These thick, sweet & smoky slow cooked vegan baked beans need a little initial prep then you can leave them to do their thing while you do yours. You will be rewarded with a comforting & delicious pot of the most amazing baked beans with rich, deep & complex flavours.
Step away from that can of baked beans and make these Vegan Baked Beans instead. Just do it…..you will not be disappointed. They are totally awesome and I should know as I have eaten rather a lot of them in the past few months while trying to get this recipe just right. By making them you will not only be treating yourself to a delicious, nutritious meal, you will also be helping to support International Year Of Pulses.
INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE PULSE
2016 is International Year Of The Pulse as declared by the United Nations in 2013. The idea is to put pulses on the map as a primary source of protein and essential nutrients. Awareness of pulses will be increased globally and hopefully it will help to show that there is life after animal protein and decrease people’s reliance on the cruel and barbaric meat and dairy trades. Pulses too can help improve the sustainability of agriculture. Read more about this and get more information on pulses in general by visiting Pulse Canada.
So in honour of Year Of The Pulse I bring you my Vegan Baked Beans. These beans can be cooked in a slow cooker, on the stove top or in the oven so you can choose the method that suits you best. Any way you do it they take a while to develop their rich, complex, smoky flavour but this is all hands off time.
After a bit of initial prep , these Vegan Baked Beans simmer slowly for hours and hours until they are rich, thick, sweet and smoky. They have the most amazing complex flavour and the smell in the house while they are cooking is so good!
PERFECT FOR BATCH COOKING
This recipe makes a lot but reheats perfectly and will keep for up to five days in the fridge. The flavours continue to develop over this time and just get better and better. They also freeze very well for a convenient no effort dinner at a later date.
HOW TO SERVE MY VEGAN BAKED BEANS
I love to bake a potato in the oven until it is crispy on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside, cut it in half, dollop on a bit of my Easy Vegan Butter, sprinkle with nutritional yeast (I love the Bob’s Red Mill brand) and mash it into the flesh a bit with a fork, then top with my thick, delicious Vegan Baked Beans. So, so good!
You can also serve them with some fresh bread or in the traditional English way, on toast. They also make a great side dish especially when they accompany my Bubble & Squeak Patties. A great dinner for getting lots of nutrition into unsuspecting children!
However you are going to serve them do it soon as I am sure you will love them! Let me know what you think by leaving feedback in the comments below. You can also share your pictures to my Facebook page or on Instagram or Twitter. Just be sure to tag me @avirtualvegan so I don’t miss them.
Vegan Barbecue Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 300g | 1.5 cups cups of small dried white beans , soaked overnight (measured before soaking - see recipe note if you forget to soak them) navy or great northern beans work best. If you don't have dried you may use 4.5 cups of canned beans
- 1 large onion
- 3 large cloves of garlic
- 28oz | 793g | 3 cups canned crushed tomatoes (see recipe note)
- 120mls | 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 80mls | 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
- 1 heaping tablespoon mustard (any wet variety)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes or powder (to give flavour not heat)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 heaping tablespoon smoked paprika , OR liquid smoke, (see recipe notes for advice on amounts) DO NOT use both. They both give good results.
- 240mls | 1 cup of water
Instructions
- First you need to cook your soaked beans (see recipe notes if you forgot to soak them) Drain off the soaking water, cover with fresh water and bring to a boil then simmer for about 40 minutes. They don't have to be completely cooked through as they will continue to cook once you get everything together in the pan. If you are using canned beans skip this step. Once the beans have cooked for 40 minutes drain them then continue onto the steps below depending on your cooking method.
Slow Cooker Method
- Add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours (I have left them for up to 10 hours in my crock-pot , or on high for 5 hours. Remember that all slow cookers are slightly different so I would suggest that you make sure you are semi around for the last couple of hours of cooking just in case your slow cooker runs hotter)
Stove Top or Oven Method
- Saute onions and garlic until transparent.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and cook over a medium heat until just starting to bubble.
- Turn down to low, cover and cook for around 3 hours or until the beans are very soft and the sauce is thick and rich. Check them often and stir to make sure they aren't sticking to the bottom or drying out. If they are just add a few drops of water to bring them back to the consistency you want.
- If baking in the oven once a simmer has been reached transfer to a covered oven proof dish and bake in a preheated oven on 300 ° F for 3 - 4 hours or until the beans are soft and the sauce is thick and rich. Again check every hour or so to make sure they are ok and not drying out.
Recipe Notes
If you forget to soak your beans you can use the quick soak method. Put the beans in a pan of water, boil for 1 minute then turn off and leave in the hot water for 1 hour. You can then cook them as usual.
If you do not have crushed tomatoes you can use chopped or whole canned tomatoes and just blend them up before using. If you are in the UK passata would be a good substitute.
Different brands of liquid smoke vary in strength a lot. I used 2.5 teaspoons in my beans but I suggest starting with only 1 teaspoon and tasting when the beans are nearly cooked. If it is smoky enough leave it, if not add another teaspoon or 1.5 teaspoons. You won't need any more than that.
I suggest pre-cooking the beans at least partially to get a much softer result, although it is possible to just throw in the soaked but uncooked beans as they are. I am lazy and often do this! You will not get such good results because the acid in the tomatoes prevents the beans from softening completely, but if you don't mind beans with a little bit of bite then it is perfectly acceptable and will still taste good.
If you have lots of leftovers they freeze very well. Keep them in an airtight container and defrost overnight. Warm them through in a pan on the stove, or microwave on medium. Make sure they are piping hot before serving.
