Best Canned Baked Beans Recipe
This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read My Disclosure
With just a few ingredients you may already have on hand, you can turn ordinary canned baked beans into something extraordinary! This Canned Baked Beans recipe is an easy, delicious way to make canned beans taste as if you made them from scratch! Perfect with my Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs and Cajun Chicken Drumsticks!
“The first baked beans I’ve made in 50 years of marriage that my husband has really loved!” — Jaye
QUICK TAKE: Baked Beans Recipe Using Canned Beans
- What It Is: An easy way to turn ordinary canned baked beans into a rich, flavorful, homemade-tasting side dish, perfect for cookouts, potlucks, and family dinners.
- Ingredient Highlights: Canned baked beans, bacon, onion, and pantry ingredients.
- Time to Make: 15 minutes of prep and 1 hour and 15 minutes of cooking and baking.
- Chef’s Top Tip: Baking uncovered allows the sauce to thicken and become rich and glossy.
- Why Make THIS Version? A tried-and-true, reader-favorite recipe with hundreds of glowing reviews! Simple pantry ingredients and a few easy steps make canned baked beans taste as if you made them from scratch.
Table of Contents
Why This Canned Baked Beans Recipe is a Keeper!
Short on time or don’t want the trouble of making baked beans from scratch? This recipe transforms canned baked beans into a restaurant-quality side dish with simple pantry ingredients!
This doctored canned baked beans recipe is one you’ll want to save for special occasions, like graduations, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, summer barbecues, potlucks, and even the holidays!
If you love the convenience of canned baked beans but find they lack flavor, my Canned Baked Beans recipe is an easy way to dress them up. This is the best baked beans recipe using canned beans, with hundreds of four- and five-star reviews!
The flavor base in canned baked beans is already there, but with a few simple ingredients you already have, no one will ever know you started with a store-bought convenience item!
This baked beans recipe with canned beans is:
- Tried and true! With almost 650 4- and 5-star ratings, you won’t go wrong.
- Easy! I include plenty of pro tips for layering flavors and textures so no one realizes you started with a can.
- Budget-friendly! You don’t need many extra ingredients —just good, flavorful, mostly pantry-based ingredients.
- Completely make-ahead.
- Always a crowd-pleaser!
Whether you’re feeding a crowd or putting together a simple family dinner, these baked beans are a side dish you can count on!
How to make Canned Baked Beans Taste Homemade:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need for this canned baked beans recipe, plus how to prep the ingredients. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.
Ingredient Notes AND SUBSTITUTIONS:
- Canned Baked Beans: Use an “original” or simply flavored style such as Bush’s Original Baked Beans. Avoid any that have hickory smoke flavor, maple, or other flavorings; they won’t work with these other ingredients and may compete.
- Bacon: Use your favorite brand, but avoid flavored bacon here, too. Use plant-based, turkey, or beef bacon instead of pork bacon.
- Spicy Brown Mustard: I like spicy brown mustard for this baked beans recipe, but Dijon or yellow mustard will also work.
- Worcestershire Sauce: I’m a Lea & Perrins fan, but it contains anchovies, so it’s not suitable for anyone with a fish or seafood allergy. Use a vegan Worcestershire if there are any allergy concerns.
- Molasses: Readers have reported good results using maple syrup instead of molasses. You’ll get more maple flavor, which I think works well if you don’t mind it and don’t want to complicate the flavors with flavored bacon, beans, etc.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and prep all the ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 2- to 3-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Place the bacon in a skillet or sauté pan and cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until rendered and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve the bacon drippings in the skillet.
- Add the onion to the skillet with the bacon drippings and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until very soft. If the pan gets dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water and continue cooking until the onions are soft.
- Place the canned baked beans in the prepared baking dish.
- In the prepared baking dish, combine the beans, onions, 3/4 of the bacon, and the remaining ingredients, starting with 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Taste and add more brown sugar as needed. Add apple cider vinegar for a little tanginess, if desired.
- Sprinkle the remaining bacon over the top. Bake uncovered for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until bubbling and the top is caramelized.
And let everyone dig in! So easy, and they’ll be the hit of your get-together!
Chef tips and tricks:
- Baked beans vary in sweetness by brand, so adjust to taste. Start with less brown sugar and add more if you prefer sweeter beans.
- Baking uncovered allows the sauce to thicken and become rich and glossy.
- Prefer saucier doctored baked beans? Bake them covered with foil to retain moisture and prevent the sauce from reducing too much.
