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Skip store-bought cans, because you can’t beat the sweet, savory, and smoky taste of homemade baked beans from scratch. The old-fashioned beans cook slowly in the oven with bacon and molasses, developing a rich, thick sauce. They’re the perfect side dish for your next cookout or potluck, and a simple lunch or dinner entrée when paired with a skillet of cornbread!
Table of Contents
If you love recipes with beans, be sure to try these franks and beans, a pot of Southern lima beans with ham, these Appalachian beans and greens, a pan of cowboy baked beans, and this one-pan Southern cheesy bean casserole, too!
Boston Baked Beans
Baked beans originated with the Native Americans, who sweetened indigenous legumes with maple syrup. In 17th century New England, some English colonists adapted the Native Americans’ method to use brown sugar instead of maple syrup; however, that changed by the 18th century when American-made molasses quickly won out as the sweetener of choice. This locally produced ingredient was a great way for the colonists to avoid the high British taxes on sugar!
Boston is nicknamed “Beantown,” thanks to its close ties to the origins of the homemade baked beans (or “Boston Baked Beans”) that we know and love today. Traditional Boston baked beans include a sauce made with molasses and salt pork.
This recipe uses bacon instead of salt pork for that smoky flavor, and sweetens the sauce with a combination of molasses and ketchup, as well as savory ingredients like onion and ground mustard. These old fashioned baked beans are a nod to the origins of the dish, with a deep, rich, and modern complex flavor.
Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the simple ingredients that you’ll need to make your own batch of homemade baked beans. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Dry beans: In New England, home cooks and restaurants still use a variety of indigenous legumes like Jacob’s cattle, soldier beans, yellow-eyed beans, and navy beans to prepare this recipe. Since navy beans and Great Northern beans are more accessible in the southeast where I live, these are typically the varieties that I reach for. You can also substitute with pink beans or pinto beans.
- Bacon: for that smoky flavor. Instead of bacon, add flavor to the baked beans with a smoked ham bone or ham hock, salt pork, smoked sausage, smoked turkey wings, or smoked pork neck bones.
- Onion: adds a savory touch. Include diced green bell pepper or garlic for more vegetables and more flavor.
- Chicken broth: a flavorful liquid to thin and balance the sweetness of the sauce.
- Ketchup and molasses: two different sweeteners for depth of flavor!
- Apple cider vinegar: gives the sauce a bit of tang and cuts through the richness of the dish.
- Dry mustard: for more savory, zesty flavor.
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper: enhance the other flavors in the recipe.
- Parsley, chives, or sliced green onions: an optional garnish that adds a bright, fresh touch to the finished dish.
How to Make Baked Beans from Scratch
These homemade baked beans require very little actual hands-on prep time. The rest of the process just demands patience as the beans soak, simmer, and bake! I’ve included detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview with my notes:
- Soak beans in water overnight. Soaking the beans softens them, which reduces the total time required for cooking.
- Simmer beans in a fresh pot of water for about 1 ½ hours. Drain and rinse.
- Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven on the stove top until crisp. Remove to a plate, leaving 2 tablespoons of drippings in the pot.
- Cook the chopped onion in the bacon grease until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the beans, bacon, ketchup, molasses, vinegar, dry mustard, kosher salt, and black pepper. Add enough chicken broth to cover the beans (I use just less than 2 cups).
- Cover the pot and bake the beans at 325°F until tender, about 2 hours.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, chives, or sliced green onion. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
If you’re offering these old fashioned baked beans as a main course, pair them with cast iron cornbread, buttermilk biscuits, or Boston brown bread and a crisp green side salad, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, or coleslaw. Hoe cakes, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin muffins are tasty options, too!
Baked beans are also a classic side dish to serve at a picnic, cookout, bbq, or potluck. Pair them with fried chicken, grilled hamburgers, grilled barbecue chicken breast, grilled pork chops, and Crock Pot pulled pork, or use them to top chili dogs.
Storage
- How to Store: Store leftover baked beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also freeze them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- How to Keep Warm in a Slow Cooker: Set the slow cooker to its “warm” setting. Add the homemade baked beans, cover with the lid, and periodically stir the beans to ensure even heat distribution. This is a great option if you’re at a potluck or party and want them to stay warm for a couple of hours.
- How to Reheat: If frozen, thaw the baked beans in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat gently over low heat on the stovetop or loosely covered in a microwave-safe container the microwave until warmed through.
Tips for Success
- Don’t add too much salt. The bacon and the broth provide a good amount of salt to this baked beans recipe, so start slowly, and gradually add more seasoning to taste.
- The total cooking time may vary, so keep an eye on your beans and pull them out of the oven when they’re tender. I find that 2 hours is perfect, but you can pull them out sooner if you like your beans a bit firmer. For really soft, broken-down beans, you might like to leave them in the oven beyond the 2-hour mark.
