These Maple Bacon Baked Beans are the best quick and easy side dish. They’re made with canned white beans and crispy bacon tossed in a thick, sweet, and smoky sauce.
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These Maple Bacon Baked Beans are a delicious twist on a classic summer side dish! This recipe is based off of my Instant Pot Baked Beans, but instead of using the instant pot, we’re actually baking the beans.
They’re also taken up a notch with the addition of crispy bites of bacon for a smoky flavor twist that pairs deliciously with the sweeter flavors in the sauce.
This recipe takes just 10 minutes to prep and is perfect for your next summer grill out!
Serve them alongside The Best Burgers, Air Fryer Potato Wedges, Corn on the Cob and Easy Broccoli Salad and you have one of our favorite meals!
Ingredients Needed:
- Beans: I use canned white beans to keep the prep a little bit quicker. You can use dried beans, you will just need to soak and boil them first. See my FAQs for more tips on using dried beans.
- Onion: adds a sweet, savory flavor base for the sauce. We can add it in raw because the beans bake for so long!
- Sauce: our sweet and savory baked bean sauce comes together with a mixture of water, tomato paste, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, molasses, cornstarch, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic.
- Seasonings: salt, ground mustard, black pepper, red pepper flakes
- Bacon: use thick-cut, chopped bacon. You can simply omit for a vegetarian side dish.
How to Make Maple Bacon Baked Beans
These homemade Baked Beans take just 10 minutes to prep!
- Prep the beans: Drain and rinse the beans, then place in a greased baking dish with onion.
- Make the sauce: In a bowl, mix together water, tomato paste, maple syrup, vinegar, molasses, cornstarch, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings.
- Combine and bake: Pour the sauce over the beans, stir to combine, then top with bacon pieces. Bake until thickened and bubbly.
FAQs
Traditionally, baked beans are made using white beans which is what we’re using for this recipe. However, baked beans can be made with other types of beans like navy beans, pink beans, or even pinto beans.
You can totally use dried beans, you’ll just need to take a little extra time to prep. Simply cover the beans with a few inches of water and soak them overnight. When you’re ready to cook, boil them for one hour or until tender, then proceed with the recipe as instructed.
Leftover Maple Bacon Baked Beans will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge if frozen, then warm in the oven or on the stove until heated through.
Tips and Notes for Maple Bacon Baked Beans
- To prevent splatter, cover the baking dish with foil for the first portion of baking time. Be sure to uncover the dish for the last 15-20 minutes though so that the bacon can crisp up.
- Lay the bacon on top. Make sure you wait to add the bacon until everything is mixed. You’ll layer it on top of the beans so it doesn’t get soggy mixed into the sauce.
- Play with flavor. Since you’re making your own sauce, feel free to play around with the flavor of it. Want it extra spicy? Add more red pepper flakes. Prefer a sweeter sauce? Add more maple syrup.
- Make vegetarian Baked Beans. Just leave out the bacon!
Serving Suggestions
Baked Beans are the perfect side dish to pair with a number of different entrees. I love to serve them next to Air Fryer Hot Dogs, Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Chicken Thighs, or Grilled Turkey Burgers!
More Summer Side Dish Ideas
Maple Bacon Baked Beans
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 6 cups canned white beans (1150 grams or 3 540ml cans) (or 1 lb dried beans — see note*)
- 1 small onion (finely diced)
- 1 cup water
- 1 can tomato paste 156 ml (½ cup)
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1-2 pinches red pepper flakes optional
- 4 strips thick cut bacon, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease a 9×13" baking dish.
- Drain beans and rinse well (*note below includes method for using dried beans). Place in the baking dish with the onion.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the water, tomato paste, maple syrup, vinegar, molasses, corn starch, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, mustard, pepper and pepper flakes.
- Pour sauce over beans and stir to combine. Lay the bacon pieces on top of the beans.
- Bake for 30-45 minutes, until bacon is cooked through and sauce is thickened and bubbly. You can cover with foil for the first portion of the cook time to prevent splatter if desired, but I recommend uncovering to help crisp the bacon for the last 15-20 minutes.
Notes
- To prevent splatter, cover the baking dish with foil for the first portion of baking time. Be sure to uncover the dish for the last 15-20 minutes though so that the bacon can crisp up.
- Lay the bacon on top. Make sure you wait to add the bacon until everything is mixed. You’ll layer it on top of the beans so it doesn’t get soggy mixed into the sauce.
- Play with flavor. Since you’re making your own sauce, feel free to play around with the flavor of it. Want it extra spicy? Add more red pepper flakes. Prefer a sweeter sauce? Add more maple syrup.
- Make vegetarian Baked Beans. Just leave out the bacon!
Nutrition Information
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Linda says
Just trying out this recipe. I don’t see in the directions what to do with the onions.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Linda! It’s in Step 2.
Julie says
I just made this the vinegar is very strong and over powering and it was very salty, I followed your recipe so idk what went wrong!
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry this wasn’t to your taste Julie. It’s really hard for me to know why it was salty for you. Two things come to mind concerning salt are the type of beans you’ve used and the bacon. Other than that I’m not sure. I’ve not had any problems with the vinegar so not sure why it was over powering for you.
CHRISTINE says
Your directions are fantastic! Thank you for this recipe. We had it for dinner this evening, we added red pepper flakes, a chopped jalapeno pepper, no seeds!
DELICIOUS! We had it with burgers and coleslaw. YUMMY dinner!
Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Christine!