This classic dish is the perfect addition to your summer cookout. These vegan baked beans are sweet, tangy, smoky, and absolutely delicious.
Yes, you could buy vegetarian baked beans at the store. But, once you make this vegan baked beans recipe you will never again entertain such a thought.
Baked beans are the ultimate spring and summer side dish. Put these bad boys on your table with my vegan carrot dogs, potato salad, and vegan coleslaw, and watch them disappear. No one will have a clue they're vegan.
This recipe comes together in about 10 minutes. Then, you just put them in the oven and bake for 90 minutes. And, once it's finished…PERFECTION!
Ready? Let's bake some beans!
Ingredients You'll Need For This Recipe
These vegan baked beans recipe uses simple wholesome ingredients and canned beans. So, no presoaking is required.
- Chopped Veggies: onion, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper
- Garlic Powder: adds an earthy and savory essence to the vegetables.
- Tomato Paste: I consider this an "optional" ingredient. But, I love the little extra "bite" that it adds.
- BBQ Sauce: A mixture of ketchup, molasses, maple syrup, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, vegan Worcestershire sauce, and low-sodium soy sauce.
- Liquid Smoke: I love the smoky flavor of traditional baked beans. You can also use smoked paprika as well.
- Canned Beans: Navy beans and Great Northern Beans (affiliate link) are my favorites with this recipe. But, Cannellini beans and Pinto beans (affiliate link) are good too. Really, any type of white beans would work for this recipe.
How To Make Vegan Baked Beans
This is such an easy recipe and is perfect when you need a killer side dish everyone will love.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat and sauté the chopped onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are soft. Toss in the bell peppers, and add the garlic powder, and tomato paste. Stir everything together and cook for 30-45 seconds. Use 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable broth in place of oil to prevent sticking if needed.
- Pour in all the bbq sauce ingredients (ketchup, molasses, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, vegan Worcestershire, soy sauce, liquid smoke, and mustard) and stir until everything is well combined. Let the sauce simmer for about a minute to allow all the flavors to meld together.
- Drain and rinse the canned beans and add them to a 9×13 baking dish (affiliate link). Pour the bbq sauce over the beans and gently stir until all the beans are covered and everything is well combined.
- Wrap the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for 30 more minutes.
The BBQ sauce will thicken up the longer it cooks in the oven. I like to add a little extra time when I make it. I have cooked these for up to 2 hours and they came out perfect.
How To Serve Vegan Baked Beans
Here are a few of my favorite sides that go perfectly with these vegan baked beans:
- Easy Vegan Cornbread
- Vegan Macaroni Salad
- Grilled Corn On The Cob
- The Best Vegan Mac & Cheese
- Easy Sauteéd Kale
- Roasted Asparagus with Tahini Sauce
Tips & Suggestions
- If you prefer to use dry beans check out this article from Love & Lemons on how to cook dry beans. But, just keep in mind the process will be much longer. And, if you don’t have an Instant Pot or pressure cooker you will have to soak the beans which add even more time.
- Sweetener: If you're not a fan of maple syrup you can substitute it with a small amount of brown sugar or omit it altogether.
- Slow Cooking: If you want to use your crockpot, start by adding the beans to your slow cooker. Then, add all remaining ingredients and cook for 4-5 hours on the highest setting or 6-8 hours on the lowest setting. Be sure and check your beans frequently and stir to prevent any burning.
How To Store Leftovers
This vegan baked bean recipe is easily doubled and great for batch cooking. Place any leftovers in a covered container and store them in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Can I Freeze Baked Beans?
Yes, absolutely! Let the beans cool to room temperature then freeze them in one large freezer-safe container or separate containers for individual servings.
When you're ready to enjoy the beans, place them in the fridge overnight to thaw. Then, simply warm them up in a pan on the stove or microwave. Just be sure they are hot before serving.
Are Vegan Baked Beans Gluten-Free?
