Smokey Baked Beans

Smokey Baked Beans

Smokey Baked Beans…..mmmmmmm good!

When I was a kid, my mom used to make smokey baked beans from scratch. We had a big family and my mom made most things from scratch.  Of course that was always the most delicious way too; she was a good cook.

Now as a vegan we have to change up a few ingredients to make baked beans like mom used to make. Surprisingly enough with the use of liquid smoke and a bit of maple flavouring or syrup, we can recreate that home cooked flavour my mom used to be known for.

The most cool thing is that no animals had to be harmed in the making of this yummy vegan version of old fashioned baked beans.

My husband also loves baked beans and thinks that the beans in the can do not compare to the taste of your own home cooked baked beans. For best results, make your own for sure.

You can bake your beans in a roasting pan in the oven, or make them in a slow cooker/crock pot. This time I made them in a slow cooker and that worked really well, I did not have to worry about them burning in the oven.

If you haven’t got a crock pot (slow cooker) yet…wait til the summer garage sales, they practically give them away. I’ve bought four different ones last summer, ranging from $5 -$15 each. They all work too.

The key to good beans when you make them from scratch is patience. You have to soak your beans first and then when they are soaked, rinse them really well. This way your body will be able to digest them a little easier…we learned the importance of this the hard way. You also need patience because they need a long time to cook. You want the flavours to be absorbed by the beans and for the sauce to thicken up nicely as they simmer. Smokey Baked Beans take a long time to cook.

Ok let’s make some old fashioned baked beans…

Smokey Baked Beans

Now keep in mind, this recipe will make a big slow cooker full of baked beans or you can make them in your instapot, so you either have to have a really big family, a lot of friends or a way to freeze some of these beauties for later. You will not want to waste a spoonful.

You can use these beans as a side, in a taco or burrito, in a salad, add some to your soup. make beans and veggie dogs (a favourite of many kids). The flavours are bold. If you prefer a bit less of a kick, cut back or leave out the hot sauce and jalapeno.

To get started,  you will need a large oven roaster or crock pot to make these beans, you can cut the recipe in half if you want to, the cooking times will be the same.

Ok let’s get cooking…

What you will need for your Smokey Baked Beans:

• 10 cups of soaked, rinsed, parboiled navy/white beans
• 4 cups onion, chopped – 2 medium onion

  

• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 4-6 T molasses
• 4-6 cups of water
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 t Frank’s Hot Sauce Seasoning Powder or 4 T Sriracha sauce
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 T veggie bouillon
• 4 – 6 T maple syrup
• ¼ c brown sugar
• 3/4 c ketchup or small can of tomato paste
• 2 T Dijon mustard
• 2 T apple cider vinegar

  

• 4-6 T balsamic vinegar
• 10 – 20 drops of liquid smoke
• 1 Jalapeno, chopped fine (optional)
• 1 t salt

How to make your Smokey Baked Beans:

1. The day or night before you want to cook your beans, you need to rinse and soak your beans. I like to soak mine up to 24 hours. Minimum of 12 hours.
2. Before soaking, put the dry beans in a strainer and rinse well, transfer the rinsed beans to a large bowl and cover the beans with fresh water. 1-2 inches above the beans
3. The beans are going to soak up the water and you will want to add fresh water 1-2 times over the 12-24 hour period they are soaking. Be sure the beans are in lots of water all the time.

   

4. While your beans are soaking, you can chop the onions, garlic and jalapeno, then  get all the remaining ingredients together, mix the dry together and mix the liquids together. Set aside for later.

   

5. When you are done soaking the beans, you will rinse them really really well. This is an important step in the quality of the end product.
6. Preheat your oven (375 – 400) or turn your crock pot on high.
7. I wanted to be sure that my beans would be soft and not too soft so I put the rinsed beans in a pot of water and brought them to a boil. Let them boil for 1-3 minutes. Rinse them once more and put them aside for a moment.
8. Start out by dry saute the onions till transparent. 3-5 minutes, add a bit of veggie broth if they stick.
9. Add your dry spices to the onions and mix well. Saute for another 2-3 minutes to release the flavours of the spices.
10. OK, now put the beans in the crock pot and turn it on to high
11. Quickly add all the remaining ingredients into the crock pot and mix all the spices and flavours together. Have a taste of the sauce and adjust spices as you see fit. Remember they will get bolder as the beans cook.

    

12. Set your crock pot on high for as many hours at a time the crock pot will go. Mine goes for 10 hours. Walk away and leave it for at least a couple hours.
13. Around 1-2 hours later, come back and give it a stir and taste the sauce, adjust if needed. Check the beans every one to two hours through the day. Make sure they do not get dry. If you need to add water. The sauce will thicken up as the day progresses….they need to be moist.

    

14. At the end of the day, you can decide if the beans should cook more in the night or if they are fine as is. They should be soft and not too soft, the sauce should have lots of flavour and be thickening up. How do you like your beans. Remember it takes a long time for the beans to soften.
15. As soon as the beans are cooked to the texture you prefer, grab a bowl and have some!
16. When it cools, eat more, give some away, save some in the freezer for another day.