Delicious, sweet and sassy baked beans, made with canned navy beans, so they are both easier and quicker. The sweet and sassy sauce uses maple syrup, molasses and chili sauce. And bacon is added to the mix for a touch of smoky, too!
Sweet and sassy baked beans: at a glance
- These oven-baked start with canned navy beans, so there are no beans to soak!
- These BBQ baked beans need only 2 1/2 hours in a low oven, which is pretty quick for baked beans.
- Unlike some quick and easy baked beans recipes, these BBQ baked beans don’t start with cans of baked beans, but rather canned navy beans.
- The combination of maple syrup (the sweet) and chili sauce (the sassy) is delicious. And don’t forget the bacon, which adds a nice salty, smoky note, as well.
- These beans are even better the next day, so they are great for making ahead, and they’ll keep for several days in the fridge. They also reheat easily.
- These quick and easy baked beans are great as a side dish for dinners, picnics, potlucks and BBQs.
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
- Peppy Baked Beans – These baked beans start with cans of baked beans, with extra flavour additions to the sauce, for a “peppy” and tangy baked bean
- 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 navy beans – For me, baked beans are always navy beans. You’ll need two cans of navy beans, about 19 oz. each, or close to that. It doesn’t need to be exact. Prepare the beans by draining and rinsing well with cold water. You could use canned kidney or pinto beans here if you like.
Chili sauce – This is the bottled chili sauce, widely available around the ketchup in most grocery stores. Heinz™ makes a popular version.
Maple syrup – Real maple syrup is highly recommended here. In the absence of maple syrup, I would seek out a recipe for brown sugar syrup, which is quite easy to make at home.
Molasses – There is just a touch of molasses in these beans. You could add a bit more if you like. I recommend “Fancy” molasses for the best flavour. Cooking molasses will work, though the flavour will be stronger and less smooth. Blackstrap molasses is quite strong and can be bitter, so I don’t recommend it in these beans.
Dry mustard – This is the powdered mustard. You can substitute regular yellow prepared mustard, as detailed in the Recipe Card below.
Bacon – the bacon adds a nice salty note to these beans, but you can omit the bacon for vegetarian baked beans.
How to make sweet and sassy baked 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: Drain and rinse the canned navy beans and add them to the baking dish. Add diced onion and chopped bacon.
Step 2: Mix the sweet and sassy sauce together.
Step 3: Add the sauce to the bean mixture and stir well to combine.
Step 4: Wrap the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.
Step 5: Bake the beans for 2 1/2 hours covered, them remove the foil and stir.
Step 6: Return to the oven uncovered for 10-15 minutes to thicken the sauce.
Making ahead, storage and freezing
These beans are maybe even better after they sit and when reheated, so don’t hesitate to make them ahead. Making them a day ahead would be just fine.
Baked beans will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheat the baked beans in the microwave or loosely covered with foil and place into a 350F oven until warmed through, about 20 minutes.
Baked beans will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email and I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Seasons and Suppers.
You can unsubscribe at any time.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Sassy Baked Beans from Canned Beans
Ingredients
- 36-38 oz. canned navy beans, drained and rinsed (2 x 18 or 19oz cans)
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 2 slices bacon, chopped
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup chili sauce, *see Note 1 below
- 1 Tablespoon molasses, Fancy molasses is recommended
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, or about 2 teaspoons of prepared yellow mustard
- 3 Tablespoons hot water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F. (regular bake setting/not convection or fan-assisted).
- Drain and rinse the 36-38 oz. canned navy beans (drained and rinsed (2 x 18 or 19oz cans)) and add them to a baking or casserole dish (7×11 or 8×10-inch is a good size). Scatter the 1/2 cup onion (chopped) and 2 slices bacon (chopped) over top.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1/2 cup chili sauce (*see Note 1 below), 1 Tablespoon molasses (Fancy molasses is recommended), 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (or about 2 teaspoons of prepared yellow mustard), 3 Tablespoons hot water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pour over beans and stir to combine. Cover the baking dish with a lid or tightly with aluminum foil.
- Place into a preheated oven and bake, covered, for 2 hours and 15 minutes. Remove cover, increase the oven temperature to 400F and bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to stand 10 minutes before serving. *Have a small taste of the beans before serving. You may find you need to add a touch more salt. If so, season and stir in before serving.
- These baked beans can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or loosely covered in a 350F oven until warmed through. You can also freeze baked beans for up to 6 months.
Notes
More 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!
Thank you for fixing that slight omission. These beans were so good, better than my much loved canned version. So easy and flavorful
Sandy
So glad you enjoyed them, Sandy! Thanks :)
Can you please tell me when to add the 3 Tbsp of hot water. I may have missed this step in the instructions.
Thank you
Sandy
Hi Sandy and sorry, it looks like I omitted it in the instructions. It goes in with the sauce ingredients. I’ve fixed it now. Thanks for letting me know :)
Hi Jennifer,
You have done it again!
I have always made my grandmother’s baked beans recipe so when I saw yours I was sceptical.
I decided to try your recipe as my time was limited and I had not soaked the beans overnight.
2.5 hours later, I had perfect baked beans and your recipe is a well balanced combination of flavours.
I made them a second time, just to be sure, and they were even better, if that is possible. Using the canned beans insures tender beans.
Perfect summer cottage food.
Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes and practical suggestions.
Carole Ann
So glad to hear, Carole Ann and yes, I’m not always up to soaking and cooking dried beans, so it’s nice to have a quicker option :) And yes, perfect Summer cottage food, too. Thanks so much!
I was surprised by how good these tasted. They are sweeter than I usually eat but they sure are tasty! I used “old” dried beans, so my beans weren’t as tender as they should have been.
So glad you enjoyed them, AJ! Thanks so much :)