Boston Baked Beans from Scratch

A gray pot of savory sweet dark brown baked beans with a wooden spoon.

5 from 2 votes

Start the night ahead by soaking beans or use the Quick Soak method in notes at the end. For a vegetarian or vegan version skip the bacon and saute in olive oil. Don’t be overwhelmed by the length of this recipe. It’s harder to explain than do! For a shortcut with canned beans see the recipe notes at the end.

Prep Time20

Cook Time3

Dried bean soaking (optional)12

Total Time15 20

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: to 10

Calories: 485kcal

Author: Sally Cameron

Equipment

Large heavy pot or large Dutch oven 5 ½ quarts with lid
Colander

Ingredients

Basic bean soaking

1 pound dried small white beans such as navy beans see notes below on bean options, for shortcut use 4-15 ounces cans of beans.
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
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 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 blackstrap molasses
1 ½ cups unsweetened ketchup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard sub 1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 bay leaf

Instructions

Soak the beans (the night ahead)

Place dry beans in a colander, rinse well with cold water and remove any broken beans. Place beans in a large container and cover with double the amount of cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt per quart of water (brining). Cover beans and refrigerate 12 hours or overnight. Before cooking, drain beans and rinse well. Discard soaking water. To quick soak, see notes below.

Pre-cook the beans

In a large heavy pot such as a 5 ½ quart Dutch Oven, add the soaked, drained beans and enough fresh filtered water to cover by several inches. Bring to a boil, boil 10 minutes, skimming any foam that develops. Turn the heat down to medium-low, add the aromatics and simmer until tender, approximately 1 hour.
Check the beans occasionally to make sure they are covered with water. As needed, add hot filtered water from a tea kettle. When beans are tender, drain the beans, saving the bean broth, and continue with the recipe.

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.

Bake the beans

Bake for 3 hours, checking each hour and adding a little of the reserved bean broth or water if needed. At 2 ½ hours test beans for doneness. If they are not totally tender, bake for another 30 minutes. When beans are done, save and refrigerate 2 cups of extra bean broth for re-heating, to make the beans juicier if needed.

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.

Notes

Dried beans that work for baked beans: Navy Beans, Great Northern Beans, Cranberry Beans, pinto beans and heirloom dried beans such as Ayocote Blanco, Alubia Blanca beans or Yellow Eye Beans.

To quick soak beans, rinse dried beans with cold water in a colander and check for any broken beans or debris. Place beans in a large heavy pot such as a Dutch Oven and cover with fresh water by several inches. Bring beans to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat, cover the beans and let stand on the stove for 1 hour. Drain and proceed with the recipe.

Canned beans shortcut:

To save time, swap the dried beans for 4 -15-ounce cans of beans, drained and rinsed. Use navy beans, great northern, or borlotti. Add them to the pot at the step where the cooked beans go in the full recipe. Bake uncovered at 325°F for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Check for consistency and flavor—add a splash of liquid if they look dry, or bake a little longer to thicken if needed.

Yield Note:
This recipe makes a generous batch—about 9 to 10 servings—using 1 pound of dried beans. It’s perfect for parties, BBQs, or meal prep. You can easily cut the recipe in half if you're cooking for a smaller group.

Freezer Tip:
If you’re going to the effort, consider making the full batch and freezing leftovers in individual portions. Baked beans freeze beautifully for up to 3 months and reheat well for quick sides on busy nights.

Nutrition