60 Minute Sugar-free Maple Baked Beans

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60 Minute Sugar-free Maple Baked Beans

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Sugar-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: low sugar baked beans recipe, maple baked beans recipe, sugar free baked beans recipe

Prep Time: 45

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 1 30

Servings:

Calories: 326kcal

These Vegan and Sugar-free Baked Beans cook super fast and though they have a lot fewer carbs than most baked bean recipes, they have all of the taste!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound dried navy beans (see notes for other bean options)
water
4 teaspoons dry mustard
4 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup sugar-free maple syrup (or regular maple syrup if desired)
1/4 cup molasses (see Recipe Notes for substitutions)
2 large onions, cut into wedges
Options: bacon (or turkey bacon), liquid smoke, mushrooms, bell peppers, cumin, chili powder, paprika, worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Rinse the beans and sort them, removing and discarding any shriveled or discolored beans.
Place sorted beans in a large pot and cover with water. Leave to soak overnight.
Rinse beans and cover with water again. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and allow to simmer for 45 minutes, or until cooked as you like them. (See notes about using a pressure cooker to save time with this step.)
Drain, reserving the cooking water.
Place the beans in a Dutch oven or large casserole dish.
Combine the mustard, salt, pepper, maple syrup, tomato paste and molasses in a container that is approximately 1 cup in size.
Pour the liquid mixture over the beans and stir to coat.
Push the onion wedges down into the beans.
Add enough of the reserved cooking water (approximately 1 ½ cups) so that it is visible but does not cover the beans.
Put the lid on the Dutch oven or casserole dish and bake at 350°F for 1 hour.
Serve as a side or even on its own with fresh green salad and whole grain or grain-free bread.

Stovetop Method

Saute onions in a little water or oil, until softened. Turn down the heat to low.
Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and mix until well combined.
Cover with a lid and cook for 40 minutes or until done. Remove the lid and cook uncovered for another 10 minutes to thicken the sauce. Serve warm.

Low and Slow Oven Method

Follow the oven baking instructions but instead of baking at 350°F, put the lid on the Dutch oven or casserole dish and bake at 275°F for 3 hours checking the beans every hour and stirring gently. If they begin to look dry, add a bit more water.

Slow Cooker Option

Follow the directions above, but reduce the water by one-third to one-half. Place all ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 4.

Notes

For best nutritional results, de-gas the beans when cooking them the first time.
If you prefer the "low and slow" cooking method, bake the beans at 275°F for 3 hours checking the beans every hour. If they begin to look dry add more water. Then, uncover and continue to bake for 1 more hour.
If choosing to use any or all of the optional ingredients for additional flavor, here are some recommended amounts to try:
- 1 cup brown mushrooms
- 3/4 cup chopped bell pepper
- 1 - 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- splash of apple cider vinegar
- bacon or turkey bacon
If sauteeing onions, saute the peppers and mushrooms at the same time, adding after sauteeing onions for a bit. The optional spices are to be added with the other spices.
If you prefer or are particularly sensitive to digestive issues (ahem) when eating beans, use fresh water instead of reserved cooking water if needed, and use whatever you would like to de-gas the beans when cooking the beans prior to adding the other ingredients.
If you'd like to add some meat, cook 2-4 slices of bacon or turkey bacon and add to the beans along with the onion. Technically, molasses is a refined sugar but it's a very different from refined white sugar. It has more nutrients and is less refined and it even is a good source of iron. However, if you prefer to make these beans 100% refined sugar free or low-carb, you can replace the molasses with honey or more of the sugar-free maple syrup. For help choosing the best maple syrup for this recipe, this post on how to choose maple syrup is a great guide.
To save LOADS of time with this recipe, use a pressure cooker to cook the beans. Soaked navy beans can be done in a pressure cooker on high in only 3-4 minutes if you use natural pressure release, and in 6-8 minutes if you use quick release! See all of the benefits of pressure cookers here.

Nutrition