Summertime is right around the corner. Â And that means BBQs!
Hey now, don't be sad or feel left out. Â Just because we're vegan doesn't mean we can't enjoy BBQs too. Â Oh heck no.
As a matter of fact, with THIS recipe for Vegan Baked Beans, you may well be the STAR of the party.
Yep, they're that good, even without the bacon.
But don't just take my word for it, whip up a batch and take it to your next outdoor gathering.  Chances are the bowl will be so licked clean, you won't even have to wash it……  (but I would anyway 🙂 )
Best Dang BBQ Vegan Baked Beans
Fair warning, this is not one of those 'quick' bean recipes.
Nope. Â This is one that will take all. Â day. Â long. Â
But believe me, the wait is worth it. Â Melt in your mouth BBQ beans are SO worth waiting for. Â And the SMELL as they are slow cooking? Â Daaaaang.
Overnight Soak & Quick Soak
Start with 3 cups of dried, white beans. Â I used Great Northern. Â Give them a nice long bath in a few inches of water for the night and forget about them.
Next morning, drain and rinse. Â Be sure and pick out any weird-looking beans or twigs or whatever. Â Now let's put them back in the pot with a few more inches of clean water and bring them to a boil.
Once they start bubbling, turn off the heat and let them sit and rest for about 30 minutes.
Yep, I did both the 'overnight soak' method AND the 'quick soak' method. Â Both.
Trust me, they will be very tender when we're all through.
First Boil
After 30 minutes, drain the beans again, but save about 2 cups of the bean juice. Â Give them a good rinsing and plop them back into the pot. Â Add that bean juice back in with them along with the onion, garlic, peppers, salt, and veggie broth and bring the pot to another boil.
Now once they start bubbling, turn the heat down low and let them simmer for 1 hour.
The thing is, the acidity of the tomatoes can make your beans tough. Â So by cooking them without any of the sauce ingredients first, we really give them a chance to become nice and tender.
The Crock Pot
Now, after the hour is up, carefully transfer the contents of the pot to a crock pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Â Add the lid and turn the switch to LOW.
And now we wait.
After about 4 hours if it looks like there's still a ton of liquid, take off the lid and let them keep simmering. Â The longer you can wait the thicker they'll become.
Torture? Â Maybe. Â But worth it? Â Oh yeah.
These beans are literally the bomb.  I gave my wife a taste last night after they had been simmering all day and her only words she could mutter were……  MMMMMMmmmmmmmmm.
A thumbs up from the wife usually means a keeper.
Never be afraid of a BBQ again. Â With these beans, some Vegan Potato Salad, and Jeff Novick's Bean Burgers you'll be the most popular (and healthiest) person at the BBQ.
Happy Summer.
🙂
Best Dang Vegan BBQ Baked Beans
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Side
- Cuisine: American
Description
Slow cooked, BBQ Vegan Baked Beans - from scratch. It's an all day process, but oh - the flavor is out of this world. You'll be the star of the cookout. Who says Vegan's can't go to BBQs!
Ingredients
- 3 cups Dried Great Northern Beans
- 2 cups Reserved Bean Liquid
- 2 cups Low Sodium Vegetable Broth ( )
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 Onion ((diced))
- 1 Green Bell Pepper ((diced))
- 4 cloves Garlic ((minced))
- ½ Jalapeno ((minced))
- 1 can Tomato Paste ((6oz))
- ¼ cup Molasses
- ¼ cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 Tbs Yellow Mustard
- 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- ¼ tsp Ground Pepper
- ¼ tsp Chipotle Chili Powder
Instructions
- Soak beans overnight in several inches water
- Drain and rinse beans next morning
- Add enough water to cover and bring to a boil
- As soon as the beans begin to boil, remove from heat and cover
- Let rest 30 minutes
- Drain and rinse beans, reserving 2 cups bean juice
- Add beans back into pot, with 2 cups bean juice
- Add vegetable broth, onion, garlic, peppers, and salt
- Bring to a boil again and simmer on low for 1 hr
- Add mixture to crock pot
- Add remaining ingredients and slow cook on low 4-6 hrs
Julia
Chuck, thank you for sharing! This is the best recipe ever! Vegans and non-vegans ask for this recipe. The double soak is key. I’ve made it many, many times and sometimes with whatever dried bean I had on hand (black, red, navy, garbanzo). I base the meal around your beans. Thanks again!
