If you've never made old-fashioned Boston baked beans, you're in for a treat. Sweet, savory, and rich with smoky flavor from bacon and molasses, this classic American side dish is slow-cooked comfort at its best. It takes time, but most of it is hands-off, and the deep flavor is worth it. Soak the beans the night before, then let them bake low and slow until tender and rich. Short on time? I've included a shortcut using canned beans that still delivers fantastic flavor.
Making Boston baked beans from scratch takes longer than starting with canned beans, but the work is simple and spread out: soak, simmer, then bake. Most of the time is hands-off, and the deep homemade flavor is worth it.
Boston Baked Beans Recipe Snapshot
- Classic American side dish - Perfect for summer cookouts, BBQs, potlucks, and holiday tables.
- Rich sweet-savory flavor - Slow-baked with molasses, mustard, onion, and smoky bacon.
- Vegetarian option - Skip the bacon for a meatless version.
- Step-by-step guidance - Clear instructions walk you through soaking, simmering, and baking.
- Canned bean shortcut - A faster option for days when time is tight.
Looking for a faster bean salad? Try my three-bean salad or summer white bean salad. Both use pantry-staple canned beans and come together in minutes.
Ingredients You'll Need
I've taken a few liberties with the traditional recipe, like using creamy Dijon mustard instead of dry mustard and adding smoked paprika (optional), but the result is a pot of baked beans with incredible depth of flavor.
- Dried beans - Navy beans are the classic choice for Boston baked beans. Use dried beans for the from-scratch version, or see the canned bean shortcut in the recipe notes.
- Bacon - Thick-cut bacon replaces the traditional salt pork or ham hock, adding rich smoky flavor.
- Bacon fat or oil - After cooking the bacon, use a little of the rendered bacon fat to sauté the onion for extra flavor. If you prefer, or if the bacon fat was discarded, use olive oil or avocado oil instead.
- Onion - Yellow or brown onion adds sweetness, moisture, and savory depth.
- Garlic - Adds another layer of savory flavor.
- Molasses - Essential for authentic Boston baked beans. I use mild unsulphured molasses, which gives the beans their signature sweetness and deep color without the bitterness of blackstrap molasses.
- Brown sugar - Light brown sugar adds a touch more sweetness. You can also use a golden monk fruit blend to reduce the sugar.
- Ketchup - I prefer unsweetened ketchup, but your favorite brand works too.
- Mustard - Dry mustard is traditional, but creamy Dijon adds both flavor and body to the sauce.
- Apple cider vinegar - Balances the sweetness and brightens the finished beans.
- Smoked paprika - Optional and not traditional, but it adds a subtle smoky note that complements the bacon.
- Bay leaf - Adds gentle background flavor as the beans bake.
For simmering the beans: I add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, fresh thyme sprigs, and a bay leaf to the cooking water. It's an extra step, but it subtly seasons the beans from the inside out and adds another layer of flavor.
Please see the recipe card for all measurements including salt and black pepper.
Chef's Note: Why Do Bake Beans So Long?
Wonder why baked beans need hours in the oven, even when you start with cooked or canned beans? It's not just about cooking them until tender. The long, slow bake develops deep flavor and a rich, glossy sauce. As the beans bake, the sugars in the molasses and ketchup caramelize, the acidity mellows, and the sauce thickens into that classic sticky consistency you can't get from a quick stovetop simmer. If you have the time, it's worth every minute.
Substitutions and Variations
- Dry mustard - Use 1 teaspoon dry mustard instead of 1 tablespoon Dijon.
- Dried bean options - Navy beans are classic, but Great Northern, cranberry, Marcella, Alubia Blanca, or Yellow Eye beans (heirloom bean varieties) work well too.
- Canned beans - Use navy beans, Great Northern beans, or borlotti beans, the Italian name for cranberry beans.
- Vegetarian or vegan - Omit the bacon and use olive oil or avocado oil to sauté the onion.
- Add ginger - Add jarred ginger puree or finely grated fresh ginger, sautéed with the onions.
- Make it an entrée - Add browned ground beef or turkey, or chopped cooked chicken sausage.
- Add balsamic - A splash of good balsamic vinegar adds depth and balances the sweetness. I usually add balsamic to mine.
Chef's Tip: Why soak beans? Soaking hydrates dried beans, softens their thick outer skins, helps them cook more evenly, and speeds up the cooking process. Adding kosher salt to the soaking water, which is a simple brine, seasons the beans more evenly and improves flavor. Soaking and brining also help reduce split or burst beans. For most dried beans, it's worth the extra step.
How to Make Boston Baked Beans From Scratch
Start here if using dried beans
- Rinse beans in cold water and soak overnight. Use double the water as beans. Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt per quart of water.
- Drain beans and rinse well, discarding the salty brining water.
- Add the soaked beans to a large heavy pot like 5 ½ quart Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid. Cover with a few inches of water. Bring to a boil, boil 10 minutes.
