Maple Baked Beans
bacon healthy homemade Maple vermontmaple
2 min read

Maple Baked Beans

Homemade baked beans can be enjoyed at breakfast, lunch or supper -throughout the year. This recipe for Quebec maple baked beans is truly that versatile. Also provided are cooking guidelines so that these baked beans can easily be made in your slow-cooker or oven. Make a batch of these great-tasting baked beans today!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dry beans (navy, great Northern…) 2⅓ cups
  • water for soaking and precooking enough to cover the beans
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste in a pinch I have substituted with ketchup
  • 2 teaspoons dry mustard
  • 2-3 cups water for cooking
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • pepper to taste

Instructions

Rinsing and soaking the beans:

  • Rinse and sort the beans; remove any pebbles or debris.
  • Place the beans in a large bowl.
  • Fill with water to submerge the beans with at least two inches of water.
  • Soak overnight (8-12 hours).

Precooking the beans:

  • The next day, drain and rinse the beans. Transfer to a large pot.
  • Fill with water to cover the soaked beans and bring to a boil.
  • Turn down the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.
  • Remove from heat, Drain and rinse.

Method for the slow cooker:

  • Transfer the rinsed and precooked beans to your slow cooker.
  • Add the remaining ingredients, including 2-3 cups of water. Stir to combine.
  • Cover and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or until the beans are tender. If the mixture appears dry, you can add some water.

Dutch oven method:

  • Once again, transfer the precooked beans to your Dutch oven.
  • Add the remaining ingredients, including 2-3 cups of water. Stir to combine.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil on the stovetop.
  • Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover. Cook the beans slowly over low heat up to 4 hours until tender. Taste for doneness.
  • Stir the beans occasionally throughout the cooking process. If needed, add additional liquid to prevent them from drying out.
  • As an option, during the last 30 minutes of cooking, transfer the pot to the oven preheated to 325°F (160°C). Baking the beans in the oven without a cover helps achieve a nice golden color. 

Notes

These baked beans can be served immediately or refrigerated and served reheated the next day.
They can also be frozen.
For a non-vegetarian version, add about ½ cup of uncooked Italian pancetta or about 6 cut-up slices of Canadian bacon to obtain smokey-flavored baked beans.
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