Homemade Baked Beans

Homemade baked beans that are made with crispy bacon, onion, green pepper, molasses, and brown sugar. Easy to throw together and tastes even better when made ahead. 

I LOVE baked beans…let me rephrase that..I LOVE THESE baked beans. Not all baked bean recipes are equal. I don’t know how many times I have put baked beans on my plate at parties or restaurants just to be disappointed because they do not taste like these. 

Maybe I am a little bit biased because these are what I was raised on..lol. But seriously I could eat a whole plate of just these baked beans. I even like these a wee bit overcooked so they are nice and thick. I know, not everyone likes their beans like this, but if you are like me then you will want to cook these just a little bit longer than what the recipe says to get that nice and thick texture. 

Go ahead and make these to your liking. I tend to leave out the onion and green pepper a lot so that my kids will eat them! 

This recipe makes about 6 servings as a side dish. I make it in a square 8×8 dish. If you need more for a bigger party, double the recipe and use a 9×13 baking dish.

Check out some of my summer recipes that would go well with the baked beans!

Baked BBQ Chicken Wings: Crispy oven baked chicken wings smothered in BBQ sauce. Perfect appetizer or an easy weeknight meal!

Italian Pasta Salad: Easy pasta salad that is bursting with color and flavor! Lots of veggies and tri-color pasta make this a beautiful side dish for a party.

7 Layer Salad:  A classic 7 layer salad that is crisp with a creamy dressing.  Full of chopped lettuce, celery, green pepper, onions, cheese, tomatoes, and bacon, this salad makes a quick and easy side dish!

Brisket Grilled Cheese Sandwich: A savory brisket grilled cheese sandwich smothered in cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses. A quick and easy meal that is an upgrade from a grilled cheese sandwich. 

Brandy Slushies: A frozen mixture of brandy, lemonade, orange juice, and black tea topped off with 7up.  Brandy Slushies are perfect for the summer!

Blueberry Whiskey Lemonade: A refreshing summer drink to cool you off on those hot summer days. Made with fresh blueberries, a homemade blueberry syrup, and honey whiskey. 

Slow Cooked Baby Back Ribs: Delicious slow cooked baby back ribs, all done in the crock pot! Meat that just falls off the bone, cooked with a homemade BBQ sauce!

Ingredients for Homemade Baked Beans

• Baked Beans: Any kind of baked beans in the can is what you can use. Use original or get a flavor like the brown sugar hickory baked beans!

• Ketchup: Mixed in with the beans to give it a sweet and tart flavor.

• Molasses Syrup: Added to the beans to give it a thick texture and adds a sweet flavor.

• Brown Sugar: Mixed in with the beans for a sweet undertone flavor.

• Bacon: The uncooked bacon goes on top of the beans while baking. The grease released during baking will give the beans lots of flavor, plus the bacon itself is salty.

• Onion: Added to the beans mixture, I like to pre cook the onions a bit before throwing them in. You can use a white or sweet onion.

• Green Bell Pepper: Also added to the beans mixture and pre cooked with the onions. You will only need about 1/2 bell pepper for this recipe..maybe a little less depending on how big the pepper is.

Salt and Pepper: I prefer a pink Himalayan Sea Salt and Black Peppercorns that are grounded. Add the right amount to your liking.

How to make Homemade Baked Beans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Chop up the onion and green pepper and cook on the stovetop in a little bit of olive oil until softened.

What kind of beans should you use in baked beans?

Any kind of baked beans in a can will work. I especially like the ones that are flavored, and my favorite is the brown sugar hickory baked beans. Super good!

In a 8×8 baking dish add the beans, brown sugar, ketchup, molasses, and salt and pepper. Mix together until everything is evenly distributed.

Stir in the onions and green pepper. ( I didn’t add any in my photo because I was making these for my kids.)

Shred up the uncooked bacon and layer it on top of the beans.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour at 350 degrees F. Make sure the bacon is cooked and crispy.

If desired, cook a little longer to thicken it up to your liking.

Making the Homemade Baked Beans ahead of time

You can make these ahead of time and keep in the refrigerator, and then reheat them when you are ready to eat! Just be aware that when you reheat them they will dry out a little bit more. If needed, add a little more of the ketchup and molasses to keep everything moist.

Don’t forget about desserts either!! Here are a few favorites of mine!

Peach Cobbler: A peach cobbler recipe that is sweet and easy.  Comes together fast using fresh, canned, or frozen peaches.

No Bake Cheesecake Squares: A light and fluffy cheesecake topped with crushed graham crackers. A no bake dessert that is fast and delicious! 

Chocolate Whoopie Pies: Classic whoopie pies have a creamy vanilla frosting that is sandwiched between two little chocolate cakes. A quick and easy dessert to make that is super delicious!

Cream Puffs: Light and fluffy homemade cream puffs with a vanilla cream filling. Easy dessert to make that everyone will love. 

Scotch A Roos: A Rice Krispie like treat but made with peanut butter and topped with a chocolate butterscotch mix. With only 6 ingredients these are super easy to make!

Vanilla Cupcakes: Moist vanilla cupcakes that are topped with a buttercream frosting. These are so easy to make from scratch using simple ingredients. 

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