These Homemade Baked Beans are a comforting side dish with a subtle smokey flavour. They are lower in salt and sugar than the commercial beans available, making them perfect for young children.
WHAT ARE BAKED BEANS?
Baked beans may mean a different thing, depending on where you are from in the world. Different countries use different beans, added flavourings and some even include the addition of foods such as bacon and sausage.
Having grown up in the UK, to me, the term refers to canned beans in a simple tomato sauce. I automatically think of the brand Heinz, although there are many other brands available.
When I lived in the USA, I remember having serious pregnancy cravings for Baked Beans. I bought an American brand but they were very different from what I was used to. The sauce was much sweeter and they had more of a barbecue flavour.
This homemade recipe is loosely based on the British version. Although the recipe doesn’t taste exactly like the canned variety, it uses the same beans and they are cooked in a tomato-based sauce.
PROCESS SHOTS
Despite the name, this dish is not baked, instead, it is made on the stovetop. It is simple to prepare but does take around thirty minutes to cook.
- Saute garlic in a little olive oil
- Add smoked paprika and stir
- Add passata, tomato puree/paste, stock and stir
- Simmer the tomato sauce for around 20 minutes (until the sharp taste of the tomato is gone and the sauce has thickened.
- Add the beans and simmer for a further 10 mins.
INGREDIENT INFO
- PASSATA is pureed and strained tomatoes. It is usually sold in tall glass bottles or cartons. It’s 100% tomato and is a lot smoother than crushed tomatoes. You can find it in most UK and Australian supermarkets.
- SMOKED PAPRIKA gives these beans a delicious sweet and smokey profile without adding much heat to the dish, (unless you purchase a hot, smoked variety) Don't substitute it with a different paprika, it won't taste the same.
- BEANS - Most commercial canned baked beans are made using haricot, also known as navy, beans. Depending on where you live in the world, you should be able to buy these pre-cooked in cans or dried.
- Canned Beans are more convenient, allowing you to make the recipe without having to soak and pre-cook your beans beforehand.
- In the UK I was able to find them easily in cans in most major supermarkets. I have never found them canned in Australia.
- You can substitute Navy (haricot) beans for Cannellini beans. They are a meatier version of navy beans and work well in the recipe but will obviously look different to commercial baked beans.
- Dried Beans - If you can’t find canned navy beans, but would still prefer to use this smaller bean, then you should be able to buy them dried from a bulk goods/scoop store.
- Dried beans will need to be soaked overnight and then cooked, until soft, before you make this recipe.
BAKED BEANS & SUGAR
- Canned versions of baked beans can contain a lot of added salt and sugar and this is the main reason I wanted to make my own.
- I have deliberately not added any sugar and salt to this recipe as many parents doing baby-led weaning use my site.
- I recommend you cook the sauce for at least 20 minutes to reduce the acidity. At the start of cooking the sauce can taste quite sharp. However, after it simmers away for 20-30 mins the sharpness reduces, the sauce thickens and it tastes delicious.
- If you have older kids, and at the end of cooking you think the sauce still needs balancing, you can try adding a little sugar and salt, starting with a pinch at a time.
- Other ways to add sweetness is to sauté some onion, celery and carrots. Puree them and add it to the sauce at the start of cooking.
STORAGE INFORMATION
- Refrigerate - Allow the beans and sauce to cool before transferring to a sturdy airtight container. Refrigerator for up to two days.
- Freeze - Cool to room temperature before freezing. Place into a sturdy airtight container (or several small containers.) Leave a bit of space at the top of the container to allow for expansion. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw in the refrigerator and re-heat on the stove top or microwave.
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Healthy Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 - 2 teaspoon Spanish Smoked Paprika * See Notes
- 300g (1 â…“ cups) Passata
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Puree (Tomato Paste)
- 60ml (¼ cup) Chicken / Vegetable Stock *See Notes
- 300g (10.5oz) Can Haricot (Navy) beans (drained weight 195g/ 6.8oz) * See Notes
Instructions
- Heat oil in a sauce pan over a medium heat.
- Add the garlic and allow to sizzle but be careful not to burn.
- Reduce heat to low, add the smoked paprika and stir.
- Add the passata, puree and stock and then simmer for around 20 mins (until the sharp taste of tomato has gone and the sauce has thickened.)
- Add the beans and simmer for a further 10 mins.
- Season to taste (SEE NOTES)
Recipe Notes
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Nutritional facts
Amy says
This recipe was so easy to make and tasted delicious. I used canned cannellini beans and added a pinch of salt. At the end I added red onion, capsicum and spinach to make it spread over a few meals. Added it onto toast with some grated cheese on top! Absolutely delicious!
Bazz says
Beans where brill can you freeze them
Amy says
Hi Barry, I'm glad you liked the beans. Yes you can freeze them but they can go a little mushy after defrosting.
Narelle says
Super easy to make and yum. I added chopped parsley. Had to ise Cannelloni beans as well Thankyou
Amy says
Thanks Narelle
Brian says
with the price increase i thought i would make my own
i thought how hard can it be?
googled your recipe and tried it out
used Cannellini beans as couldn't find Haricot (have some white beans to try next time)
best ever won't be going back to store brought
i did add about 3/4 tablespoon of raw sugar, we don't have and white in the house otherwise followed the recipe. also made some with mild Chili powder for me cause I like the kick. definitely winner here
Amy says
Love it! Thanks Brian
Chris says
Made this because we wanted a quick topping for baked potatoes and didn't have any tinned BBs. So, they are nothing like our UK favorite baked beans (well mine weren't). So if you are trying to fool your kids don't bother. On the other hand if you want a really simple to make, much healthier, tastier, beany 'stuff' to put on toast or baked potatoes (or probably many other scenarios) then these are absolutely banging. I added 1/4 very finely chopped onion (mainly because it was in the fridge!), no salt (veg stock already has plenty), and just a splash of honey for a bit of sweetness. Also made using a black bean and pinto bean combination rather than haricot, worked well (again because they were in the fridge waiting to be used) so really don't worry if you don't have haricot ( I suspect kidney beans would also be lovely, just don't forget to cook them properly!)
Amy says
Thanks Chris 🙂
Sammy says
This is my first try with this recipe and its great! I just wanted to ask, it says per serving 171 calories - what is per serving in weight wise?
Amy says
Thanks Sammy, THe nutritional info (always just a rough guide) is based on 1/3 of the recipe. (I am unsure what that would be weight-wise).
Jean says
I love this recipe, thank you. You mentioned about not adding too much salt or sugar with a young toddler. How old would you say a 'young toddler' is? I have a 2.5 years old, and I am not sure how strict to be with the amount of salt and sugar she is consuming. It's hard as a lot of relatives are offering her sweets!
Amy says
In Australia and New Zealand, the recommendations are - 1 to 3 years – limit of 2.5g of salt a day.
Here is some info on sugar. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/2016/08/23/aha-added-sugar-limits-children/#:~:text=In%20a%20scientific%20statement%20published,than%20eight%20ounces%20per%20week.
You want to get the right balance where you aren't offering too much sugar but you don't want to be overly restrictive or it can become an obsession. It's a hard one!