Grandma’s Secret Was Always in the Pot: 15 Old-Fashioned Baked Beans Worth Bringing to Every Potluck

Every family has a baked bean recipe, and every one of them has a secret. Some use mustard, some use molasses, and some grandmas quietly stirred in a can of apple pie filling. Baked beans are the potluck side nobody posts about, yet the pot is always scraped clean first. A few cans of beans can feed a crowd for very little money, too. Here are the versions worth carrying to your next church supper, tailgate or Thanksgiving table..

Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Baked Beans With Bacon

This is the classic: navy beans baked low and slow with bacon, onion, brown sugar, molasses and a spoonful of mustard until the sauce turns thick, glossy and dark. Starting from canned beans makes it doable on a weeknight, and the long bake gives it that real homemade taste. Do you like your baked beans sweet or smoky?

You will need: 4 cans (15 ounces each) navy or great northern beans drained, 6 slices bacon, 1 onion diced, half cup ketchup, third cup brown sugar, quarter cup molasses, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, half cup water, salt and pepper.

How to make it: Heat the oven to 325F. Cook 4 slices of bacon until crisp, crumble them and cook the onion in the drippings until soft. Stir together the ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire and water. Mix with the beans, onion and crumbled bacon in a baking dish. Lay the last 2 bacon slices on top. Bake uncovered for 1 and a half hours until thick, stirring once.

Boston Baked Beans With Molasses and Maple

Boston got the nickname Beantown for a reason. New England baked beans are made from dry navy beans, salt pork and dark molasses, baked for hours in a bean pot until the sauce turns almost black. A little maple syrup adds a gentle sweetness. Serve them with brown bread or hot dogs for a true Saturday night supper.

You will need: 1 pound dry navy beans soaked overnight, 4 ounces salt pork or thick bacon diced, 1 onion, third cup molasses, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, half teaspoon pepper, boiling water.

How to make it: Simmer the soaked beans in fresh water for 45 minutes until the skins split when you blow on them, then drain. Heat the oven to 300F. Put the onion and half the pork in a bean pot or Dutch oven, add the beans and top with the rest of the pork. Mix the molasses, maple, mustard, salt and pepper with 2 cups boiling water and pour it over. Cover and bake 5 to 6 hours, adding water as needed, uncovering for the last hour.

Apple Pie Filling Baked Beans

Yes, really. This is the secret ingredient that got thousands of people talking on a viral Allrecipes video. A can of apple pie filling melts into the beans, adding sweet, cinnamon-kissed apple chunks and a silky sauce. With bacon and onion, it tastes like fall at a barbecue. Would you be brave enough to try it?

You will need: 2 cans (28 ounces each) baked beans, 1 can (21 ounces) apple pie filling, 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled, 1 small onion diced, quarter cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce, 1 teaspoon yellow mustard.

How to make it: Heat the oven to 350F. Roughly chop the larger apple slices in the pie filling. Cook the onion in a little bacon fat until soft. Stir everything together in a baking dish, keeping some bacon for the top. Bake uncovered for 1 hour until bubbly and thick. Let it rest 10 minutes before serving.

Calico Beans With Three Kinds of Beans and Ground Beef

Calico beans, also called cowboy calico, are the church supper star that is hearty enough to be dinner. Three kinds of beans and browned ground beef bake in a sweet and tangy sauce. The mix of colors is where the calico name comes from. Make a big batch, because people always ask for the recipe.

You will need: 1 pound ground beef, half pound bacon chopped, 1 onion diced, 1 can (28 ounces) pork and beans, 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans drained, 1 can (15 ounces) butter beans drained, half cup ketchup, half cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar.

How to make it: Heat the oven to 350F. Brown the beef, bacon and onion together and drain the fat. Stir in all the beans, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard and vinegar. Pour into a 9×13 dish or bean pot. Bake uncovered for 1 hour, or cook on low in a slow cooker for 5 to 6 hours.

