Baked Beans from Scratch using Dry Beans
Baked Beans From Scratch made with dry beans, bacon, and a homemade sauce. It's so much better than the canned baked beans you grew up with!
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 359kcal
Equipment
- large pot or dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried navy beans
- 1 onion diced finely
- ½ lb bacon diced finely
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons mustard powder
- ¼ cup molasses
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 1 ½ cup water
Instructions
- Soak the beans (overnight). Place 1 lb dried navy beans in a large bowl, cover with plenty of water, and soak overnight.
- Cook the beans (next morning). Drain the beans, add them to a pot of cold water, cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for about 1 hour until fork-tender (not mushy). Drain and rinse with cold water; set aside.
- Sauté bacon + onion. In a heavy-bottom Dutch oven, sauté ½ lb diced bacon and 1 finely diced onion for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
- Build the sauce. Add salt, pepper, mustard powder, molasses, brown sugar, ketchup, and water to the Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Add beans. Stir the cooked beans into the boiling sauce, then remove from heat.
- Bake low and slow. Cover with a lid and bake at 275°F for 5–6 hours. Stir every 30 minutes, adding a few tablespoons of water if the beans start looking dry.
- Serve. Serve hot (and yes—leftovers get even better).
Notes
- Soaking matters. Soak dry beans overnight for even cooking and better texture. If short on time, use the quick-soak method (boil 2 minutes, rest 1 hour, then drain).
- Cook beans before baking. Always simmer beans until fork-tender (but not mushy) before adding them to the sauce. Acidic ingredients can slow softening if added too early.
- Low and slow is key. Baking at a low temperature for several hours develops deep flavor and thickens the sauce naturally. Stir occasionally and add a splash of water if the beans look dry.
- Adjust sweetness. Reduce brown sugar slightly for less sweetness, or add an extra tablespoon of molasses for a deeper, richer flavor.
- Thicker sauce tip. If the sauce isn’t thick enough near the end of baking, remove the lid for the last 30–45 minutes.
- Make ahead. These baked beans from scratch taste even better the next day as the flavors continue to develop.
- Freezer friendly. Cool completely before freezing. Reheat gently with a little water to loosen the sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 359kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 791mg | Potassium: 798mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 102IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 3mg
