Vegetarian Boston Baked Beans with Molasses Recipe

Pot of Baked Beans on a Blue Gingham
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  • 85 mins
  • Prep: 10 mins,
  • Cook: 75 mins
  • Yield: 6 servings
Ratings (38)

By Jolinda Hackett

Updated 03/04/18

Homemade vegetarian baked beans are a great and traditional addition to a picnic, outdoor vegetarian or vegan barbecue or to bring to any summer potluck. And, baked beans are easy to make in large quantities and just about everybody will love these sweet baked beans, even the vegetarian kids! Or, if you're British, baked beans on toast are an essential ingredient in a full English breakfast. 

Sure, you could pick up a can of vegetarian baked beans from the store, but these homemade Boston-style baked beans with molasses are much better and fresher, particularly if you have the time to use beans which you've cooked instead of from a can. However, if you're used to the baked beans out of the can, you might find that this recipe isn't quite as sweet (but that's a good thing, not a bad thing!), especially since it calls for molasses instead of sugar, and no other extra added sweeteners. 

This vegetarian Boston baked beans recipe is made with beans, molasses, onion, tomato paste, and seasonings, making it completely vegan as well as vegetarian. If you need it to be gluten-free as well, swap out the soy sauce for a gluten-free substitute, such as tamari or Bragg's Liquid Aminos, and use either a gluten-free vegetable broth or water (read the label if you're using a store-bought vegetable broth, as some contain gluten and some do not). 

Serve your homemade baked beans along with some homemade vegan skillet corn bread, or browse through a few more homemade baked beans recipes to try.

What You'll Need

  • 3 cups navy beans or pinto beans, pre-cooked or from a can
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 cup tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

How to Make It

  1. First, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large casserole or baking dish, stir together all of the ingredients, mixing well to combine.
  3. Cover the casserole or baking dish and bake in your pre-heated oven for one hour. If your baked beans are too saucy, bake uncovered for another 15 minutes.

Now, wasn't that easy? Serve your homemade baked beans along with some homemade vegan skillet corn bread and a side green salad, and you've got yourself a home cooked Southern-inspired meal!

 Enjoy! 

Got leftovers? Use up any leftover homemade baked beans by turning them into an entree of vegetarian stuffed squash with baked beans, add some leftover rice to make a lone-dish leftover vegetarian beans and rice casserole, or, if you happen to have some leftover pasta on hand, cook yourself up a baked bean and pasta salad. 

Want to try more baked beans recipes? For something sweet the kids will enjoy, try this recipe for a sweet vegetarian pineapple baked beans, or, for something super quick and easy you can get ready in the morning, here's how to make vegetarian baked beans in the Crock Pot, and finally, for something with plenty of healthy fiber, check out these vegetarian baked beans with whole grain barley.

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
Calories 474
Total Fat 2 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Unsaturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 336 mg
Carbohydrates 94 g
Dietary Fiber 21 g
Protein 25 g
(The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)