Barbecue Baked Beans With a Bacon Lattice

If you want your baked beans to steal the show at a cookout, weave strips of bacon into a lattice on top. As it bakes, the bacon turns crisp and drips smoky flavor into the barbecue sauce below. It looks like a pie and tastes like the best part of a barbecue platter. Are you team crispy bacon or team soft bacon?

You will need: 3 cans (28 ounces each) baked beans, 1 cup barbecue sauce, quarter cup brown sugar, 1 onion diced, 1 green bell pepper diced, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 10 slices bacon.

How to make it: Heat the oven to 350F. Mix the beans, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, onion, pepper, Worcestershire and paprika in a 9×13 dish. Weave the bacon slices into a lattice over the top. Bake for 1 and a half to 2 hours until the bacon is crisp and the sauce is thick. Rest 10 minutes.

Hawaiian Style Pineapple Beans

Pineapple and baked beans sound like a strange pair until you try them at a summer luau or a holiday ham dinner. Crushed pineapple brings bright sweetness and a little tang that cuts through the rich sauce. Some families add diced ham, which makes it even better next to a holiday roast. Which team are you: pineapple yes or pineapple no?

You will need: 2 cans (28 ounces each) baked beans, 1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple drained, 1 cup diced ham (optional), half cup brown sugar, half cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 small onion diced.

How to make it: Heat the oven to 350F. Stir all the ingredients together in a baking dish. Bake uncovered for 1 hour, stirring halfway, until the sauce is bubbling and glossy. Serve warm next to ham, pork chops or grilled chicken.

Slow Cooker Beans for Busy Hosts

When the oven is busy with a turkey or a ham, the slow cooker takes care of the baked beans. Everything goes in the pot in the morning and you walk away. By afternoon the house smells like a Southern smokehouse. This version travels well, so it is perfect to carry to a potluck right in the crock.

You will need: 4 cans (15 ounces each) navy beans drained, 8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled, 1 onion diced, 1 cup ketchup, half cup brown sugar, quarter cup molasses, 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 teaspoon garlic powder.

How to make it: Stir all the ingredients together in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes if you want a thicker sauce. Keep on warm for serving.

Southern Style Baked Beans With Brown Sugar and Mustard

Down South, baked beans are a must next to pulled pork, fried chicken and potato salad. This style leans on yellow mustard and brown sugar for a sweet and tangy balance, with a hint of heat. Ground beef or pulled pork makes it heartier. It is the side dish that gets passed around the table twice.

You will need: 3 cans (28 ounces each) pork and beans, half pound ground beef or 1 cup pulled pork, 1 onion diced, 1 bell pepper diced, three quarters cup brown sugar, half cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons yellow mustard, 1 tablespoon hot sauce, salt and pepper.

How to make it: Heat the oven to 350F. Brown the beef with the onion and pepper and drain. Mix with the beans, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard and hot sauce in a baking dish. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour until thick and bubbly.

Cowboy Beans, the Chuck Wagon Classic

Cowboy beans are smoky, meaty and a little spicy, the kind of beans you picture simmering over a campfire. They are often served next to a steak at old school steakhouses. Bacon, ground beef, onion and a touch of chili powder make them feel like a meal on their own. Grab some cornbread and dig in.

You will need: 1 pound ground beef, 6 slices bacon chopped, 1 onion diced, 2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans drained, 1 can (28 ounces) baked beans, half cup barbecue sauce, quarter cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika.

How to make it: Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven until crisp, then brown the beef and onion in the drippings. Drain most of the fat. Add the beans, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, chili powder and paprika. Simmer uncovered on the stove for 30 minutes, or bake at 350F for 45 minutes, until thick.

Budget Baked Beans From a Bag of Dry Beans

Want to feed 20 people for just a few dollars? Start with a bag of dry navy beans. It takes some planning, since the beans need to soak overnight, but the result is creamy, tender beans that soak up every bit of the sauce. This is how great-grandma made baked beans long before cans were common.

You will need: 2 pounds dry navy beans, 1 large onion, 8 ounces bacon or salt pork, 1 cup brown sugar, half cup molasses, half cup ketchup, 2 teaspoons dry mustard, 2 teaspoons salt, water.

