with the recipe.
Can I freeze baked beans?
Yes, baked beans can be frozen. Freeze in individual containers, or 1 large container. Make sure to let the beans come to room temperature before freezing, and freeze the same day you cook them. To re-warm, let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then warm on the stovetop or in the microwave.
The Best Vegan Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup blackstrap molasses
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha hot sauce
- (4) 15-ounce cans small navy beans, drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and stir for about 5 minutes, until soft. Then add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- To the pot, add the molasses, brown sugar, ketchup, salt, apple cider vinegar, vegan Worcestershire sauce and Sriracha hot sauce. Stir well, then add the drained and rinsed beans.
- Transfer to a large casserole dish (I used a 9 x 13 inch dish) and cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour. The sauce should thicken a bit.
- Keep warm until ready to serve.
Notes
- If you like your baked beans less sweet, omit or reduce the brown sugar, and use canned tomato sauce in place of the ketchup.
- Baked beans will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, and can also be frozen.
- Instant Pot- You can use an Instant Pot for this recipe, and it was originally posted as an Instant Pot recipe. However, some people have trouble with the last part, adding the sauce the the Instant Pot and getting a burn message. Here is how to make them in the Instant Pot: Add 1 lb of dried navy beans and 6 cups of water to Instant Pot. Put the lid on, close the steam valve and set to the bean setting for 25 minutes. Do a natural release, then drain the beans. Whisk the sauce ingredients in a bowl (not the onions/garlic). Using the saute setting, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil. Turn off the saute, add the sauce and beans. Stir, then cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. Do a natural release.
Nutrition
*Recipe was originally posted in February 2018 as an Instant Pot recipe. I have since changed it slightly for the oven/stovetop because some readers were getting a burn message on the Instant Pot when they tried to cook the beans in the sauce. I never got this message, but I decided to adapt it for the oven using canned beans instead of dry. I did leave the instructions for Instant Pot. Thank you!
Can this recipe be made with bagged beans and soaked overnight instead of canned beans?
As long as you cook the beans fully first, it’s fine to use from scratch beans.
Can I use dried pinto beans instead?
Well, you’d have to first cook the beans. This recipe uses canned beans that are already cooked, so you can’t just sub in dried beans.
thank you, I understand they would have to be cooked first, sorry for the confusion, I don’t buy canned beans any more, as I have an Instant Pot, that does this job very well and usually have pinto beans on hand, and wondered if they would be a good sub, sorry for the confusion
Oh no problem, yes of course. You can use pinto beans, even though white beans are more usual in baked beans. I think pinto beans would taste good though, especially when cooked from dried. I hope you enjoy them.
I read the reviews, and I made it in my Lodge Dutch Oven to save using an extra dish. I was using regular molasses so I reduced the molasses to 1/2 cup and the brown sugar to 1/4 cup. It was not sweet. Husband was completely impressed by them! I thought they had good flavor, but they were dry. Perhaps because I did uncover the last 10 minutes as one commenter recommended. I feel like I want to sub tomato sauce for the catsup. I’ll also up the sriracha for a bit more kick and maybe the vinegar to add more bite there too. A few grains of nutmeg would make a world of difference. I made a full 10 servings, but I am putting 2 servings in individual seal-a-meal bags and freezing. Then when I want baked beans, I only have to heat up a pan of water and toss the beans in to thaw/warm. They won’t dry out. I do this with rice also.
Could these be made in a cast iron dutch oven? It would eliminate the extra cooking pot!
Yes, they can!
Can it be made with vegan canned beans and without molasses?
I do usually use canned beans, and I’ve never tried it without the molasses. You probably could, but it will be missing a lot of flavor.
These are so delicious! I was craving baked beans but didn’t want to start the oven in the heat of summer so I used the Instant Pot and put it outside on the porch so I didn’t warm the house. I used mixed pinto, kidney, and black dried beans. I will make these again!
Hi Val. Thanks for your awesome ideas and review! I’m glad you loved the recipe!
Just finished these in the insta pot. Delicious! Possibly the best homemade baked beans ever. Thanks!
I guess I used regular molasses as well. My beans were definitely hard and dry. When I removed them from the oven I actually added a bit of hot water to make them “saucy.” The flavor was awesome, and I’ll try them again, perhaps reducing the baking time?
I love your recipes. Consistently great, but this baked bean recipe was a fail for me. I’m guessing it was the blackstrap molasses.
Thank you for this simple, loved by all recipe. I used slowcooker, onions on bottom for first hour then gently mixed.
Hi! Just wanted to clarify your IP method before I make this. You used dried, uncooked beans, correct?
Thanks!
For the Instant Pot version, yes, you can use dried beans and cook them first per the instructions in my Notes. OR if you’d rather use canned beans, just skip the first step, drain the beans, make the sauce and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. Hope that helps!
These were delicious. The sriracha sauce made all the difference! The only change I will make next time is after they cook covered for an hour, remove the foil, stir and bake 10 minutes longer. I also added more molasses at that time as the sauce was thin but maybe that wasn’t necessary, just the extra time cooked uncovered. Thank you I will make these again.
Thanks for your review and feedback, Jayne!
