Every good baked beans recipe has both an element of heat and of sweet. This, my very favorite vegetarian baked beans recipe, has healthy doses of each. There’s no need for the salt pork or bacon found in many traditional baked beans recipes – these pack a huge punch of flavor just they way they are. (How Bridget-Jones-esque!)
The beans (I start with dried pinto beans) are first cooked simply – with onion, bay leaf and black peppercorns. Then the cooked beans are placed in the Crock Pot for some nice low-and-slow action, infusing every last bite with the rich sauce made with pure maple syrup and the spicy kick of everyone’s beloved Sriracha.
These baked beans are perfect, of course, as a side dish, but they’re also plenty hearty enough to act as a main dish too. Both my meat-eating guy and I love ’em with a side of buttered cornbread for a nice, simple, delicious dinner. And they’re even worthy of special occasions. This past Christmas Eve, I brought these along as a side to be served alongside a big smoked ham. They were a hit.
Adjust the Sriracha depending on your tolerance for heat. And remember, a little goes a long way!
Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Maple-Sriracha Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1 1- pound bag pinto beans
- 1 medium onion (cut into eighths)
- 1 bay leaf
- Small handful of black peppercorns
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce for a nice subtle kick or up to 3 tablespoons for more heat
- 2 teaspoons vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Rinse and sort the beans and add them to a large pan. Soak them in two quarts of cold water overnight. You can also bring two quarts of water to a boil, add the beans, and soak them for a couple of hours. Pretty much every bag of dried beans will have specific instructions for soaking.
- After soaking, drain the beans, add them back to the pan and fill the pan with enough water to cover one or two inches above the beans. Place beans over medium heat. Add the onion, bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low. Simmer the beans for about two hours, or until tender. Drain.
- Add drained beans to Crock Pot. Add the maple syrup, ketchup, brown sugar, sriracha, Worchestershire sauce, ground ginger, and salt. Stir.
- Cook on low for about 10 hours.
I’m so glad you’re here! I’m a vegetarian home cook, certified plant-based pro, and mom. I’m married to an enthusiastic carnivore, and my mission is to achieve peace in the kitchen – one tasty recipe at a time. These days, I also try not to ask to speak to the manager.
Yum! It’s that whole sweet and spicy combo – sounds so good!
Thanks for this, I love baked beans and these sound delicious!
My son and husband love bakes beans so I am sure they would love this. It would be great to take to a pot luck or picnic too!
Had to stop and check it out-these look great-never would have thought of the combo but it makes sense.
Just made these for a cook-out and they were a hit!! I only used 1 Tbs sriracha and it was almost too spicy for me 😛 but yum, will definitely keep this recipe!
i think i did something wrong, the beans are supposed to be done and they are still pretty firm. i soaked them overnight, then boiled them, and they have been in the slow cooker 10 hours, where did i go wrong?
Shoot, Lavon! You know, I had a failed batch of baked beans (different recipe, same concept) a couple of weeks ago (very firm after several hours in the oven), and I concluded that it was because I rushed and didn’t cook them long enough (post-soaking, pre-slow-cooking). One way to check to make sure the beans are cooked enough is when you remove a bean and blow on it, an the skin curls back. The beans should be cooked all the way through and very tender before starting the slow cooker process with the sauce.
My suggestion would be to add a cup or two of broth or water and put them back in the Crock Pot for another 8 hours on low. That should give them the chance they need to cook.
Great recipe did 2tbsp Sriratcha and could have done more but it was a good balance between sweet and hot. May try to remove the peppercorns before the slow cook as they didn’t go over so well.
Did get lots of complements on it from the potluck I brought it to.
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Wee hoo!
these look delicious!
we are a mixed foodie family too!
can’t wait to try them on the carnivores!
Made these yesterday and they were AMAZING! I used about 1/4 cup of siracha because I love additional heat. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you
This has become my go-to recipe for baked beans. I’m a household of one so I divide it into serving size baggies and keep them in the freezer. Instant side dish.
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I love this recipe and make it quite often. Any chance you’ve adjusted the instructions for a pressure cooker?
I’m so glad you like the recipe! I have not yet tried it in the pressure cooker but will add it to my list. Thanks!
Love these beans! I make them often. I’m not vegetarian but am GF so substitute in real Worcestershire sauce.Â
Thank you so much for the review! This is a favorite around here too. Great idea for a GF sub.