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Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist

Homemade Quebec Maple Baked Beans: A BBQ Side Dish

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Baked beans can be enjoyed at breakfast, lunch or supper -throughout the year. This recipe for Homemade Quebec Maple Baked Beans is truly that versatile. Also provided in this recipe are cooking guidelines so that these baked beans can easily be made in your slow-cooker or oven. Make a batch of these great tasting baked beans today!

Homemade baked beans in a brown ceramic pot.

This baked beans post was originally published on April 24, 2016. Updated on March 7, 2018.

I was raised in an Italian neighborhood in Montreal – tomatoes growing in small backyard gardens, Sunday lunches lasting an entire afternoon; those sorts of things were commonplace. But growing up in Montreal also meant that I had the privilege of being exposed to so many wonderful French Canadian food traditions, such as this recipe for Homemade Quebec Maple Baked Beans.

Any Quebecker will tell you that baked beans, also known as fèves au lard, are an integral part of any sugar shacking experience in the spring. But these baked beans can easily be enjoyed at breakfast, lunch or supper and throughout the year. They make one of the best sides dishes especially when served along side this finger licking recipe for Bar-B-Barn Ribs.

This easy baked beans recipe is so versatile that it can be easily adapted for your meatless Monday lineup. I have also provided you with cooking guidelines so that it can easily be made in your slow-cooker or oven.

A big bowl of baked beans.

HOW TO MAKE BAKED BEANS:

When preparing any recipe for baked beans, you will immediately notice that the prep time is minimal when compared to the idle time, and that it all starts with a good soak.

 

An overhead shot of the white beans being soaked in water.

Rinsing and Soaking the beans:

Before you soak your beans, it is important to

  • rinse and sort them;
  • remove any shriveled or discolored beans and
  • remove any small rocks or debris.

With regards to the issue of soaking your dry beans, there have been different opinions as to the necessity of this activity.  In my humble opinion, providing your dry navy beans with an overnight soak will allow you to reduce the total cooking time.

Furthermore, it literally takes a couple of minutes to fill up a bowl of beans with water and leave it for an overnight soak on the counter. The overnight room temperature soak can take anywhere from 8 to 12 hours. Make sure you submerge your beans by at least two inches of water as they will absorb a lot of water.

A close up of the white beans after they have been soaked.

Precooking the beans: Here’s another step which is highly debatable. Some will argue that since the beans will cook for a long period of time, this step is unnecessary. Once again, I will share the method that works for me. With that being said, I rinse and drain (again) the soaked beans. I will then place them in a pot of water where they will simmer for about 45 minutes. After which they get another rinse and are ready for the final step.

Baked beans in a slow cooker with an onion placed in the center.

Slow cooker method for baked beans: Transfer the rinsed precooked beans in your slow cooker. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir together and place a whole onion in the center. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or until the beans are tender. If the mixture appears dry, you can add some water. These Homemade Quebec Maple Baked Beans can be served immediately or refrigerated and served reheated the next day. These beans actually get better the longer they stay in the fridge.

Dutch oven method fro baked beans: Preheat oven to 225°F. Once again, transfer the precooked beans in your dutch oven or a large oven proof pot. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook for approximately 6 hours. You can remove the lid the last 30 minutes or so in order to obtain a nice golden color. As with the slow cooker method, if the beans appear dry, make sure to add a little water.

Non-vegetarian version: I prefer to make a vegetarian version of this recipe for Homemade Quebec Maple Baked Beans, however, I have been known to throw in some Italian pancetta or even some Canadian smoked bacon. The final product is creamy and smokey… just perfect as a main, as a side or even to top off those potatoes!

Nutrition Note: There is nothing healthier than eating a bowl of baked beans. This low calorie food is high in fiber, which keeps your intestines working properly; it’s also a great source of protein, which promotes healthy muscle tissue. As an added bonus, it even has a low glycemic index. There are just a few of the benefits of baked beans. Follow this link to find out more!

A side view of a brown ceramic dish of baked beans.

Origin of the recipe for Baked Beans:

As I have preciously mentioned, I have a very large collection of newspaper clippings from the Food section of the Montreal Gazette. I’ve adapted this recipe from one such clipping. If you recall, this is not the first time I have sung the praises of the great white navy bean. Last fall, I shared a recipe for an Easy White Bean Soup.

Healthy Homemade Quebec Maple Baked Beans for your Sunday Supper… why not?

Thanks for dropping by.

Ciao for now!

Maria 🙂

PS: Have you made this recipe?

If you have made this baked beans recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Thanks so much for following and being part of the She loves biscotti Community. Let’s make some new food memories!

A side view of a brown ceramic dish of baked beans.
5 from 11 votes
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Homemade Quebec Maple Baked Beans

Baked beans can be enjoyed at breakfast, lunch or supper -throughout the year. This recipe for Homemade Quebec Maple Baked Beans is truly that versatile. Also provided are cooking guidelines so that these baked beans can easily be made in your slow-cooker or oven. Make a batch of these great tasting baked beans today!

