This baked beans recipe tastes so similar to Heinz it’s almost scary. Except homemade baked beans don’t have underlying tones of artificial flavour, and the sauce isn’t slimy which I really hate about canned baked beans!
These British baked beans can be made with dried or canned beans. Quick and easy, very economical and utterly addictive!
Heinz baked beans recipe
So there’s no misunderstanding, let me explain upfront that this recipe is for British style baked beans which comes in a semi-clear tomato sauce and is traditionally served for breakfast. It’s completely different to Southern Baked Beans which is a Southern food staple and comes with a darker, more intense flavoured sweet/savoury sauce.
Specifically, this recipe today is a copycat of Heinz baked beans. A British export, firmly adopted by Aussies as a breakfast-lunch-dinner staple.
Crack open a can, tip it over toast and microwave – that was the standard method.
Heating it up in a saucepan was the posh method. Add a slice of cheese – now that was getting real fancy!
I think we have the evolution of cooking shows and rise and rise of the internet to thank for the discovery of homemade versions of canned food favourites. And for me, homemade baked beans was one of the greatest eye openers. How simple it is. And how much tastier it is.
And as someone who always had an issue with the sliminess of the Heinz baked beans sauce, discovering homemade baked beans was revolutionary! 😂
What you need to make baked beans from scratch
Here’s what you need to make baked beans from scratch:
Canned vs dried beans
You can make this baked beans recipe with dried or canned beans. The base recipe uses dried beans because:
you can’t get canned navy beans / haricot beans here in Australia, you can only get dried (as far as I am aware); and
cooked dried beans taste better, and you can control the texture. Canned beans are always bloated from sitting in liquid, so they’re on the soft side.
Beans used for Baked Beans
Navy beans, also known as Haricot Beans, are the beans used in commercially produced canned baked beans. They are white beans that are slightly smaller than Cannellini beans.
However, any small to medium beans will work just fine here. They don’t even need to be white!
Chicken vs vegetable stock/broth
Chicken stock gives the sauce a better flavour because it has more complex flavours than vegetable stock because it’s made from meat. It doesn’t make this dish taste “chicken-like” or meaty once cooked.
However, vegetable stock does work fine but for best results, I recommend using homemade vegetable stock (it’s the easiest of all stocks to make, and really worth doing homemade).
How to make baked beans from scratch
It is literally a “mix it all in the pot and simmer” job.
The only thing to do at the end is to add cornflour/cornstarch to thicken the sauce. This needs to be done at the end because excess stirring or prolonged cooking over heat makes cornflour lose its thickening powers (in case you were wondering why cornflour is always added at the end of recipes!!)
How to serve baked beans
Traditionally thought of as a side for breakfast (think a big English breakfast with poached, fried or scrambled eggs, bacon, mushrooms, sausages and toast) or piled onto toast (try adding CHEESE!). But there’s so much more we can do with baked beans to make it an economical, seriously delicious meal! Here are a few suggestions:
Chicken and beans – sprinkle chicken (or any chops, or sausages) with salt and pepper. Pan fry in butter. Serve with baked beans on the side which will act as the “sauce” as well as the starch for dinner;
Sausage and beans – either slice smoked sausages, squeeze the filling out of sausage casings or use ground sausage. Cook it in a pot, add baked beans, stir through spinach = dinner in a pot!
Stuff baked potatoes (add cheese to this too!)
As a side for any dinner – serve it as the starch on a dinner plate. Beans are low in GI so they’ll keep you fuller for longer!
Emergency nachos – pile over corn chips and add a ton of cheese. How can you go wrong??
Stuff an omelette – yep, really. Make an omelette and stuff it with cheesy baked beans!
Breads for dunking
Here are a few bread options – for toasting, dunking, mopping! The first 3 breads are all ideal for slicing > toasting > smothering with baked beans.
