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Homemade Baked Beans with Bacon and Maple Molasses

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A cozy, classic baked beans recipe featuring smoky bacon and sweet maple molasses, perfect for comforting meals with simple pantry ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound (450 g) dried navy beans
  • 6 slices thick-cut bacon
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple molasses
  • 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 cups (475 ml) water or low-sodium chicken broth
  • Optional: pinch of cayenne pepper

Instructions

  1. Place dried navy beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Soak overnight (at least 8 hours).
  2. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).
  3. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 6-8 minutes. Remove bacon, chop roughly, and set aside. Leave bacon fat in pot.
  4. Add chopped onion to bacon fat and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  5. Stir in tomato paste and smoked paprika; cook for 2 minutes to deepen flavor.
  6. Drain and rinse soaked beans, then add to the pot.
  7. Pour in water or broth. Stir in maple molasses, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.
  8. Add chopped bacon back to the pot and mix evenly.
  9. Cover and bake in preheated oven for 2 to 2.5 hours, stirring once halfway through, until beans are tender and sauce is thick and bubbly.
  10. If sauce is too thin, bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes to reduce. If too thick, stir in a splash of water.
  11. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or extra maple molasses if desired.
  12. Let beans rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Soak beans overnight for best texture or use quick soak method (boil 2 minutes, then soak 1 hour). Stir halfway through baking to prevent burning. Adjust sweetness with maple molasses after baking. For vegetarian version, omit bacon and use smoked paprika and liquid smoke.

Nutrition

Keywords: baked beans, bacon, maple molasses, comfort food, homemade, navy beans, slow baked, cozy meals

Find it online: https://zoeplate.com/homemade-baked-beans-with-bacon-and-maple-molasses-easy-recipe-for-cozy-meals/