Maple Baked Beans
These Maple Baked Beans use slow-cooked with pure maple syrup instead of brown sugar, and the result is delicious! These are perfect for summer picnics!
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Way back during my freshman year in college, my friends and I loaded up in a couple of cars and headed down to Florida. Now a lot of college students head down to Florida during March, but we weren’t heading to the beach. We were heading to the Final Four in Tampa/St. Pete. There were about 8 or 9 of us that piled into 2 cars and made the 10-hour drive south.
I’ve always loved a good practical joke, and this trip afforded an excellent opportunity. You see, a couple of us were at the mall before the trip, and we saw a Backstreet Boys bumper sticker. No one in their right mind would’ve put this thing on their car…unless it just appeared “magically!” My buddy drove on old white station wagon covered with stickers, and let’s just say another sticker got added right as we pulled away from Durham. He drove the full 10 hours to Florida before he found that sticker. It was one of my prouder moments in college.
Somewhere around southern Georgia, we got hungry and pulled over for dinner. I remember we had to drive a good 15 minutes off the highway to find a restaurant, and it was a total hole-in-the-wall. My memory tells me that this place had a back deck built out over a swamp. I’m not sure if that’s accurate, but I do know this place was a real dive.
I also remember eating a huge bowl of baked beans as my meal at this place. Why I chose to eat only baked beans I have no idea. Maybe I was just craving some beans. Whatever the reason, I can certainly tell you that eating a gigantic bowl of baked beans while on a road trip with friends isn’t the best idea. You better make sure those friends are really good friends. Either that, or make sure the windows in the backseat can be rolled down.
Maple Baked Beans
Maple Baked BeansAll jokes aside, these Maple Baked Beans are legitimately delicious! Baked beans are a picnic/BBQ staple in the south, and the addition of maple syrup to these Maple Baked Beans takes ’em to a whole new level of tasty. Baked beans typically get their sweetness from brown sugar, but I mixed things up a bit and used pure maple syrup. I actually stumbled across this concept for Maple Baked Beans at a maple sugar shack years ago. They were serving spoonfuls (along with samples of maple cream and maple cotton candy!), and I was hooked after just one bite. Delicious!
Making a pot of these Maple Baked Beans does take a bit of time. Mind you, the recipe isn’t difficult at all…it just takes time. These bad boys are slow simmered for several hours, and your house will smell like a summer BBQ by the time the buzzer goes off! Oh, and I should mention that I added in some crumbled bacon while these beans were simmering away in the stove. A little bit sweet, a little bit smoky, a whole lotta tasty!
Did you make a batch of these Maple Baked Beans at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). Cheers!
Looking for more tasty summer side dishes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Grilled Corn on the Cob Skewers
Zucchini Hushpuppies
Easy Black Bean Salad
Cold Cucumber Salad
Maple Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried navy or great northern beans
- 3 tsp kosher salt divided
- 3 slices thick-cut bacon chopped
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp dry mustard
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Using a large bowl, add beans and cover with at least 4” of cold water. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature overnight.
- The next day, drain and rinse beans. Transfer beans into a large pot and cover with at least 2” of water. Cover pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer uncovered for 45 minutes.
- Add 2 tsp of kosher salt and continue simmering for 10 more minutes.
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Meanwhile, using a large skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel lined plate and pat dry. Do not drain bacon grease from skillet.
- Add diced onions to skillet and sauté over medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until onions are golden brown in color.
- Using a colander, drain beans, but reserve the cooking liquid.
- Using a large bowl, add beans, onions, bacon, ketchup, maple syrup, dry mustard and black pepper; stir until well combined.
- Transfer beans into a Dutch oven or oven-safe pot. Add enough cooking liquid to barely cover beans. Cover pot and bake for 2 hours. (Note: Check beans after 1 hour. If beans appear dry, add more of the reserved cooking water until beans are barely covered.)
- Uncover and continue baking for 60-75 minutes, or until cooking liquid has thickened and beans have turned golden brown. (Note: If beans appear dry, add a small amount of cooking water as needed.)
Haha, David – I do like the odd practical joke myself 😉 Very well played! These beans look delicious – I love the addition of the bacon! And maple syrup is just delicious, isn’t it? I think I can almost imagine the lovely aroma of this cooking away on the stove now 🙂
Hah! Thanks so much, Alexandra. In other news, these maple baked beans? Best side dish ever for summer picnics. I know it’ll be getting warm there soon, so definitely stash this idea away! The smell while they’re simmering is SO good, too. 🙂
Maple anything is delicious! I never mind recipes that take awhile if they’re going to make my house smell good, so I might just have to try these soon. YUM!
Yup, I’m with ya, Kelsie. I don’t mind involved recipes or recipes that took a while to make. Fortunately, most of the time for these baked beans is just simmering time. And your house will smell ah-mazing while these are simmering! Come to think of it, the maple works well for Fall…and they say Fall is almost here. (At least in New England…)
Beans in any form are welcome in our house. I love this recipe as i have never tried beans with maple syrp.
The maple syrup adds a fun twist of flavor to these beans! Thanks so much, Priya!
