Baked Beans from Scratch bring together tender beans simmered slowly in a rich, sweet‑savory sauce for a deeply comforting dish. Made with ingredients like molasses, brown sugar, onions, and spices, they develop layers of flavor that canned versions can’t match. Slow cooking allows the beans to soak up every bit of the smoky, slightly tangy sauce. This classic recipe pairs perfectly with BBQ, grilled meats, or simple weeknight meals. Homemade baked beans also let you customize sweetness, spice, and texture to your liking. Warm, hearty, and nostalgic, they’re a timeless side dish worth making from scratch.
Ingredients
- 1 cup navy beans, soaked overnight and drained
- 4 cups water
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 small onion, chopped
Instructions
- Gather the ingredients.
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Place beans in a large saucepan with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 1 hour.
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Stir ketchup, maple syrup, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and chili powder together in a small bowl; set aside.
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Once beans have simmered for 1 hour, drain, and reserve cooking liquid. Pour beans into a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish; stir in chopped onion and molasses mixture. Stir in enough reserved cooking liquid so sauce covers beans by 1/4 inch.
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Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C) and cook 6 hours longer, stirring beans after they have cooked for 3 hours. Once beans are tender and sauce has reduced and is sticky, remove from the oven, stir, recover, and allow to stand 15 minutes before serving.