- The beans and sauce will continue to thicken as they cool, so don’t worry if it looks a little bit soupy when it first comes out of the oven.
- For added heat, season the beans with Cajun seasoning or Creole seasoning, some hot sauce, or a dash of cayenne.
- A splash of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce adds salty, umami flavor.
More Popular Bean Recipes to Try
Old-Fashioned Southern Ham and Beans
10 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Ranch Style Beans
8 hours hrs 40 minutes mins
Appalachian Soup Beans {Pinto Bean Soup}
14 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Homemade Baked Beans from Scratch
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dried navy beans or great Northern beans, rinsed and sorted
- ½ lb. bacon, chopped
- 1 medium onion, diced
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¾ cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley, chives, or sliced green onions
Instructions
- Place beans in a large bowl or pot. Cover with water by 2 inches. Cover and let stand overnight. Drain and rinse the beans. Place the beans in a large pot and cover with fresh water (about 1 quart). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat so that the liquid is at a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and simmer the beans until tender, about 1 ½ hours. Drain and rinse.
- Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, about 7-8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate; reserve 2 tablespoons of drippings in the pot (discard any excess).
- Add the onion to the drippings in the pot and season with a pinch of salt. Cook over medium-high heat until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the beans, bacon, ketchup, molasses, vinegar, dry mustard, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper.
- Add enough of the broth to cover the beans (if necessary, add water as well to cover the beans).
- Cover and bake until the beans are tender, about 2 hours, stirring the pot halfway through. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, chives or sliced green onions.
Notes
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- Don’t add too much salt. The bacon and the broth provide a good amount of salt to this baked beans recipe, so start slowly, and gradually add more seasoning to taste.
-
- The total cooking time may vary, so keep an eye on your beans and pull them out of the oven when they’re tender. I find that 2 hours is perfect, but you can pull them out sooner if you like your beans a bit firmer. For really soft, broken-down beans, you might like to leave them in the oven beyond the 2-hour mark.
-
- The beans and sauce will continue to thicken as they cool, so don’t worry if it looks a little bit soupy when it first comes out of the oven.
-
- For added heat, season the beans with Cajun seasoning or Creole seasoning, some hot sauce, or a dash of cayenne.
-
- A splash of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce adds salty, umami flavor.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in May, 2021. It was updated in May, 2024.
Easy to follow and adjust as needed. Thank you
Great! Thanks, Linda!
It seems like this would be great in the crock pot– plus keep the kitchen cooler! Have you tried these beans in the crock pot?
I haven’t, but I think it would probably work fine! You’ll just have to keep an eye on them and cook until tender, because I can’t provide a specific cooking time for the slow cooker. Let us know if you give it a shot!
Can these be made ahead of time? I am making beans for a side dish for 80 people (wedding) in my yard next month. Anything I can do ahead of time is welcomed.
Yes! I would make them 2-3 days in advance and then keep them covered in the fridge until you need to reheat them gently on the stovetop. You can freeze leftover beans, but I feel like the quality isn’t quite as good when thawed, and I know that you’d want them to be the best when serving them at the wedding. Have a wonderful celebration!
Hello!! I cooked my beans as directed at the 2 hour mark in the oven my beans were still crunchy so I have cooked an additional 3 hours and they are still crunchy. Any advice?! The flavor is great just the beans aren’t right! I soaked for almost a day then boiled for 1.5 hours
Hi, Heather! That’s really odd that they are still crunchy after soaking, boiling for 1 1/2 hours, and then baking for 5 hours. Sounds like maybe the beans are old?
Here’s some more info from a Food52 article: https://food52.com/blog/19158-it-s-time-to-replace-the-bag-of-beans-in-your-pantry-here-s-why#:~:text=Old%20beans%20will%20take%20longer,beans…not%20you.
Old beans will take longer to cook, and the oldest beans will stay tough and chewy no matter how long (within reason), they simmer. If you find yourself cooking soaked beans for more than two hours, and they just will not soften, it may be your beans…not you.
That’s my guess, since I haven’t had that particular issue with getting the beans to soften. 🙁
My mother told me a secret I did not know about beans. They do not get softer in the oven. You have to cook them to the desired consistency when you boil them in water. The time in the oven is mostly for the sauce to soak in for flavor. I had no idea. So my next batch of beans will be perfect lol. Mine was a little harder than I like.
How many servings does 32 ounces of northern beans serve? If I cook them for a hour and then ad the rest of the ingredients, how long can I have them in the crockpot on low and do you have a recipe for me?
Hi, DeLaine! Serving sizes are so subjective, so it’s hard to say. As a side dish, I suggest that 1 lb. is about 16 servings (so 32 servings if using 32 ounces). If the beans are more of an entree or main focus, I’d say 32 ounces is about 6-8 servings. I don’t have a recipe for slow cooker great northern beans, but you can use this pinto bean recipe as a general guide: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/crock-pot-beans-and-cornbread/