Homemade Vegan Baked Beans
These savory Vegan Baked Beans are the perfect blend of sweet and smoky flavors. They make for a delicious side dish and are great for taking to outdoor barbecues.
This vegan baked beans recipe is so good because it delivers rich, smoky-sweet flavors using plant-based ingredients, making it a hearty and satisfying dish without any meat. Plus, it’s easy to prepare and perfect for barbecues, potlucks, or as a flavorful side dish! Only 1 gram of fat and a whopping 22 grams of protein per serving!
We have several protein-packed bean recipes on this website that are absolutely delicious including our vegan black bean burgers and this chickpea avocado salad for sandwiches and wraps.
Reasons you will love these beans
- Packed with Flavor – These vegan baked beans offer a delicious mix of smoky, sweet, and tangy flavors, perfect for any meal.
- Plant-Based Protein – Made with protein-rich beans, this recipe is a satisfying, healthy alternative to traditional baked beans.
- Easy to Make – With simple ingredients and minimal prep, these vegan baked beans are perfect for quick weeknight dinners or gatherings.
Ingredients you will need
- Beans- Great Northern beans are ideal for making vegan baked beans because they have a mild flavor that absorbs seasonings well and a tender, creamy texture that holds up nicely during cooking. Their size and consistency make them perfect for creating a hearty, flavorful dish without becoming mushy.
- Onions- Add depth and sweetness, enhancing the overall flavor of the dish. When cooked, onions become soft and caramelized, adding a savory, slightly sweet base that complements the smoky and tangy elements of the baked beans.
- Relish- Bring a tangy, sweet flavor that brightens the dish and enhances its overall taste. The combination of pickles and spices in relish provides a delightful contrast to the richness of the beans, making the baked beans more flavorful and enjoyable.
- Sweetener- Use brown sugar or maple syrup to add the sweetness needed for this recipe.
- Tomato paste- Provide a rich, concentrated tomato flavor that deepens the sauce’s overall taste. It adds thickness and helps bind the ingredients together, creating a hearty and flavorful base that balances the sweetness of the beans and other ingredients.
- Molasses- Adds a rich, complex sweetness and depth of flavor that enhances the overall taste of the dish. It not only contributes a unique caramel-like flavor but also provides valuable nutrients like iron, calcium, and magnesium, making the dish healthier.
- Liquid smoke- Imparts a deep, smoky flavor that mimics the taste of traditional barbecue dishes without using any meat. Just a few drops can elevate the beans, giving them that authentic smoky essence that enhances the overall flavor profile and richness of the dish.
How to make vegan baked beans
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
STEP #1: This is one of the easiest recipes you’ll ever make and requires only about 10 minutes to prep before cooking. Begin by preheating the oven to 375°F. While it’s heating up, go ahead and dice up your onion.
I am often asked which knives I use personally, and I have to say that it is Victorinox. They are the same company that makes Swiss Army Knives and the quality is excellent.
STEP #2: If you are using canned beans, pour them into a colander and run water over them to rinse.
Rinsing canned beans before using them in recipes helps remove excess sodium, preservatives, and the starchy liquid they are packed in, which can affect the texture and flavor of your dish.
STEP #3: Place the beans, diced onion, relish, and sweetener in a 9″x13″ casserole dish. This recipe can also be made in a crockpot if desired. Set the casserole dish to the side while you make the sauce.
STEP #4: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients–molasses, ketchup, water, tomato paste, liquid smoke, and apple cider vinegar.
If you would like to make your own ketchup for this recipe, check out my 10-Minute Vegan Ketchup recipe.
STEP #5: Pour the sauce over the bean mixture that is in the casserole dish and stir until thoroughly mixed.
Bake in the oven at 375°F for approximately one hour.
STEP #6: Remove from oven and allow to cool before serving.
Pair with my cheesy vegan mashed potatoes and a side salad to make a complete hearty meal!
Crockpot method
A great thing about this recipe is that it can even be made in a slow cooker. Simply set the temperature to low and let them cook while you work or play for about 4-5 hours.
Can I use dry beans instead of canned ones?
Yes, you can! It will just take longer. Use one pound of dried navy beans and cook according to the package instructions.
To speed up the process tremendously, cook the beans in an Instant Pot. Cook on MANUAL HIGH for 25 minutes and do a slow release.
*Originally published April 2015.
What to serve with vegan baked beans
Vegan baked beans pair perfectly with grilled vegetables, country vegan cornbread, or a fresh salad for a balanced meal. They also make a great side dish for healthy egg-free black bean burgers, roasted potatoes, or barbecue-style dishes like my best vegan barbecue recipe! These are a few more of my favorite dishes to pair with them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditionally, baked beans are not vegan because they usually include lots of bacon. However, this recipe is completely vegan.
Yes. Simply substitute maple syrup for the brown sugar.
Yes! Using canned beans is a time-saver and works perfectly for vegan baked beans. Just be sure to rinse and drain the beans before using them in the recipe.
You can achieve a smoky flavor by adding ingredients like smoked paprika, liquid smoke, or even smoked chili powder to your vegan baked beans.
They can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months for easy meal prep!
If you’re a fan of white beans like the ones used in this recipe, check out this list of 16 Amazing White Bean Recipes.