This recipe has been linked to #recipeoftheweek at www.amummytoo.co.uk and Healthy Vegan Fridays at rockmyvegnsocksoff.com
YUM! I love baked beans so much!
Yummy, comforting, filling and healthy. You can’t beat them!
I also love baked beans on a baked potato! YUM!!!
You can’t beat it!
The year of the pulse? I’m in! And yes, agreed, let’s definitely step away from the canned beans. This looks sooooo much better!
Thank you Kelly!
I love baked beans – they are so delicious! Thanks for giving so many cooking methods in the recipe!
You are very welcome. I know not everyone has a slow cooker and wanted to make it as accessible as possible :0)
Wow, these look amazing! I LOVE baked beans and love all the flavors you have here, I definitely need to make this soon. Barbecue is my very favorite flavor!
Thank you Brandi! You can’t beat Barbecue flavours. Let mw know what you think :O)
they sure do look amazing!
Thank you so much!
oooh, one of my husband’s favorites! I haven’t made them in so long, this looks great!
Thanks! They are my husband’s favourite too.
I just got a slow cooker for Christmas, and this is going to be the inaugural recipe. Wow!! I love barbecue baked beans and can’t wait to try yours! I’m in love with all the flavors you added.
Wow I’m honoured! Thanks Gin :0) You will love your slow cooker. They make life so much easier! Let me know what you think of the beans.
I love baked beans. These look incredibly flavorful. Thanks for the recipe and go pulses! 🙂
Thanks Linda and “go pulses” indeed! They are the most fabulous ingredient.
These look amazing. I had been pondering about making my own baked beans, never thought of using a slow cooker to do them
The slow cooker is really the best way to make them. It is so effortless!
Oh yum! Love Love Love barbecue bake beans! This recipe is absolutely perfect for me! Thanks for sharing 🙂
made them, crockpot style, brilliant, the best recipe yet.
Oh wow, thank you so much for taking the time to leave feedback here Stefania! I am so glad you enjoyed them. Making them the crockpot way is so effortless which I love. They are one of our favourites here:0)
Oh yum, these sound so delicious and comforting! I will definitely be trying the slow cooker version, we love making our own beans!
Thank you! Let me know what you think!
can you use cider vinegar from any other fruit?
I am so sorry it has taken me so long to reply. Your comment got marked as spam and I only noticed it tonight when I was going through it all.
You could sub the apple cider vinegar for other cider vinegar if that is all you have.White wine vinegar would probably work too although I haven’t tried it. The vinegar is just there to add a bit of acidity and I like using apple cider vinegar because it tends to be a lot less processed than other vinegars and has a lot of health benefits. Let me know how it works out if you do sub the vinegar :O)
Wow, this bowl of baked beans looks excellent!!!
We are experimenting with a baked bean recipe as well. Will have to try your creation!
Thank you & good luck with your experiments! Let me know what you think if you give them a go!
The weather here is soo yucky right now, so this is just perfect! Quick, easy, and comforting! 🙂
Yes they are definitely perfect comfort food for those yucky days.
These look seriously good Mel! We’ve got a little bit of snow in the UK today and these look like exactly the kind of thing I want to eat!
Thank you so much Natalie! And snow? I’m jealous. When I lived in the UK I was in the south west & never saw snow & now I am in the only part of Canada that never sees snow!
Ahh it’s nothing to get too much jealous about! It turned to rain after a while and none settled. I don’t think I realised anywhere in Canada misses out on snow!
This sounds super delicious! I love baked beans and this sounds so much better than canned 😉 I especially like how you gave instructions for all methods of cooking.
I didn’t know it was the year of pulses – I quite enjoy that since I can’t have much soy and beans are my main source of protein.
Thank you so much for sharing this on Healthy Vegan Fridays Mel! I am pinning and sharing this. I can’t wait to make it =)
I look forward to seeing more of your wonderful recipes!
You are very welcome and thank you so much for your kind words :0) I hope you enjoy the baked beans. Let me know what you think!
This looks so good, baked beans are the ultimate comfort food, thanks for sharing a vegan version for everyone too enjoy!
Thank you and you are very welcome :0)
I love the rich, amber color of these beans! I don’t eat pork so finding baked beans in stores can be difficult at times. I’ll have to try these – they look incredible!
Thank you! They are so much better than canned beans…you will never want to go back :0)
Hello! This recipe looks amazing, but I get lost in the beginning. After the beans are soaked overnight and drained, you then say cover in fresh water and cook. After they are cooked for the 40 minutes,do you drain that liquid as well or do you add that to the crockpot with an additional 1 cup of water?
Thank you for clarifying!
M.
You drain the cooking water and discard before adding the beans with the rest of the ingredients to the crockpot. Sorry it wasn’t clear. I have amended the instructions so hopefully they should be ok now :O) Enjoy your beans!
I made these overnight in my crock pot and woke up at 5 am to the most wonderful smell! Of course I had have them immediately! I am your newest fan can’t wait to try everything! THANK YOU!
That’s wonderful Melissa. I am so glad you liked the recipe. What a way to wake up! I have never cooked them overnight like that so can only imagine how good your house smelt. And I can think of worse things to eat for breakfast than barbecue baked beans ;O) I hope you enjoy my other recipes as much as you have these!
This recipe is perfect. Thank you!
Great to hear Kay. Thanks for stopping by! :O)
Made this recipe on the stove top a couple months ago…(1st one I ever tried) they were really good ! Oh and I did freeze the leftovers and they did freeze very well 😍So now I’m about to make them in the crockpot today..looks like this is my go to recipe for baked beans lol..ty!
That’s great Kati. Hope you enjoy the crockpot version too!