Apple Pie Baked Beans
These Apple Pie Baked Beans take baked beans to a whole new level. Yes, you read that right – this apple pie baked bean recipe is what happens when two classic American comfort foods get together and make a delicious baby.
So say goodbye to blah canned baked beans, and say hello to the new world of baked beans. From the easy homemade BBQ sauce flavored with apple chunks, cinnamon and other apple pie spices to the crispy bacon on top, your baked beans won’t play second fiddle ever again.
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Ingredients
You could make apple baked beans with canned beans, canned apple pie filling, and a bottle of BBQ sauce. However, you probably know that canned and other packaged foods have a lot of salt and sugar. And the convenience doesn’t always bring the best flavor.
So this one-pan apple pie baked beans recipe is a compromise between the two. Feel free to make the recipe entirely from scratch, or substitute store-bought if you must.
Beans for baked beans
The traditional bean for baked beans is a navy bean, a small white bean, but in this recipe you can use any small white bean or even pinto beans. You can use either canned beans here or dried beans, soaked and cooked until al dente.
Apple pie filling
The one ingredient I would definitely recommend not using from a can is the apple pie filling. Canned apple pie filling is just mush, and I want texture in apple pie, just like you want in these apple baked beans.
For this baked bean recipe, use apples like a Honey Crisp or cross that are crisp and won’t fall apart when you cook them. This is not the time to make applesauce.
BBQ sauce
The BBQ sauce recipe is adapted from the homemade BBQ sauce that I use to braise country style ribs and BBQ chicken meatballs. If you absolutely have to buy barbecue sauce, here are some of the best BBQ sauces to buy.
Please see the recipe card below for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations and substitutions
- Love boozy bourbon apples? Add a few tablespoons of bourbon to deglaze the pan after cooking the onions, apples, and garlic.
- Make your apple pie baked beans with sausage in place of bacon. Cook a half to a full cup of bulk sausage with the onions and continue on with the recipe.
- Use the slow cooker in place of the oven to make the BBQ sauce and beans.
Recipe tips and tricks
Step 1: Cook the bacon on the stove top over medium low heat until the bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Removing the bacon keeps your bacon crispy in the final dish.
Step 2: Pour off all but one tablespoon of bacon fat, then cook the chopped onion over medium low heat until it has softened and is just starting to brown. You can keep that extra bacon fat in a jar in a refrigerator – it’s omg good for roasting potatoes.
Tip from the wise quacker: always pour your fat into a glass jar or wait for it to cool and wipe it out with a paper towel to discard. Never ever pour fat down your kitchen sink or it will clog!
Step 3: Add the apple to the pan and cook for two to three minutes. Then add the minced garlic and cook one minute more just until the garlic is fragrant. Then add all of the apple pie BBQ sauce ingredients to the pan, and stir well to mix completely.
Step 4: Add the beans and stir in. Cover the pan and bake in the oven to bake for 45 minutes to an hour until the sauce is bubbling.
Chop the cooled, cooked bacon into bacon bits and sprinkle it over the beans in the pan or per serving. Serve immediately!
This apple baked beans recipe will make eight to ten half-cup servings.
What to serve with apple pie baked beans
- Grilled, fried, or pan-roasted chicken breast or poached pulled chicken.
- A BBQ bean burger.
- Your favorite BBQ sides, like corn on the cob, purple coleslaw, and the best mac and cheese.
- Homemade skillet cornbread.
Recipe FAQs
Homemade baked beans will keep in the refrigerator for three to five days.
Yes, you can freeze the beans, minus the crispy bacon, for three to six months in an airtight container. The beans and apples will definitely lose some chew when you reheat them.
Yes. Omit the bacon and use a tablespoon of neutral vegetable oil instead.
Beans cause gas because they contain a lot of fiber and certain complex carbohydrates that are not easily digested. People will tell you different methods to reduce your gas, but there’s no scientific proof that any method stops beans from making you fart except for Beano.
Related beans recipes
Check out other easy beany recipes like:
Recipe
Apple Pie Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 medium apples cored, peeled, and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1½ cups ketchup
- ½ cup cider vinegar
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- â…› teaspoon cayenne pepper plus more to taste
- 1 pinch each of nutmeg, allspice, and ground cloves or use ¼ teaspoon apple pie spice
- 2 15 ounce cans small white beans rinsed and drained
Instructions
- Turn on the oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
- Cook the bacon on the stove top in a large, oven-safe frying pan that has a lid. Cook over medium low heat until the bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.4 slices bacon
- Pour off all but one tablespoon of bacon fat, then cook the chopped onion over medium low heat until it has softened and is just starting to brown.1 medium onion
- Add the apple to the pan and cook for two to three minutes. Then add the minced garlic and cook one minute more just until the garlic is fragrant.2 medium apples, 2 cloves garlic
- Add all of the apple pie BBQ sauce ingredients to the pan, and stir well to mix completely.1½ cups ketchup, ½ cup cider vinegar, ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 2 tablespoons yellow mustard, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 pinch each of nutmeg, allspice, and ground cloves
- Add the beans and stir in. Cover the pan and move to the oven to bake for 45 minutes to an hour until the sauce is bubbling.2 15 ounce cans small white beans
- Chop the cooked bacon into bacon bits and sprinkle over the beans. Serve immediately!
Notes
Nutrition
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