Healthy baked beans are a favorite summer bbq staple, with bold savory flavor and a touch of tangy sweetness. This vegetarian version is protein-rich, high in fiber, dairy free, and you can make them in the oven or use a slow cooker. It's an easy and budget-friendly recipe that lets your oven do the work.
I plan on eating these healthy baked beans on rotation all summer long, right alongside corn on the cob, purple cabbage slaw, and summer tortellini salad. This easy homemade recipe uses canned beans, but you can swap in dried beans if you prefer.
My vegetarian version of bbq beans has no bacon, no refined sugar, and it's naturally sweetened with maple syrup so you can focus on the robust, smoky, and hearty flavor. It's even better the next day!
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⭐️ Why These Baked Beans are the Best
- Summer bbq staple with bold savory flavor and just enough tangy sweetness
- Two easy cooking methods are provided: oven or slow cooker
- Healthy vegetarian baked beans that are protein-rich, high in fiber, gluten-free, dairy-free/vegan, with no refined sugar, and a great source of calcium and folate.
- Easy recipe with just 10 minutes of prep time, and then you let your oven do the work!
- Budget-friendly recipe that uses pantry-friendly ingredients
🍅 Ingredient Notes
- Yellow or white onion - You can substitute 3-4 shallots for a similar flavor
- Garlic - I recommend using fresh garlic for optimal flavor, but jarred garlic works as well.
- Smoked paprika - Adds that lovely smoky flavor found in baked beans
- Low-sodium vegetable broth - I typically use low-sodium broth in my cooking to control the amount of sodium in my diet. However, you can use "regular" broth, but only add ½ teaspoon of salt to your beans.
- Maple syrup - Adds subtle sweetness without being too sweet
- Tomato paste - Adds sweet & tangy concentrated tomato flavor
- Apple cider vinegar - Cuts the sweetness and adds complex flavor
- Dijon or whole-grain mustard - Provides a spicy kick
- Great Northern beans - You can also use white beans, navy beans, or pinto beans for similar flavor. They will all work great!
🌶 Variations & Substitutions
- Crockpot/ slow cooker instructions: Place all ingredients into your slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 2-3 hours, until mixture is thick and beans have absorbed flavor. You may need to add water every few hours, so be sure to keep an eye on it!
- Spicy beans: To give your beans a pop of heat, add 1 chopped jalapeño or ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
- Dried beans: You can use dried beans as well! Just be sure to cook them according to package instructions before using them here.
- Sweetener: You can substitute honey for the maple syrup, or see my list of the best substitutes for maple syrup.
🔪 How to Make Healthy Vegetarian Baked Beans
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, until tender. Add garlic and smoked paprika and cook for an additional minute.
Pour in vegetable broth, maple syrup, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, and mustard, and whisk to combine. Add beans, salt, and pepper, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Transfer the beans to the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips
- Storage: Transfer beans to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- How to freeze: I like to divide my leftover beans into quart-sized freezer bags so I don't have to thaw them all at once. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight.
- How to reheat: Re-warm beans in a medium saucepan over low heat for 8-10 minutes, until heated through.
- Make ahead instructions: Make it ahead of time for more flavor! Like many soups and casseroles, letting the flavors marinate overnight help to deepen the flavor.
- No need to rinse beans. In many recipes calling for canned beans, it says to "drain and rinse". However, in this recipe, you don't need to rinse them, as the liquid helps to thicken the baked beans and adds seasoning.
🍽 How to Serve BBQ Beans
Baked beans are great for bbqs, picnics, and potlucks, but they're also eaten as part of an English breakfast. There's really no wrong way to eat them, so here are some fun suggestions:
- Pair them with mashed potatoes or chimichurri roasted potatoes
- Serve your healthy beans with a hearty salad, like my vegetarian tortellini salad
- Pair with mushroom burgers, grilled chicken, or hot dogs for a summer cookout
- Serve with a glass of refreshing lemon ginger water
- Pair with vegetables, like grilled asparagus or corn on the cob
- Serve on toast for an English breakfast
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
When it comes to baked beans, making them from scratch is the healthiest way to go. This lets you control the amount of sodium and sugar in your beans, as the canned stuff typically contains corn syrup and preservatives, among other unhealthy ingredients.
They definitely are with this healthy recipe! This easy homemade version is high in fiber & protein, dairy free, vegan, gluten free, with no refined sugar.
In short, they are not healthy largely due to the amount of sodium and sugar in each serving. Each ½ cup serving contains 12 grams of sugar and 570 milligrams of sodium. They also contain preservatives to make them shelf-stable.
Making healthy baked beans from scratch is a great way to go if you're diabetic. You can control the amount of sugar and sodium added while still enjoying delicious baked beans.
🍽 More Recipes That are Great for Cookouts
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Healthy Baked Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth or water
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon or whole-grain mustard
- 3 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, drained
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, until tender.
- Add garlic and smoked paprika and cook for an additional minute.
- Pour in vegetable broth, maple syrup, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, and mustard, and whisk to combine.
- Add beans, salt, and pepper, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the beans to the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
- Storage: Transfer beans to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- How to freeze: I like to divide my leftover beans into quart-sized freezer bags so I don't have to thaw them all at once. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight.
- How to reheat: Re-warm beans in a medium saucepan over low heat for 8-10 minutes, until heated through.
- Make ahead instructions: Make it ahead of time for more flavor! Like many soups and casseroles, letting the flavors marinate overnight help to deepen the flavor.
- No need to rinse beans. In many recipes calling for canned beans, it says to "drain and rinse". However, in this recipe, you don't need to rinse them, as the liquid helps to thicken the baked beans and adds seasoning.
Bsrb
Looks very easy! I love the idea of adding to breakfast for an English breakfast!
MaryAnne
Yes, I love a good English breakfast every now and then!