- Turn the heat down and simmer beans until tender, about 1 hour. Add hot water from a tea kettle as needed. You want tender beans for baking. Remove the vegetables and drain saving the cooking liquid (bean broth).
Start here if using canned beans
Note: Omit bacon step for vegans or vegetarians and use olive oil to cook onion and garlic.
Step 1: Chop bacon crosswise into pieces and add to the same pot.
Step 2: Cook bacon until crisp and golden. Drain the bacon from the fat, reserving the bacon fat.
Step 3: Add 2 tablespoons of bacon fat back to the pot. Add chopped onion and cook until soft and golden; add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
Step 5: Stir in the paprika, brown sugar and vinegar and stir until sugar is melted.
Step 6: Stir in the beans, bacon, cover the pot with the lid and bake beans for approximately 3 hours t 325°F.
Step 7: Every hour, stir in a little bean broth (or water) when the level is low, as beans cook down and concentrate. Keep them a little juicy.
Step 8: The finished beans, creamy, saucy and richly flavored. Save extra bean broth.
How to Quick Soak Dried Beans
If you forgot to soak the beans overnight, use the quick-soak method. Rinse the beans well in a colander under cold water, discarding any broken beans or debris.
Place the beans in a large heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven, and cover with fresh water by several inches. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover, and let the beans stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse, then proceed with the recipe.
Serving Boston Baked Beans
Boston baked beans are a classic side dish for burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken, or smoked baby back ribs with homemade BBQ sauce. For a summer barbecue menu, serve them with:
- Potato salad - a no-mayo red potato salad or my French potato salad.
- Fresh homemade coleslaw.
- Summer green bean salad with corn and tomatoes.
- A big green salad
- Corn on the cob
Taste and adjust - If the baked beans taste a little too sweet, stir in an extra splash of apple cider vinegar. If you'd like them sweeter, add a little New England maple syrup; it's a natural partner for the molasses and brown sugar.
Reheating Tips
If making baked beans a day or two ahead, cool them properly, then refrigerate covered. Baked beans firm up as they chill, so stir in a little reserved bean broth or water before reheating if you want them looser and creamier.
Oven - For a whole pot, stir in a little reserved bean broth or water if needed. Cover and reheat in a 325°F oven for about 1 hour, or until the beans reach 165°F.
Stovetop - Stir in a little reserved bean broth or water, cover, and warm over low heat, stirring occasionally so the bottom does not scorch.
Microwave - Reheat individual portions, covered, at 70% power until hot.
Freezing
If you're going to the effort, consider making the full batch and freezing leftovers in individual portions, such as in Souper Cubes. Baked beans freeze beautifully for up to 3 months and reheat well for quick sides on busy nights.
Recipe FAQs
Boston baked beans are traditionally made with molasses, which gives them their deep color, rich sweetness, and classic New England flavor. Molasses is a thick, dark syrup from the sugar-refining process and is also what gives brown sugar its color and flavor.
Beans can stay hard if they are old, overly dried out, or improperly stored. Hard water, especially water high in calcium, can also prevent beans from softening. For best results, use fresh dried beans and filtered water.
If you're concerned your beans are old, add ¼ teaspoon baking soda to the soaking water. Don't use too much, or the beans can become mushy.
More Terrific Summer Side Dish Recipes
Need more ideas for summer menus? Here are a few for the grill and side dishes too. For more inspiration see the side dishes category.
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📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned Boston Baked Beans
Equipment
- Large heavy pot or large Dutch oven 5 ½ quarts with lid
Ingredients
Basic bean soaking
- 1 pound dried small white beans such as navy beans see notes below on bean options and canned bean shortcut
- 1 ½-2 quarts filtered water enough to cover the beans by 4 inches for soaking
- 1-2 tablespoons kosher salt for brining 1 tablespoon per quart of water
Bean pre-cooking (aromatics)
- ½ onion, yellow or brown cut in quarters
- 1 carrot peeled and cut in half crosswise
- 1 rib celery cut in half crosswise
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs tied together sub sage leaves or rosemary
Baked beans
- 6 ounces thick cut bacon chopped crosswise into strips
- 1 ½ cups chopped onion, yellow or brown 1 large onion
- 2-3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar or golden monk fruit blend
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons regular or smoked paprika optional
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup unsulphured mild molasses such as Brer Rabbit
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard sub 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 bay leaf
Optional add-in's
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon ginger puree or finely grated fresh ginger
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Instructions
Soak the Beans (Overnight)
- Place the dry beans in a colander, rinse well under cold water, and remove any broken beans or debris. Transfer to a large bowl or container and cover with at least twice their volume of cold water. Stir in 1 tablespoon kosher salt per quart of water (brining), cover, and refrigerate 8-12 hours or overnight.Drain and rinse the beans well before cooking. Discard the soaking water.For a quick-soak method, see the Notes below.
Pre-cook the beans
- Place the soaked beans in a large Dutch oven (5 ½ quarts) or other heavy pot and cover with several inches of fresh filtered water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, skimming off any foam. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, add the aromatics, and cook until the beans are just tender, about 1 hour.Check the water level occasionally, add hot filtered water from a tea kettle as needed to keep the beans submerged. Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid (bean broth), and discard the aromatics.