Course Main or Brunch
Cuisine French-Canadian
Keyword baked beans, easy baked beans recipe, homemade baked beans, maple baked beans, slow cooker baked beans
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes
Servings 5 cups
Calories 263 kcal
Author Maria Vannelli RD (shelovesbiscotti.com)

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dry beans (navy, great Northern...) 2-1/3 cups
  • water for soaking and precooking
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste in a pinch I have substituted with ketchup
  • 2 teaspoons dry mustard
  • 3 cups water for cooking
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • pepper to taste

Instructions

Rinsing and soaking the beans:

  1. Rinse and sort the beans; remove any pebbles or debris.
  2. Place the beans in a large bowl.
  3. Fill with water in order to submerge the beans by at least two inches of water.
  4. Soak overnight (8-12 hours).

Precooking the beans:

  1. The next day, transfer the drained and rinsed again beans to a large pot.
  2. Re-fill with water and bring to a boil.
  3. Turn down the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat and rinse again.

Method for slow cooker:

  1. Transfer the rinsed precooked beans in your slow cooker.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir together and place the whole onion in the center.
  3. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or until the beans are tender. If the mixture appears dry, you can add some water.

Dutch oven method:

  1. Preheat oven to 225°F.

  2. Once again, transfer the precooked beans in your dutch oven or a large oven proof pot.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook for approximately 6 hours.
  4. Remove the lid the last 30 minutes or so in order to obtain a nice golden color. As with the slow cooker method, if the beans appear dry, make sure to add a little water.

Recipe Notes

These Homemade Quebec Maple Baked Beans can be served immediately or refrigerated and served reheated the next day.

These baked beans can also be frozen.

For a non-vegetarian version you can add about 1/2 cup of uncooked Italian pancetta or about 6 cut up slices of Canadian bacon to obtain smokey flavored baked beans.

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 

*recipe adapted from food article found in The Gazette

Nutrition Facts
Homemade Quebec Maple Baked Beans
Amount Per Serving (0.5 cup)
Calories 263
% Daily Value*
Sodium 525mg 22%
Potassium 622mg 18%
Total Carbohydrates 58g 19%
Dietary Fiber 10g 40%
Sugars 31g
Protein 8g 16%
Vitamin A 2%
Vitamin C 4.7%
Calcium 11.6%
Iron 15.9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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A small ceramic brown bowl filled to the brim with baked beans.

 

ONE FINAL THOUGHT ABOUT #SUNDAYSUPPER…

Today’s Sunday Supper theme was regional specialties, and I just had to sing the praises of these baked beans!

Every Sunday, there is a wonderful group of bloggers called the #SundaySupper tastemakers that collaborate together on a theme. As was mentionned, today’s theme was Regional Specialties and I think you’ll agree the line-up of recipes is totally amazing!

I would like to thank the event host for this event: Sue Lau from A Palatable Pastime Thanks Sue!

If you have a chance you should really check out these great regional specialties contributed by these wonderful food bloggers.

Buona Domenica e Buon Appetito!

 

Appetizers:

Beverages:

Breakfast:

Salads:

Sauces:

Side Dishes:

Soups:

Main Dish:

Desserts:

Plus Rhubarb Steamed Pudding and Favorite Regional Recipes from Sunday Supper Movement.

You won't believe how easy it is to make baked beans from scratch. This Maple Baked Beans is the perfect recipe. #shelovesbiscotti #bakedbeans #maplebakedbeans #crockpot #slowcooker #sides #BBQ #sidedish #cleaneating

Comments

  6. I love baked beans and I loved all the food I ever had in Quebec. I can not wait to try these!

    Reply

    • Regional foods was really a genius idea! Love all the recipes that were shared… especially your JO JO potatoes! Appreciate the comment 🙂

      Reply

  8. I love baked beans. I have only made them once but I need to again. I never precook them and find they are more than tender just after soaking overnight and cooking with the other ingredients.

    Reply

  11. Yum!!! I recently came into possession of my great-grandma’s bean pot. I have been trying to find the perfect recipe to give it a go. This is it! Pinning to make soon!

    Reply

  13. I almost tried making Boston baked beans for this week’s event which are similar, but I am glad to see your lovely-looking recipe and read about your experiences growing up.

    Reply

  14. I like these beans are made from scratch. It’s something I want to do instead of using the canned ones (yea, I know but it’s the way my family made them). The touch of maple is nice instead of the usual brown sugar.

    Reply

    • I should make these more often too… especially since they are so healthy and so good for you. Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂

      Reply

      • Hi Maria, I’m about to place my beans and ingredients into the slow cooker. Do I put 3 whole cups of water in with them?

        Reply

          • Thank you!! I’m looking forward to this recipe. I’m pregnant and had a strong craving to make baked beans, although no one in my home appreciates baked beans, I’ll be extending an offer to other family and friends to enjoy them and deliver them to whoever wants them. Thanks again ???? I’ll be back to comment when they’re finished!

          • Congratulations! I had my own share of cravings when I was pregnant…truly hard to resist… at least yours is a healthy one! Just wanted to let you know that these beans freeze wonderfully…just in case the craving hits again 😉

  17. These baked beans are delicious!! Thanks for sharing Maria. I will be freezing portions as you suggested. I’m surprised beans freeze well. Are there any tips to this? ????

