Healthy vegan Baked Beans made from scratch with dried beans are easy, customizable and can be made in an Instant Pot or slow cooker with NO SOAKING required (soaked bean method is included)!
If you’ve been looking for a great vegan baked beans recipe – especially one made in an Instant Pot – then I’ve got you covered! Made from scratch with dried beans, these healthy baked beans are full of nutrition, flavor & texture.
Since celebrating my daughters bon voyage with a BBQ, I’ve had 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 these Oven Roasted Red Potatoes and corn on the cob. Needless to say it was supremely delicious and this family affair set in motion the need to make fresh baked beans!
Table of Contents
Journey To The Perfect Baked Beans
The journey to the perfect baked beans has been inspired by readers who have taken the time to leave valuable feedback. This recipe is for no-soaking the beans, but now includes a method for soaking. I think we’ve finally found the happy medium with both methods. Thanks Tara!
Just know that cooking times do vary, but both methods are ‘tried and true’ ensuring that your dried beans cook perfectly every time!
The end result of making these vegan baked beans 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 baked bean recipe I can stand behind 100%!
Ingredients You’ll Need + Tips
In this recipe, dried beans (no canned beans) are cooked with a variety of flavors until tender, creating a most delicious and healthy baked beans recipe. Ingredients are fairly minimal and simple, you may even have everything on hand already!
Here is everything you will need:
- Beans: Start with small white beans, navy or great northern are perfect. You can either choose to use the no-soak method or soak the beans first as noted in the recipe notes. Important tip: Make sure your beans are not expired, as older beans will not cook properly, and may remain hard and undercooked.
- Spices: 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.
- Mustard: 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.
- Sweetener: The maple syrup will add a little sweetness, but not overwhelming in the least. If you prefer a sweet baked beans, add 2 – 3 extra tablespoons of syrup.
- Vinegar: To add a slight tanginess, the apple cider vinegar works wonders. It also helps break the beans down for easier digestion! As recommended in the comments, try balsamic vinegar for variation (thanks Tom!).
- Liquids: 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.
- Tomato Paste: Personally, I don’t care for baked beans that are overly tomatoey in flavor. This recipe does call for a ¼ cup tomato paste, but I didn’t find it to be too much at all. Feel to use a 6 oz can of tomato paste or omit the tomato paste all together if you prefer.
Healthy Optional Add-Ins For Versatility –
- Small diced jalapeno (add a few seeds for extra heat) – if you like heat, you’ll love this addition.
- Diced green bell pepper – add a veggie and color.
- 2 – 4 tablespoons blackstrap molasses (unsulfured) – adds a really nice flavor!
So there you have it, now we’re ready to getting cooking!
How To Make Healthy Baked Beans
You can easily make this no-soak baked beans recipe 1 of 2 ways:
(Note – The full printable recipe is at the bottom of this post)
- Instant Pot: With this method you simply saute the onions and spices right in the instant pot. Add the remaining ingredients and cook on HIGH pressure for 75 minutes. Let steam release naturally, another 20 minutes or so. No need to soak the beans! But if you decide to soak the beans first, you can reduce liquids and cut the cook time down to 40 minutes (see recipe card notes).
- Slow Cooker: Simply add all the ingredients to the bowl of your slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 10 – 12 hours. You may need to add water every so often during cooking depending on your slow cooker. No need to soak the beans. But if you do soak the beans first, you can cook on high for 4 – 5 hours or low 6 – 8 hours, reducing the liquids as well as noted in the recipe card.
Adjusting For Dietary Restrictions
- Oil-free: When sauteing, use ¼ cup water in place of oil.
- Fat-free: When sauteing the onions, use ¼ cup water in place of oil. Alternatively, skip the saute step completely.
Water to Beans Ratio
If you are wondering how much water you should use when using unsoaked or soaked beans. Follow this guide:
- Unsoaked Dried Beans: When using unsoaked beans, you will need 4 cups of water for both the instant pot and slow cooker methods. Using the slow cooker method, you may need to add a extra during cooking depending on your slow cooker.
- Soaked Dried Beans: When using soaked beans, you will need 2 cups of water when using the instant pot or slow cooker methods (see notes in recipe card below).
How To Store
- Refrigerator: Leftovers will keep for 5 – 6 days in the refrigerator, stored in a covered container.
- Freezer: Homemade baked beans are freezer friendly and freezes well for up to 2 – 3 months. To freeze, let cool completely and store in freezer safe containers (affiliate link), leaving ½ inch head space for expansion. You can also freeze larger portions in large ziplock (remove as much air as possible before zip locking). Let thaw before reheating.
- Reheat: Simply re-warm on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through. Alternatively, reheat in the microwave using 30 – 60 second intervals, stirring after each, until warm.
Serving Suggestions
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
- Favorite Vegan Macaroni Salad
- Vegan Mac & Cheese
- Make a meal with this vegan coleslaw and side of corn
- Toss in diced vegan kielbasa sausage for extra protein
- Don’t forget vegan cornbread or jalapeno cornbread muffins on the side!
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, potlucks and picnics.