For me personally, I like to serve it in a bowl with bread for dunking. The whole “smother toast” thing doesn’t do it for me because I like to eat toast with my hands (well, put another way, I hate using a knife and fork for toast).
And if you pile baked beans over toast, eating it with your hands is messy business.
So I prefer the bowl method – spoon + bread for dunking. Practical and effective! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Watch how to make this baked beans recipe – and see how truly similar it is to Heinz baked beans!
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Homemade Heinz Baked Beans
Ingredients
Beans – choose ONE (Note 1):
- 2 cups (14 oz) dried Navy beans (aka Haricot) or other white beans
- 3 x 400g/14oz cans harricot/navy beans, cannellini or any white beans , drained
Baked beans:
- 2 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium, OR homemade vegetable stock (Note 2)
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 6 tbsp ketchup or Aussie/British tomato sauce (Note 3)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or more onion powder)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder (or more garlic powder)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
Sauce thickening:
- 8 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
Cook dried beans:
- No need to do these steps if using canned beans, start with Step 1 under "Baked Beans" below.
- Soak beans in a big bowl of water for 8 – 24 hrs, then drain.
- Skim foam – Place beans in a large pot of water over high heat. Bring to a simmer, then skim off foam.
- Simmer Reduce heat so it's simmering gently (medium or medium low). Partially cover with lid (leaving a crack for steam to escape), then cook for 1 – 1.5 hrs until just tender. (Start checking at 45 min). Beans should be still slightly firm on inside (they're cooked more in the sauce). Drain, use per recipe.
Baked Beans:
- Mix – Place all Baked Beans ingredients in a pot (except beans) and stir, then add beans.
- Simmer – Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes, without the lid. Stir every now and then so the beans don't catch on the bottom of the pot.
Thicken sauce:
- Mix cornflour with water. Pour into pot while stirring, then cook for 2 minutes until sauce thickens – it will thicken quickly. (Note 3)
- Check for salt: Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Serve it the traditional way – piled over hot buttered toast. Or ladle into bowls, eat with a spoon and dunk in hot crusty bread! Popular breads – simple crusty Artisan bread, Irish Soda Bread (No yeast) and No Yeast Sandwich Bread
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published May 2014. Updated with more streamlined, better recipe (skipped unnecessary extras that didn’t add to the end result), new photos, new video and Life of Dozer section added in May 2020!
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Thank you Nagi for this recipe. I am from India and my son loves Heinz beans but they are no longer available anywhere. Will be making them soon but had a couple of queries…no options here except for Maggi stock cubes. Will they work…think they are high on sodium. Also will rice wine vinegar do instead of apple cider vinegar?
Hi Aman, just make up the required amount of stock with the stock cube diluted in water. You can sub rice vinegar here too – love to know what you think! N x
I will never ever buy tinned beans again. My husband, like Christine’s is not a fan of baked beans but he LOVES these. Thank you for sharing this recipe. So easy and so tasty! An absolute 10/10
I was looking for a recipe like this, I just made this and it’s amazing! Thank you for this recipe!
Hi Nagi, I have not tried this yet and I have pinto beans, can it be used instead
I love this recipie and will try it ASAP! do you think you would be able to preserve the beans (I have a fowlers bottling kit) and keep in the pantry until using? It would be interesting to know as freezer space is at a premium with my fresh lamb meat. cheers Ailsa
Hi Ailsa, I imagine so but I haven’t tried to be honest – would love to know this as well! N x
I might give it a go – I will let you know the results if I do – it would be interesting to see if the flavour develops over time.
Hubby who isn’t fussed on baked beans asked me to tell you he loves them and to thank you for the recipe.
Wahoo – you’ve totally converted him! N x
I made this on the weekend using the slowcooker. They passed the husband taste test and he loves his baked beans.
That’s great to hear Vicky 🙂 N x
I had a cups worth of dried haricot in the back of the cupboard, so made this. I think they had been there too long as after 2 hours cooking, plus a stint in the pressure cooker, they finally got soft enough to eat 😂 They were ever so tasty and will be making and freezing this again. Thank you for this as I find bought tinned beans far too sweet.