I’d never used or tasted blackstrap molasses before, so I didn’t know what I was getting into. For me, the beans were just too bitter. I may look to sub half of the blackstrap with just regular molasses next time, and then cut back on the sugar, since the regular molasses would add sweetness.
So good! Every once in a while I get a hankering for baked beans. These are my new go-to!
Thanks for your great feedback and review! I’m thrilled these are your new go-to baked beans recipe! Happy cooking!
I have made this several times. The beans are delicious. I have one problem, I am hoping you can help me with.It does not matter what type of beans I use. I have even lessened the cooking time. The beans seem to get firmer as they cook.I feel they get hard. Is there something I am doing to cause this? Thanks!
I’m thrilled you like this recipe, Kim! The beans should not become firmer as they cook – how strange! Are you using enough sauce (enough to almost submerge all of the beans)? It’s essential for breaking down the beans and ensuring they become soft. Almost doubling the sauce ingredients might help them soften.
Hi Nora! Did you use regular molasses, or blackstrap for this recipe? The link for the molasses leads to blackstrap, but I wanted to double check since the two types have different flavor profiles. Perhaps if some commenters used regular sweet molasses it might explain why they felt the sugar should be reduced? Looking forward to trying these beans for a cookout.
Thank you for everything you do! Your recipes are on constant rotation in our home, especially the lentil soup, cashew mayo, tuna salad, and egg salad lately. We love these quick, flavorful recipes when we’re busy.
I will clarify that, thanks for pointing it out. I use blackstrap molasses. I hope you enjoy the beans for your cookout. Thank you so much for the feedback, it means so much to me!
I made these before and i found 3/4 cup blackstrap molasses provided a very strong flavour. I added water and naple syrup to dilute tge molasses. Did you really mean 3/4 cup? That seems excessive. Itsxa cery strong flavour. Thanks in advance for replying.
I do mean 3/4 cup and it’s what I use, but you can use less if you want.
Delicious!!!
Thank you for sharing! Glad you loved them!
Hi, I decided to use my slow cooker to make these. So glad I did. I ended up using 5 cans of beans..varied types…I had a combo of butter beans, northern and navy. I didn’t have Sirachi sauce, so I just added another hot sauce. They look and taste amazing. By the way, i opted not to use the oil and I didn’t cook ahead the onions..just tossed into the slow cooker.
YUM!
thank you
You are welcome! Your beans sound amazing! Thank you for your feedback and sharing your ideas and cooking experience!
I forgot to mention, I slow cooked them for 5 hours on a low setting.
Thanks once again. I had a serving for my lunch today. I didnt’ think they were too sweet and added the amount of brown sugar and molasses you have listed. I did double the amount of hot sauce and it give the beans a sweet taste with a kick
Could these be canned? Make it all up with the beans soaked then add the sauce? Has anyone told you they turned out?
Hi Kathy. A few other commenters have also asked if these can be canned but, unfortunately, I have zero experience with canning! So I wouldn’t know how to guide you. It definitely sounds like a great idea, though!
The recipe calls for way too much sugar. Half of he suggested amount would have been adequate for me. I had to add about 3/4 cup water to reduce the sweetness and it was still too sweet. This recipe would be good with less sugar.
Made these for part of my Thanksgiving meal this year and will now be making them again for the office holiday party coming up in a few weeks. So easy to make and so tasty!
Hi Mike. I love an easy and delicious recipe! I’m glad you loved the beans! Thanks for you great feedback and review. Enjoy the upcoming party, and happy cooking!
absolutely amazing, I’ve made this recipe many times and its always so perfect! really hits the spot.
Absolutely delicious!! So easy to make they were the first thing I made when I was given the ok to get off the crutches and walk with the boot alone 🙂 Hallelujah to no more delivery!!
Nora you have done it again! I have never really liked baked beans but decided they sounded good last week. I had dried beans so started from scratch on this one. I only made a half batch assuming I would not be able to eat it all but I am starting a second batch of beans soaking already. This recipe is SO GOOD! I used less sugar and more sriracha (to my taste) but kept everything else as is. You hit the nail on the head with this one… like always lol.
Thanks!
I’m so happy this recipe made you fall in love with baked beans! Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback and review!
Soooooo good!! A massive hit at our barbecue potluck.
Very sweet, but delicious! I used 1 lb dry beans cooked in advance and it was a good sauce-to-beans ratio. I will probably halve the sweet ingredients next time to have more of a savory flavor, but I loved this recipe. I’m sure it will be a hit for my carnivorous family. Thank you for the delicious recipes, Nora. Your website has become a go-to!
I’m so happy you are enjoying my recipes, and that my site is your go to! Thanks for your wonderful feedback! I hope you all enjoy the baked beans!
Great recipe. Thank you for Insta pot recipe. Plan on using it.
You are welcome! Thank you for sharing your feedback! I’m glad you love the baked beans! I think you’ll like the Insta pot version!
Hello! This question may have been asked but can you make this in a crockpot/slower cooker?
Thanks!
Hi Justin. Yes, these can be cooked in a slow cooker! I have never made these in a slow cooker, however, others have indicated they turned out great cooked that way! Hope this helps!
i added cinnamon for my secret ingredient