by 
These Healthy Homemade Baked Beans, are a comforting side dish with a subtle smoky flavour. They are lower in salt and sugar than commercial canned baked beans, making them the perfect side dish for the whole family to enjoy.
To avoid any confusion, let me clarify that this recipe is loosely based on British-style Baked Beans, Heinz being the most famous brand, rather than the American-Style Baked Beans which have a darker, thicker and sweeter sauce and often have added foods such as bacon or sausage.
I do however say loosely based and as one reader said:
If you are trying to fool your kids (that these are Heinz baked beans) 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
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Ingredient Information (with Alternative Suggestions)
The full list of ingredients and amounts can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post. This section gives information on each ingredient and suggests alternatives if required.
- Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Passata: (Pureed and strained tomatoes.) 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 supermarkets.
- Tomato Paste
- Smoked Paprika: Infuses a sweet, smoky essence into the beans, elevating the overall taste profile. Don't substitute it with paprika, it won't taste the same.
- Vegetable/Chicken Stock: Use homemade vegetable stock or very low salt stock if cooking for a baby / young child. You can also use chicken stock if you aren't vegetarian/vegan.
- Beans: Most commercial baked beans use haricot (navy) beans, which can be found canned or dried, depending on your location.
- Canned Navy beans are convenient as they don't require soaking and pre-cooking. In the UK, they are easily found in most supermarkets, but I've not found them in Australia.
- If canned navy beans aren't available, you can use dried one. These need to be soaked and cooked until soft before use.
- Navy beans can be substituted with Cannellini beans, which are meatier but look different from commercial baked beans. Pinto or kidney beans can also be used.
Step-by-Step Instructions (with Images)
This section features step-by-step photos for visual reference. The complete recipe can be found by scrolling to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
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.
- Soak and cook dried beans according to packaging (if using dried beans)
- Saute minced garlic in a little olive oil, over low heat, add smoked paprika and stir.
- Add the passata, tomato paste, stock and vinegar. 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, Simmer for a further 10 mins, taste and season accordingly.
Top Tips
- Don't skimp on the cook time: Allow the sauce to simmer for at least 20 mins to create a rich tomato sauce and 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.
- Taste and Season / Balance: If 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.
- Do not add salt or sugar if making for a baby/toddler, if you feel you would like to add a little sweetness try adding a little apple puree (apple sauce).
- Other ways to add sweetness is to sauté some chopped onion, celery and carrots. Puree them and add it to the sauce at the start of cooking.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate - Allow homemade baked beans 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.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, these baked beans are suitable for babies from 6 months+, if they are developmentally ready for finger foods. However, there are some considerations:
Use homemade or very low sodium stock/broth.
If using dried beans, cook them until they are soft enough to easily smoosh between your thumb and forefinger.
If using canned beans, choose ones labeled "no salt added" or "low sodium" and rinse them before adding to the sauce.
Mash or flatten the beans when serving to reduce the risk of choking.
As with all foods make sure baby is sitting upright at the table and supervised at all times while eating.
Serve these beans like you would commercial baked beans. Why not try...
Beans on Toast
Side with fish goujons
Side with sausages and mash
Baked potato filling
Quesadilla filling
Omelette filling
More Bean Recipes
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Healthy Baked Beans
Ingredients
Dried Beans
- 200g (1 cup) Dried navy beans (small white beans)
Canned Beans
- 2 x 600g (10.5oz) Can Haricot (Navy) beans (drained weight 195g/ 6.8oz per can)
Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 3 teaspoon Garlic, minced
- 3 teaspoon Smoked paprika * See Notes
- 500g (2 cups) Passata
- 2 tablespoon Tomato paste
- 250ml (1 cup) Vegetable/Chicken Stock *See Notes
- 1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Soak and cook dried beans according to the packaging. (skip this step if using canned beans)
- Heat oil in a saucepan over 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, stock and vinegar 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)
Brian
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
Love it! Thanks Brian
Chris
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
Thanks Chris 🙂
Sammy
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
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
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
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!