Hi David! I have a real weakness for beans and the addition of pure maple syrup and bacon certainly ups this recipe! I, like you, have been known to just eat a big bowl of beans for a meal. I also happen to like baked bean sandwiches with yellow mustard and bread and butter pickles (sometime my great uncle introduced me to over fifty years ago). Yeah, I’m strange at times 🙂
Hey there, Dorothy! Your ears must have been burning as I was just thinking about emailing you yesterday. I hope you and Gary are doing well. As far as beans go, you’ve got me interested in that baked bean sandwich! What a cool (and delicious) idea. Thanks for sharing!
I love baked beans, David! My dad used to “doctor up” a can of baked beans with maple syrup and bacon, and a whole list of other goodies. So good! Im pinning this, hopefully will get the chance to make it soon! Thanks for the recipe!
It sounds like your Dad was onto something good with the bacon and maple syrup…in fact, it’s basically this recipe! 🙂 This really is a great side dish, and the smell is amazing while the beans simmer away. Yum!!
As a Canadian, naturally anything that has maple in it is a winner. Even that being said, these look delicious. I would easily eat a bowl or two of these in a sitting!
Haha! Truth. Canadians do love their maple syrup. The northeast states produce a good bit of maple syrup, too, so that means we’re lucky to have the opportunity to get good maple syrup around here. These beans were just the latest creation…along with a batch of pancakes on Sunday morning. Because pancakes. 🙂
Mmm maple. While it’s a perfect BBQ side for summer backyard eats, this post also feels like autumn…
I am a huge fan of baked beans. An embarrassing fact: we occasionally keep a few cans of beans in our pantry (for any case), and once in a while I can open and have an entire jar for my dinner. My favourite: maple beans (I don’t mind brown sugar). However, nothing can beat a homemade version of baked beans, and your pictures have proven this – looks so tempting!
This recipe really is a great bridge between summer and Autumn. You’ve got the beans which are a great BBQ side dish, but the maple definitely brings the flavor of Autumn in. So good! I have no issues with eating a can of baked beans for dinner. Sometimes you just need some beans! 🙂
This is getting me ready for fall! I’m loving that I’m starting to see bowls of warm comfort foods popping lately. I don’t think it gets much better than maple and bacon. Love it. ~Valentina
Yes! I’m not quite ready for summer to be over yet, but I am excited for fall at the same time. Apples, maple, fall baking. Yum! These maple bacon baked beans are definitely a good end of summer/beginning of fall recipe. Thanks, Valentina!!
Well, I’m just back online and was looking for a good laugh, so I headed on over and I’m still laughing. I didn’t even know the Backstreet Boys had a bumper sticker. Well played gag.
Now back in my day (a long time ago), we put a Led Zeppelin sticker on the local Baptist minister’s car. It was the decal with the demonic-looking angel on it. Bad move on my part, I got caught.
Great recipe! I love it that you started with dried beans and used the mustard (a key component indeed) and maple syrup.
Now David, I venture to say you knew exactly what you were doing when you had that big bowl of beans.
Welcome back, Ron! I was thinking about you and your move just the other day. I hope it went well! It sounds like we’re 2 peas in a pod with the bumper sticker jokes, too. Hah!
Now as far as these baked beans, they’re legit delicious! Just make sure you can open your windows. 🙂
Baked beans are one of my favorites. I have never made them with maple syrups. This recipe sounds delicious – have to try it.
Yes! Maple adds such a fun level of flavor to baked beans, Dawn. Definitely put this on your list to try. And the bacon is a must, too! 🙂
well i do love beans of all kinds so this would go down well. and i love maple syrup and bacon. yum…
So therefore the combination sounds like it’s right up your alley, too, Sherry! Plus, the smell coming out of the kitchen while these beans simmer is amazing! 🙂
You little prankster, you! Lol! Seriously hilarious! Though, maybe your friend really enjoyed their music?? Anywho, baked beans are a staple in our home, especially in the cooler months. I could eat for any meal of the day. And this whole sweet and savoury situation goin’ on has my name written all over it! It’s raining here today and these would be perfect!
So I’m going to go out on a limb and say that any self-respecting college guy back in the 90’s didn’t like Backstreet Boys. 🙂 The sticker was amazing!! Too bad we didn’t have smart phones back then or I would’ve video’d his reaction to it.
As far as the beans, these would be SO good on a rainy day. It’s pouring here this morning, and I’d love to get another batch of these simmerin’ away. Thanks, Dawn!
You know David, I love reading all these interesting stories you share! I am not a big fan of beans but my husband is and I can say that he will love it!
Thanks so much, Kankana! I like to try to incorporate something fun into each post. 🙂 And if your husband likes beans, then you should totally show him this recipe! The sweet and savory combination here is delicious!
Ha ha what a great story. Your poor friends though David! Having to get back into the car after you had eaten your bowl of beans. Are you still friends with them? Thanks for another great recipe for my slow cooker. I might try these when Lynne isn’t in the house first!
Hah! Well now that you mention it, I haven’t talked to a lot of those friends in a while. 🙂 However, we did stay friends through college and afterwards, so I can’t blame the beans! These beans are delicious…and your house will smell amazing. I promise!