THIS is how long to cook baked beans in oven at 350 from dried beans to tender! Whether you are cooking for a large crowd of 50 or just your family and want a homemade side dish, these are sweet with brown sugar and bacon if you like. Similar to our No Soak Instant Pot Baked Beans but on a sheet pan!
If you never thought you could cook homemade baked beans in the oven, you can! Yet another awesome way to take a bag of dry beans and turn them into something delicious in a few hours. Make spicy if you like or super sweet to pair with hamburgers. (affiliate links present)
How to Cook Baked Beans in the Oven
Okay so there are two ways really, from scratch and semi-homemade. Using canned baked beans you just need to doctor them up to your liking and warm so that doesn’t take long. You are looking at just 20 minutes or so for those, but using dry navy beans is the best way to make them the perfect side dish.
How to Cook Baked Beans from Scratch
This is similar to Crockpot Baked Beans Recipe with Dry Beans where you will soak legumes overnight, drain, add all other ingredients including new water to cook them until they are tender to your liking. During the several hours they are simmering on their own the sauce will get soaked up and thicken as well.
Table of contents
How to Cook Dried Navy Beans
This is all the ways on How to Cook Navy Beans from Scratch you would want to know. I always recommend to start off with soaking in a large bowl or stock pot with about 1 bag per 8 cups of water. Let them soak overnight. Drain the beans the next day, and reserve most of the liquid if you are going to make this recipe.
- Preheat oven to 350 and add ketchup, maple syrup, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, onion, salt, pepper and chili powder to a 9×13 baking dish with high sides and whisk well.
- Add beans and mix to evenly coat. Spread in an even layer.
- Add reserved bean water and if necessary, or additional water, so water covers beans by 1/4 inch. Cover tightly with foil.
- Bake for 40 minutes.
- Leaving beans in oven, reduce temperature to 200 degrees F and cook for another 3 hours. Remove foil and stir bean mixture.
Return foil to the top and cook for an additional 3 hours or until beans are tender to your liking, and sauce is slightly reduced. If you wanted to make Baked Beans with Ground Beef I would add your precooked browned meat at this time. Remove from oven, stir. Let stand 15 – 30 minutes before serving to continue thickening.
What are the best beans to use to make baked beans?
The best beans to use for making baked beans are navy. They are small, white, and have a creamy texture and mild flavor. This makes them ideal for absorbing the flavors of the sauce while retaining their shape during baking for longer periods of time. However, other types can also be used depending on personal preference and regional variations. Some common alternatives to navy beans for baked beans include:
- Great Northern Beans are similar in size and texture to navy beans, with a mild flavor and creamy texture. They are often used interchangeably with navy beans in baked bean recipes.
- Cannellini Beans are large, white Italian styles with a slightly nutty flavor and creamy texture. While they are not as common in traditional recipes, they can be used as a substitute for navy for a slightly different flavor and texture.
- Pinto Beans are medium-sized, beige, with a earthy flavor and slightly firmer texture compared to navy beans. While they are not traditional in baked bean recipes, they can be used for a more rustic and hearty version of baked beans.
- Kidney Beans are large, red beans with a robust flavor and firm texture. While they are not typically used they can be used for a more savory and bold-flavored versions.
You could go out on a limb and use something different though like Tepary Beans that come in different colors and flavors too.
How to doctor up baked beans
Once you read up on How Long Do Beans Take to Cook and get those tender there are tons of ways to make canned or Old Fashioned baked beans better. From adding chopped bacon, to diced jalapenos to make them hotter.
Or create our sweeter Apple Pie Baked Beans version. Use Splenda for sugar free versions, add a squeeze of dijon mustard, slice hot dogs, add precooked ground beef or add leftover ham into the mix after the holidays!
How to make baked beans for a crowd of 50
The recipe below will feed 20-25 people. Of course that depends on the serving size of everyone but that is a good guess. To double this you would need a large high sided sheet pan that is double the size of the 9×13″ required here. I like to use two of the smaller sizes so I can leave one in staying warm and serve the other in a slow cooker Dutch Oven with a lid.
Brown Sugar and Bacon Baked Beans
Ingredients in homemade baked beans are pretty typical no matter what cooking method you use. If you wanted to add bacon bits you want to decide ahead of time if you want them tender or still with a little oomph when the dish is done. For soft add with the seasonings. I prefer at the end to maintain their texture.
- 16 oz navy beans dry, 1 bag
- Ketchup
- Maple syrup
- Molasses
- Worcestershire sauce
- 1 onion diced fine
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
Now you could also Cook Bacon in the Oven with Aluminum Foil about an hour after these are done. Chop it up when done. Integrate some stirred in with more reserved for the top for a really packed pork filled portion. 😉 Jump to recipe and get started friends!
How Long to Cook Baked Beans in Oven at 350
Equipment
- 1 high sided sheet pan 9×13
- 1 Bowl
- 1 colander
Ingredients
- 16 oz navy beans, dry, 1 bag
- 1/3 c ketchup
- 1/3 c maple syrup
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 onion, diced fine
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
Instructions
- In a large bowl or stock pot, add 8 cups of water. Add dry beans and let them soak overnight. Drain the next day, reserving most of the liquid. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 and add ketchup, maple syrup, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, onion, salt, pepper and chili powder to a 9×13 baking pan with high sides and whisk well. Add beans and mix to evenly coat. Spread beans in an even layer.
- Add reserved bean water and if necessary, or additional water, so water covers beans by 1/4 inch. Cover tightly with foil.
- Bake for 40 minutes. Leaving beans in oven, reduce temperature to 200 degrees F and cook for another 3 hours. Remove foil and stir beans.
- Return foil to the top and cook for an additional 3 hours or until beans are tender to your liking, and sauce is slightly reduced. Remove from oven, stir. Let stand 15 minutes before serving to continue thickening.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I followed this recipe exactly and after the 6 hours on 200 degrees the beans were no more tender than they started. I needed to increase the temp and continue cooking
It is 40 minutes at 350 to start, not 200 the whole time.