These vegetarian baked beans are smoky, tender, and full of flavor.
No, they are definitely not authentic Boston baked beans (though the flavors are definitely inspired by them!) That would pretty much be impossible because the authentic version includes salt pork or bacon … and if we’re going vegetarian with these bad boys, well, meat is no bueno.
To add some smoky flavor back into the mix, I’ve included smoked paprika. A diced green bell pepper adds loads of flavor, too.
By the way – I really wanted to include a jalapeno, too, to add a bit of heat and even a slight smoky element, but ultimately I just found that jalapenos vary too much in heat level to maintain a consistent recipe. So out they went. And instead, we’ve got a little cayenne and a few dashes of Tabasco for heat.
How else do we add flavor? Dry mustard, onion, and vegetable broth instead of water, for starters. Water, by the way, will work fine as a substitute – veggie broth just deepens the flavors a bit.
Oh, and a bay leaf. Must have a bay leaf.
But let’s not forget the most important ingredient of all, aside from the beans themselves.
Molasses, baby. Thick, black molasses. That’s what gives these Crock Pot vegetarian baked beans their unmistakably Boston-y flavor. Molasses, along with brown sugar, mingles with the onion, pepper, and spices to create a sweet, rich vegetarian Boston baked bean extravaganza.
Make these, and you’ll be tooting your own horn, too. Now go back and read the first six words of this sentence and giggle with the 12-year-old me. (Did I just go too far?)
Actually … speaking of. Did you know that’s why it’s so important to soak your beans (and discard that soaking liquid, and rinse well)? That helps remove many of the … gaseous compounds in beans.
All that’s left? Pure (vegetarian!) deliciousness.
If you’re tasked with bringing the baked beans to a barbecue this summer, try this meatless version. Even if you’re a meat-eater yourself, I guarantee there’ll be a vegetarian at the party who will thank you immensely.
Vegetarian baked beans can be such a nice, protein-packed, satiating option for the vegetarians – take this from a vegetarian who has eaten one too many “cheese buns” (that is, a hamburger bun with cheese melted inside) at barbecues past. And you know what else? The carnivores won’t miss the bacon, I swear. Win-win!
Oh, wait! I have one more thing to say about this recipe. Lord knows, I’ve made it enough times and thought about it enough times to where I’m going to have to stop myself at some point here.
So I tried this recipe in the oven the first couple of times, and finally, it dawned on me. Baked beans, the perfect summertime substantial side, baking in a hot oven for hours? No. No no. So I broke out my Crock Pot and made this a slow cooker recipe. I love using the slow cooker in the summer months – no heating up the kitchen – and nice and portable too.
Okay, I’m done. Go forth and eat delicious (vegetarian!) beans!
Important Note
I’ve had a couple of people report back that this recipe didn’t work for them, for various reasons (see comments). I tested this recipe a gazillion times over so I’m not sure what is going wrong for them. I’m keeping this recipe up because I believe in it but I will continue to test and hopefully replicate any issues – and solve them.
Slow Cooker “You’ll Never Miss the Bacon” Vegetarian Boston Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried small white beans or navy beans
- Water for soaking beans
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 1 medium green pepper (diced)
- 1 cup vegetable broth or water
- 1/2 cup molasses (I use Grandma’s original)
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 5-6 dashes Tabasco sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Soak. Rinse the beans and sort through them, discarding any beans that look “off” or any foreign objects. Place beans in Crock Pot and cover with 3-4 inches of water. You can also add them to a pot or bowl; I just like to use my Crock Pot stoneware because in the end that’s one less dish to clean. Cover and let soak overnight or for at least 8 hours. Pour the soaked beans into a colander and rinse well. Rinse out the Crock Pot. Set soaked beans aside; you’ll add them back to the Crock Pot in a minute.
- Assemble. Add onion, pepper, broth, molasses, brown sugar, olive oil, dry mustard, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper to Crock Pot. Mix until combined. Add back your soaked and drained beans and stir until combined. Add bay leaf.
- Cook. Cook on high for 8-10 hours or on low for 12-14 hours. Note: Slow Cookers can vary, so the first time you make this, you may want check on it periodically and see if you need more broth or water after the first few hours. But don’t worry, your beans shouldn’t turn to mush! The molasses helps to prevent that.
- Leftover beans keep up to three days refrigerated in an airtight container. They also freeze well.
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, with a name like mine, I also try not to ask to speak to the manager.
It drives me crazy when recipes don’t give you any hint of how many people it should serve. I need to bring a side dish for ten. Will this be enough.
Ive made this many times. Had 9 ppl over for a bbq just last night. The beans were one of many side dishes (slaws, salads, corn on the cob) and there were leftovers. They’re extremely tasty and filling. We have some leftovers for tonight’s dinner. Hope this helped.
Approximately how many servings does this make?
So flavourful! I’ve made this recipe many times and it’s always perfect!
Love your recipe! I really don’t miss the bacon!
I will admit however that I now make this in my instant pot 6qt Duo and the soak is reduced to a 20 minute Cook on High with NPR plus a cook time of 15 minute on High with another NPR. That’s a total time of just under 2 1/2 hours from start to finish.
Servings = 12
I have probably made this recipe over 20 times, following it exactly as written. It is wonderful! Healthy, delicious, and even tastes better the next day. Thank you for sharing your cooking talent!
Me too! Everyone loves them, especially family who eat vegan and miss the flavour of authentic baked beans. I love them because they’re delicious, easy to make, economical and can be made earlier, frozen, defrosted and warmed up in the oven.
What would be the sodium level for this recipe?I have to watch my sodium and looks very similar to one I made but this sounds better and can be made in they crockpot.
Very good baked beans. I read through a LOT of the comments and followed one person’s suggestion about boiling the beans. I soaked mine overnight, boiled for 3 minutes, let sit for about an hour. Followed the recipe of adding ingredients into the crockpot (I didn’t use a green pepper, but a jalapeno instead), exact measurements on the spices (no Tobasco). I cooked mine on low for 8 hours. The beans were good and cooked through. I just then warmed them up the next day on the stove top to serve with our cookout.
I’m looking forward to trying this! As far as the commenters who’ve experienced hard beans after the very long cooking process that is actually due to old beans not the recipe. Old beans might never cook up soft. Try to buy your beans from a store where they haven’t been sitting for ages. We can’t always know how long a product is on a shelf but I know that my target sells beans far less often than my local Mexican store or even regular grocery, just my observation.
Great tip, thank you Shannon!