The recipe as written is not gluten-free because the soy sauce contains wheat. But, all you have to do is replace the soy sauce with Tamari, and just like that…gluten-free vegetarian baked beans!
More Vegan Bean Recipes
If you make this recipe let me know. Be sure and leave a comment below with a star rating. And, share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #shaneandsimple. I want to see your work. Enjoy!
The Best Vegan Baked Beans
- Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield12 servings 1x
- DietVegan
This classic dish is the perfect addition to your summer cookout. These vegan baked beans are sweet, tangy, smoky, and ready in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ⅔ cup molasses
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp vegan Worcestershire
- 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (sub tamari to make gluten-free)
- 2 tsp. liquid smoke
- 1 Tbsp yellow mustard
- Salt to taste (if necessary)
- (4) 15–ounce cans Navy beans (low-sodium or no salt added), drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat and sauté the chopped onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are soft. Toss in the bell peppers, add the garlic powder, and tomato paste. Stir everything together and cook for 30-45 seconds.
- Add the ketchup, molasses, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, vegan Worcestershire, soy sauce, liquid smoke, and mustard. Stir until everything is well combined. Let the sauce simmer for about a minute and let flavors simmer together.
- Drain and rinse the canned beans and add them to a 9×13 baking dish. Pour the bbq sauce mixture over the beans and gently stir until all the beans are covered and everything is well combined.
- Wrap the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for 30 more minutes. The bbq sauce will thicken as it cooks.
- Remove from the oven and serve.
Notes
This recipe is easily doubled and is great for batch cooking. Place any leftovers in a covered container and store them in the fridge for up to a week.
Yes, absolutely! Let the beans cool to room temperature then freeze them in one large container or separate containers for individual servings. When you're ready to enjoy the beans, place them in the fridge and defrost them overnight. Then, simply warm them up in a pan on the stove or microwave. Just be sure they are hot before serving.
The recipe as written is not gluten-free because the soy sauce contains wheat. But, all you have to do is replace the soy sauce with Tamari and just like that…gluten-free vegetarian baked beans!
If you prefer to use dry beans check out this article from Love & Lemons on how to cook dry beans. But, just keep in mind the process will be much longer.
If you're not a fan of maple syrup you can substitute it with a small amount of brown sugar or omit it altogether.
If you want to use your crockpot, start by adding the beans to your slow cooker. Then, add all remaining ingredients and cook for 4-5 hours on the highest setting or 6-8 hours on the lowest setting. Be sure and check your beans frequently and stir to prevent any burning.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 225
- Sugar: 29.3 g
- Sodium: 277.5 mg
- Fat: 0.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 45.7 g
- Fiber: 6.9 g
- Protein: 6.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Vegan
This is quickly becoming a family favorite. One note: when choosing to print the recipe, the bean quantity changes from 4 15 oz cans to 4 60 oz cans. That’s a pretty amount of beans 🤣.
The only WFPB baked beans recipe I have found that surpasses many others. It’s high on the healthy list given the ingredients ( iron potassium Vitamins antioxidants etc) thanks Shane it’s a family recipe to be passed down, but give it to the cooks now.
Since going vegetarian, I missed baked beans so much. I’ve tried several recipes that didn’t quite cut it. This is THE BEST recipe ever! Even my non veggie husband loves them. I’ve made them multiple times. And will be taking them to the next cook out.
WOW!!! Best baked beans EVER! Really great recipe that’s easy to prepare. I chose to soak my own beans and I slightly undercooked. I made no changes to recipe and it’s spot-on perfect. So yummy!!
Just made this recipe – half the quantity – and being a Brit I had a portion on toast! They were delcious but just a tad sweet so next time I’ll reduce the quantity of maple syrup. I will definitely make this again as you’ve given Heinz a run for their money lol.
This is the only baked bean recipe I ever use…it simply cannot be bettered!
I made these baked beans as my entree for Christmas dinner this year. I used blackstrap molasses in them and they turned out terrific! I loved them and will definitely be making them again in future.
