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easy vegetarian baked beans in yellow dutch oven with wooden spoon and white kitchen towel
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Vegetarian Baked Beans

This Vegetarian Baked Beans recipe is tangy, spicy, smoky and sweet (no molasses!) prepared in the oven or slow cooker best served alongside any BBQ spread.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword bbq, canned beans, no molasses
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 8 -10 servings
Author Elizabeth Van Lierde

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • ⅓ cup whiskey or bourbon
  • ½ cup tomato paste
  • 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke optional
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup or brown sugar
  • 2 15 oz cans navy or pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a large saute pan or dutch oven (by using a dutch oven you won’t have to transfer the recipe to a casserole dish), heat olive oil on medium-low heat. Add in onions and cook on medium-low for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and slightly caramelized.
  • Add in garlic and whiskey. Cook for 30 seconds, or until the pan is deglazed and most of the liquid is burned off.
  • Add in tomato paste, soy sauce, mustard and apple cider vinegar. Cook for 1-2 minutes on medium-low, or until the tomato paste has thinned out. 
  • Add in the vegetable broth, smoked paprika, chili powder, liquid smoke, maple syrup and beans. Stir everything together until the beans are well coated. 
  • Cover the beans and bake for 40-45 minutes. Uncover the beans and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes and enjoy!

Notes

For Slow Cooker Baked Beans, add all ingredients to the slow cooker, gently mix to combine and cover with the lid. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. Serve immediately, still warm and right in the bowl of your slow cooker!
If you need them to be gluten-free too, swap out the soy sauce for tamari or liquid aminos. And make sure to use a certified gluten-free vegetable broth or water (the beans may need a touch more salt if you choose to use water).