For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!
If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
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Homemade Vegan Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 3 15 oz cans Great Northern beans or 4.5-5 cups cooked
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1/3 cup relish
- 1/4 cup brown sugar or maple syrup
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons black strap molasses
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Begin by preheating the oven to 375°F. While it’s heating up, go ahead and dice up your onion.
- If you are using canned beans, go ahead and pour them into a colander and run water over them to rinse off.
- Place the beans, diced onion, relish, and sweetener in a 9″x13″ casserole dish. These can also be made in a crockpot if desired. Set to the side while you make the sauce.
- A great thing about this recipe is that it can even be made in a slow cooker. Simply set the temperature to low and let them cook while you work or play for about 4-5 hours.
- In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients–molasses, ketchup, water, tomato paste, liquid smoke, and apple cider vinegar.
- Pour wet mixture over beans mixture that is in the casserole dish and stir until thoroughly mixed.
- Bake in the oven at 375°F for one hour. For the slow cook method, place in crockpot and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
3-28-25
Hi Terri,
If using Only Date Powder, How much Date Powder should I use?
This recipe looks easy I think I can
even make this.
Thank you Terri for your intended response to my question. Looking forward to making this recipe. And Thank you Terri for the Recipe!
Debra
I’ve never actually used date powder before but imagine it would be 1/3 cup or a little less. Maybe start out with less and see how it tastes before baking.
These baked beans were just lovely. One piece of advice: Don’t make these before dinner. I did so and ended up eating the whole thing. 🙂 I cut the recipe to one-third since I only had one can of great northern beans. It was pretty funny trying to figure out 1/9 cup relish and 1/12 cup brown sugar but I chose to just eyeball everything in a glass measuring cup and it worked out fine. I did make some substitutions replacing the molasses with date syrup and the liquid smoke with Lightlife’s tempeh smoky bacon broken into bits and microwaved for 30 secs. I think next time I’ll cover the casserole dish with its glass lid because the sauce splattered up to the top of the uncovered dish. However, it really hit the spot. Thanks so much!
Hi Carolyn- I am so glad that you liked the baked beans. I love hearing about the substitutions and that they came out great. Thanks so much for letting me know.
can i use dry beans and just soak them overnight before hand?
how long to cook them for?
The beans should be cooked before adding them to this recipe. You can use canned beans or cooked dry ones in an Instant Pot first.
I made the crockpot version of the recipe. It was easy to assemble the ingredients. I used a bit less water, since there wouldn’t be the same evaporation as baking in the oven. Aside from that, I used a combination of half maple syrup and half brown sugar. The rest of the recipe I followed, aside from using just a sprinkle of Himalayan salt rather than the type and amount in the recipe, The result was very tasty. I will try the oven method next time though, as I’d prefer a drier and thicker sauce. I’m thinking the beans will be even tastier reheated tomorrow!
I can’t find black strap molasses at my local grocery stores. What would be an appropriate substitute? Regular molasses?
Sandra- Sure, regular molasses should work just fine in this recipe.
Can I use maple syrup and coconut nectar and date syrup instead of sugar and molasses thankyou kindly
Hi Rhonda- I think those substitutions would work just fine in this recipe. Hope you enjoy it.
When you oven bake these, are they covered or uncovered? Also, if I double the recipe in a large casserole dish for big family or church gatherings, how long should I oven bake & at what temperature? Thanks so much. Can’t wait to try these.
Steve, I bake them uncovered in the oven and 375 degrees for one hour should be good, even for a double recipe batch. I hope your family and church enjoy them!
Is there too much sugar in this recipe?
It does include blackstrap molasses and brown sugar, but they can easily be reduced.
Is the puckle relish SWEET or DILL, Terri?
I use the sweet relish in the recipe.
How much black pepper did you add in? I don’t see it in the ingredients, but do see it in the first photo. Thanks 🙂
What great eyes you have! The amount of black pepper would really be to your preference and taste, but I think good starting point would be about 1/2 tsp.
Thank you! Oh boy, the sauce tastes deeeeeeeelicious! Will assemble with the beans in the morning. What a great recipe! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Thanks again 🙂
The sauce really is tasty! So glad you like it and hope the whole recipe knocks your socks off! 🙂
This recipe is a KEEPER!!!! Made it in two 2 1/2 quart casseroles. Served one for a vegetarian brunch…they LOVED it! Served the other for a non-vegetarian family…they LOVED it!!! I love how the sauce thickens up and is not runny at all once it is finished cooking. 1 hour was perfect. I made the sauce the day before. Ended up using 3 cans white kidney beans, 1 can white northern beans and it tasted perfectly fine (they taste similar anyways, just liked the smallness of the northern beans so will do those next time). Thank you for the recipe, it’s my new family picnic contribution 🙂 Happy New Year!!!
That’s terrific to hear! Thank you so much for letting us know that it’s a new family favorite!
I made these last night. So yummy! Even without the relish, which I had to omit since I didn’t have any on hand (though i added a touch of pickle juice). I also used bulk white beans I had previously batch-cooked from dry and frozen in one-and-one-half cup quantities (bringing the already low cost of these even lower 🙂 ). I’ll definitely be making these again (will keep these in mind for potlucks especially) — so tasty….!