How to make it: Soak the beans overnight in plenty of water. Drain, cover with fresh water and simmer 1 hour until just tender, saving 3 cups of the cooking water. Heat the oven to 300F. Layer the beans with the onion and bacon in a large pot. Mix the sugar, molasses, ketchup, mustard and salt into the bean water, pour it over and bake covered for 4 hours, uncovering for the last 30 minutes.

Smoky Beans With Sausage

Smoked sausage turns a pan of baked beans into a one pot dinner that kids and grown ups both love. The sausage browns first so it gets a little crispy, then simmers in the sauce. Serve it with bread or rice on a busy weeknight. It also makes a great tailgate dish that you can keep warm for hours.

You will need: 1 pound smoked sausage sliced, 1 onion diced, 2 cloves garlic, 2 cans (28 ounces each) baked beans, half cup barbecue sauce, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar.

How to make it: Brown the sausage in a large skillet for 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft. Stir in the beans, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, paprika and vinegar. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring often, until thick. Or bake in a dish at 350F for 40 minutes.

Maple and Bacon Bean Pot

Maple syrup and bacon are a match made in heaven, and they are just as good in baked beans as on pancakes. Real maple syrup gives a softer, warmer sweetness than brown sugar alone. Serve these with barbecue and cornbread for a full plate of comfort. Need more ideas for the table? Our corn side dishes pair perfectly with them.

You will need: 3 cans (15 ounces each) great northern beans drained, 8 slices thick cut bacon chopped, 1 onion diced, half cup pure maple syrup, quarter cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, half teaspoon black pepper.

How to make it: Heat the oven to 350F. Cook the bacon until crisp and set aside, then cook the onion in some of the fat. Stir together the maple syrup, ketchup, mustard, vinegar and pepper. Mix with the beans, onion and most of the bacon in a baking dish. Top with the rest of the bacon and bake uncovered for 1 hour.

Meatless Molasses Beans for Vegetarian Friends

Not everyone at the potluck eats bacon, and these beans are just as rich without it. Smoked paprika and a little soy sauce bring the deep, savory flavor that meat usually adds. They are a great option for vegetarian friends and anyone who wants a lighter side. Most people will never guess that something is missing.

You will need: 3 cans (15 ounces each) navy beans drained, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 onion diced, 2 cloves garlic, 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce, third cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons molasses, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon mustard.

How to make it: Heat the oven to 350F. Cook the onion and garlic in the oil until soft. Stir in the tomato sauce, sugar, molasses, soy sauce, paprika and mustard. Add the beans and pour into a baking dish. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 30 minutes more until thick.

Baked Beans on Toast With Melted Cheese

In Britain, beans on toast is a beloved quick meal, and it is a smart way to use up leftover baked beans. Warm beans go over buttered toast with a pile of grated cheese that melts right in. It sounds simple, and that is exactly the point. It is cozy, cheap and ready in five minutes. Have you tried it?

You will need: 2 cups leftover baked beans, 4 thick slices bread, butter, half cup grated sharp cheddar, black pepper, a few drops of hot sauce (optional).

How to make it: Warm the beans in a small pot until bubbling. Toast and butter the bread. Spoon the hot beans over the toast and top with the cheddar so it melts. Finish with black pepper and hot sauce if you like.

How to Make Canned Baked Beans Taste Homemade

Short on time? Doctor up canned baked beans with a few pantry tricks: brown some onion and bacon first, add a spoonful each of mustard and molasses, a splash of vinegar to wake them up, and bake them uncovered so the sauce thickens. Which add-in is your family secret? Tell us in the comments.

You will need: 2 cans (28 ounces each) baked beans, 4 slices bacon, half onion diced, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon molasses, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 1 teaspoon cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce.

How to make it: Cook the bacon until crisp and crumble it. Cook the onion in the drippings until soft. Mix everything in a baking dish, saving some bacon for the top. Bake uncovered at 350F for 45 minutes until thick and glossy.