You asked, and we finally answered. Ditch the cans to discover how amazing real baked beans can be. These check all the boxes: delicious, comforting, and nostalgic. Whip up a batch of these beans and enjoy on a thick slice of sourdough or no-knead toast. You'll be deliciously satisfied for hours.
Classic Baked Navy Beans
2 cups dry Flourist Navy Beans, soaked in cold water for 8-24 hours
1/2 cup good olive oil
2 large yellow onions, chopped
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 small can tomato paste (about 1/2 cup)
3-4 tbsp honey
1 tbsp molasses
4 cups cold water for cooking
juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
black pepper to taste
Soak the Flourist Navy Beans in plenty of cold of water for anywhere from 8 – 24 hours. When ready to cook, drain the beans and rinse well under more fresh cold water. Add the beans to a large soup pot and fill with 3 liters of water. Bring the water to a boil and cook until just soft on a medium rolling boil, about 30 minutes. This step can be done a few days in advance.
When ready to cook the beans, heat the olive oil in a large soup pot and add the chopped onion and salt. Cook the onion for about 15 minutes on medium-high heat, until browned and well softened.
Next, add the tomato paste, cooked Flourist Navy Beans, and water. Stir well to dissolve the paste and bring to a boil over high heat with the lid on. Once the boil is reached, stir again and reduce the heat to medium, to keep the beans simmering for 30 minutes, until the liquid has thickened to a rich sauce. Stir in the honey, molasses, lemon juice, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Adjust the salt to taste. The beans should be perfectly soft. Serve with sourdough toast, extra olive oil, fresh herbs, and your favourite pesto.
Comments
These turned out beautiful! I also added a dash of worcestershire at the end :)
These beans were easy to make and very tasty. I used a dark brown sugar in place of molasses since it’s what I had, skipped the lemon juice but added a tablespoon or so of Dijon mustard. I’m very happy with the flavour achieved without adding pork!
Hi there Flp! We think that this recipe would work just fine with blackstrap molasses. Always a good idea to start with a bit less and then taste to see if it can use the full tablespoon.
Has anyone tried making this with black strap molasses? It’s the only kind of molasses I have. I’m guessing I should use less than 1 Tbsp and may need more honey?
Can this be made using pinto beans instead? I just ordered pinyo beans and you are out of stock on the others. Thanks!
Popped into the shop to pick up a sourdough loaf to go with the beans with I’d prepared ahead. Delicious slow cooking!
These are the best beans ever! We make them 3-4 times a month now, and everyone who tries them wants the recipe.
I find I need to use less water (2.5 cups) and add the juice of a whole lemon for my version to make it a bit tangier.
Hi Nancy! Thank you for that feedback! We will add this info to our cooking guide and try to add this info for future. As a general rule, 1 cup of dry beans adds yields about 2.5 cups of cooked beans. We are so happy you love the products!
Would be nice if you would include the amounts of “cooked” beans in your recipes as well – I often cook big batches of beans and would like to know how much to thaw.
Love your beans and flour!
Thanks