★★★★★
Diane
Can you use canned beans? That’s what I have on hand.
Pamalala
OMG Chuck!
These beans are wonderful! I have made them with white beans, with pinto beans and one time, when I didn't have either of those, I used dried garbanzo (soaked and cooked exactly the same way.) It might sound weird, but garbanzos worked too (for me anyway)!
These are definitely in the regular rotation.
Thanks for yet another awesome recipe!
★★★★★
Douglas Dmitri Mosier
They're also great cold/room temp! I've been eating these over toast for my brekkie for a week now!
Douglas Dmitri Mosier
Just made these today. ,and they are fantasmagorical! I don't have a crock pot so at that point I just added the other ingredients and put the pot in the oven at at 200 and baked them for 3 hours, then uncovered them, turned up the heat to 250 and baked for another 2.
Tenli
I just made these beans again for the umpteenth time. Just love them. People often ask me to bring these to a potluck. They are so tasty and they freeze really well. Perfect for a BBQ side dish but we often have them asa main dish..
Sharon
Excellent. Absolutely delicious. Followed the recipe as written except didn’t add any salt or jalapeño. Don’t have a slow cooker, so used my deep Dutch oven on top of the stove. After about 4 hours of cooking on low, I tilted up the lid of the Dutch oven so it wasn’t on tightly and after another 2 hours, the sauce thickened up perfectly. Really enjoyed making and eating this recipe. Thanks!
★★★★★
Alexandrine
My fave recipe for baked beans! I always come back to it 🙂 get great comments from everyone who has tasted them!!!
★★★★★
Raymond M Masleck
Good recipe overall, but like so many seemed to call for way too much tomato (in this case paste). I cut it by at least by have and the beans were indeed brown, instead of red like the pic of the crock pot.
ARCHR
Just transferred mine to the Crockpot.. can't wait to give them a try when they're ready! Thanks for creating and sharing this recipe.
Mariah & By
Excellent! I personalized them by only starting initially with 2 T of molasses. When they were an hour away from serving I added another T of molasses and 2 additional T of onions. They were a huge hit when I served them with veggie burgers and slaw. Yum. Thanks for another great recipe.
★★★★★
Tara
These are THE best baked beans! I did have to make some small changes. I added 3 onions, sliced thinly and sautéed to the pot during the 1 hour cooking time. We usually serve this on cornbread, Delish! Thank you!
★★★★★
Dhyan Gilton
I made these today following the instructions exactly. When they were done I thought they were delicious but needed a little something....So I added 1/4 cup catsup and another T of yellow mustard and they were jus perfect. Will definitely make again. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Lezly
Oh my. These beans are in the crock pot right now. I tasted a bit of sauce & it's wonderful. Can't wait till it's cooked a few more hours. I made a few changes to the recipe. I only used 2 cups of beans since my crock pot is small & I definitely would not have had room for another cup. I kept everything else the same except I increased the molasses to 1/2 a cup & ditched the brown sugar.
★★★★★
Jasmine
At what stage do i need to add the tomato paste ?
Connie
It’s a good recipe when the teenager who doesn’t like beans asks for it. I make a double batch and freeze it into zippered sandwich bags. Can reheat easily in the microwave or in a pot on the stove, just be gentle they will break down with too much stirring. None of us are vegan but, my family now prefers these beans over beans with meat and especially over store bought beans. Thank you so much for this recipe!!
