Best Easy Vegan Baked Beans
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These easy vegan baked beans require no overnight soaking, thanks to canned beans! They’re bacon-free but still smoky and savory, perfect for any picnic or BBQ.
Whether you’re feeding a hungry crowd, upgrading canned beans, skipping meat, or sticking to a budget, these protein-packed baked beans deliver!
From picnics to BBQs, these vegan baked beans are the perfect side dish (or main) everyone can enjoy!
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These easy vegan baked beans with vegan egg salad sandwich make the perfect protein-packed breakfast, best enjoyed with a glass of cold brew iced coffee!
Why You’ll Love This Easy Vegan Baked Beans Recipe
- These easy vegan baked beans are actually baked! Unlike other cooking methods, baking them in the oven ensures flavorful beans cooked to tender perfection.
- These meatless baked beans are meal prep-friendly. They’ll taste even better as the flavors meld!
- This vegan baked bean recipe turns affordable, simple ingredients into a hearty, comforting dish that can feed and satisfy a crowd!
Ingredients And Substitutions
Extra virgin olive oil – You can also cook the aromatics in vegan butter.
Yellow onion and garlic cloves – They make up the flavorful base of the vegan baked beans.
Tomato paste – Helps thicken the sauce and provides a rich tomato flavor. You can also use ketchup!
Vegan Worcestershire sauce – The added umami flavor adds depth to the plant based baked beans.
Blackstrap molasses and maple syrup – You can use any sweetener (brown sugar works), but these two will give your vegan beans more complexity.
Yellow mustard – To add more tanginess, complementing the rich, savory sauce of the meatless baked beans.
Smoked paprika and liquid smoke – They lend that familiar smoky flavor we love in every comforting serving of baked beans.
Great Northern white beans – These are called easy vegan baked beans for a reason! No need to go through the effort of soaking and cooking the beans because you can use canned beans. (Continue reading if you’re interested in cooking beans from scratch!)
Sea salt and black pepper – We’ll keep the seasonings for these vegan baked beans simple with these pantry staples. For a more robust flavor profile, add fresh rosemary for earthiness or chili flakes if you like your beans with a bit of heat.
Fresh parsley – For a pop of freshness and color.
Tips For Making This Recipe
Cook Your Own Beans for Full Control of Texture and Flavor
Soak dry navy beans (they’re nice and creamy but hold their shape well!) overnight. Drain and rinse them, then add them to a pot with enough water to cover them. Gently boil for 1 hour until tender, and they’re good to go.
Make it Meatier
You can add more meatiness to the vegan baked beans with plant-based ground be’f, vegan bacon, meatless sausage, or crumbled tofu!
Leftover Tips
Cool and transfer the leftover meatless baked beans to an airtight container and refrigerate for 5 days or freeze for 2 months. If frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove or microwave for a few minutes.
Meatless Baked Beans Recipe FAQs
What kind of beans are best for baked beans?
The best vegan baked beans are made with tender, creamy navy beans. Great Northern beans, like the ones used in this recipe, offer a similar texture but with a larger, more satisfying bite in my opinion!
Why are my baked beans still hard?
This easy vegan baked beans recipe uses canned beans for convenience, but if you want to cook dry beans, soak them overnight for the best texture. Older, expired, and improperly stored dry beans will also likely remain hard after cooking!
Can you cook baked beans in a slow cooker?
These healthy baked beans are baked in the oven for the best flavor and tender, creamy texture. However, you can consider cooking the onion and garlic separately, and then adding them with the other ingredients to a slow cooker. Stir and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours, opening the lid at the last 30 minutes until the sauce is thick.
What do you serve with baked beans?
These baked beans go with a variety of meals! You can start your day with homemade vegan baked beans served with toast and vegan scramble, or end the day with a comforting feast of hearty baked beans and vegan mac and cheese!
Can I freeze cooked baked beans?
Yes! These plant based baked beans are freezer-friendly for up to 2 months, so feel free to make a big batch.
More Delicious Vegan Bean Recipes
- Green Bean Salad
- Instant Pot White Bean Soup
- Vegan Bean and No Bacon Soup
- Vegan Black Bean Burger
- 3-Bean Vegetarian Chili
I found this recipe for Sweet Potato Black Bean Curry that I HAVE to try!
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Easy Vegan Baked Beans
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 3 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp blackstrap molasses
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 14-oz cans Great Northern white beans, rinsed and drained
- Sea salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Add the oil to the bottom of a Dutch oven and heat over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the onions and cook for 3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from heat.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, mustard, paprika, liquid smoke, and maple syrup. Set aside.
- Add the beans to the Dutch oven with the cooked onions. Pour the sauce over the top and gently stir until evenly combined.
- Cover and bake the bean mixture for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes to continue cooking. Season with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with parsley and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Soak dry navy beans (they’re nice and creamy but hold their shape well!) overnight. Drain and rinse them, then add them to a pot with enough water to cover them. Gently boil for 1 hour until tender, and they’re good to go.
- You can add more meatiness to the vegan baked beans with plant-based ground be’f, vegan bacon, meatless sausage, or crumbled tofu!
- Cool and transfer the leftover meatless baked beans to an airtight container and refrigerate for 5 days or freeze for 2 months. If frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove or microwave for a few minutes.
PIN FOR LATER!