Start the beans
- Pre-heat the oven to 325°F degrees. Fry the chopped bacon in the same pot until crisp and browned. Remove bacon to paper towels reserving the bacon fat. Add 2 tablespoons bacon fat back to the pan and cook the onion until soft and lightly golden, 8-10 minutes, over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook another minute.
- Add the brown sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper and paprika and stir until sugar is melted. Stir in the molasses, then the ketchup and mustard until smooth. Gently fold in the beans until coated. Add the bay leaf and bacon. Top the pot with the lid.
Make the Sauce
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. In the same Dutch oven, cook the bacon until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the bacon fat. Add 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat to the pot and cook the onion over medium-low heat until soft and lightly golden, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.Add the brown sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, and paprika, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the molasses, ketchup, and mustard until smooth.Fold in the cooked beans, bacon, and bay leaf until evenly coated. Cover with the lid.
Bake the beans
- Bake for 2½-3 hours, checking about once an hour. If the beans begin to look dry, add a little reserved bean broth or hot water.Begin checking for tenderness after 2½ hours. If needed, continue baking another 30 minutes. When done, reserve extra bean broth to help loosen the beans when reheating.
Serving and Storing
- Serve baked beans hot or warm and re-heat well if you have leftovers, and will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Extra freezes well in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Re-heating beans
- Reheat beans gently on the stovetop or in a 325°F oven, adding a little reserved bean broth or hot water as needed to restore their creamy consistency. Warm until the beans reach 165°F. Timing depends on how cold they are from the refrigerator. Take them out of the refrigerator an hour ahead if possible to reduce re-heat time.
Notes
Nutrition
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Jake says
At no point in your recipe does it instruct us where to put the bacon back in.
Sally Cameron says
Hi Jake, thanks for the catch. I've edited and noted to add the bacon back in just before you bake the beans. It's step 10 in the process photos and now listed in the instructions. Best, Sally.
george says
during the baking phase you do not say when to add the mustard or the bay leaf. i would assume this would be when adding the other dry ingredients.
im guessing this was just an editorial oversight. Wife and I made this for Christmas Dinner (going with a bbq theme this year) and so far it looks and smells great
Sally Cameron says
Hi George, thanks for catching that and being another set of "eyes". Just corrected on where to add the mustard and bay leaf. Please let me know how they come out. How fun to do a Christmas bbq! Here's to new traditions. I am doing smoked turkey breasts on my pellet grill for the first time. The beans would have been perfect with it! Merry Christmas.
Mrs Fiona Petrie says
I can only get blackstrap molasses but the recipe clearly says not to use this. My question is why not and what would be the best substitute?
Sally Cameron says
Hi Mrs. Petrie. When I updated the recipe I forgot to make that change. What I use is actually blackstrap molasses. It's easy to get this mixed up and I think other recipes have it mixed up too. I've updated the recipe so as not to confuse people, so thank you for helping me to clarify that. Reading about how molasses is made and the different levels can be confusing. The front of the bottle I use says simply unsulphured molasses. You wouldn't realize it is actually blackstrap unless you read the ingredient label. The two common brands in the stores (in my area) are Grandma's and Wholesome. I use the organic Wholesome brand. Blackstrap is often used in recipes for baked beans, gingerbread, bran muffins, molasses cookies, and BBQ sauce for it's rich, deep, slightly bitter flavor. I hope that helps and thanks again.
Melissa S. says
I came to your website looking for baked beans and I found some!! I have pinto beans, red beans, and navy beans. Would one of these also work? Are the other's more nutritious?
Sally Cameron says
Hi Melissa, I think you could probably use any of them that you like and they would be good! Please report back on which you choose so other readers can benefit. Thanks!
Lori says
Made this today. I have a 3 year old, I will keep you posted.
Sally Cameron says
Please do Lori, I hope your little one likes it.
Francesca says
Glad I caught this entry before the month ended! I had no idea Baked Bean month. I'll definitely try this. Thanks for sharing!
Dr. Patrick Mahaney says
This makes me want to barbecue!
I am going to forward this recipe to my mom and sister as a means of making the beans without white sugar or ketchup (also containing sugar in the form or 2 types of corn syrup...yuck).
PM
susan says
Yay for baked beans month! Yours is a meal, all wrapped up into one little pot! We need to coordinate a baked beans pot luck!
Rivki Locker (Ordinary Blogger) says
This looks great. I've never seen ginger puree. Do you know of any substitutes?
Sally says
Hi Rivki. Every grocery store has it. You can usually find it in the produce department in little jars. I prefer the organic kind. Right now I am using the brand from The Ginger People. The label says minced ginger, but its a fine puree and so easy to use. If you can't find it, use fresh ginger pieces, peeled, the rubbed over a microplane grater for fine juicy ginger.
Ron says
Beautiful!