Rita
I am diabetic 2, an I reduce sugar either maple syrup or brown sugar? Looks like a fabulous recipe. Thank you
Rita
Nelli
We don't use the word "dang" in Australia as casual swearing is much more acceptable here. So when I told my NZ fiance I was making "the best dang beans" he thought that's what they were called (like mung beans) and now keeps asking for more "Dang-beans" ?
★★★★★
Deb
Hilarious!?
djchefron
Usually when I make my baked beans I use salt pork and the burnt ends of my brisket. Made these for my daughter because she is a vegetarian and everyone at the cookout love them. Easy to follow recipe and there is very little mess to clean up. This is a keeper
★★★★★
Denise R Abboud
What size crockpot did you use? I want to double this for 4th of July so I may need a bigger crock pot.
Chuck Underwood
I have a 6qt.
Kathy
Can you serve these beans cold?
Chuck Underwood
Yes!
Pete
Great recipe Chuck,
I made these for Memorial Day and they came out really tasty. As always keep up the excellent creative cooking!
★★★★★
Laura
How many servings does this make? I need enough for 32.
Chuck Underwood
This makes a lot - but not THAT much lol. I would double it for sure - maybe even triple.
Jeanell Nelson
I've been making these baked beans for two years. It's absolutely divine so much so that we eat the leftovers (we usually don't do left overs. We eat them on the side, and on vegetarian hotdogs. The sequence should follow the recipe exactly however; I add a dash of liquid smoke for a smoky flavor. While slow cooking takes a bit of time, it is not time consuming so I prep and cook other items since it is a common in my summer cookout dinners.
★★★★★
Amber Garcia
I soaked the great northern beans overnight and then the hot soak after and most of the skins came off the beans. Is that ok? Will the beans be mushy?
★★★★★
Chuck Underwood
Doubt it. Go ahead and finish cooking them and see.
Tanya
I got nervous about mushy beans as well a few steps in, but by the end they were perfect. These are so so so good. We had them with baked potatoes. My 6 year old who usually dislikes beans of all types said after this meal that these beans are his second favorite food. Go figure!
★★★★★
Gayle
I am putting the beans on tonight to soak. I can hardly wait to have them for dinner tomorrow night and to take them to our next Pid gathering. I will say thank you at this time, the have to be good! I love your recipes !
Susan
These are so good! And now with nice summer weather...i plan on making them a lot!
★★★★★
Frances Garner
You're right Chuck. These are The Best Dang Baked Beans ever. I was reluctant to make them as I usually listen to the results omitting from my husband for days after! This method takes care of all that and it's delicious.
I'm taking these baked beans to yet another pot luck dinner tonight where, like before, I'm sure they will ooohh and awwwe over the taste and then say 'But I could never be vegan." ....face palm moment for me.
Thanks for a great recipe.
★★★★★
FrannyD
Best beans ever!!! The prep time is well worth it. Thank you
★★★★★
Ben G
Is the mustard powdered or prepared?
Chuck Underwood
Prepared
Ben G
Thanks! These turned out terrific!
Bexy
So many recipes for baked beans and I'm considering trying them all, but in the meantime: "Happy Baked Beans on Toast Day" (25th Dec). A simple peaceful tradition which started a few years ago by one of my adult children. It's an alternative to the avarice, stress and waste created by mainstream traditions (kept going by films and the media, for retail). How peaceful to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, for to live a simple life, helps others to simply live.
Anonymous
Great recipe...than you.... and baked beans on toast day is a winner...december 25...thank you ben.
★★★★★
Michelle
Hi, I don't have a hot pot, can I just cook them slow in my cast iron pot?
Alan Greenberg
Does anyone know a recipe for pressure cooker vegan baked beans
Jessica Sorenson
These are fabulous! I don't typically like anything with green bell peppers, but I used it anyway and it's fantastic! Thank you!
Jessica Sorenson
When doing the second boil, should the beans be covered again?
