Best Vegetarian Baked Beans

Ahh, a classic, smoky, sweet-tangy pot of baked beans. This plant-based part of American folklore goes down in history as one of our favorite foods. How can you even consider celebrating a holiday cookout without this dish? While some recipes are laden down with less healthful ingredients, this 100% plant-based recipe is heavy on flavor, compliments of apple juice and a hint of dark molasses as the sweetener, along with vinegar, mustard, and a bounty of spices for the pizzazz. But the true star of these vegetarian baked beans is just the humble red bean, which has been the backbone of traditional diets for centuries. 

So, celebrate the beauty of beans in this all-American, full-flavored recipe. It’s a great side-dish or even the main event of any meal; you can even enjoy it for breakfast the next day. It’s good hot or cold. It’s great for tailgating, potlucks (just tote along the slow cooker you make it in), or parties. Which reminds me; you can make it in an Instant Pot or Slow Cooker to save time. This will soon be your favorite, healthy, classic recipe for vegetarian (really, vegan) baked beans. I promise!

Vegetarian Baked Beans

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(10 votes, average: 4.90 out of 5)
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4.9 from 10 reviews

• Author: The Plant-Powered Dietitian
• Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

This will soon be your favorite, healthy, classic recipe for vegetarian baked beans. This 100% plant-based recipe is heavy on flavor, compliments of apple juice and a hint of dark molasses as the sweetener, along with vinegar, mustard, and a bounty of spices for the pizzazz.

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Ingredients

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• 2 cups red beans (i.e., small or large kidney beans, cranberry beans)
• 2 ½ cups water
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 4-oz can tomato paste
• ¼ cup dark molasses
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon mustard, prepared
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ¼ teaspoon celery seed
• ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
• Optional: Salt

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Instructions

1. Place beans in a bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight.
2. The next day, drain off water from beans and discard it. Place beans in a large pot.
3. Add 2 1/2 cups water, apple juice, tomato paste, dark molasses, vinegar, mustard, liquid smoke, nutmeg, red pepper, cloves, celery seed, and ground mustard.
4. Cover with a lid. Cook over medium heat for 1 ½ hours, until tender. Stir occasionally. Replace any liquid lost to evaporation. Consistency should be moist yet thick.
5. Season with salt, if desired.
6. Transfer beans to a casserole dish, uncovered, and bake at 350 for 30 minutes until browned and thickened.

Notes

Instant Pot Directions: Omit step 1 and 2. For step 3-4, place all ingredients in the container of the Instant Pot. Press “Bean/Chili” setting. Cook according to manufacturer’s directions. Follow step 5-6 as noted above.

Slow Cooker Directions: Follow step 1 and 2. For step 3-4, place all ingredients in the Slow Cooker. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-12 hours. Cook according to manufacturer’s directions. Follow step 5-6 as noted above.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus soaking beans overnight)
• Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes (plus soaking time)
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 215
• Sugar: 13.5 g
• Sodium: 40 mg
• Fat: 0.5 g
• Saturated Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 43 g
• Fiber: 8 g
• Protein: 11 g
• Cholesterol: 0

For other plant-based bean dishes, try some of my favorite recipes:

Heirloom Bean Cassoulet with Root Vegetables
Cretan Gigantes Beans
Red Bean and Okra Jambalaya

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