Vegan Baked Beans (Great Vegan BBQ)

Vegan Baked Beans are flavorful and easy to make using the recipe from Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill by Linda & Alex Meyer. This delicious side dish deserves to be the center of attention at your dinner table.

You may be familiar with the mother-daughter authors of this book from their popular blog Veganosity.

I was really excited when I found out they were working on a cookbook.

And while I don't have much experience with the traditional BBQ dishes from places like Texas, South Carolina, and Louisiana, I was confident I would learn a lot from Linda and Alex.

Plus I love that you don't need an outdoor grill to make any of these recipes.

This is especially nice if you live in an area that's cold a lot of the year.

Living in Southern California I don't have this issue, but I do enjoy being able to make everything from Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill with either a grill pan or cast iron skillet.

I decided to try the Smoky Skillet BBQ Vegan Baked Beans first, but there are so many delicious looking recipes in this book, I want to try them all!

And check out these fun chapter names:

Chapter 1: Meat-Free BBQ to Satisfy Meat Eaters

Chapter 2: Burgers and Sandwiches: From Way Up North to The Deep South

Chapter 3: Stick Food: Because Eating Food Off a Stick is Fun!

Chapter 4: Stuffed, Foiled and Smothered: Delectable Entrees for a Cozy Dinner

Chapter 5: Side and Salads That Go With a Barbecue

Chapter 6: BBQ Dips to Bring to the Party

Chapter 7: Keeping It Saucy: BBQ Sauces and Rubs

Which chapter are you most excited about?

It's hard for me to narrow them down, but I'm definitely planning on trying these recipes:

• Smoky Mac 'n' Cheese with Coconut Bacon
• Pulled Shiitake Mushroom BBQ
• Jacked Up Crab Dip
• Boot Kickin' BBQ Cauliflower Tacos
• Smoky Tofu Bacon and Pineapple Kabobs
• Southern-Style Creamy Potato Salad
• Spicy Grilled Corn on the Cob with Cilantro Avocado Sauce

In fact, I'm going to make those last two the next time I make Vegan Baked Beans.

Vegan Baked Beans are really easy to prepare.

I already had all the ingredients in my pantry, and you may, too.

The only thing to be aware of is that Worcestershire sauce typically contains anchovies, so make sure you read the ingredients and purchase a vegan one.

And since this recipe uses canned navy beans instead of dried, you don't have to worry about soaking the beans in advance.

However, don't rinse and drain the canned beans since you'll need to liquid in this recipe.

But that makes it even easier since you simply dump the contents of the cans into the skillet.

And speaking of skillets, I was happy to break out my old cast iron skillet that my mom got before I was born.

This is the same Lodge set that my mom got in the 1960s, and it's still going strong!

Vegan Baked Beans may be a side dish, but I enjoy them as the star of my plate.

They are comforting and hearty, not to mention high in protein and fiber.

And if you're looking for more delicious bean recipes, check these out:

Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans

Middle Eastern Beans Salad (Balela)

Easiest Black Bean Burgers

Jackfruit and Black Bean Taco Filling

Vegetable Bean Soup

Now let's make Smoky Skillet BBQ Vegan Baked Beans from Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill!

Smoky Skillet BBQ Baked Beans

After one bite of these you’ll never want canned baked beans again. They have just the right amount of sweetness and tenderness that you want in your baked beans. They also have a wonderful smoky flavor, like you’d find in beans with bacon, thanks to the small amount of liquid smoke that we added. We played around with the measurements of the brown sugar and molasses to make them healthier, and not as sweet as what you find in store-bought beans. We’re confident that we got it just right.

You can make them in a Dutch oven or a casserole dish if you don’t have an iron skillet, although iron heats so evenly that you might want to consider investing in one. 

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 4

Calories: 393kcal

Author: Amy Katz

Ingredients

• ▢ ¼ cup maple syrup
• ▢ ¼ cup brown sugar
• ▢ 2 Tablespoon tomato paste
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon dark molasses
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce, (we use Annie’s brand)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• ▢ 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 yellow onion, chopped
• ▢ 2 cans navy beans , (15 ounce) (do not drain)

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Instructions

• ▢
  Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
• ▢
  In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, sugar, tomato paste, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, mustard, garlic powder and liquid smoke until fully combined.
• ▢
  Heat the oil in a 10-inch (25-cm) cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and stir to coat in the oil. Cook for approximately 5 to 7 minutes, or until they’re slightly caramelized, stirring frequently to avoid scorching. Reduce the heat to low and add the beans with the liquid in the cans and the maple syrup mixture. Stir until well combined.
• ▢
  Put the cast iron skillet in the oven and bake uncovered on the middle rack for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the beans are thick and the sauce is sticky. The edges of the beans should be caramelized.

Notes

Reprinted with permission from Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill by Linda & Alex Meyer, Page Street Publishing Co. 2018.

Nutrition

Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1082mg | Potassium: 904mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 5.9mg | Calcium: 157mg | Iron: 4.8mg

Nutritional information is an estimation only.

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