Baked Beans From Scratch

These Southern baked beans are the best. Made from dried beans and slow-cooked with molasses, brown sugar, liquid smoke and crushed red pepper, this old-fashioned baked beans recipe has that homemade taste. Skip the canned version and make your baked beans from scratch.

There is a BIG difference between baked beans from a can and baked beans from scratch. The canned variety can be overly sweet or (even worse) bland and mushy. These old-fashioned baked beans are firm, but tender with layers of smoky, sweet, tangy barbecued flavor. In other words, perfect.

Yes, they take a little time… but it’s simmering and baking time, not “prep” time… and it’s worth it.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

  • You can make them in a Dutch oven, Instant Pot, or Slow Cooker.
  • Making baked beans from dried beans makes a big pot to feed a crowd, and dried beans are cheap.
  • You can make them a day or two in advance, so they’re ready for your cookout or barbecue.
  • It’s an easy recipe for Southern baked beans that everyone loves.
  • It has bacon in it.
rinse and drain the soaked beans in a colander.

This homemade baked bean recipe includes two secret ingredients that add extra oomph and depth to the flavors.

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Ingredients for old fashioned baked beans

  • Dried Pinto Beans (or Navy beans, Great Northern Beans or other bean of your choice)
  • Bacon 
  • Onions
  • Bell Pepper
  • Garlic
  • Brown Sugar
  • Molasses
  • Ketchup
  • Prepared Yellow Mustard
  • Dry Mustard 
  • Worcestershire Sauce
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Liquid Smoke (optional, but good)
  • Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • Black Pepper
  • Kosher Salt
  • Chipotle BBQ Seasoning (Secret ingredient #1)
  • Strong Black Coffee (Secret ingredient #2)
  • Reserved Bean Liquid (from cooking the dried beans)

Soaking dried beans

I like to soak the dried pinto beans overnight to rehydrate them and have found that the long soak reduces uncomfortable bloating and gas that some people experience when enjoying legumes. It’s quick and easy to do, too.

  1. Just sort through the dried legumes to remove any wonky beans or pebbles that may find their way into the bag.
  2. Transfer the beans to a large stock pot and cover them with cool water so that the water settles about 2 inches above the level of the beans.
  3. Then walk away.

Or use the quick-soak method a few hours before making your scratch baked beans. The legumes do need to rehydrate before starting this recipe.

Par cook the pinto beans in a pressure cooker until tender.

You can cook your old fashioned beans in a Dutch oven or a pressure cooker. I used my Instant Pot for this batch of  beans.

The pressure cooker will cut off about one hour of cooking time so if speed is your thing, go with that method. Otherwise, the stovetop is fine.

Note: This first simmer cooks the beans until they’re tender. After the beans have simmered, continue with the recipe to make the BBQ baked beans from scratch.

Best ways to cook dried beans

Cooking beans in the Dutch oven 

  1. To cook beans in the dutch oven, drain the soaked legumes and rinse with fresh water. 
  2. Transfer the pinto beans to the Dutch oven and cover with about 2″ of fresh water.
  3. Set on the stovetop and bring to a boil.
  4. Reduce heat to a medium simmer and cover tightly with the lid. 
  5. Simmer for 2 – 2 ½ hours or until the beans achieve the desired texture. (They should be tender and creamy).

Cooking pinto beans in the Instant Pot/pressure cooker

  1. Drain the soaked beans and rinse.
  2. Add the pinto beans to the pressure cooker and cover with about 2″ of fresh water.
  3. Place the lid on the pressure cooker/Instant Pot and seal shut.
  4. Bring the pot to full pressure and cook for 8 minutes on HIGH for pinto beans.
  5. Let the pot release the pressure naturally.

While the dried beans cook, prep the BBQ sauce.

This BBQ seasoning is smoky, sweet and rich. It’s got a nice tingly spice, without being overly hot.

My husband said these were the best old-fashioned baked beans he’d ever had, and I credit this blend of ingredients for that.

The sauteed vegetables with a bevy of spices and ingredients.

How to make baked beans from scratch:

  1. The flavor starts by crisping bacon in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Once cooked, transfer it to a dish lined with a paper towel to drain.
  2. Sauté the onions, bell pepper and garlic in the rendered bacon grease until it’s softened and fragrant.
  3. Add the brown sugar, molasses, ketchup, prepared mustard, dry mustard, Worcestershire, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, crushed red pepper flakes, kosher salt, black pepper, and chipotle BBQ seasoning.
  4. Cook the BBQ sauce, occasionally stirring, until the brown sugar has dissolved.
  5. Dip a 2-cup glass measure into the par-cooked beans and reserve about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the liquid for the BBQ baked beans.
  6. Pour the remainder of the cooked beans through a colander to drain.
  7. Add the cooked beans to the pot or Dutch oven with the sauce and stir in one cup of the reserved bean liquid. Save the rest in case it’s needed later.
  8. Stir in the coffee and transfer the old fashioned beans to the oven to bake.
  9. They’ll take about 1 to 1½ hours, uncovered in the oven.
  10. If the beans look dry, you can add more of the reserved bean liquid, but if they’re saucy and perfect, leave well enough alone.

My BBQ sauce blend has plenty of smoky, sweet, spicy flavors to season the homemade baked beans and give them that “from scratch” taste.

The baked beans get a saucy effect from the BBQ sauce, reserved bean liquid and coffee.

Adding the BBQ seasoning to the sauteed vegetables.

Variations:

  • Instead of molasses, try maple syrup for a milder flavor.
  • For a smokier flavor add leftover ham bones or diced ham or even a smoked turkey wing to the dried beans while cooking. The collagen from the bones will add body to the Southern-style baked beans.