More Easy Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Applesauce
- Cuban Black Bean + Mango Bowl – Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Quinoa
- Instant Pot Refried Beans
If you try this baked beans recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
PrintHEALTHY BAKED BEANS (VEGAN)
Healthy baked beans made with simple ingredients right in your Instant Pot or Slow Cooker. No fuss recipe, just throw the ingredients in and life made easy & delicious!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 min
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6 - 8 1x
- Category: Side
- Method: pressure cooker, slow cooker
- Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
- ¼ cup water
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 heaping teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1b. dried small white beans (navy or great northern) (2 cups), rinsed and odd beans removed (not soaked)
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (or half water + broth)
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup tomato paste (use a 6oz. can for extra tomato flavor)
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons mustard (regular, dijon or whole grain)
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- good pinch of mineral salt, or to taste
Optional add-ins for variation:
- Small jalapeno, seeds removed and diced (add a few seeds for extra heat)
- Small green bell pepper, cored and diced
- 2 – 4 tablespoons unsulfured blackstrap molasses
Instructions
INSTANT POT (no soak method):
- Press the SAUTE setting on your Instant Pot and add ¼ 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, broth, tomato paste, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, mustard, bay leaves, ground pepper and salt, 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 at HIGH for 75 minutes. When done, let the steam vent on its 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.
SLOW COOKER (no-soak method):
- In bottom of slow cooker, add the onion, beans, maple syrup, vinegar, 4 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 HIGH for 8 – 10 hours. Check periodically, adding up to ½ cup more water as needed (I’ve used up to 1 + ½ cups for 8 hours). You will also want to check for doneness towards the end so the beans don’t overcook. Add salt to taste.
Store: Keep 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 – 8
Notes
Soaking Methods:
- Long soak: Add the beans to a large pot (or instant pot or slow cooker insert), pick through and discard any odd shaped or colored beans. Fill the pot with water, adding enough to cover the beans with an inch of water. Let soak on the counter for 8 hours, or overnight. You can also let the beans soak in the refrigerator if temperatures are high.
- Quick Soak: If you’re in a hurry, place beans in pot and cover with 3 inches of water, bring to a boil for 5 minutes, remove from heat and let soak for 1 hour. Drain beans before using.
How To Cook Using Soaked Beans
- Instant Pot: If soaking the beans, reduce liquids to 2 cups. Manually set the time for 40 minutes, instead of 75 minutes.
- Slow-Cooker: Follow assembly instructions for slow cooker, reducing the liquids to 2.5 cups, and cook on HIGH for 4 – 5 hours or LOW for 8 – 10 hours. Check after a few hours, adding and extra ½ cup as needed if water burns away. Add salt to taste.
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 an extra 2 – 3 tablespoons of maple syrup after cooking when seasoning for flavor. Best to add at the end so they aren’t too sweet.
Nutritional values are estimates only. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
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John says
Love this recipe – have made it several times. The only change I have made is to cook it for 90 minutes in the InstantPot since at 75 minutes the beans were a little hard.
★★★★★
Emily says
Thanks for a delicious recipe that I will be using again! I used dry small red beans. I love tomatoes, so I used a full 6oz can of tomato paste. I also used 1/3 cup (not packed) brown sugar instead of maple syrup. I did not have an hour and a half to wait for the beans to cook, so I omitted the vinegar and cooked them at high pressure for 50 minutes. Then I released the pressure and stirred in 14 oz canned diced tomatoes and a splash of vinegar. The beans were creamy, tangy, smoky, and delicious!
★★★★★
Joana Miranda says
I made this yesterday and turned out delicious. Used pinto beans soaked for 24 hours, didn’t measure anything just made sure the water covered the beans on the Instant Pot and cooked for 40 minutes. Definitely a keeper, thank you!
Stacey says
High 5! Super yummy and easy to make!
★★★★★
Peter says
We made this just as written. It came out brilliant!
★★★★★
Jasmine says
Huge hit! Made them for dinner tonight and my husband loved them!
★★★★★
Trish says
Delicious. My first try making vegan baked beans. Great recipe!
★★★★★
Ariana says
High 5! Super yummy and easy to make!
★★★★★
Cory says
4 cups veggie broth and only 2 cups beans? I ended up with a ton of liquid is it going to thicken up now as it cools or something?? Ended up adding 4 cups of beans which is double what the recipe says and its still incredibly soupy, probably going to have to end up throwing most of it out now!! strange recipe!
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
So sorry it was soupy! Did you use the no-soak method or did you soak the beans before cooking? Also, I’m curious what method you used – Instant Pot or slow cooker? This will help troubleshoot.
cory says
thanks for the reply, I used a pressure cooker with 2 cups canned beans which is 1 can
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Oh my, this recipe calls for using dried beans, not canned. If the taste is good, just remove some of the juices, or add another can of beans to see if that offsets all the juices. I hope you can save them instead of having to toss them!
Roffikins says
Hello ladies!
I’m so excited to try this recipe. I’m a recently converted vegan and am finding my way with beans. I find I have to go the whole way in the ‘de-gassing’ process or my tummy gets quite upset with me, which means I need to cook beans and discard the water several times throughout the process before I use them in recipes.
