Molasses Baked Beans
Dried white navy beans, bacon and molasses come together in this Canadian vegetarian — 60 minutes, 6 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 6 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for oven and large pot. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (3)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Place the dried beans into a Dutch oven with 6 cups (1.5 L) of water. Soak overnight.
- Drain and pour beans back into the pot with enough water to cover the beans by a couple of inches, cook for 30 minutes until they are tender but still firm. Drain beans, making sure to reserve cooking liquid, set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 325 °F (160 °C). While the oven is preheating, cook pork over medium-high heat in the Dutch Oven until fat is rendered and pork is beginning to brown, then add the onion cooking until tender.
- Add the beans back to the pot, along with molasses, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, ground mustard, salt and pepper and 3 cups (750 mL) of reserved bean water.
- Bake uncovered for 3 to 5 hours until the beans are tender, and the sauce has thickened, and the edges of the pot get sticky.
- (Note: if beans get dry, add another cup of water.)
You'll use: Oven · Large pot
Watch how it's made
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Ingredient substitutions
- Brown Sugar
- white sugar + 1 tbsp molasses per cup
What to serve with Molasses Baked Beans
- Poutine Miscellaneous
- Canadian Butter Tarts Dessert
- Nanaimo Bars Dessert
- Split Pea Soup Side
Tips & common questions
How long does Molasses Baked Beans take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 9 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of brown sugar?
Try white sugar + 1 tbsp molasses per cup. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Recipe data for Molasses Baked Beans via TheMealDB (open database). ▶ Video. Original source. Consomee adds the scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.