- When storing leftovers, make sure the beans didn’t sit out too long at your gathering. The maximum is two hours at room temperature. After that, you’re flirting with foodborne illness.
Canned Baked Beans Recipe FAQs:
You’ll have about an 8-ounce difference, which is just a cup less if you use two 28-ounce cans instead of four 16-ounce cans. I don’t worry about it, because I like saucy beans. However, if you prefer to make precise adjustments, use the following amounts:
>>You can keep the bacon as is because… bacon!
>>A small onion (1 1/2 cups) will also work fine.
>>3 tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons ketchup
>>1 3/4 to 2 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
>>1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
>>1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons molasses
>>1 3/4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
>>3/4 to 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar if using
Yes, but the top won’t get caramelized. As a reader suggested, place a tea towel over the top of the slow cooker to absorb the steam produced so it doesn’t water down the beans. Cook for 5 to 6 hours on LOW or 3 to 3.5 hours on HIGH.
Absolutely! Freeze them before baking or after as leftovers. Place them in an airtight container and freeze for 2 to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave and bake as directed.
Yes! In fact, the flavor often improves after a few hours or overnight. Prep the beans up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate. When you’re ready to bake, let the baking dish sit out for 30 to 45 minutes, so you’re not putting an ice-cold dish into a hot oven.
Yes, but with a few adjustments. Fresh bacon delivers the best smoky flavor and richness because it renders flavorful fat into the beans. Precooked bacon is the next best option — simply chop it and stir it in or sprinkle it over the top before baking, although it won’t contribute as much richness. Bacon bits aren’t a great substitute because they don’t render fat or add the same depth of flavor. If you prefer not to use bacon, add a drop or two of liquid smoke gradually, to taste, because it’s an artificial, highly concentrated flavor.
VARIATIONS:
- Like a little more meat? Add 1/2 pound cooked ground beef.
- Bourbon lovers: Start with 2 to 3 tablespoons. Add it after cooking the bacon and onion, then let it simmer briefly so the harsh alcohol flavor cooks off before adding the remaining ingredients. I suggest adding apple cider vinegar to balance the sweetness and richness.
Favorites from my kitchen!
- For a classic cookout combo, serve these baked beans with my cool, creamy Potato Cucumber Salad.
- If you love turning simple pantry ingredients into something special, my easy red beans and rice recipe is another budget-friendly favorite.
- These beans are a natural side dish for BBQ Chicken Sliders, especially when you’re feeding a crowd.
More Crowd-pleasing sides:
If you tried my baked beans recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments!
Best Canned Baked Beans Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- Cooking spray, for pan
- 6 slices bacon, diced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped (approximately 1 cup)
- 4 cans (16-ounce each) baked beans, preferably original recipe such as Bush's, undrained
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2-3 tablespoons light brown sugar, to taste
- 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2 to 3-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Place the bacon in a skillet or saute pan and cook for 4-5 minutes over medium heat until rendered and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve the bacon drippings in the skillet.
- Place the onion in the skillet with the bacon drippings and cook for 5-6 minutes or until very soft. If the pan gets dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of water and continue cooking until the onions are cooked to a soft stage.
- Combine the beans, onions, 3/4 of the bacon and the remaining ingredients using 2 tablespoons of brown sugar to start with in the prepared baking dish.
- Taste and adjust sweetness with more brown sugar as desired. Add the apple cider vinegar for a little tanginess if you desire.
- Sprinkle the remaining bacon over the top.
- Bake uncovered for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until bubbling and the top is caramelized.
Notes
- You won’t get the caramelized top, and the beans could be a bit more soupy.
- Place a clean kitchen towel over the slow cooker, then cover with the lid. The kitchen towel will absorb some of the steam, which can water down the beans.
- Cook for 5 to 6 hours on LOW or 3 to 3.5 hours on HIGH.
- Can also use two 28-ounce cans. See the FAQs for the precise ingredient adjustments.
- Although I prefer to use original or simply flavored beans, maple syrup can be substituted for molasses.
- Plant-based, turkey, or beef bacon can be used in place of pork bacon.
- Dijon or yellow mustard can be used in place of spicy brown mustard.
- Baked bean brands vary in sweetness, so start with the lower amount of brown sugar and add more to taste.
- Bake uncovered for a thick, rich, glossy sauce. Prefer saucier beans? Cover with foil to retain more moisture.
- Time can get away from you when hosting a gathering. Refrigerate leftovers promptly. For food safety, don’t leave the beans at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Beans can be assembled to the point of baking up to 2 days ahead.
- Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking, or add additional baking time.
- Freeze in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave and bake as directed.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are automatically calculated using unbranded products and are estimates only. Actual results may vary based on ingredients used and portion sizes. Adjust as needed for dietary restrictions, allergies, or health concerns.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Hi there-thanks for this recipe! What are your feelings on putting these in the crockpot?
Hi, Elisa, Thanks so much for your question. Yes, you absolutely can do these in the slow cooker. The only thing you probably won’t get is the caramelized top. Also, the beans may not get very thick as slow cookers retain so much liquid (and even make more!). Thanks so much and hope you enjoy!
If using a slow cooker, put a clean dry tea towel over the crock before putting the lid on. The tea towel absorbs the extra liquid leaving your meal intact.
Thanks so much, Elaine! Great tip!
Could you let me know the time and temp for slow cooking option.. (low 2-3hrs.??)
Thanks so much for your question! You can do them on LOW for 4-5 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours. Everything is already cooked so you’re safe that way–it’s a matter of heating through and getting the flavors to blend. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
I made these beans for a family get together and everyone commented on how good they were. I have found my go-to easy baked bean recipe 🙂
I made this without bacon and it still turned out great. Didn’t have spicy brown mustard so just used regular yellow mustard and skipped the apple cider vinegar. Didn’t have molasses and used regular pancake syrup. So many easy subs available to create a splendid recipe.
Sautéed the onions first until soft. Added the canned beans and then the additional ingredients which I mixed in a separate bowl first. Simmered the mixture for about 45 minutes.
Made your recipe recently; a definite step up from normal baked beans!
BUT would you please include METRIC measurements in your recipes? Don’t forget by placing your recipes on the Web you’re catering for a world-wide audience, of which probably 95% don’t use the antiquated US imperial system (I’m from Australia).
Ounces? Quarts? Oven temperatures in Fahrenheit? What are those? I had to resort to Google to look them up and was surprised to find that your recipe calls for 1.8kg of beans so I had to drastically scale down the quantities.
Baked beans are a United States dish. Don’t be lazy. Look up the measurements yourself instead of bashing the chef for her amazing United States dish.
I made these beans for a wedding that I was catering. Everyone loved them! They came back for seconds, thirds, and fourths! Such a big hit I will be making them for more of my events!
This little bit of extra time is well worth it! Very good.
Amazing recipe!!! Made it with 6 slices of thick-cut applewood bacon and stole the show. With the (2) 28oz cans. This was the side show to a 13 lb smoke brisket, sweet corn, and homemade mashed potatoes. It was a party of 9 and the beans were gone…. this recipe is a keeper!! Thank you!
Made these for a birthday cook out and everyone loved em!!! Now I am gonna attempt making for a bbq dinner sale- for 500!! Any tips- at least send me some luck!!
Hi, Karen, Thanks so very much and glad everyone enjoyed! If you can find the food service-sized cans, that would be a great start. Often, there is an aisle at stores like Kroger and Wal-Mart that have the super-sized cans. A quick internet search shows they have 26 servings each. And most certainly, GOOD LUCK! That’s amazing! Thanks again!
Hi Carol, I just ran across this recipe; these sound amazing.
I would like to take them camping next weekend. I don’t have a cast iron pot – but would these be okay in one of those blue enamelware camping pots?
If so, I may bake them the night before and reheat over campfire.
Questions:
If I don’t prebake, how long should I cook over fire, until the liquid starts to boil?
Or if I prebake then only reheat over fire – same question – heat until I see the liquid start to boil?
I’m also going to attempt to make your Yogurt Ranch Cucumber Salad too, that also looks yummy.
Thanks for these great recipes!!
Hi, Cathy, Wow! Cooking the beans over a campfire sounds GREAT and I can almost taste the smoky flavor! Because the beans and everything in it are already cooked, you really just need to reheat. I think a camping pot would be fine and heated through to a good bubbling simmer. Have a great time and hope everyone enjoys!
I am preparing the beans for our community block picnic tomorrow. Your photos of your beans looks awesome and hope mine turn out as well as yours. (I used maple syrup instead of molasses) I topped the casserole with the crumbled bacon as I didn’t see where you indicated to put any of it into the beans. It’s smelling so good and can hardly wait to sample it! Thank you for your recipe.
Hi, Peggy, Thanks so much and hope you all enjoy! Yeah, that wasn’t clear and thanks so much for pointing that out. I’ve made an adjustment to the recipe that I hope will clarify. Thanks again!