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    Home » Recipes » Sides and salad recipes

    Homemade baked beans

    Published: Mar 23, 2020 · Modified: May 30, 2024 by VJ · This post may contain affiliate links · 8 Comments

    Jump to recipe

    Tins of baked beans are currently flying off the shelves in supermarkets, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to get your hands on them. For those of you who are unable to get any, don't despair. This recipe for homemade baked beans tastes just like your favourite brand, and they are so simple to make at home with only a few ingredients. You'll wonder why you didn't make them before!

    A jar of homemade baked beans
    Jump to:
    • Baked beans - England's favourite food
    • How to make homemade baked beans
    • What to do
    • How to sterilise jars
    • What to eat with baked beans
    • Can I freeze baked beans?
    • Save for later
    • Related recipes
    • 📋The recipe

    Baked beans - England's favourite food

    We British love our baked beans. There are over 1.5 million tins of baked beans sold in the UK every single day, making us the number one country for baked bean consumption. We eat them on toast, we eat them on top of baked potatoes, and of course, no full English breakfast would be complete without a large portion of baked beans on the plate.

    So it was something of a shock to find the empty baked bean shelves in the supermarket due to the panic buying currently going on.

    Fortunately, there is a solution - make your own! Baked beans are so easy to make at home, with the minimum of ingredients, and as a bonus, this recipe tastes just as good as the original brand we all know and love.

    Not only are they easy to make, but they are economical too. A 500g packet of dried haricot beans swells up to more than 4 times its size when soaked, meaning you get far more beans for your money than you would from a can of shop-bought beans.

    How to make homemade baked beans

    **You can get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions on how to make baked beans yourself at home on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**

    Equipment

    The main piece of equipment you will need is a saucepan large enough to hold the beans.

    You will also need a large bowl for soaking the beans overnight.

    Ingredients

    Ingredients for homemade baked beans.

    Haricot beans. If you can't get dried haricot beans, substitute them with cannellini beans.

    Onion - this must be chopped as finely as possible. I whizz mine around in my mini food processor. If you don't have one, grate the onions on a box grater.

    Oil - for softening the onions. You will need sunflower oil or other neutral-flavoured oil. I wouldn't use olive oil - the flavour will be wrong.

    Passata - this is concentrated tomato puree that has been sieved to remove the seeds and any bits of skin. You can buy it near the canned tomatoes in the supermarket.

    Paprika - adds a slightly smoky flavour to the beans.

    Brown sugar - for sweetness

    Mixed herbs - for additional flavour.

    Salt and black pepper - for seasoning - you can add this according to your own taste and preference.

    What to do

    Haricot beans in a bowl of water.

    Put the beans into a large bowl and cover them with cold water.

    Haricot beans after having been soaked overnight.

    Leave the beans to soak overnight. They will more than double in size.

    Tip them into a colander and leave to drain.

    Finely chopped onions in a saucepan.

    Chop the onions as finely as possible and fry them gently in a saucepan until they soften and turn translucent.

    Tomato passata in a pan with onions and seasoning.

    Add the passata, mixed herbs, brown sugar and paprika and season with salt and black pepper.

    Add one cup of water and bring to a boil.

    Haricot beans added to a pan of passata before being cooked.

    Add the drained beans, turn the heat to a simmer and cover the pan with a lid.

    A saucepan of cooked baked beans.

    Leave for about 2 and a half hours until the beans are soft and the sauce has thickened.

    If the sauce starts to dry up halfway through cooking, you can add a little extra water. I found I needed to add an additional ½ cup.

    Leave the beans, covered with the lid, to cool completely.

    You can either store the beans in sterilised jars (see below for instructions), or pack them into freezer bags and store them in the freezer.

    A jar of baked beans alongside some freezer bags of beans.

    If you'd like to be notified of new recipes, why not subscribe to my newsletter? To say thank you, you will receive a free recipe e-book containing some of my most popular cakes and desserts.

    How to sterilise jars

    To sterilise jars in the oven:

    • Wash the jars and the lids in hot soapy water, rinse, but do not dry them.
    • Stand them upside down on a baking tray while they’re still wet.
    • Place the tray of clean, wet jars and lids into a preheated oven at 180ºC / 350ºF for 15 mins.

    To sterilise jars in the microwave:

    • Wash the jars and the lids in hot soapy water, rinse, but do not dry them.
    • Place them in the microwave whilst still wet.
    • Microwave on full power for 2 minutes
    • If the lids are made of metal DO NOT MICROWAVE.  Instead, place the lids in a pot of boiling water and boil for 5 minutes.

    What to eat with baked beans

    • Serve baked beans with a plate of sausages and my crispy potato fries, or alongside a slide of potato frittata.
    • Add some to a dish of bolognese for extra goodness and flavour.
    • Make some homemade sausage rolls and serve them with baked beans for an easy light lunch.
    • Or even serve on top of a slice of seeded Irish soda bread for a breakfast that will keep you satisfied until lunchtime.