This is Delicious! This is definitely a keeper. I used 1 small bag of white beans from the Instantpot(drain them before you mix).
Thank you and great idea!
Another great recipe Shane. I used coconut aminos for another gluten free option. And for those who may not know, a 15 ounce can of beans yields approximately 1.5 cups. Therefore, when using dry beans, I had to measure out 6 cups for this single batch. Thank you.
I’ve made these twice now for two different events and they are a crowd pleaser. I’m the only vegan among my family/friends and everyone loved them. The molasses adds a great depth to the recipe.
Can I prepare these ahead of time and keep in the fridge before baking? I want to make them for a family weekend coming up. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes, Shane.!
Easy delicious recipe! We had these with supper tonight (crockpot-too hot to cook). Absolutely will cook again. Thanks Shane!
This was Fabulicious! I only used a quarter cup of maple syrup, and it was plenty sweet enough. Thank you so much for the great, simple recipes. I really appreciate them.
Thank you so much!
These were so good. I only had two cans of beans but did full recipe of the sauce. Mistake as it was to sweet. Next time I will adjust accordingly. I like a bit more savory but my husband gobbled them up! Also made the French potatoes salad. Very good! Thanks Shane for all your great recipes I love trying!!
Thank you!
This recipe popped up for me on Facebook on the Fourth of July, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. I made it to bring to friends barbecue and it was a huge hit! This is definitely going into the keep file! Just the perfect amount of sweet and savory. Absolutely delicious!!!!!
It was divine intervention:) So glad you enjoyed it.
These didn’t work for me….it was too salty or something. It tasted ,Ike too much vinegar or soy sauce, I think I could have skipped the soy. I had to add more maple syrup to tolerate it. Wanted to try it because of all the positive reviews, but it just wasn’t my taste.
Shane for the molasses can you substitute black strap molasses for the molasses, thank you in advance, I have loved everyone of your recipes that I have tried, thank you
Yes, absolutely! I actually meant to specify this was black strap molasses and probably left it out. Sorry for the confusion.
I made these for the first time tonight. It won’t be the last! They are so good. Though they will be more of a treat as they are very high in sugars. I made “Carrot Dogs” to go along with this. Since the beans have so much sauce/flavor, I did like a friend does. I just boiled the carrots until just slightly tender and then grilled on my Ninja Foodie Grill/Air Fryer. We had them on a roll with slices of roasted peppers, ketchup and mustard. Made a great Labor Day Picnic dinner. We also had a tossed salad.
Awesome, Lynne!
What can I use to replace the Molasses? Can I just replace it with more maple syrup?
You could leave it out if you wish. I like the color and depth it adds. But, it’s not for everyone.
Hi Shane,
Can we use an instant pot and if so, how long should we cook it?
Hi, Deb! This recipe uses canned beans so I would say no more than 3-4 minutes. But, if you want that caramelization on top and for the dish to thicken, it will need to be baked. Peace.
This was the first recipe I’ve made from your website. I heard you interviewed by Rip E. On the Plant Strong podcast. I made this for a July 4th cookout and it was a huge hit. I like making recipes exactly as prescribed the first time then changing. I wouldn’t change this one at all. It sounds strange, but the peppers and onions had the same mouth feel as the pork in my mom’s baked beans. I haven’t had those since going vegan 12 years ago. I don’t miss the pork.
Fantastic recipe! Sweet and smoky. I made this with dried Marcella beans from Rancho Gordo (cooked in the slow cooker first) and it turned out absolutely perfectly.
Delicious! I increased to two onions, cut into large chunks, then baked all ingredients in a Dutch oven. Otherwise, followed the recipe as outlined. It was a big hit, even for those who do not usually love baked beans (and who are not vegan.) i will definitely make again and may try adding some chopped jalapeno. Thank you for the recipe.
Crowd favorite. I used blacked beans and pinto beans (canned). I was surprised that the beans were kind of hard after baking. Not sure if it was the beans or something in the recipe that might make the beans harden while cooking. Any thoughts? I have made this twice and it never fails to be a hit.
