🥘 The Best Vegetarian Baked Beans Recipe (Smoky & Sweet!)

🥘 The Best Vegetarian Baked Beans (A Cozy, Smoky Recipe) 🥘

Baked beans are the ultimate comfort food. They are sweet, savory, and incredibly satisfying. They are a staple at barbecues and cozy dinners. However, traditional recipes almost always contain meat. Pork or bacon is used to create a deep, smoky flavor.

But what if you are on a vegetarian diet? The fantastic news is that you can make amazing, rich, and flavorful baked beans. A completely plant-based version is easy to achieve. You just need to know the secrets to building that savory depth.

This guide will give you the best vegetarian baked beans recipe. It is simple to make and packed with classic flavor. Get ready to enjoy this beloved comfort food, completely meat-free. Let's start cooking! ✅

🤔 What is the Secret to a Rich, Meaty Flavor Without the Meat?

The key to a great vegetarian baked beans recipe is building layers of flavor. We need to replicate the smoky and savory notes that pork usually provides. We can do this with a few smart pantry staples. These ingredients are your secret weapons.

Smoked Paprika: This is the most important ingredient. It provides a deep, smoky, almost "bacony" flavor. Do not skip this spice. It is essential for that classic baked bean taste.

Molasses and Maple Syrup: This combination provides the perfect sweetness. Molasses adds a dark, rich, and complex flavor. Maple syrup adds a brighter, cleaner sweetness.

Soy Sauce or Tamari: A splash of soy sauce adds a powerful savory, umami flavor. This helps to create the "meaty" depth that you are looking for. It is a fantastic trick for many vegetarian dishes.

🥣 How Do You Make the Best Vegetarian Baked Beans?

This recipe is simple, hearty, and foolproof. It uses canned beans to save time. It is perfect for a weeknight dinner or a weekend gathering. This will become your new go-to vegetarian baked beans recipe.

What Ingredients Do You Need?

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans (15 oz each) of navy beans or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz) of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
Salt and black pepper to taste

What Are the Instructions?

1. Sauté the Aromatics: Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). In a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.

2. Combine All Ingredients: Turn off the heat. Add all the other ingredients to the pot. This includes the rinsed beans, diced tomatoes, ketchup, molasses, maple syrup, vinegar, soy sauce, and all the spices. Stir everything together until it is well combined.

3. Bake to Perfection: Cover the pot with a lid. Carefully transfer it to the preheated oven. Bake for 1.5 to 2 hours. Stir the beans every 30 minutes or so. They are ready when the sauce has thickened and the flavors are deep and melded together.

4. Serve and Enjoy: Let the beans rest for a few minutes before serving. They are fantastic on their own. They are also great served with a piece of warm cornbread. Enjoy this amazing, cozy meal! 🌱