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.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BAKED BEANS
Despite the name, this dish is not baked, instead it is made on the stove top. 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.
HOW TO STORE HOMEMADE BAKED BEANS
- 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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Have you tried this recipe? I love hearing your feedback, please rate and leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @healthylittlefoodies
Healthy Baked Beans
Navy (Haricot) Beans cooked in a smokey tomato sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 - 2 tsp Spanish Smoked Paprika * See Notes
- 300g (1 1/3 cups) Passata
- 1 tbsp Tomato Puree (Tomato Paste)
- 60ml (1/4 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
SMOKED PAPRIKA - Don’t be tempted to substitute this with a different paprika, it won’t taste the same.
CHICKEN / VEGETABLE STOCK - Use homemade or very low salt stock if cooking for a baby / young child. You can also miss it out if you prefer.
BEANS - If you can not find canned haricot/navy beans then you can replace them with cannellini or butter beans. Alternatively, you can buy dried navy beans but you will need to pre-soak and cook before using in this recipe.
TASTE & SEASON - You may find you will want to balance out the flavour of the sauce (depending on the passata used) with a little salt and sugar. Start with a pinch and adjust to taste. (Do not add salt and sugar if cooking for a baby / young toddler)
Nutritional Information is a ROUGH guide only, calculated using an online nutrition calculator.
This recipe was originally posted September 2015, it has been updated with new photos and recipe/ ingredient /storage information.
These look like normal baked beans, which is great. My kids love baked beans but would love to have a healthy version, must give these a try! Thanks for sharing x
Thanks Sarah. They do taste different but good! I hope they go down well, let me know!
These look lovely. I shall have to try them as the ordinary ones are too sweet
I find the ordinary ones too sweet as well. I think you will like these 😉
They look super tasty! I love beans more than lentils!
Thanks Katerina. I’m a big lentil fan but love beans too x
Love the no sugar no salt!
Thank Kylie 🙂
I love it! What a great way to cut out the added ingredients! I had always wondered which means are used in the tin of beans – I will look for haricot beans.
These are great – just making them right now! Do you think they’ll freeze well? ?
Thank you Becca! Once cool, ransfer to a freezable container and freeze for up to 3 months 🙂
Just so you know my 8 and a half month old Finn loved these! I tried a tin of low sugar/salt Heinz beans a couple of weeks ago and he wasn’t that bothered but he wolfed yours down. So easy to make too and much healthier! I love this blog 🙂
Great! Glad little Finn loved them!! Thank you for your kind comment 🙂
Delish!!! Had to improvise a bit, and use navy beans that I had on hand, and also added some chopped up bacon, and the flavour was amazing! My pickly little eater loved them. Thanks for sharing!
Oh yum! So glad they got the picky eater approval!
Very rarely have baked beans as I am the only one that eats them and worry about wasting them, really fancied some tonight and had the ingredients in the cupboard so I made them. No need to worry about waste as they are so yummy that I have scoffed the lot!!!!
Excellent, so glad you liked them! They are pretty addictive!
I am wanting to try these but I’ve never heard of passata. I googled it and it says it’s tomato purée but then I see that mentioned separately so clearly it’s different, can you explain it for me please? Thanks.
Hi Arrica, sorry I think this recipe has got lost in translation. Tomato puree (UK) is often known as tomato paste in other countries. Passata is sieved tomatoes.
My fussy little man didn’t like the beans sobs did the sauce with spaghetti instead and he is currently shovelling it in his mouth. So also good as spaghetti sauce
Hi Lorna, great idea! Glad he likes the sauce with spaghetti even though the beans weren’t a hit!
Cannot wait to try these. I have currently downloaded a few recipes and found this one. Love the no sugar. I’m trying to cook more and more from scratch. Much healthier… thanks
Thanks Nicole, I hope you enjoy them. We love these beans!
I’ve just made these, they are different but tasty! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, I am diabetic, cook everything fresh so I know what goes in, and avoid sugar, so I find Heinz beans too sweet. I find these very healthy and will be passing on the recipe to all my friends in Cyprus where I now live. Thank you X
Hi Lyn, So happy you liked them and thanks so much for sharing with your friends! Thanks for taking the time to comment, it really means a lot 🙂
Fabulous recipe!!! In Australia I could only get cannalini beans and butter beans ( big white beans ) so I used those mixed together. Really lovely recipe, easy and quick and delicious on toast!! Thank you
Hi Linda, so glad you like them! I live in Australia now but haven’t made them since moving here. I will have to try them with the cannalini beans – yum! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Hi there! I am just about to make these but I have a packet of dried haricot beans, not tinned! Do you know how I can prepare them so I can use them in this recipe instead of tinned ones?
Hi Heidi, I’m so sorry that I am just getting back to you now. We moved house last weekend and I got behind on my messages and emails. I seemed to have missed your comment. If using dried beans you will want to cook them before using them in the recipe. You will probably need to soak overnight and then boil for around 45 mins. The packaging should tell you.
Just made these- had to use cannolini beans instead, but tastes delicious! I’m going to add some more paprika and some chilli next time, but the basic recipe is good, much healthier than canned. I wouldn’t say it tastes exactly like heindz but still very good. 10/10!
Brilliant, so glad you liked them! – I always up the smoked paprika in this recipe because we all love it so much. Chilli would be fab too!
Great recipe, looking forward to making this for my 6 month old, when someone freezes this recipe please let us know how it turned out after defrosting.
Thanks, Hollie. I am slowly working my way through my old recipes to update and check freezing ability. Although I haven’t frozen these I’m sure they would freeze well. Just freeze on the day you cook them (once completely cooled)
I just rinse the sauce from tinned baked beans to remove most of the sugar, then quickly sauté with a little garlic and olive oil. Delicious with just a bit of sweetness.
Sorry, but I found that this didn’t really taste like baked beans. Not bad tasting, just not like baked beans.
Hi Jennifer, glad you thought they tasted ok and the recipe wasn’t a waste.
Your recipes look delicious and inspire healthy living. I am diabetic and was wondering if you could include he nutritional labels which would be very helpful. Thank you.
Thank you, Robyn. I have started adding nutritional labels to all my new recipes. I am also working my way through my old recipes. In the meantime, you can just punch in the ingredients to an online nutrition calculator.