    Can I freeze baked beans?

    Yes, if you don't want to store the beans in glass jars, pack them into meal-sized portions in freezer bags and freeze them for up to 6 months. This is how I store my beans, because that way I don't have to open an entire jar for a meal.

    If you do store them in jars, keep any leftovers in the refrigerator once the jar has been opened. They will remain fresh for up to a week.

    Save for later

    If you would like to make baked beans yourself, why not pin this recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click the image below.

    Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

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    Visit my how-to guides page for more inspiration on how to make pantry staples at home. Here are a few you might enjoy:

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    📋The recipe

    A jar of homemade baked beans.

    Homemade baked beans

    This recipe for homemade baked beans tastes just like your favourite brand, and they are so simple to make at home with only a few ingredients. You’ll wonder why you never made your own homemade baked beans before!
    Recipe by: Veronica
    Side Dish
    British
    Calories 81
    Prep 15 minutes minutes
    Soaking time 12 hours hours
    Cook 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time 14 hours hours 45 minutes minutes
    Servings: 5 x 300g freezer portions
    Print Pin Comment Bookmark Saved!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    4.89 from 9 votes

    (Click the stars to rate this recipe)

    Equipment

    • Large bowl
    • Colander
    • Sharp Knife
    • Chopping Board
    • Large saucepan
    • Spatula
    • Jars or freezer bags for storage

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb / 450 grams dried haricot beans
    • 2 large onions very finely chopped
    • 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
    • 2 teaspoons paprika
    • 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
    • 1 cup tomato passata
    • 1 cup cold water plus extra if needed

    Instructions

    • Place the dried beans in a large bowl, cover with plenty of cold water and allow to stand overnight to soak
      1 lb / 450 grams dried haricot beans
    • Once the beans have soaked, drain through a colander and set aside.
    • Chop the onions in a food processor, or grate them on a box grater.
      2 large onions
    • Heat the 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan, add the onions and saute until the onions turn translucent and start to brown.
      2 tablespoons sunflower oil
    • Remove from the heat and stir in the paprika, dried mixed herbs, salt and ground black pepper
      2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon mixed herbs, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • Add the brown sugar, tomato passata and1 cup of cold water, then mix in the drained beans.
      2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 cup tomato passata, 1 cup cold water
    • Return to the heat and bring to the boil.
    • Turn down the heat as low as it will go, cover with a lid and leave for 2½ hours to simmer. Check periodically and top up with more water if necessary.
    • Once the beans are soft, remove from the heat and leave covered until completely cool.
    • Pack into sterilised glass jars, or spoon into freezer bags and freeze for up to 12 months.

    Notes

    These beans quadruple in volume when they are soaked.  Be sure to use a large container.
    Keep the heat as low as possible when simmering the beans, and cover the pan with a tightly fitting lid..  If necessary add more water as they are cooking.  Do not allow them to dry out.
    Nutrition has been calculated on dividing the beans into 7 x 300 gram portions and the nutrition facts are for 1 x 300g portion.

    Nutrition

    Calories - 81kcal | Carbohydrates - 10.7g | Protein - 1.8g | Fat - 4.2g | Saturated Fat - 0.4g | Sodium - 340mg | Potassium - 226mg | Fiber - 3.5g | Sugar - 4.1g | Calcium - 41mg | Iron - 1mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

    Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
    All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
    Tried this recipe?If you made this recipe I'd love it if you could leave me a comment and let me know how it went!
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    This recipe has been shared with #CookBlogShare

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    About VJ

    Before I started my food blog I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, mostly made from scratch, using everyday pantry ingredients.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.89 from 9 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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    1. Michelle Rolfe

      April 02, 2020 at 11:40 am

      5 stars
      Brilliant recipe! Need to add this to the list, not just for now but going forward as my family love baked beans. Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare. Michelle

      Reply
      • VJ

        April 02, 2020 at 12:17 pm

        Yes - I don't think I'll be buying tinned beans again 🙂

        Reply
    2. Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie

      March 30, 2020 at 6:35 pm

      5 stars
      Genius! A much sought after recipe right now, I reckon! Eb x

      Reply
      • VJ

        March 31, 2020 at 7:41 am

        That's what I thought 🙂

        Reply
    3. Chloe Edges

      March 30, 2020 at 1:24 pm

      5 stars
      Wow, these look ace, I 've never seen a recipe for homemade baked beans that even actually resembled tinned baked beans! But these certainly do 🙂

      Reply
      • VJ

        March 30, 2020 at 1:29 pm

        Even hubby ate them - and he's fussy! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Janice Pattie

      March 26, 2020 at 10:34 am

      5 stars
      Oh my goodness, this is a genius idea! I would never have thought of canning my own baked beans. Awesome.

      Reply
      • VJ

        March 26, 2020 at 12:44 pm

        Luckily they taste good!!! I now have a freezer full of packets of baked beans. You wouldn't believe just how much one little 500g packet of baked beans swells up 🙂

        Reply

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