This quick and easy baked beans recipe starts with canned pork and beans, with some added onion, bacon and more! Needs only 90 minutes in the oven, so they are perfect for Summer entertaining and anytime you need baked beans in a flash!
These peppy baked beans are the easiest and quickest baked beans you can make! We always called them “doctored” pork and beans, as they start with canned pork and beans and are spruced up with onion, bacon, mustard, catsup and molasses. Simply stir it all together and pop it into the oven for 90 minutes. Quick, easy and delicious and perfect for Summer BBQS, potlucks or with hot dogs or hamburgers.
Love baked beans? Me, too! Here are some more of my baked bean recipes you might like …
- Smoky, Saucy BBQ Baked Beans – Easy oven‑baked BBQ beans start with canned navy beans and bacon for a smoky, saucy side dish that’s perfect for summer cookouts, potlucks, and weeknight dinners
- Sweet and Sassy Baked Beans – These baked beans start with canned navy beans, combined with a sweet and sassy sauce with maple syrup and chili sauce
- Homemade Baked Beans from Dried Beans – Classic, long‑cooked oven-baked beans, made from dried navy beans
- Maple Baked Beans – Long-cooked oven baked beans, with maple syrup and bacon
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Canned pork and beans – In my part of the world, Pork and Beans come in two main varieties – with Molasses or in Tomato Sauce. I think starting with Pork and Beans in Tomato Sauce will produce a well-balanced pot of beans that will appeal to most people. I like to start with Heinz Pork and Beans in Tomato Sauce. You could use all Pork and Beans with Molasses, but it will produce deep-coloured, molasses-forward beans. For me, the sweet spot is using 2 cans of each! Experiment and see which one you prefer.
Onion – You will need one small, cooking onion. The original Peppy Beans recipe specifies adding thinly sliced onion to the bean mixture. As these cook fairly quickly (as far as baked beans go :), the sliced onion won’t completely break down like it does with longer cooking baked beans. You can certainly go that route, if you like. I’m not sure I want bits of onions in my baked beans though, so I’ve taken a tip from my Mom and just placed the peeled, whole onion in the centre of the beans while it cooks. The whole onion is removed at the end of cooking, so you get all the onion flavour, without onions in the beans.
Bacon – You will need about 6 slices of uncooked bacon.
Molasses – Fancy molasses is recommended here for best flavour. Cooking molasses may work, but I haven’t tested it, and it may be too harsh. I would say Blackstrap molasses is definitely too harsh in flavour, and I wouldn’t recommended using it.
How to make baked beans with canned pork and beans: step-by-step
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Scroll down to the Recipe Card below for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
Step 1: Add the canned pork and beans to a casserole dish, then add the molasses.
Step 2: Add the dry powdered mustard to the dish.
Step 3: Add the white vinegar to the dish.
Step 4: Add the catsup to the bean mixture.
Step 5: Stir everything together well.
Step 6: Scatter the diced bacon over the top and place the onion in the centre.
Step 7: Bake uncovered in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Step 8: Remove from the oven. Remove the onion and stir.
Step 9: Return to a 400F oven for 10-15 minutes until thick and syrupy.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
These beans can be made ahead and reheated on the stovetop or in a 350F oven until warmed.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Yes, baked beans can be frozen! Let cool before transferring to a freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months.
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Get the Recipe: Peppy Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 56-60 oz canned Pork and Beans, four 14 or 15 oz. cans *see Note 1 below
- 3/4 cup Fancy molasses, *see Note 2 below
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard, or 1 Tbsp yellow prepared mustard
- 3 Tablespoons white vinegar
- 1/4 cup catsup
- 1 medium onion, peeled *see Note 3
- 5-6 slices bacon, uncooked, diced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (regular bake setting/not fan assisted).
- In a large bowl, combine the canned beans, molasses, mustard, vinegar and catsup. Stir to combine well, then pour into an oven-safe casserole dish (about 2.5 qt).
- Peel the whole onion, then using a sharp knife, cut an "X" into it, from the topping, cutting down about 3/4 of the way into the onion. Spread the onion out a bit, then place into the centre of the bean mixture. Scatted the diced bacon evenly over the top.
- Bake UNCOVERED, at 350F for 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from oven and increase oven temperature to 400F. Remove the onion and discard. Stir the beans well. Return to 400F oven for 10-15 minutes more, or until the beans are nicely browned and syrupy on top.
Notes
- Pork and Beans in Tomato Sauce is probably the best option, for a classic baked bean flavour. Using Pork and Beans with Molasses will produce a deep browned, molasses-forward pot of beans. A nice option to try is to use 2 of each! Experiment to find which you prefer.
- Molasses is usually labelled as “Fancy” and is recommended for the smoothest molasses flavour. Cooking Molasses is a little harsher tasting. If that’s all you have on hand, use less than specified. Blackstrap molasses is probably too harsh in flavour for this recipe.
- Instead of placing the whole onion in the centre of the beans, you can thinly slice it and stir it in with the bean mixture, if you prefer. The onion probably won’t break down completely during the cooking though, so you will have pieces of onion, along with the beans.
More easy baked bean recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress-free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Hi Jennifer, I’d like to make these the day before. Should I bake then put in the fridge overnight? Then reheat? I want to transport in a crock pot too. Thanks, these look delicious! I’m making for tomorrow if you could let me know soon! Thank you!
Hi Lola, and yes, I would bake the day before and refrigerate. Reheat on arrival in the crockpot. Enjoy!
Hi Jennifer – This sounds delicious and I’m planning to make this for my husband’s birthday part for 40 people -will multiplying everything by 5 work out or will that be too much molasses?
Thank you!
Jan
Hi Jan, I think you will be fine just multiplying by 5. As long as the ratios stay the same, it won’t be too much molasses. Enjoy!
Perfect for the upcoming Memorial Day holiday here Jennifer! Can’t have a summer cookout without baked beans!
Thanks Mary Ann and yes, bbqs need beans, I think :)
Look great! Just in time for this long weekend July in May weather! Look like I can do this. One dumb question. If I don’t have fancy molasses what is a substitute? I have everything else even the beans in my pantry.
Hi Pat and yes, loving this weather :) Do you have any molasses at all? It’s tough to substitute for molasses. The closest would be part maple syrup, part dark brown sugar I think.