Vegan Baked Beans

This vegan baked beans recipe needs to be on your speed dial all summer long - from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Serve them with these spicy bean burgers and simple corn salad for a perfect meal.

Make this dish ahead, or just in time. It's perfect for barbecues, summer potlucks, picnics, casual dinners and more.

Jump to Recipe

Want to make this recipe perfectly the first time? I want to help with that. So, check out this Table of Contents to see which sections of this post will help you the most.

Jump to:

• 🤷‍♀️ What kind of beans are in baked beans?
• 🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
• 🔪 RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
• 📝 Instructions Overview
• 🤷‍♀️ BBQ Baked Beans FAQ
• Vegan BBQ Beans Recipe

No summer barbecue is complete without tangy, earthy BBQ baked beans. My mom made them all summer long, and I never tired of them.

Some other great summer BBQ dishes are these Crispy Black Bean Burgers, my 15-Minute Corn and Tomato Salad, a Lentil and Potato Salad (that's killer!)and Berry Crumble or Strawberry - Rhubarb Crisp for dessert.

Or make this cheesy white bean tomato bake as a main dish. It's super easy, and perfect for a weeknight dish that's ready in just over 30 minutes.

🤷‍♀️ What kind of beans are in baked beans?

Navy beans are the most common beans in traditional baked beans, including canned baked beans.

But pinto beans, Great Northern White Beans, and cannellini beans and kidney beans can be used instead, if that's your preference. Or mix it up and use 2 or 3 different kinds of beans.

Use either canned beans or start with dried. I personally prefer starting with dried for better taste and texture, but using canned beans sometimes fits into our schedules better.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.

📝 Instructions Overview

Detailed instructions for making these vegan baked beans are in the recipe card below, but here's an overview! As a note, if you're starting with dried beans, cook them first. This way they'll cook while you make the sauce.

Step 1

Sauté the onion. Using a heavy bottomed pot that's oven safe - such as a Dutch oven - heat a little olive oil over medium heat. Dice a yellow onion and add it to the pot. Sauté until the onions caramelize.

Caramelization of the onions is important since this recipe doesn't call for bacon.

Step 2

Make the BBQ sauce. Add the ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, plant-based butter, Dijon mustard and all of the spices to the onions.

Simmer for 15 minutes.

Step 3

Add the beans and bake. Add the cooked beans, bring to a simmer, cover, and slide into a 350˚F oven to bake. Correct for any seasoning before sliding it into the oven.

🤷‍♀️ BBQ Baked Beans FAQ

Can I use my favorite BBQ sauce instead?

Yes. But add brown sugar, a little mustard and butter to balance out the flavors. The amounts will depend on the BBQ sauce you use, add a little and taste before adding more.

Do I have to bake them in the oven?

No. You can continue cooking them on the stove. But you'll have to keep a closer eye on them to make sure the sauce isn't simmering so much that the baked beans are drying out.

Can I make this BBQ Baked Beans recipe in the slow cooker?

Yes. Sauté the onions separately on the stove until lightly caramelized. Then dump them into a slow cooker with all of the rest of the ingredients.

Stir, cover and cook on LOW for 2 - 3 hours. (The beans must already be cooked.)

How can I thicken the sauce?

The sauce thickens in the oven while the dish bakes, and thickens further as it cools. But if the sauce is soup-ier than you want, there are a few easy things you can do.

1. Cook them longer on the stove before sliding them into the oven.
2. Remove 1 cup of the baked beans and mash them up a bit with either a potato masher or immersible blender. Stir them back into the pot and reheat.
3. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter on the stove. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour to make a thick slurry. Cook for a couple minutes until the slurry starts to turn a golden color. Stir the slurry into the pot of beans before baking.

Can I freeze this dish?

Yes. Baked beans freeze well without their texture or flavor suffering much if at all. Be sure to completely cool, and then store in an airtight container before freezing.