James Gregory
Not sure what brand of tinned beans everyone else used but the one I had took an age to soften which got me to wondering. I remember when cooking potatoes in a stew that they won't soften if I put my Henderson Relish in too early which is a little sour condiment. So, is the same thing going on with the beans in the tomato sauce. Next time I'll be softening the beans in the water in the can first prior to adding to the tomato sauce then I reckon the recipe will be spot on for me although I know everyone has different methods, ingredients and tastes. The only reason I commented was if anyone was experiencing the same as me. Jim.
Amy
Hi James, Thanks for your comment, did you use canned beans or dry beans? If using dry beans you would need to soak and pre-cook before using them in this recipe.
James Gregory
This wasn't going well when I kicked this off. I followed the times in the recipe but found them way too short, but that is so with most recipes I find to be honest The beans just hadn't softened and the sauce was so sour that I was considering binning the lot. The wife came up with the answer though as she brought this brown Truvia out of the cupboard that looks just like brown sugar, it improved the dish but it still wasn't right but the clincher was 1 teaspoon of baking soda, it took the tartness away and made the dish spot on, bearing in mind I'd doubled up with all the ingredients or the teaspoon of baking soda could have been too much.
Jim
I'm going to try this soon as I really need to get away from grains I think. Tinned baked beens in tomato sauce usually have cornflour as an ingredient. Some to the other recipes I've seen also have cornflour as an ingredient so I was pleased to find this one. Would you know of a suitable thickening agent Amy that I could use if I so desired? One that wasn't grain based.
Amy
You could try potato starch or arrowroot starch 🙂
Cameron Duffy
Hi Amy, this is a simple and delicious recipe and your observations and advice regarding sugar and salt are duly noted. I prefer pureed celery though it is a bit wet, but reduction fixes that.
I used canellinni as haricot is difficult to source though I will be growing them next season.
I made my own passata and added some fresh basil which improved it a lot.
Thanks!
Amy
Thanks for the feedback, Cameron. Fresh basil would be lovely, I'll need to try that next time 🙂
Robyn
I have made this today. And added smokey chipotle as I didn't have enough ofthe paprika. Love it.
Amy
Sounds delicious, thanks Robyn 🙂
Rukmani
How many days can we store this receipe for ?
Amy
Hi Rukmani, 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.
Gerald Styles
We loved this recipe. Smoked Paprika was a bit powerful. Maybe I will use a little less next time.
Next recipe I will use butter beans as I feel they always need a flavour boost
Amy
Thanks Gerald, glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Lorna Percival
This recipe is he best really easy and full of flavour. I will definitely be making again. Thank you so much.
Amy
Thank you Lorna, so happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Daisy
This was such a lovely recipe, so flavoursome and a lovely addition to our dinner tonight! Highly recommend
From Daisy (Age 12)
Amy
Thank you, Daisy! So happy you approve, did you make them for your family?
Amanda
Baby loved it ! Such a simple recipe with lots of flavour
Amy
Thanks Amanda 🙂
Andrew. A
I can not believe you couldn't find canned beans in Australia, they're everywhere.
Amy
Hi Andrew, I can find canned beans just not canned haricot beans. (The small beans used in baked beans)
Donna
Made for my baby, but the beans still felt crunchy after 10mins. I kept simmering longer and needed to add water so they didn't stick and to try soften the beans. After almost 45mins they seem ok, still not great. Is there something else I should do to the haricot beans first?
Amy
Hi Donna, did you use canned beans or dry? This recipe uses canned beans so they should already be soft. If you use dried you will need to soak them overnight beforehand.
Donna
I used canned. Perhaps something wrong with the quality of the beans. I will try again at some point
Roxana
Hi Amy, this looks delicious! What would you serve the beans with for a complete meal? I find that my little one would just eat baked beans for dinner and disregard anything else on his plate
Lynda and David Litchfield
This recipe is excellent. I have made baked beans before but this was simple and tasty and the better recipe. Have made it twice now and it freezes really well. Thanks.
Amy
Thanks Lynda, so happy you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for taking the time to rate and let me know 🙂