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Baked Beans from Scratch in a ceramic dish with a spoon in it.
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4.43 from 7 votes

Baked Beans from Scratch

Level up your beans by making Baked Beans from Scratch!! Soaked navy beans are combined with a simple mixture of brown sugar, vinegar and smoky bacon then simmered together until perfectly tender and oh-so-delicious!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Soak Time12 hours
Total Time15 hours 30 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked beans
Servings: 14 1/2 cup servings
Calories: 290kcal
Author: Kelsey

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dry navy beans
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 8 slices bacon diced
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 1/2 cups reserved bean liquid*

Instructions

Prepare the Beans

  • Pour the dry navy beans into a large pot and cover them with cold water. Be sure to have a few inches of water covering the beans as they'll soak up quite a bit. Cover the beans and let them soak for 12 hours or overnight.
  • Drain the beans. Cover them with fresh water, covering them with an extra 1-2 inches of water on top. Stir in the salt and the baking soda.
  • Bring the pot of beans to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Let them simmer, stirring occasionally, for one hour.
  • Drain the beans, reserving the water for later.

Mix and Bake

  • Preheat oven to 350℉.
  • In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat, add the diced bacon.
  • Cook for a few minutes then add the diced onion.
  • Cook until the bacon is crisp and the onions are translucent.
  • Stir in the brown sugar, ketchup, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and 1 1/2 cups of the reserved liquid (you may need to add more later).
  • Pour the bean mixture into a baking dish and cover tightly with foil. (Or simply cover the Dutch oven with a lid)
  • Bake for 1 hour then give the beans a stir. If it's beginning to look dry, you can add a little more of the reserved bean water.
  • Bake another 30 minutes, stir the beans and remove the foil.
  • Bake for 30 more minutes (the beans will thicken).
  • Stir and serve warm.

Notes

*You'll reserve some of the liquid after boiling the beans.

Nutrition

Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 720mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 4.6g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 103IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 341mg | Iron: 2.8mg