Jessica Sorenson
I covered them for the second boil.
Jaroslaw99
I like to add one or two tsp liquid smoke. Don't care for even a tiny bit of jalapeño but everything else I have used in baked beans. I did make beans in a real bean pot in the oven a few times. One recipe called for adding apple juice as needed. I was quite surprised that even after adding quite a bit over several hours it didn't add any flavor at all. Onions completely disappear too, so either add a few more the last hour or stir in some good quality onion powder if you don't want to chop more onions!
Abhishake shah
When do you add the molasses, brown sugar, mustard, and etc.?
Lynda Hill
#11 says add remaining ingredients. Yum.
Edward Woelke
They are not "literally the bomb." They are figuratively the bomb. If they are literally the bomb, you are an internet terrorist.
Jaroslaw99
Good observation Edward!
Vibeke Kale Vale
This recipe needs an IP update. 🙂
Saskia
I made them in these baked beans in my Instant Pot for dinner. I used two cans of northern beans, instead of dried beans, and a half cup diced onions instead of a whole onion. And dumped all the ingredients in the Instant Pot. I used the beans/chili button and did a quick release. Next time I'll use about 1 cup less of the broth. Otherwise, they came out really good.
Melanie
How omg did you cook them for in the instapot?
Melanie
Long:)
Hannah
What is bean loquid?????
Hannah
Oh duhhh...just read the next part!! lol...
Vivianna Goldfeld
Question: I have a rice cooker not a crock pot, will my rice cooker work? How would you cook them in a rice cooker? Thanks! ?
Carman Futter
I have these in my Crockpot right now. They smell incredible! 🙂 I'll post a follow-up after they are done! Thank you for the recipe! 🙂
Lisa Forester
I made these tonight. Started yesterday with the soaking. Noon I had them on simmer on my stove. I don't have a crockpot. 4pm removed the lid. 6:30pm perfect baked beans. My honey said I could make them anytime! I made only half the recipe, it's about 6 good sized servings. Thanks for the recipe!
Voice12345
Oh my...I've had the beans in the crock pot for about 4 hours and the smell is wonderful! I pulled out a couple of spoonfuls and I am sure they are going to be a hit at the 4th of July gathering. It did make a large amount, so I'll be freezing some for camping trips later. I used Chipolte hot sauce because I didn't have any of the powder. I probably added a good teaspoon, so I hope it's "zippy" enough! Wonderful recipe! Thank you!!
Anne Morley
Sounding so delicious but 3 cups of dried beans is going to make a huge amount and I am just one old lady on my own. Have you ever frozen these beans after cooking? and how did they fare the freezing process?
Chuck Underwood
I'm sure they would freeze well - although I can say I have never done it myself. Bit I believe others have successfully.
Bonnie
Yes , even better over the next few days days and freeze really well . Made this about 10 times and make double batches as well .
Heidi
beans freeze really well. I'm in the same boat as you, so I'll be freezing some of these, and I'm sure they'll be fine.
Nicki
These freeze beautifully.I run a B and B and make a large pot and freeze in smaller batches
Make them frequently for my vegetarian guests and they live them!
Connie
Ive made these a few times now and I make a double batch and freezer them in zipper sandwich bags so they are the right size for two. They taste great went you reheat them, just be gentle they will want to break up if you stir them to much.
★★★★★
Liane Blanco
I use that same double-soak method. I think it gets rid of a lot of the gassy effect.
Bev Kelly Rockey
These beans are delicious even without the BBQ sauce
From London
This looks yummy! I'm going to try this this week (looking for an easy, delicious bean dish for Christmas).
Erin Bowman
I've made these beans three times now. Followed reciepe but used a dutch oven. They're amazing. Thank you!
Suzanne
Thank you Erin! Suzanne
DORIS
How many servings does it make?
KymP
Can I make these ahead of time and reheat in crockpot?
Chuck Underwood
I don't know why not! Try it out and let me know