Some baked bean recipes will add water to the beans to make them saucy, but what’s the fun in that? I use reserved bean liquid to add body AND flavor and strong coffee (leftover from that morning’s pot) to give these baked beans that “from scratch” taste you won’t get from a can.

FAQ’s

Which beans are used in baked beans?

Pinto beans are traditional, but you can use Navy or other small white beans.

Do you have to soak beans before making baked beans?

If you’re using dried beans, you do. If you’re starting with canned beans, you don’t.

What can I add to baked beans to make them taste better?

If you’re trying to doctor a can of baked beans, you can add a bit of BBQ seasoning rub for heat, brown sugar or molasses for sweet, Worcestershire for depth or crumbled bacon for a smoky hit.

Bake the beans in the dutch oven.

Finish these Southern baked pinto beans with the reserved bacon crumbles and maybe a sprinkle of parsley for color and serve.

They’ll stay warm on a buffet in the Dutch oven for about half an hour, but if you have a chafing dish or crock pot set to low, they’ll keep for one to two hours.

Garnish with crumbled bacon and parsley.

How do they taste?

These old fashioned baked beans are creamy and tender, sweet, smoky and spicy.

Utterly delicious, these are the beans you’ll want for every cookout, barbecue and potluck.

Each bite is perfectly balanced and spiced. Promise me you’ll make them and see how much better baked beans from scratch can be.

Serving a bowl of baked beans with extra bacon on top.

What to serve with Southern baked beans:

An individual crock of baked beans from scratch.

More Southern BBQ side dishes you might like:

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Print Pin
4.44 from 16 votes

Barbecue Baked Beans

Skip the canned beans and make a big pot of creamy baked beans from scratch with this authentic Southern recipe. These sweet and spicy homemade baked beans start with a bag of dried legumes.
Author: Lisa Lotts
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword baked beans
Dietary Restrictions Dairy-Free, Egg Free, Gluten-Free
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 10

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:

  • Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot (optional)
  • Dutch Oven

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pound dried pinto beans (or 4 15-ounce cans) not drained
  • 4 slices bacon 1/2″ dice
  • 1 medium yellow onion minced
  • ½ green bell pepper minced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup molasses
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 2 teaspoons dry mustard
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon hickory liquid smoke optional
  • ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon chipotle BBQ rub recipe on this site
  • 1 cup strong brewed coffee
  • 1 cup reserved bean liquid (from cooking the beans)

DIRECTIONS:

PREPARE THE DRY BEANS:

  • Sift through the dry beans and remove any debris, pebbles or bad beans. Cover the beans with 2″ of fresh water and let soak for 8 hours or overnight.
  • Drain and rinse the beans. Place them in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot and bring to high pressure. Cook for 7 minutes on high. Set aside and let the pressure reduce naturally.

MAKE THE SAUCE FOR BAKED BEANS

  • Preheat oven to 375°.
  • Place a dutch oven or heavy pot on medium high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel to drain.
  • Add the green bell pepper, onion and garlic to the dutch oven and cook for 3-5 minutes over medium heat until the vegetables are softened and translucent.
  • Add the brown sugar, molasses, ketchup, yellow mustard, dry mustard, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, red pepper flakes, black pepper, kosher salt, and BBQ rub. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is fragrant.
  • Reserve 1 cup of bean liquid.
  • Drain the beans and add them to the pot with the brown sugar mixture. Pour in the coffee and bean liquid and stir gently to combine. Place the dutch oven, uncovered into the oven. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
  • Remove the baked beans and sprinkle with reserved bacon and parsley for color (optional). Serve.

NOTES:

Can be made several days ahead of time.

NUTRITION:

Calories: 353kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 455mg | Potassium: 1015mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 139IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 4mg

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12 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Superb including the rub. Being from New England, I really do like the “Boston Baked Bean” cooked long an slow all day. I did some pulled pork this weekend on the smoker and wanted a more southern style and I always prefer to use dried beans for some things including backed beans. The technique and flavors all worked great together. I will bake it again

    1. So glad you enjoyed them Jim! You’re right these are great with pulled pork!

  2. Rahul @samosastreet.com says:

    These look outstanding!! Absolutely divine!! Loved the addition of coffee.. what difference does it make to the dish. May be I need to make it myself to see the difference

    1. Thanks so much! You can’t taste the coffee as an individual ingredient, but it does add depth and offsets some of the sweet from brown sugar and molasses.

      1. Sorry if this is a dumb question but when pressure cooking do I add any water back in after draining and rinsing? If so, how much?

        1. Reserve 2 cups of the cooked bean liquid to use in the baked beans, but drain off the rest.

  3. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says:

    5 stars
    These baked beans sound absolutely incredible – what delicious flavours. We are a family of baked bean lovers so I am sure these will go down a treat!

  4. 5 stars
    I agree! Homemade baked beans are out of this world, and just don’t compare to canned. Especially when you’re using dried beans. The texture and flavor of these beans were fantastic!

  5. Beth Sachs says:

    5 stars
    The boys in my house LOVE baked beans. The barbecue seasoning and coffee are great flavor enhancers. Makes them extra delicious. Great recipe.

  6. 5 stars
    I’ve never seen coffee used for baked beans – I can’t wait to try these!

  7. Christian Guzman says:

    5 stars
    This is perfect! We have a slab of ribs thawing in the refrigerator to grill outside and these Southern baked beans are going to be the perfect side!

  8. Thalia @ butter and brioche says:

    5 stars
    These baked beans look so smoky and delicious! I definitely need to make the recipe – I love anything rich in barbecue flavour.