Homemade maple baked beans can be enjoyed at breakfast, lunch or supper -throughout the year. This recipe is truly that versatile. I also include cooking guidelines so that they can easily be made in your slow cooker or Dutch oven. Make a batch today!
I was raised in Montreal’s Italian neighborhood – tomatoes growing in small backyard gardens, Sunday lunches lasting an entire afternoon; those sorts of things were commonplace.
Growing up in Montreal also meant that I had the privilege of being exposed to many wonderful French Canadian food traditions, such as this recipe for 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 side dishes, especially when served alongside this finger-licking recipe for Bar-B-Barn Ribs.
This easy baked bean recipe is so versatile that it can easily be adapted for your meatless Monday lineup. I have also provided you with cooking guidelines to make it in your slow cooker or Dutch oven easily.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Dry beans: Either navy beans or great northern beans are great. For the best texture, use the freshest dry beans possible.
- Water: Used for soaking and precooking the beans to soften them before the final cooking step.
- Medium onion: This adds flavor and texture to the baked beans. I like to chop it before combining it with the rest of the ingredients. For an extra flavor-boosting step, try sautéing it before adding it to the slow cooker or Dutch oven.
- Pure maple syrup: Provides sweetness and a distinct maple flavor to the baked beans.
- Brown sugar: Adds sweetness and richness to the dish, complementing the maple syrup.
- Unsulfured molasses: This contributes a deep, rich flavor and sweetness to the baked beans.
- Tomato paste: Adds a tangy, slightly acidic flavor and helps to thicken the sauce. In a bind, I have used ketchup with great results.
- Dry mustard: Adds a subtle tanginess and depth of flavor to the baked beans.
- Water: Additional water is added to cook the beans and finally create the desired dish consistency.
- Salt: Enhances the overall flavor of the baked beans.
- Pepper: Adds a hint of spice and complements the other flavors in the dish.
Let’s prep our recipe
When preparing any recipe for baked beans, you will immediately notice that the prep time is minimal compared to the idle time and that it all starts with a good soak.
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.
There have been different opinions regarding the necessity of soaking your dry beans. In my humble opinion, providing your dry navy beans with an overnight soak will allow you to reduce the total cooking time.
Furthermore, filling a bowl of beans with water takes a couple of minutes, and then it can be left to soak overnight on the counter. The overnight room-temperature soak can take anywhere from 8 to 12 hours. Ensure you submerge your beans with at least two inches of water, as they will absorb much water.
For this recipe, we need one pound of dry white beans. As you can tell from the above photo collage, the beans have easily doubled in size.
The next preparatory step, which is also highly debatable, is precooking the beans. Some will argue that this step is unnecessary since the beans will cook for a long period. Once again, I will share the method that works for me.
After the overnight soak, I drain and rinse the beans. I then transfer them to a large pot, fill it with enough water to cover the beans, and set it to simmer for about 45 minutes. After that, I drain them, and they get another rinse. The beans are now ready for the final step.
Slow cooker method for baked beans
- Combining Ingredients: Transfer the precooked beans to your slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients, including 2-3 cups of water, and stir to combine.
- Slow Cooking: Cover and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or until the beans are tender. If the mixture appears dry, add some water.
- Check for Doneness: After the specified cooking time, taste the beans. They should be tender but not mushy. If necessary, continue cooking until the desired texture is achieved. Adjust seasonings.
These crockpot baked beans can be served immediately or refrigerated and reheated the next day. The flavor improves the longer they stay in the fridge.
Dutch oven method for baked beans
The Dutch oven method for baked beans involves cooking beans in a heavy, thick-walled pot called a Dutch oven. Here’s a summary of the process:
- Preparation: As described in detail in the previous section, the beans are drained and rinsed after an overnight soak. The pre-cooking step, also described in the previous section, is optional.
- Combining Ingredients: Combine the soaked beans with the rest of the ingredients in a large Dutch oven with 2-3 cups of water. On the stovetop, bring the mixture to a boil.
- Slow Cooking: After boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook the beans slowly over low heat up to 4 hours, allowing the flavors to meld and the beans to become tender. Taste for doneness.
- Adjusting Consistency: Stir the beans occasionally throughout the cooking process. If needed, add additional liquid to prevent them from drying out.
- Baking (Optional): During the last 30 minutes of cooking, transfer the pot to the oven preheated to 325°F (160°C). Baking the beans in the oven without a cover helps achieve a nice golden color.
- Taste for Doneness: Once the beans are tender and the flavors have developed, remove them from the heat.
Serve these Dutch oven-baked beans immediately, or refrigerate them to enjoy later.