    Reply

    • I am so glad you liked them! When freezing your beans, make sure they are cool before placing them in the freezer. I will usually pack them in individual containers that are freezer safe; place them in the fridge for a couple of hours and then transfer them to the freezer. Make sure to leave enough headroom in your container and label them. I will usually keep them 4-6 months. You can freeze in smaller or larger amounts, depending on your needs. Thanks again for taking the time to comment. Happy Holidays:)

      Reply

  18. made these today, great recipe, the tip to pre boil much appreciated, worked out great. Wife loves them , thanks so much .

    Reply

    • Karly, homemade baked beans are the best and you won’t believe how easy they are to make! Hope you get a chance to give them a try. Appreciate your comment 🙂

      Reply

    • Thanks Paula! Baked beans, maple syrup, la tire (taffy made on snow)… and so much more! All part of the sugaring off experience of springtime in Quebec. Thanks for stopping by ♥

      Reply

  21. So glad you posted this recipe. I love homemade baked beans but a lot of recipes have a huge list of ingredients! We have a lovely wood fired oven and I will put these in once it has cooled down from pizza making.

    Reply

    • Ohhh… that pizza sounds amazing!!! I will usually make a batch of these baked beans and freeze in individual containers… so convenient and so good 🙂
      Appreciate your comment Marcellina, thanks for stopping by ♥

      Reply

    • I also just love baked beans!!! This has been my go to recipe for decades. Hope you get a chance to try them Gabrielle. Appreciate you taking the time to comment ♥

      Reply

  23. Maria, I was looking for a vegetarian baked beans recipe and yours was on top of the list! I will try this recipe right away. Would you be able to give me an idea of approximately how many people this may serve as a side dish? Thanks!

    Reply

    • I would say about 6-8 servings…about 3/4 -1 cup. My experience with these baked beans is that everyone wants seconds.
      Let me know how it goes! Thanks for stopping by Nadia ♥

      Reply

  24. With so many recipes out there I had no clue which to use. My family comes from Quebec originally so these are the ones I choose and I am so glad I did. So easy to make and SO delicious. Not too sweet…just right. I am not a stellar cook and when my husband says these are the best beans he has ever had, well that is saying a lot since he loves beans.
    Thank you!

    Reply

    • My pleasure Christine! I am thrilled to hear you guys enjoyed the baked beans 🙂 I make a batch every week as they are a family favorite. Thank you so much for taking the time and sharing your story with these beans, appreciate it. Have a great Sunday 🙂

      Reply

    • Hi Emily! No I haven’t… that being said I think that if you have a big enough slow cooker to accommodate twice the recipe, it should work out fine. If you do decide to try it out, I would love to hear about your results. Great comment, thanks for stopping by 🙂

      Reply

  26. I was a bit dubious of this, especially with the amount of liquid I had in my slow cooker. But these are absolutely the BEST baked beans we’ve made! Thank you!

    Reply

    • My pleasure Adelaide! I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed these baked beans. The slow cooker really does wonders. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, appreciate it ♥

      Reply

  27. Hi! Do you know if this recipe will fit in a little 2qt slow cooker? I can’t find my larger one. My husband and toddler love maple baked beans, so I really want to learn how to make them from scratch and this recipe looks perfect.

    Reply

    • A 2qt slow cooker can hold up to 8 cups… I think it might be a little tight since there is 3 cups of water plus the beans which will expand 2-3 times their size when soaked (6-7 cups). I would cut the recipe in half. Feel free to get back to me if you have any other concerns. Thanks for your question Rose 🙂

      Reply

    • The onion cooks at the same time as the beans and becomes really soft. At the end of the cooking time, you can remove it or you can chop it up and eat it with the beans… your choice. Thanks for stopping by Judy 🙂

      Reply

  29. Hi, I just did a double recipe and it is fantastic. First time so I do not know how a single would differ and will probably never know since my slow cooker is huge (there is room to make a triple). I used 1/2 lbs bacon as I could not find a slab of lard. I did not precook the beans and will try this trick next time.

    Thank you for the recipe, the taste is very close to my Mom’s ancestral baked beans.

    Reply

    • My pleasure Jean, I am so thrilled to hear you enjoyed these baked beans 🙂 The addition of bacon sounds great. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience with the recipe, truly appreciate it.

      Reply

  30. I’ve made this recipe before and they are delicious! This time, I presoaked the beans AND precooked them, then put them in the slow cooker with 3 cups of water and I have very watery beans. IWhat did I do wrong? Is the slow cooker not the cooking part??? (recipe says 2 cups of water for cooking). Help please! I love these beans!

    Reply

    • I’m sorry to hear they turned out watery Katrina. Let me see if I could help.
      The first question I have: is it the same batch of beans? Sometimes the freshness of the beans can affect the final results. I am assuming that you followed the times for the soaking and the precooking as longer cooking periods could result in the beans having a different texture. The 3 cups of water is correct, as they need to cook on low heat for at least 6 hours. Did you use the slow cooker the first time you made them? I can’t think of anything else. Please let me know if you have any other questions 🙂

      Reply

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