Homemade Baked Beans With Bacon

These homemade baked beans with bacon are made with pantry staples, they’re so simple to make and incredibly delicious! There’s a rich tomato base, along with molasses, brown sugar and rosemary. Enjoy on their own or as a hearty side with dinner. Oven-baked beans never tasted so good!

Hey everyone! How’s it going? Are you all ready for Valentine’s Day? Our fur baby’s birthday is that day (he’ll be 8!) so, of course, he is top priority.

But, I’m sure hubby and I will do something special to celebrate, like make a nice meal or something. Cards all lined up and ready to go. 

I usually get hubby a mushy one and a funny one. I gotta say, the funny one was so funny, I chuckled out loud in the store!

Do you do anything special with your sweetie or your gal pals?  There’s nothing sexier than baked beans with bacon (ha), so let’s get to it!

This recipe is definitely perfect to make all throughout the year. Baked beans are great in the winter after coming in from outside; they warm ya up and fill your belly.

And in the summer, who doesn’t love baked beans sitting around a campfire? Lately, hubby and I have enjoyed them with steak for supper. Have a glass of wine with it and that’s fine dining I tell ya!

Baked beans has it goin’ on. Well, you know, as far as beans go!

Why We Love Beans

Beans are something that we regularly eat at home. Why?

• Just looking at the bean package, you’ll notice that beans are loaded with fibre, protein, vitamins and are low fat (which means they are good for you and fill you up).
• They’re versatile! For instance, you can make old-fashioned homemade baked beans (like this recipe) or use them in bean soup, quinoa salad, bean dip and quesadillas.
• Beans are pretty budget friendly (especially dried beans)! You can buy a huge bag for a couple bucks and can get a whole bunch of meals from one bag.

Best Bean To Use

For this recipe you want to use dried navy beans (not canned beans).

How To Make Baked Beans With Bacon

There’s nothing complicated with making this recipe (which I’m a huge fan of). All of the ingredients are simple pantry staples. Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:

Step 1: Prepare Beans

Pick over the beans (that is, remove any foreign objects, like rocks, and any imperfect beans).

Then, rinse beans with fresh, cold water

Place the dried beans into a large bowl, cover with fresh, cold water (by about two inches) and let them soak overnight in the refrigerator.

Then, the next day, remove them from the water and drain. Rinse again with fresh, cold water. Place beans into a pot with water and cook for a little until tender. Drain.

Step 2: Cook Bacon

Bake the bacon until it’s cooked through and crispy. Crumble once it’s cool enough to handle.

Step 3: Add Bean Base to Pot

Combine tomatoes, tomato paste, molasses, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce in a large oven-safe pot. Stir to combine, then stir in beans.

Step 4: Add Aromatics and Seasonings

Next, add bay leaves, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary, crumbled cooked bacon and black pepper. Stir to combine all those goodies!

Step 5: Top up Pot With Water

You want enough liquid in the pot because the beans need that to cook. Plus, water will be absorbed through cooking. Stir water in.

Step 6: Cook

Bake, checking on every so often by stirring and adding more water as necessary.

Tip: When beans are tender and cooked to your liking, add a little more water if you like things looser. Remove bay leaves and season with salt to taste. Enjoy!

Leftovers and Storing

Properly store leftover baked beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat before serving.

Alternatively, you can freeze the baked beans. They freeze really well so you can make a batch and then freeze for later. That way, you’ll have some ready to go when you’re craving some delicious homemade beans. And they’re perfect to go along with weekend brunch, don’t ya think? Here are some ways you can freeze these baked beans:

• Vacuum sealer bags: After the baked beans have cooled, portion as desired into vacuum sealer bags (follow the instructions for your vacuum sealer to seal). Once sealed, place the bags onto a sheet pan and spread them out flat. Place the sheet pan into the freezer for a few hours or until the beans have frozen. Once frozen, you can remove the sheet pan and stack the frozen packages of beans neatly in the freezer and freeze for up to 3 months.
• Sealable freezer bags: After the baked beans have cooled, portion as desired into your favourite resealable freezer bags, leaving some headspace at the top of the bag for the liquid to expand as it freezes. Once the beans are in the sealed bags, place the bags onto a sheet pan and spread them out flat. Place the sheet pan into the freezer for a few hours or until the beans have frozen. Once frozen, you can remove the sheet pan and stack the frozen packages of beans neatly in the freezer and freeze for up to 3 months.
• Freezer-safe containers: After the beans have cooled, portion as desired into your favourite freezer-safe containers, leaving some headspace at the top of the container for the liquid to expand as it freezes. Cover with the container lid and freeze for up to 3 months.

Tip: Don’t forget to label the bag or container with the recipe name and date it was made so you’ll know for later.

When ready to enjoy, thaw the beans overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat before serving.

Reheating

To reheat, place the baked beans in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. As you are reheating, if the beans are too thick, add a splash of water or chicken broth to thin out the beans to your desired consistency.

Tips and Variations

• You’ll want to check on the beans every 2 hours or so to check and see if more water is required and they aren’t sticking to the pot. I will usually add about ½ cup to 1 cup of water at a time, if necessary, to loosen the mixture up.
• If you want a slightly creamier consistency in the tomato-based sauce, after the beans are cooked you can remove about 1 cup of beans, place in a bowl and mash with a potato masher. Then, add back to the pot. Stir to combine.
• Want to omit the bacon? Everything will still taste delicious! For instance, I’ve also used cubed, cooked ham or even shredded, cooked pork instead of bacon in this recipe. You can add either ham or pork during the last hour of the bean cooking time.

What To Serve With Beans

• Cheesy skillet cornbread
• Side salad
• Burger or steak
• Eggs, bacon, ham, and other breakfast-type items

More Yummy Bean Recipes

• Newfoundland Boiled Beans
• Smoky Baked Black Beans
• Bean and Bacon Soup

Hope you enjoy these baked beans with bacon as much as we do. I’m pretty sure you’ll be going back to the pot for seconds!

If you make these old-fashioned baked beans, be sure to leave a comment below!

This oven-baked beans recipe was originally published in July 2015 but has been updated.