Baked Beans

bakedbeans Baked beans are a North American staple. The combination of sweet, savoury and smoky flavours makes them irresistibly delicious. Making your own homemade baked beans from scratch is easier to make than you may think, you just need to set aside enough cooking time. They need time to cook low and slow to allow the beans to soak up all those amazing flavours. The perfect make-ahead dish, these baked beans are even better the next day after the flavours have had more time to develop. This healthy baked beans recipe has no molasses or refined sugar. Most vegan baked bean recipes are loaded with unhealthy sugars and additives. But, this recipe gets its amazing flavour from a small amount of natural maple syrup and smoky chipotle paste.

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. chipotle paste
½ cup water
3 cans navy beans, drained
½ cup tomato passata/purée
¼ cup pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. tamari sauce
1 tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Heat olive oil in an ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven. Sauté the onions for 4-5 minutes.

Add garlic, chipotle paste and water. Simmer over low heat for 2 minutes.

Add beans and remaining ingredients. Stir to combine and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

Transfer the beans to the oven and cook for 45 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Cook's Notes: Depending on the age and storage condition of the beans some can remain hard even after hours of cooking. A classic trick is to add ¼ tsp. of baking soda to the beans while you're boiling them (¼ tsp. for every pound of beans). Be careful though: If too much is added or if it's added to beans that aren't too hard, you could end up with mushy beans.