Our family’s go-to baked beans recipe for decades – Anastasia’s Best Ever Baked Beans – can be made in the oven or slow cooker. These are a must-have at barbecues and get-togethers. This shortcut recipe is easy to make and darn good. Rave reviews!
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The Best Versatile Baked Beans Recipe for the Oven or Crock Pot
My sister Anastasia’s famous baked beans recipe is an easy-to-make, go-to favorite side dish. Made with canned pork and beans, sautéed onions, molasses, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, and bacon, it’s a big ol’ dish of comfort! The perfect side for so many meals, holidays, potlucks, picnics, and barbecues. Simple to make, so good, and sure to become a new favorite.
This favorite family recipe has so many rave reviews and even won best baked beans at a festival!
My friend, Marsha, from The Better Baker, even won PEOPLE’S CHOICE at her local Beans Day festival with my sister’s recipe!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS FAVORITE BBQ SIDE DISH (full recipe below in the recipe card)
- canned pork and beans – I like VanCamps’s canned Pork and Beans (this is not a paid link), but you can use your favorite similar brand
- onion (yellow)
- butter
- ketchup
- molasses, unsulphured
- yellow mustard
- brown sugar
- bacon
How to make the best baked beans in the oven
Preheat oven to 325 degrees f. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Sauté onions over medium to medium-high heat in butter until onions are tender and translucent.
Mix beans, ketchup, mustard, molasses and brown sugar…
Next, add the sautéd onions and mix well and pour in prepared baking dish.
Top with uncooked bacon in single layer.
Bake on middle rack of oven uncovered for 2–3 hours.
Beans are ready when the top is dark and caramelized. Serve warm. Enjoy!
How To Make Baked Beans in the Slow Cooker
These can also be thrown together and cooked in the slow cooker set on low for 6 to 8 hours. You won’t get that nice caramelized top, but they will still be delicious. Mix everything the same way as the oven method, including sautéing the onions. However, you will need to pre-cook the bacon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Prep time for the baked beans is about 20 mins. They are baked low and slow fin the oven for 2–3 hours, until the bacon is dark and caramelized.
The oven is best. The oven allows the bacon to caramelize. So good.
We use VanCamp’s, but others have used different brands and love the results.
Yes! You can prepare everything the night before, then pop them in the oven the next day.
For this recipe, use unsulphured molasses. 
Store leftover baked beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days. You can reheat the baked beans in the microwave, stove or oven.
Want More Great Side Dishes for your next get-together?
PLEASE NOTE: This is not a paid sponsored post. I have no affiliation with any of the products shared or linked in this recipe. The original recipe post date was April 3, 2016. This post was updated, May 1, 2024.
Best Ever Baked Beans (Anastasia’s Recipe)
Ingredients
- 5 cans pork and beans (15 ounce cans) VanCamps’s Pork and Beans or similar
- 1 large yellow or sweet onion, chopped (or 2 medium size onions)
- 1 – 2 Tablespoons butter (for sautéing onions)
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 3 Tablespoons yellow mustard
- ½ cup molasses, unsulphured
- ¼ – ½ cup brown sugar (use less for less sweetness)
- 6-8 slices uncooked bacon (each slice cut in half or thirds)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees f. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Sauté onions over medium to medium-high heat in butter until onions are tender and translucent.
- Mix beans, ketchup, mustard, molasses and brown sugar.
- Add the sautéd onions and mix well and pour in prepared baking dish.
- Top with uncooked bacon in single layer. Bake on middle rack of oven uncovered for 2–3 hours. Beans are ready when the top is dark and caramelized.
Notes
These can also be thrown together and cooked in the slow cooker set on low for 6 to 8 hours. You won’t get that nice caramelized top, but they will still be delicious. Mix everything the same way as the oven method, including sautéing the onions. However, you will need to pre-cook the bacon. Please Note: Oven method is the best!
Anonymous
I use lots of dark brown sugar, green onions and bell pepper. No molasses but a sprinkling of garlic powder. And a shot or two of Chipotle Tabasco sauce.
Anonymous
do you drain the beans?
Anonymous
I do my beans like this but I always add apple cider vinegar too. Cuts some of the sweetness. It is wonderful!
Anonymous
This recipe sounds delish. What can be used to substitute for mustard? Allergies.
Anonymous
Sounds delish. I am not a cook. But I am going to give this a shot for our company pot luck. Thanks for sharing.
Anonymous
Worcestershire sauce, green bell pepper, and garlic are great flavor additions to this recipe.
Anonymous
Can you freeze these beans
Anonymous
I make a similar version. I dice a green pepper and add it. Instead of ketchup and molasses I use my favorite bbq sauce. Lots of bacon. Inside and on top!! But your version sounds just as good.
Anonymous
I use a little "liquid smoke" too – but be careful…. a little goes a long way.
Also – if you are having any BBQ with the meal – chop up a cup or so of
the (cooked) BBQ'd meat and mix in with the beans before baking. Yum.
Anonymous
I use a recipe similar to this one. I add a few drops of liquid
smoke for a little smokey taste, dark brown sugar but no molasses.
Anonymous
I make exact same recipe but also add a glue or 2 of dark rum,everything else remains the same.
Annie
LD, I don't see why you can't halve it, because that's what I plan on doing. I'll use 2 cans in an 8×8 baking dish, or a 1.5 to 2 quart casserole dish, and use roughly half of each of the other ingredients. And to make sure my hubby doesn't eat ALL the bacon, I'm going to fry it chopped with the onion (although I'll probably cut the bacon with kitchen scissors, as it's easier than cutting raw bacon).
GAil
I made these beans for our July 4th party, they were excellent, best we ever had. Had many requests for the recipe!
LD
5 cans of beans are way to much for us. Can I half the recipe? Can't wait to try this.
LD
5 cans of beans is way to much for us. Can we half the recipe? These sound so good.
Anonymous
I have made a similar version but I add chopped thin sliced deli meat beef in the beans and still cover with bacon. Wonder flavor. I am always asked to bring to dinners been fixing them is the crock pot for about the past year due to amount needed.
marysweetlittlebluebird
This makes about 12 healthy servings.
marysweetlittlebluebird
This makes about 12 healthy servings.
Anonymous
How many does it serve? Rough guess?
Anonymous
I love this recipe, but instead of frying onions, I use the Lipton's dry onion soup package, and I add a can of kidney beans. Kids, though, seem to prefer it without the "touch" beans! My son used to call this "cowboy beans"!!!
kat nibby
Just wondering if you could use B&M baked beans? I love these because they're a nice firm bean. What do you think?
Laura Roy
Hi Mary, just a follow up. I doubled your recipe (without the pork) and baked in my cast iron dutch oven. They turned out great! Served at my daughter's graduation party yesterday and they were a hit. Thank you!
marysweetlittlebluebird
Hi Laura – Yes, a cast iron dutch oven will work! Have a wonderful weekend!
marysweetlittlebluebird
Anonymous – One can of pork & beans beans has 3.5 servings and the recipe calls for 5 cans of pork & beans (makes 17.5 servings). I would say the recipe makes 12 healthy servings.
Anonymous
Thank you!
Anonymous
How many servings to this recipe?