Given my love of beans now, you may be shocked to hear that I hated them when I was young. Specifically, I had a thing against baked beans. Growing up in the Midwest, baked beans were a thing for nearly every family get-together, and I never understood why my family liked them so much.
Luckily for all of us, the times have changed, and I'm here now to share my favorite vegan baked bean recipe.
While baked beans have roots in indigenous cuisines of North America, they have spread far and wide. However, a few key things make a baked bean a baked bean (even if it's not truly baked).
When I think of baked beans, I think of a tender, small bean infused with a slightly sweet, smoky flavor bolstered by a rich tomato-based sauce (no ketchup here)! Then, the beans cook long enough that no one shines above the other.
Many traditional baked beans use bacon, which provides quite a bit of flavor. I like to use a combination of ingredients to get a rich, umami flavor without the bacon.
For starters, traditional baked beans have an underlying smoky quality. Since this flavor is not overwhelming, we can get by with some help from added smoked paprika and smoked salt.
I love having smoked salt on hand for many recipes, so I highly recommend getting one if you still need a bottle. Paired with the smoked paprika sans bacon, you're good to go.
Arguably, the most significant contribution is that bacon adds a layer of salt that is more than just salt. To help add a bit more umami to this salty flavor, I turn to fermented items. These vegan baked beans are a great time to use a fermented paste with more boldness. I prefer to use red miso or doenjang.
Also, look for vegan Worcestershire sauce. Traditional Worcestershire uses anchovies, but the vegan varieties on the market use soy sauce as their main ingredient, with secondary flavors of tamarind and mushroom.
This combination means you could easily use soy sauce instead of Worcestershire sauce (a bonus if you have tamarind concentrate and mushroom powder).
I've changed my go-to sugars over the years, primarily as I've had access to international markets. Panela, piloncillo, or black slab sugar are all solid, unrefined bricks of sugar that have a deeper flavor than brown sugar due to the levels of molasses. Any market with a decent collection of Latin American or Asian products will carry a type of unrefined sugar.
Paired with an extra bit of molasses, the unrefined sugar helps the beans shine without being overly sweet. Of course, if brown sugar is what you have, definitely use that!
When it comes to bean varieties, small navy beans are the traditional baked beans, but I also use a variety of beans. I highly recommend checking out Rancho Gordo and using their Yellow Indian Woman Bean or Primary Beans Alubia Blanca. Any variety that can hold its shape over a long cooking period works well for baked beans.
I adore using baked beans as a centerpiece for a meal. Think baked beans served on a bed of polenta, smothered on toast, or as a solid grain bowl topping paired with roasted vegetables. You can easily make these vegan baked beans in a large batch and use them throughout the week.
Can I make this in the Instant Pot? If so, what would be the timinhg?
I think you probably could but I can't tell you time- I don't really know much about the Instant Pot. This might help: https://www.skinnytaste.com/brown-sugar-baked-beans/
Yes! Beans of toast forever. I use the Bon Appetit recipe for marinated beans, but I'll definitely be trying this soon. The first time I told my husband we were eating "beans on toast for dinner" I got the sassiest side-eye, and now it's genuinely one of his favorite meals.
Also...I was just searching for a vegan baked bean recipe on Pinterest and wasn't satisfied with any of them, so this is exciting 🙂
These turned out so delicious - going to make them again and agaiN!
Beans on toast are a very British thing, always have been. It's incredibly easy to find tinned beans here that are vegetarian or vegan. They are nice served with a poached or fried egg. I enjoy them for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
The beans tasted amazing, my traditionalist mother even loved them (without the bacon!). Our first time trying beans on toast and we absolutely loved it. I didn't have any smoked salt, so I just used regular salt and added a splash of liquid smoke to compensate. Served it over sourdough with some roasted broccoli and steamed kale on the side. Delicious!
Being British, I’m not a massive fan of US store-bought baked beans (too sweet) so gave this a go and honestly, it’s delicious. I made everything as detailed in the recipe except is subbed smoked salt for regular salt. I’d definitely make again
These are quite good! Can be easily made oil-free! Just cook onions in veggie broth. Wish I'd had molasses, but had to use maple syrup. Great smoky flavor that I really love. I must confess to adding extra hot mustard. Beans were yellow-eye from Rancho Gordo, resulting in a creamy sweet broth. Delicious!
Hello! Can I replace the beans with kidney beans or regular white beans? Thank you!
Yes!