Easy Boston Baked Beans (with Canned Beans)

Making Boston baked beans has never been easier! This baked beans recipe uses canned beans to speed up the cooking time, but the homemade baked beans still pack in the delicious flavors using bacon, molasses, and cloves.

When I worked at Martha Stewart Living magazine I helped create a Boston Baked Bean recipe that was very authentic. We slow-cooked them in a special-order ceramic bean pot with clove-studded onions and tangy canned tomatoes.

I wanted that same authentic taste in a fraction of the time, so I created homemade baked beans using canned beans with concentrated flavors like molasses and ground cloves.

This Boston baked beans recipe is the perfect side dish for any time of the year. I love to serve it alongside of North Carolina pulled pork, oven-baked baby back ribs, and moist gluten-free cornbread.

Jump to:

• What are Boston baked beans?
• Ingredients for Boston baked beans
• How to make homemade baked beans using canned beans
• Equipment Needed for This Recipe
• What to serve with baked beans
• Tips for the best Boston baked beans recipe
• Easy Boston Baked Beans (with Canned Beans)

What are Boston baked beans?

Traditional Boston baked beans are slow-cooked until tender and flavored with bacon (or salt pork) and molasses. Most recipes also instruct you to bake the beans with an onion that's been studded with whole cloves.

Between the onion, bacon, molasses, and cloves, Boston baked beans are packed with sweet and savory flavor.

Most baked bean recipes instruct you to use dried beans, which take hours to cook in the oven. As much as I love traditional Boston baked beans, I prefer using canned beans as a shortcut when making this recipe. I also have another great recipe for baked beans with canned beans, it's my BBQ baked beans with great BBQ flavors!

Although this recipe has you bake the beans for just under an hour, it still perfectly melds the flavors and creates a thick, rich sauce. Win-win!

Ingredients for Boston baked beans

Making homemade baked beans using canned beans is so much easier than you might think! Navy beans are traditionally used for making baked beans, and that's what I used in this recipe.

Onion and garlic flavor the beans, alongside a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar and unsulfered molasses. Do NOT use blackstrap molasses, as it's incredibly bitter and will not deliver the same rich flavor.

I prefer using a blend of canned diced tomatoes and ketchup in my baked beans recipe to prevent them from being too sweet.

The best baked beans are baked beans with bacon, of course, so I added a few slices to the mixture to add some smokiness. Worcestershire sauce, yellow mustard, and a blend of herbs and spices round out the recipe.

One unique spice to note are the ground cloves. Just a pinch of cloves adds to the classic Northeast flavor to the Boston baked beans.

However, you can add up to ⅛th teaspoon of ground cloves for an even richer and sweeter flavor. I'd suggest everyone start with a pinch and then add more to the next batch if desired.

Authentic Boston baked beans ingredients include:

• Onions - Yellow onions are standard here. They add great flavor.
• Garlic - I purchase peeled garlic cloves to make every day cooking easy!
• Brown sugar - The darker, rich flavor of brown sugar is quintessential to a Boston baked bean recipe.
• Unsulfered molasses - Don't use blackstrap molasses as that will add a bitter flavor instead of caramelized sweetness.
• Tomatoes - These add acidity and create the juicy part of the sauce for baked beans.
• Bacon - Use your bacon of choice. You can even use turkey bacon if you must. It just adds the right smokey flavor to baked beans.
• Yellow mustard - Just a hint of this staple condiments adds to the flavor balance of baked beans.
• Cloves - A traditional Boston baked bean addition. Once you get used to the spicy addition, try adding more, for a very authentic taste.

How to make homemade baked beans using canned beans

Even though I made this Boston baked bean recipe using canned beans, they taste like you let them cook low and slow in the oven for hours!

Step 1: Heat a 6-quart Emile Henry ceramic Dutch oven or other Dutch oven over medium heat.

Step 2: Add the bacon and cook, stirring often, until it is just crisp and fat is rendered. Remove the bacon to a bowl using a slotted spoon.

Step 3: Add the onions and garlic to the bacon fat in the pan and sauté until soft and translucent.

Step 4: Place all of the other ingredients to the pot with the onions, including the cooked bacon.

Step 5: Bring the bean mixture to a simmer.

Step 6: Remove the stirring spoon, cover the pot with a lid and transfer to the oven.

Step 7: Bake until the sauce has thickened, 45 to 55 minutes.

Step 8: Let the homemade baked beans rest out of the oven for 10 minutes before serving.

Equipment Needed for This Recipe

Even though this is a baked bean recipe using canned beans and the bake time is significantly reduced, it's still so important that you use a high-quality Dutch oven for cooking the beans.

If you try to bake the beans in a cheaper, thinner baking dish rather than a Dutch oven, the beans will likely scorch on the bottom, and/or the flavor won't develop as well.

For making homemade Boston baked beans, my Dutch oven of choice is the Emile Henry Sublime Ceramic Dutch Oven. The Sublime ceramic distributes heat smoothly across the entire pot better than stainless steel or cast iron. Plus it’s super light and easy to clean!

Plus it has signature tips on the inside of the lid to help the cooking moisture drip back down on the food to prevent it from drying out.

Emily Henry Dutch ovens also double as serving dishes. The pot holds heat long after being removed from the oven, so your baked beans won't turn cold on the dinner table.

How long do baked beans last?

Store leftover Boston baked beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. You can reheat them in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding ½ cup to 1 cup water as needed to make them saucy.

Can you freeze baked beans?

Yes, leftover baked beans freeze incredibly well. Seal them in freezer bags or freezer-safe containers for up to six months.

When ready to eat, thaw the beans overnight in the fridge and then reheat them on the stovetop or in the oven. You may need to add additional water to make them saucy again.

What to serve with baked beans

These easy baked beans pair nicely with all of your BBQ recipes and potluck favorites! Some of the best things to serve with baked beans include:

• Fancy Hot Dogs
• Slow Cooker Brisket Sandwiches
• Memphis Smoked Bologna Sandwiches
• Sweet Cornbread
• Spicy Maple Bacon Drumsticks

Tips for the best Boston baked beans recipe

• Start by adding a pinch of ground cloves to the beans. The next time you make more, add up to ⅛th teaspoon of cloves, if desired.
• Navy beans are traditionally used to make baked beans, and that's what I recommend using for this recipe.
• I highly recommend using a good-quality ceramic Dutch oven to make slow-cooked baked beans. My Dutch oven of choice for baked beans is the Emile Henry Sublime Ceramic Dutch Oven.

Let me know how it went!

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Recipe and Photography Tara Teaspoon. Updated August 2023.