Non-vegetarian version
I prefer to make a vegetarian version of this recipe for baked beans. However, I have been known to throw in some Italian pancetta or 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 protein source, promoting healthy muscle tissue. As a bonus, it even has a low glycemic index. These are just a few benefits of baked beans [source: Pulse Canada].
White bean recipes we love
Recipe inspiration
As I have previously mentioned in other posts, I have an extensive collection of newspaper clippings from the Food section of the Montreal Gazette. I’ve adapted this recipe from one such clipping.
I’ve been making this vegan recipe for baked beans for decades and I guarantee it will become your new favorite comfort food!
It’s the best recipe for potlucks, picnics, or cozy family dinners, not to mention the perfect side dish for your BBQ.
I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community, where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ 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!
Recipe
Homemade Maple Baked Beans from Scratch
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry beans (navy, great Northern…) 2⅓ cups
- water for soaking and precooking enough to cover the beans
- 1 medium onion chopped
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste in a pinch I have substituted with ketchup
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 2-3 cups water for cooking
- 1 teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
Instructions
Rinsing and soaking the beans:
- Rinse and sort the beans; remove any pebbles or debris.
- Place the beans in a large bowl.
- Fill with water to submerge the beans with at least two inches of water.
- Soak overnight (8-12 hours).
Precooking the beans:
- The next day, drain and rinse the beans. Transfer to a large pot.
- Fill with water to cover the soaked beans and bring to a boil.
- Turn down the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.
- Remove from heat, Drain and rinse.
Method for the slow cooker:
- Transfer the rinsed and precooked beans to your slow cooker.
- Add the remaining ingredients, including 2-3 cups of water. Stir to combine.
- 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:
- Once again, transfer the precooked beans to your Dutch oven.
- Add the remaining ingredients, including 2-3 cups of water. Stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil on the stovetop.
- Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover. Cook the beans slowly over low heat up to 4 hours until tender. Taste for doneness.
- Stir the beans occasionally throughout the cooking process. If needed, add additional liquid to prevent them from drying out.
- As an option, during the last 30 minutes of cooking, transfer the pot to the oven preheated to 325°F (160°C). Baking the beans in the oven without a cover helps achieve a nice golden color.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I originally published this post on April 24, 2016, and republished it on March 7, 2018 and again on March 21, 2024, with updated content, photos, and a video. Thanks for watching and sharing!
Bryan
Have search a while for a ”from scratch” recipe. Looks to be one of the best I’ve found. Look forward to the finished dish. Thanks for sharing.
Have you ever added liquid smoke, if so how much. If not any thoughts?
Maria
What a great comment. Sorry for the delay in responding to you Bryan. I have no experience with liquid smoke so I was busy asking around. From what I was told, this would definitely add another layer of flavor. I would say start with 1/2 teaspoon and work your way up. Hope you get a chance to try these baked beans. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, appreciate it.
Marianne
Hi Maria,
I’m trying your recipe right now and after soaking the beans overnight and simmering them for 45 mins this morning, they appear already soft as fully cooked. Should I adjust the cooking time, will they get too soft in the slow cooker? Also I was planning to add 1/8 lb of salt pork cut in small cubes like the ones my mother used to make. Thanks for posting this old fashioned recipe and happy holidays!
Marianne
Maria
Hi Marianne, No need to adjust the time as they will continue to break down and you will end up with very creamy beans. Great comment. Thanks for stopping by. Happy holidays to you and your loved ones as well 🙂
Bethany
Hi! I’m making your beans for the very first time right now, and I’m looking for guidance. I have followed your recipe to a T, including the presoak and the precook. I chose the slow cooker as my method of final cooking. I’m in hour five right now, and my beans are still very very firm, with (it looks like) just as much liquid as when I started. I know they still have another hour or two to go, but I find it hard to believe that will change them THAT much. Did I do something wrong? Is the recipe supposed to say “cook on high”? Might my slow cooker just be cooking at too low a temp to have on Low? I got nervous and bumped the slow cooker up to High with the hopes that we might still be able to eat these for supper. Thank you for your help!
Maria
It might be the setting or it might be a bad batch of beans. It’s fine that you bumped up the heat… I would have done the same thing. You will see that the beans really soften during the last hour of cooking. Let me know how it goes.
Katrina
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!
Maria
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 🙂
Jean
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.
Maria
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.
Judy
What happens to the onion? Do you stir it in after cooking or remove it?
Maria
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 🙂
Rose McDonald
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.
Maria
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 🙂
Adelaide
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!
Maria
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 ♥
Emily
Hello – have you ever tried doubling this recipe in the slow cooker?
Maria
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 🙂
Christine
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!
Maria
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 🙂