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!
Aaltje
If I were making this in a baking dish that can be used on the stovetop as well as in the oven I would cook the onions in the baking/serving dish with the butter, then add the other ingredients right in the same pan, top with the bacon and pop it in the oven. No need to dirty a pan to cook the onions separately.
Kit
This would be good to do in a smoker. You could place on a lower shelf to under your meat like ribs or pork butt for basting. I would even mix some dry rub into the beans.
Elizabeth
I make beans similar, but I use 2 cans Campbells pork & beans, 2 jars Boston beans, 1 can Butter beans. My recipe also does not have molasses in it. Really love these!
Elizabeth
Oh, mine also has a 1/2 lb. ground beef in it.
Vicki
I slow cook these in my oven at 200 degrees for eight hours; stirring occasionally and they turn out fantastic. I do cook them in a stainless steel Dutch oven and transfer to crockpot for potlucks or summer get togethers.
Betty Scully
I’ve made this recipe pretty much for years, however I add a small can of crushed pineapple w/juice. Great flavor. Also, I blanch the bacon in the mico to remove some of the fat.
RobertS
Best-Ever Baked Beans — Yes!! These are the BEST!!
Thank You for sharing!!
Audrey
How many does this serve?
Mary Neumann
Hi Audrey – at least 10 people since this is a side.
Kelly
How long to cook if bacon is cooked?
jodee I witcher
Whole family loved this recipe..ended up sending some home with children at Easter time..what little was left..that is. So good !! Having again for Mothers day!! Super GOOD !!
Barbara J Johnson
I have made Baked beans for 100’s.. Yours sound yummy.
I start with GREAT NORTHERN (CANNED OR DRY) I ADD SUGAR, FROZEN ONIONS, BACON OR BACON ENDS BAKE FOR NIUMEROUS HOURS LIKE 8 HOURS TO 15 HOURS SO DIFFERENT BUT i’M SURE JUST AS GOOD.
Nancy Newberger
I have a question about the molasses. When shopping for molasses not long ago, I was confused at which one I use for baked beans. My dad always used molasses in his beans and I wanted to do the same. Please help
Shawn
Why can’t you use Vidalia onions?
TYVMIA,
Shawn
Amy
Can these be made and then frozen?
Barbara
These are much better with a splash of liquid smoke. This same recipe has been in our family for 40 plus years lol.
Nancy Erea
I made this recipe, but I used dry beans. I would never use canned beans. It came out good.
Helen
I make these beans too but I use grandma brown beans….YUMMY
Sue
OMG! Great recipe!! My changes:
Par cook the bacon so the beans aren’t as greasy
Then cook onions in bacon fat-drain well
Pour out some of the liquid from the beans before adding them
Add less molasses then recipe (I halved the recipe so added 2 1/2 tbsp)
Also Used 1/2 of a 1/4 cup of brn sugar OMG! Fantastic recipe!
Debbie Fell
I use only ketchup and brown sugar and bacon on top and bake low for a few hrs uncoverd and it’s the best. I am told it take like beans made from scratch. I never add onions as some don’t eat them.
Jan Hinkle
Sounds wonderful! How many people will one recipe feed?
Angie
My moms recipe
3 lg can of Campbell’s baked beans
1 lg sweet onion- sautee in bacon grease
Pound of bacon- dice a fry crisp & drain on paper towels
Brown sugar- 1/2 c
Ketchup- 1/2 c
Yellow mustard- 1/4 c
Powdered mustand- 2 tsp
Worcestershire sauce- 1 tbsp
Patience Justice
I have tried this recipe several times now and it always has good flavor but for some reason I can never get it to thicken up right. I’ve cooked in both the oven and crock pot and follow all directions but not sure if I’m doing something wrong??
Gunner
I HAVE SHARED THIS BAKED BEANS EVER RECIPE WITH GOOD FRIENDS. THEY ALL SAY ” IT’S THEIR BEST EVER! ” MY REPLY ” TOLD YA “
Gunner
Fixed this king AGAIN last night. Now we know why it’s called “best ever !”
Dana
Ummm confused. Very experienced cook here. You list “yellow or sweet onion but not Vidalia”. Vidalia is a sweet onion so are you implying that one can use sweet onions but not, specifically, Vidalia onions, for some peculiar reason? Can you expand upon this instruction and/or thought process? Is it because Vidalia’s are sweeter than other sweet onions, in your opinion?
Mary Neumann
Yes, Dana,they are a little too sweet for this recipe. Vidalia also happens to be my favorite onion. 🙂
Miranda
Can this recipe be prepped the night before? Or is that not ideal? I’ve made this recipe before and it is wonderful.
Mary Neumann
Yes it can, Miranda.
Barbara Porter
Hi I’ve been making this recipe for my children since they were old enough to use a spoon they’re all grown now and they’re fifties and this is the recipe I’ve always used I never use the molasses though I always use brown sugar everything else in this recipe is the way I make it just like you except the brown sugar I love it thank you for putting this recipe out I’ve had my friends try to duplicate it but they never could they said they followed the recipe to the T so I don’t know but I tell them just follow the recipe and you should have no problem I think sometimes they don’t follow the recipe in that other things haha thank you