If you’ve been looking for a great vegan baked beans recipe – especially one made in an Instant Pot – than I’ve got you covered! Made from scratch with dried beans, these healthy baked beans are full of nutrition, flavor & texture.
Ever since celebrating my daughters bon voyage with a BBQ, I’ve the itch to make homemade baked beans. I bought my favorite ‘Celebration’ Field Roast to slice and grill (it’s great on the grill) and made canned baked beans, along with fresh roasted red potatoes and corn on the cob. Need I say, it was supremely delicious and this family affair set in motion the need to make fresh baked beans!
My journey to the perfect instant pot baked beans
This recipe was pretty easy pull together and only took a couple of tries to get just right. The first time, the beans didn’t cook long enough resulting in funky texture (nothing worse than undercooked beans, to the trash they went), and the flavor was a bit underwhelming.
Next try, I ramped up the ingredients which were right on, but the darn beans still needed a few extra minutes. Cooking time in the Instant Pot for non-soaked small white beans is a minimum of 50 minutes, and better at 65 minutes, plus 20 to allow the steam to vent naturally.
The end result is perfectly textured beans, with a robust flavor, that’s not too sweet, and has plenty of juices for dipping and swiping. It’s a healthy, vegan baked bean recipe I can stand behind 100%!
And if you don’t have an Instant Pot. No problem! There are instructions for using a slow cooker as well in the notes.
How To Make The Best Healthy Baked Beans
The ingredients are fairly minimal and simple, you may even have everything on hand already.
- Start with small white beans, navy or great northern are perfect. No need to soak your beans, as the Instant Pot will do all the work, cooking time is 65 minutes. But if you prefer to soak the beans overnight, you’ll be able to reduce the cooking time to 40 minutes (see notes).
- The main spices are simply smoked paprika, garlic powder, pepper (pref. freshly cracked from the pepper mill), and salt (which will be added at the end to taste). I love bay leaves, but you can omit it if you like, as it’s pretty subtle.
- Use your favorite mustard. I used whole grain mustard here. I didn’t test regular or Dijon, but I’m sure they will be great too. If you try them, let us know in the comments.
- The maple syrup will add a little sweetness, but not overwhelming in the least. If you prefer a sweeter baked beans, add a 2 – 3 extra tablespoons of syrup.
- To add a slight tanginess, the apple cider vinegar works wonders. It also helps break the beans down for easier digestion!
- For maximum flavor, use all vegetable broth. Although, I tend to stick with a combo of vegetable broth and water, using half and half of each, with great results.
- Personally, I don’t care for baked beans that are overly tomatoey in flavor. This recipe does call for a 6 oz. can of tomato paste, but I didn’t find to be too much at all.
Healthy Ingredients To Add-In For Versatility –
- Small jalapeno, diced (add a few seeds for extra heat)
- Small green pepper, diced
- 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses (unsulfered)
So there you have it, now it’s your turn to make a batch of these flavorful baked beans!
How To Serve Baked Beans
Baked beans will go perfectly with any of these recipes. You may just find a new combination for the meal rotation!
- Field Roast (burgers, hot dogs, or roasts)
- Smoky Black Bean Burger
- Baked Sweet Potato Wedges
- The Ultimate Vegetable Lentil Loaf
- 5-Ingredient Kielbasa with Peppers & Potatoes
If homemade baked beans were not on your list of things to make, I hope they are now. A staple for summer gatherings, they are perfect for BBQ’s & picnics.
Love using your Instant Pot
If love using an Instant Pot, try these other wonderful pressure cooker recipes. All are easy and delicious!
HEALTHY BAKED BEANS – INSTANT POT
Healthy, vegan baked beans made with simple ingredients right in your Instant Pot. No soaking of the beans required. Life made easy & delicious!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 85 min
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
- Category: Side
- Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 heaping teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1b. navy or great northern beans (2 cups), rinsed and odd beans removed
- 4 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth (or combo)
- 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons mustard (regular, dijon or whole grain)
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- good pinch of mineral salt, or to taste
Instructions
Press the SAUTE setting on your Instant Pot and add 1/4 cup water. When hot, add onion and saute for 4 minutes. Add the smoked paprika and garlic powder, cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant, stirring frequently.
Next add the beans, water/broth, tomato paste, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, mustard, bay leaves and ground pepper, gently stir until the tomato paste is dissolved completely and everything is well combined.
Attach the lid, and make sure the vent is in the SEALED position. Push the PRESSURE COOKER button, and manually set the time for 65 minutes. When done, let the steam vent on it’s own, takes about 20 minutes. Move the vent to open, careful not to burn yourself as there may still be a little steam left. Remove lid and let cool a bit, add salt to taste. Remove bay leaves and transfer beans to a serving dish.
Beans will thicken once cooled. If too thick, add a 2 tablespoons of water at a time, mix well, and repeat until desired consistency.
Store leftovers in and airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. These freeze wonderfully, and will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer. Thaw before reheating.
Serves 6
NOTES:
No need to soak your beans, as the Instant Pot will do all the work. But if you prefer to soak the beans overnight, reduce the Instant Pot cooking time to 40 minutes, with natural release.
Use your favorite mustard. I used whole grain mustard here. I didn’t test regular or dijon, but I’m sure they’ll be great too. If you try them let us know in the comments.
These baked beans are not overly sweet. If you prefer sweet baked beans, add and extra 2 – 3 tablespoons of maple syrup.
Optional add-ins for variation:
- Small jalapeno, diced (add a few seeds for extra heat)
- Small green pepper, diced
- 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses (unsulfered)
If using blackstrap molasses, add 2 extra tablespoons of maple syrup. You most likely won’t need to add any salt.
SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS:
Pre-soak the beans in a pot, cover beans with 2 inches of water, let set overnight (at least 8 hours). Alternately, place beans in pot and cover with 2 inches of water, bring to a boil, remove from heat and let soak for 1 hour. Drain beans before using.
In bottom of slow cooker, add the onion, beans, maple syrup, vinegar, 3 cups water/broth, tomato paste, smoked paprika, garlic powder, mustard, pepper, and bay leaves. Gently stir, until the tomato paste has broken up and dissolved. Cook on LOW for 8 – 10 hours. Add salt to taste.
