Southern Baked Beans Recipe

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Southern Baked Beans are an irresistible side dish that will elevate your dinner game. This great recipe is a family friendly favorite that bursting with flavor and straight out of my grandma’s recipe box.

A plate of southern style baked beans.

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Our Southern Baked Beans recipe is your ticket to an extraordinary Southern classic that’s ready in a snap.

Let’s face it, canned baked beans, like Bush’s baked beans don’t even come close to my grandma’s recipe. With just a few pantry staples and a quick prep time, you’ll create a baked beans dish that’ll have everyone begging for seconds.

If you’re looking for more bean recipes, try these Sweet and Spicy Baked Beans, Instant Pot Baked Beans and Restaurant Style Black Beans.

A casserole of southern style beans.

Why We Love This Molasses Baked Beans Recipe

Discover what makes our molasses baked beans stand out from the crowd. From its ease of preparation to its irresistible family friendly appeal, we’ll uncover the magic that sets this recipe apart and leaves us craving it time and time again.

  • Easy Prep: Our baked beans recipe require minimal preparation, making it an excellent choice for those busy evenings when you want a hearty side dish.
  • Easy Ingredients: With just a handful of common ingredients, you’ll have everything you need at your fingertips. No need for a lengthy grocery list
  • Family Friendly: The rich, sweet, and savory flavors of the beans, combined with the simplicity of the dish, make it a go-to option for family dinners. Perfect for your next cookout. Baked beans are the perfect summer side dish.

Ingredient Notes for Southern Baked Beans Recipe

Onions, bacon and the beans for the dish.
  • Onion: Diced onions add a flavorful and aromatic element to the dish. You can also experiment with shallots or scallions for a unique twist.
  • Made with Canned Beans: Cans of beans are the star of this recipe. Their creamy texture and rich taste are essential for achieving the perfect result.
  • Molasses: Molasses is what gives this dish its signature sweet and sticky sauce. You can opt for light or dark molasses depending on your preference.
  • Bacon: A slice of bacon add such flavor. Make sure the bacon is crisp.

See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.

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Variations and Substitutions to Make Southern Baked Beans Side Dish

From adding a tropical touch to turning up the heat, these creative ideas will breathe new life into your favorite Southern baked beans recipe.

  • Pineapple: If you want to add a fruity twist to your baked beans, toss in some pineapple bits. They’ll add a delightful hint of sweetness and tropical flair.
  • Spicy: If you prefer a bit of heat, spice up your beans with jalapeno slices or a dash of hot sauce.
  • Make: You will love this recipe because you can make in a skillet, baking dish or a crock pot. Try adding hamburger for a baked beans with ground beef.
  • Sauce: Try bbq sauce or worcestershire sauce.
  • Sugar: You can use some sugar substitute light brown sugar if you wish.

How to Make Old Fashioned Baked Beans Using Canned Beans

These are the basic steps for making Old Fashioned Baked Beans Using Canned Beans. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions. If you tried this recipe, let us know.

Cooking the onions.

Step 1: Prep

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Then, get a large oven safe pot handy.

Step 2: Cook Onion

Next pour some oil in the pot and heat it on the stove over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and cook for about 4 minutes.

Step 3: Add Rest of Ingredients

Then add the beans, molasses, ketchup, and brown sugar into the pot with the onion. Next, stir to combine all ingredients together.

Step 4: Bake the Southern Baked Beans

Then sprinkle chopped pieces of bacon on top of the bean mixture. After adding the bacon, place the pot in the preheated oven and finally bake the beans uncovered for one hour.

Brown Sugar Southern Style Baked Beans FAQs

Yes, you can easily make this recipe vegan by substituting canned pork and beans with canned vegetarian baked beans, omitting the bacon, and using a brown sugar substitute.

Absolutely! These beans freeze well, so you can make a batch in advance and store them in a freezer-safe container for future meals.

While canned beans are convenient for this recipe, you can certainly use dried beans. However, be prepared for a longer cooking time, as dried beans require soaking and extended cooking. Dried navy beans, kidney beans, white beans or pinto beans or whatever you like.

Leftover brown sugar baked beans can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat these southern beans on the stove top or in the microwave.

Of course, you can add meat, try to add ground beef or ground turkey and bacon grease are wonderful in this great Southern Baked Beans recipe.

A spoon next to southern style baked beans.

Expert Tips for Making Southern-Style Baked Beans

Our expert tips are here to help you infuse even more flavor and creativity into this classic Southern style baked beans dish. These pro tips will elevate your baked beans to culinary excellence.

  • Tang: Add a tangy kick to your beans by incorporating a touch of dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, or barbecue sauce into the recipe.
  • Add Bourbon: For an extra twist, add a splash of bourbon to your Southern Baked beans. It’ll impart a subtle, smoky flavor that compliments the sweetness of the molasses.
  • Different Meat: Experiment with alternative meats such as ground beef or sausage for a delicious twist on this classic Southern dish.

What to Serve with Baked Beans

A plate of southern style baked beans.
5 from 17 votes

Southern Baked Beans

Yield: 6 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes
Southern Baked Beans are an irresistible side dish that will elevate your dinner game. This recipe is a family friendly favorite that bursting with flavor!
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⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review below!

Ingredients

  • 1 Onion, large, diced
  • 2 teaspoons Vegetable oil
  • 59.2 ounces Pork and beans, 14.8 oz each Pork and Beans (I use 4 of Campbell’s)
  • cup Molasses
  • ½ cup Ketchup
  • ½ cup Brown sugar
  • 6 Bacon, strips, diced
  • 1 teaspoon All Purpose Seasoning

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a large oven safe pot, heat vegetable oil. When hot, add onion and saute for 3-4 minutes or until softened.
  • Add beans, molasses, ketchup and brown sugar; Stir to combine.
  • Add diced bacon pieces on top.
  • Bake for 1 hour.

Expert Tips

 
  • Add tang: Mustard such as dijon, Apple Cider Vinegar, or bbq sauce.
  • Bacon: Crisp bacon crumbled on top adds even more flavor.
  • Variation tip: Replace the bacon with spicy sausage.
  • Alternate cooking method tip: Make these baked beans in the slow cooker or the instant pot the beans come out wonderful and full of tenderness.. To save oven space.

Estimated Nutritional Information

Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 340mg | Potassium: 437mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 125IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 2mg
The nutritional information provided are estimates. To learn more about how I calculate this information go to www.itisakeeper.com/about-its-a-keeper/privacy-disclosure-policies/
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American

8 thoughts on “Southern Baked Beans Recipe”

  1. 5 stars
    Perfect beans recipe. I did add a small amount (1 1/2 T) of prepared mustard for some tang to balance the molasses & brown sugar as suggested. Leftovers were heated, mashed a bit and served as corn chip dip, delicious. Thank you.

    Reply

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