Hi Shane, I’d like to use fresh garlic (from my garden) in this great-looking recipe. How much fresh fresh garlic do you think should be subbed? If you think garlic powder really makes the dish better I’ll take your advice, thanks!
Hi, Laura! It really depends on what you want. I use garlic powder because it’s “easy” and I’m lazy. LOL! But, a couple of cloves of fresh garlic would work great.
So delicious, Shane! I made them recipe as is, but used 11/2 tsp smoked paprika vs liquid smoke, and baked for 2 hours as per your preference. YUM! We’ll be having them with your vinegar-based coleslaw and corn on the cob for tonight’s supper. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Very delicious,
I used bbq sauce instead of ketchup, for a little kick….✌
This recipe is great.. I used one cup dry beans soaked, simmered and rinsed, added a can of Romano beans ( thats what I had) added one cup red lentils with 2 cups water
, decreased maple syrup to 1/4 cup. and proceeded with the recipe. Mashed one cup of the beans after the first hour then mixed it back in and baked for 30 minutes uncovered. (yes, had to had to put my own touch) Thanks Shane for another winner!
Judy, that is so great! These recipes are sacred and I love it when people add their own touches. Way to go!!!
These are fabulous! I substituted a 14oz. can of drained petite diced tomatoes for the ketchup. I had to cook the dish for an extra 30 minutes, but it was worth it.
I have Sorghum syrup on hand. Do you think I can substitute sorghum syrup for the molasses? Thanks. I love so many of your recipes!
Hi, Janet! It will work very well.
Hey Shane, when you switch from 1X, 2X,3X on the recipe, beans quantity doesn’t change. i assume it’s because you put it in parenthesis.
I’m wondering how many cans of beans to double the recipe?
That was the problem. It’s all fixed now. Thanks for letting me know.
Delicious…I, too, made the mistake of halving the recipe as there were only three of us eating them at dinner last night. Haha, no leftovers for lunch today. Lesson learned! Thanks for a great recipe that will be used over and over again!
I have made several of your recipes & I recommend them all in my Plant Based Vegan PlantPure Pod group I lead. Many of the members share your recipes, not just me. 🙂 Everything I have made of yours is outstanding. These beans are amazing. I have never made baked beans before until today. I also made your cornbread (again) to go with the beans. And I have soy curls soaking now & will use your BBQ seasoning on them before cooking & adding sauce. I could live a long & happy life with your recipes alone & no one elses. 🙂 Thanks for being awesome!
Laura, thank you so much for the very kind words. This encourages me so much! If you wouldn’t mind, I’d really appreciate you rating the beans. It helps me with Google and others:) Blessings!
Delish!!! My bad I forgot to rate!
LOL! No worries, Laura:) Thank you!
These were very good. I made my beans from dry beans. I baked them one hour covered but the beans were a little dry. I think this was because, despite my best efforts and measurements, there were more dry beans than there would have been if I had used canned.
I threw the beans in a pot on the stove and added water, stirring to mix well, and they were the perfect consistency.
That’s great, Melanie!!!
Excellent recipe! I cut the recipe in half….big mistake they are delicious and I should have made the whole recipe. I served them at a backyard dinner and my 2 grown kids who are not plant based loved them.
Highly recommend. We have a rating in our family One and done or make again. These were rated make again soon!
That is awesome, Candace. Thank you!
Looks like lots of sugar! How would you recommend decreasing it.? Really looks good!
Simply decrease the maple syrup by half or you can replace the ketchup tomato sauce. Hope this helps.
Gee…. these turned out great. Taste is excellent ! Dinner for a couple of days! Yeah!!
Hi Shane, I’m in the UK. What are great northern beans, never heard of them here 🙂
Are they like a Pinto?
Hi, Barbara! Yes, kinda like a white pinto bean. You can use white beans or navy beans.
Thank you, I think I’ll give these a go, they look delish
Barbara, they are like a cannellini bean, just a little bigger.