Oh no! I’m so glad you managed to salvage it though!! N x
Thank you! No more hunting for the tin version. These are so much better and super easy.
SO much better than store bought Kirsty, I’m so glad you love the recipe! N x
I’m ecstatic to have this recipe! I stopped buying tinned baked beans a couple of years ago and started using a recipe from Great British Chefs but because it’s quite rich, I don’t make it too often. This one is easier and much, much better. Personally I would use slightly less pepper next time but we both loved it! My partner’s comment, “She’s out-beaned the beans!” 😂 Our family’s favourite way to eat baked beans is heated in a couple of finely chopped and fried bacon rashers, keeping the fat for extra flavour. We’ll be having that tomorrow for breakfast. My Mum also makes a baked bean salad with thin slices of onion, and an oil and vinegar dressing which she serves with tinned tuna. Tastes way better than it sounds. Now I have a great stock of beans to play with. Thanks you so much for sharing this recipe. 🙏
That’s awesome to hear Donna!!!
Ok, love the outcome, very tasty indeed, how about ham sauce though love e beans in ham sauce..as usual you keep me looking good in the kitchen…
Hi Nagi, thanks for this, have been spending a fortune on baked beans here in the US 😉 our two growing boys love them!
Made your recipe this morning after soaking the beans overnight and wow they are delicious! I will reduce the sugar next time as I find baked beans a little too sweet, but this recipe is definitely a keeper! Thank you!!
WOOT!!! N x
Ok…..I’m English and over the years I’ve eaten a LOT of baked beans. I’ve made them from scratch on and off but always find the recipe too acidic and strong in tomato flavour. Until I made these. They are amazing!!! I’ll never buy a tin again! In our family, the addition of cheese was a regular thing, we called it beans on cheese on….
I am on my second batch !!!
Here in the USA, we have “Pork & Beans in a can-been around for a hundred years.
These taste and look EXACTLY like those !!!
Thank you for this Awesome recipe !!!
You’re so welcome Rodney!! N x
Can’t wait to try these, but these is nary a white bean on the store shelves (dry or can). My options are dry red kidney or dry black eye peas. Any idea what would make the better sub? Oh, I also have nearly enough dry black beans.
Thanks for all the awesome recipes!! My kids and I are big fans!
Hi Michelle – try black beans as they are smaller 🙂 N x
Love your website. I’ve just downloaded FatSecret App as I need to loose weight, but will use your recipes as well and I love that you put all of nutritional values at the end.
Very good.
I’m trying to do gluten free as well. So lots of researching etc.
Many thanks
Anita
Hi Anita, I’m sure there are recipes here you can adapt to suit – I hope you love them! N x
Cheese on baked beans? How do we do this? Sounds interesting. Love your recipes. Learning so many new things. Thank you
Hi Lesley, beans on toast with cheese is one of our favourite meals. Simply toast the bread and butter it. Spoon hot baked beans on top of the toast (or out the toast on the side if you don’t want soggy toast!) and grate cheddar cheese on top. Delish!!
You could even try a fried egg on top instead of the cheese… 🙂
How would you make the Heinz Deep-Browned Beans in Tomato Sauce version?
I’d need to look into this one Tak!! N x
Nagi, the beans are out of this world. I had canned Cannellini beans so that’s what I used. Delicious and I am looking forward to making them with dry navy beans next time. Question: under bakes beans #2-bring to a simmer then lower heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes. I am wondering if you meant “bring to a boil then lower heat ……….. “which is what I did . Anyway they were great. Thank you ,!! Shelley
Dear Nagi
I always try your magic recipes and your mum’s ones as well.
Reading Dozers life story is a bliss
Lucky guy!!
Let me know when he needs a companion
Thanks so much for the feedback Lallie ❤️