A vegan cookout or barbecue isn’t complete without a big batch of Vegan Baked Beans! Featuring incredible smoky, savory, and sweet flavors, it’s an easy, hands-off side dish that’s ready to eat after baking in the oven for 1 hour. 

Whether it’s the long weekend, the start of summer, or a family barbecue, a side of these easy Vegan Baked Beans with dinner is a must. They’re made with everyday ingredients and cooked low and slow in the oven to develop deep layers of rich and smoky flavor. No veggie burger or vegan potato salad is complete without them!

The best part? This baked beans recipe couldn’t be easier to make! Simply stir the ingredients together, bake the beans in the oven for an hour, then dig in. The oven does most of the heavy lifting in this recipe, giving you time to focus on the rest of the meal.

Recipe features

• Classic baked beans are a must-have at any barbecue, backyard party, or cookout. My vegan version skips the meat, but none of the addictively delicious smoky-sweet flavors!
• Baking the beans in the oven gives them the most incredible layers of flavor, plus it’s a hands-off cooking method.
• Pair the vegan baked beans with all of your vegan cookout favorites, like grilled eggplant, veggie burgers, and cauliflower steaks.

Ingredients

Beans – The best beans for baked beans are Great Northern beans. I like to use canned beans because they’re so convenient and speed up the cooking time, but you’re welcome to cook dry beans from scratch if you’d like. Find the instructions in the Tips below.

Molasses – Use dark molasses, like blackstrap molasses.

Barbecue sauce – Use your favorite store-bought brand or make the BBQ sauce from scratch to take the flavors to the next level.

Brown sugar – The brown sugar is important because its sweetness balances the bolder, smokier flavors. Coconut sugar works well as a substitute.

Seasonings – I seasoned the beans with a simple blend of garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.

Instructions

Step 1: Mix the ingredients. Add all of the baked bean ingredients to a large bowl and stir to combine.

Step 2: Bake. Dump the bean mixture into a prepared baking dish, cover with foil, and bake.

Step 3: Continue baking. Remove the foil after 50 minutes and continue baking for another 10 minutes. Let the beans cool before serving, then enjoy!

Tips and FAQs

• To make baked beans with dried beans, soak 1 ½ cups of dry Great Northern beans in water overnight. Boil them in fresh water the next day until they’re soft and tender (1 to 1 ½ hours). Make the recipe as normal when they’re done cooking.
• Feel free to reduce the sugar to ⅛ cup if you’d like the beans to be less sweet. You can also omit the sugar from the recipe entirely, although the flavors won’t be as balanced.

Variations

• Add vegan meat – Crumbled tempeh bacon would make the beans extra hearty!
• Make them spicy – Add up to ¼ cup of sriracha or another hot sauce for a spicy twist.
• Add more aromatics – Feel free to add 2 or 3 minced garlic cloves or a diced bell pepper in addition to the onion.
• For maple baked beans – Replace the brown sugar with an equal amount of maple syrup.
• For bourbon baked beans – Stir a splash of bourbon into the bean mixture.
• If you can’t find Great Northern beans – Use an equal amount of canned cannellini beans or Navy beans instead.

Serving suggestions

One of the best ways to serve baked beans is next to all of your vegan barbecue favorites. Pair them with grilled tofu steaks or cauliflower steaks, vegan mac and cheese, grilled zucchini, grilled corn kale salad, and vegan cornbread.

When it’s not grilling season, serve the beans over toast, with tofu scramble for breakfast, or on top of loaded baked potatoes. 

Can you make baked beans in a slow cooker instead?

I haven’t tested it but making the beans in a crockpot should work well. To make vegan baked beans in a slow cooker, add the bean mixture to the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, or until the sauce is thickened to your liking.

Why aren’t my baked beans thick?

This might happen if your bean-to-sauce ratio is off. To thicken the baked beans, stir a cornstarch slurry (made by stirring 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water) into the bean mixture after baking for 50 minutes, then continue baking for 10 minutes. The sauce should thicken nicely.

Storage

Refrigerator: After they’ve cooled to room temperature, transfer the baked beans to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Freezer: Baked beans also freeze well for up to 3 months. Let the leftovers thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Reheating: Pour the beans into a baking dish and reheat in a 350ºF oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they’re heated through.

More vegan cookout recipes

• Grilled Asparagus Pasta Salad
• Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers
• Vegan Jackfruit Pulled Pork

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!