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 extraordinary! This Canned Baked Beans recipe is an easy and delicious way to make canned beans taste like you made them from scratch! Perfect with my 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!”
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
Short on time or don’t want to go to the trouble of making baked beans from scratch? This canned baked beans recipe is your solution!
This baked beans recipe is one you’ll want to file away for all your special occasions, like graduations, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, summer barbecuing, potlucks, and even the holidays!
If you love the convenience of canned baked beans but find them lacking in homemade flavor, my Canned Baked Beans recipe is an easy way to dress them up so they taste as if you made them from scratch! 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!
- Budget-friendly! Not many extra ingredients are needed — just good, flavorful, mostly pantry-based ingredients.
- Completely make-ahead.
- Always a crowd-pleaser!
How to make Canned Baked Beans Taste Homemade:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this canned baked beans recipe, along with 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. 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 here, too, avoid flavored bacon. Plant-based, turkey, or beef bacon can be used in place of pork bacon.
- Spicy Brown Mustard: I like spicy brown mustard for this baked beans recipe, but Dijon or yellow mustard will also work.
- Molasses: Readers have reported good results using maple syrup instead of molasses. You’ll have more of a maple flavor, which I think works well if you don’t mind it and don’t complicate the flavors by using 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 saute pan and cook for 4 to 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 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 cooked to a soft stage.
- Place the canned baked beans in the prepared baking dish.
- Combine the beans, onions, 3/4 of the bacon, and the remaining ingredients in the prepared baking dish, starting with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Taste and adjust the 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.
And let everyone dig in! So easy and they’ll be the hit of your get-together!
Chef tips and tricks:
- Different brands of baked beans vary in sweetness, so adjust the sweetness to taste. Start with the lower amount of brown sugar and add more if you prefer sweeter beans.
- Baking uncovered allows the sauce to thicken and become rich and glossy.
- Prefer saucier baked beans? Bake them covered with foil to retain moisture and prevent the sauce from reducing too much.
- When storing the leftovers, ensure the beans didn’t sit out too long at your gathering. Two hours at room temperature is the max. Longer than that and you’re flirting with a foodborne illness.
Recipe FAQs:
There will be about an 8-ounce difference, which is just a cup less if using 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 ready to bake, let the baking dish sit out for 30 to 45 minutes, so you’re not placing an ice-cold dish into a hot oven.
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 to let the harsh alcohol flavor cook off before adding the remaining ingredients. I suggest including the apple cider vinegar to help balance the sweetness and richness.
More great side dishes for your get-together!
Get more great summery side dish ideas at: 30 Best Sides to Take to a Cookout!
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!
OK, the recipe sounds wonderful and everything. However, it says only 1 g of protein? How can that be? Thank you again.
Hi, Deborah, Thanks so much for your question. Yeah, definitely off. I use an online calculator and everything is estimated. If the nutritional information is important to you, follow what is on the cans of beans you’re actually using. According to their website, Bush’s Baked Beans have approximately 7 grams of protein per serving. Not sure if that would be different on other brands. Thanks again and let me know if I can help in any other way.
This is exactly how I’ve made canned baked beans my entire life! Sooo good! That caramel top is the best! Carol, you must be my long-lost food soul mate. Many yummy returns!
Hi, Jennifer, Thanks so much and so happy you love this recipe! The best recipes are the ones we’ve been making forever. Food soul mates for sure! Appreciate you taking the time to comment and rate.
Do the ingredients remain the same for 2 28-ounce cans of beans? Thank you!
Hi, Laura, Thanks for your question. There is going to be about an 8-ounce difference which is just a cup. You can keep the bacon as is because… bacon! A small onion (1 1/2 cups) should be okay, too, but you can always use more or use less–your preference. Then, if you want to be really precise, the others as follows: 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. I usually don’t worry about it as I like saucy beans, but you may not. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
I haven’t made this yet so rating, but I would like to soon. I like hot dogs cut in one inch chunks in my baked beans. How would you prepare? Just chunk the hots first and mix them with the beans to cook?
Hi, John, Thanks so much for your question. Sounds like a great idea! Yes, I would just slice them up however you want and add them before baking. Popping them on the grill for a minute or two if you’re making these beans in the summer time would also add some great flavor. Let me know how it goes. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
Beans, smoked ham cubes, onions, brown sugar, molasses, ketchup, bacon slices to put on top.
Hi. I always use this recipe!!! However I keep the bean covered for 45 minutes then uncover. We like them more moist
Terrific recipe. Thx!
Hi, Mary, Thanks so very much and happy you love this recipe! Love the tip to keep them a little more saucy. Appreciate you taking the time to come back and comment.
I made this recipe but used smoked bacon all I had. Used a cheap can of baked beans think it would have been best to use a better brand. Took to a potluck dinner some people commented they like it and wanted the recipe.
Hi, Charlie, Thanks so very much and happy everyone enjoyed! Appreciate you trying it and taking the time to come back and comment and rate.
Hi, I have made this recipe before and it is loved by everyone. Now I need to make a bigger quantity and noticed the 1x, 2x and 3x all say 2- 28 ounce cans. Is this right?? seems the bean quantity should increase? Thank you.
Hi, Diane, Thanks so much for your question and happy everyone enjoys this recipe. When you change the quantity (2X, 3X, etc.), look at that first number which will change to an 8, etc. The 2 28-ounce cans won’t change because it’s a limitation of the program I have to use for the recipe, but of course, it would be 4 28-ounce cans. My apologies for that. If I can think of a way to change/correct that, I certainly will. Thank you again!
Hello Carol, Thank you for this. I googled “adding to canned beans” and your recipe was at the top of the list. I did not add the bacon or the Bush’s, but four cans of no-name beans. Turned out great! I took a pic of the crock pot out of the oven but not sure how to add it to my comment. I followed your directions and it turned out way better than I expected. Thank you so much, it was delicious. Ron
Hi, Ron, Thanks so very much and so happy you love this recipe! I cannot upload readers’ photos either, but that can be done on Pinterest if you have a Pinterest account. Thanks again, and I so appreciate your giving the recipe a try and taking the time to come back and comment and rate.
Do you drain sauce from canned baked beans?
Hi, Debi, Thanks for your question. No, don’t drain the sauce from the canned baked beans. (See the ingredient section where I say the beans should be “undrained.”). That being said, the added ingredients will create additional liquid, but baking them uncovered will help thicken them up. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
I forgot to mention that I did not add any additional BBQ sauce, but I may try it the next time. Everyone loved it, and it is now my go to recipe.
Hi, Ted, Thanks so much and happy everyone enjoyed! Appreciate your taking the time to come back and comment and rate.