Do you have any pointers for cooking this regularly in a pan on the stove, or in the oven (I don’t have a slow cooker or instant pot) starting with fully cooked beans!?
Thanks so much for your time xo
Marjorie Rhyno says
Hi, I how much is a serving size? I joined WW and I have to measure everything! I have an Instant Pot and I am told that baked beans are soyummy, cooked in it. So if you could help me out , I would appreciate it. Also, will the sugar amount on the nutritional label be the same if you used molasses instead of Maple Syrup? Thanks.
Jason says
well, I’m not sure what happened, but this basically made bean soup.
I soaked for 9 hours, drained, added ingredients exactly (double-checked after too). Used my Instapot on High Pressure for 40 minutes and let it depressurize ~18 minutes.
I ended up reducing on the stove top for an hour then baked at 400 for 10 minutes, but obviously something’s not right here.
Was it the red chili beans? Maybe they don’t absorb as well as navy?
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Oh my, so sorry, but glad you were able to reduce the water. It could very well be the difference in beans. I’ve only used small navy beans and northern beans for this recipe. I’m also wondering if soaking the beans first has anything to do with it, as they absorb water and may not need the full 4 cups. I’m going to test it out this weekend and make notes. I may try a batch with a different bean too. Thank you for the feedback, it really helps!
Lisa says
I used white navy beans and the same thing happened. The flavour is good, but did not thicken at all.
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Ok, I’ve updated the recipe to use less water when soaking the beans. I apologize that I didn’t catch that before, but I’ve now tested using soaked beans with 2 cups of water and it was perfect. The little bit of water that’s left with thicken as the beans cool. Thank you both for your feedback!
Lisa Ferron says
I have 2 cans of organic white beans can they be used for this recipe?
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
EDIT: 2 cans is ok, 3 would be ideal. Reduce the starting liquids to 2 cups. Reduce the cooking time to 10 minutes. I haven’t tested this, but this is what I would do. Please let us know how it goes!
Lisa says
Great! Thank you!
NK says
This recipe is perfection! My mom thought no one could ever make baked beans like my Grandpa did – this recipe proved her wrong. (Sorry, Grandpa.) It’s amazing how flavorful they are without the addition of ham hocks or bacon. I used the no-soak instant pot variation and the texture was just right. I try to freeze half the batch in mason jars so that I can take one out when I have a craving without starting up a new batch and the flavors are even more intense and delicious. Such a great recipe!
★★★★★
Richie says
Made just as written, turned out perfect! Thanks for the great recipe!
★★★★★
Lori says
I am a vegetarian, married to a carnivore and raising our two young nieces, one of whom is extremely finicky with both taste and texture. I am on a never-ending mission to find food choices that work well for all of us. This recipe sounds really good! Although I am not a fan of maple syrup nor molasses. Any suggestions for a substitute? Possibly honey?
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Hi Lori, I know it can be tough to please everyone with mixed diets in the house!
You can omit the maple syrup and molasses if you prefer. Try to sub with organic pure cane sugar, coconut sugar or coconut nectar, or date sugar to keep it vegan. Honey is ok too for non-vegan, but I think any of the mentioned sweeteners will be fantastic.
As a note, I’m not much of a fan of molasses myself and don’t ever use it, but tried it in the recipe using 2 tablespoons and must say it added that extra depth of flavor that was so delicious… you may consider keeping it around for baked beans.
I hope that helps! And do let us know how it goes, it’s super helpful for everyone!
Linda says
Finally got around to making this recipe and it’s absolutely delicious! I followed the directions, didn’t make any changes and it was perfect.
★★★★★
Debbie says
Great flavour! I added 2 tbsp of barbecue sauce and 2 tbsp molasses. Did seem like a but too much liquid and soaked beans were a bit tough not much though, so I turned the instapot on for another 10 minutes. I added a bit more salt when I ate them. Fantastic!! Thank you!
★★★★★
Tara Gallimore RD MSc @ Plantae Nutrition says
I have made this recipe multiple times (non-soaking method) and they turn out perfect every time!! I usually cook them for 75 minutes to avoid the undercooked beans you mention, and I replace the maple syrup with molasses for the flavour, and for more calcium and iron. As another commenter mentioned, I also prefer to use less tomato paste (I use 3 Tbsp per 1 lb beans). I also like to add 1 block of thinly sliced smoked tofu and cook that with the beans. Thank you so much for publishing this!!
★★★★★
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Wow, I really love your take on this and the feedback! I’ll definitely have to try this with a little less tomato and some smoked tofu. Thank you so much for the inspiration! Cheers :)
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Hi Tara, I just made the beans, cooking for 75 minutes without soaking first, and they came out perfect! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment, helping this recipe be the best it can be! Cheers :) xo
Tara Gallimore RD MSc @ Plantae Nutrition says
Oh my gosh! I was coming back to make your recipe (yet again :D) and I couldn’t believe that you not only tried my modifications but updated the recipe. I am SO glad to have been able to help, Julie! This makes my DAY!! XO <3
Alissa says
After trying this out yesterday, I now have my go to recipe for delish, healthy baked beans. Thank you! I love that there’s no need to pre-cook the beans too.
★★★★★