Amish Baked Beans made from Scratch

These homemade, from-scratch Amish Baked Beans are just like Grandma’s old-fashioned baked beans. They’re delicious during the summer for backyard cookouts and barbecues, but they’re also perfect for those chilly days when it’s nice to have a little extra heat from cooking something delicious in the oven.

These are baked beans made from scratch. I start with dried beans and slow cook them for hours until they are perfectly tender and bathed in a rich and hearty sauce that is just a little smoky and a little sweet. Although it takes more time than starting with canned beans, most of the time spent is hands-off, and the result is so delicious it makes it worth the extra time. And if you love bean recipes, check out my recipe for Kielbasa and 15 Soup and White Bean Turkey Pumpkin Chili. 

If you’re wondering what makes these homemade baked beans Amish, it’s simply because my recipe is (slightly) adapted from a recipe found in a little printed booklet of old Amish recipes that I have in my cookbook collection (it’s dated 1980 so it’s definitely in a vintage recipe). So I’m giving credit where it is due by calling these Amish Baked Beans. And also, being originally from PA, I can tell you that when it comes to hearty comfort food, the Amish are experts. This is the kind of recipe that you can trust is stick-to-your-ribs home cooking.

I like to serve my beans alongside any kind of smoked or roasted meat. They are also delicious with burgers, meatloaf, or braised sausages. But truly, these beans are so hearty, you could skip the meat altogether and eat them with some crusty bread or brown bread, and some greens like spinach or Swiss chard. You can even dress them up a little with a dollop of homemade chow-chow or a drizzle of maple syrup.

Ingredients for Amish Baked Beans:

The ingredients for these from-scratch baked beans are simple:

Dried Navy Beans or Great Northern Beans – I use dried beans in this recipe. Don’t be tempted to use canned beans here because dried beans make these baked beans extra rich and creamy. Typically I use dried navy or great Northern beans, but if you can find cranberry beans, they are delicious in this recipe. 

Bacon – Use your favorite bacon. For vegetarian beans, omit the bacon and use a bit of liquid smoke, or substitute with veggie bacon. 

Yellow Onion – Any onion is fine, but I typically use a regular yellow onion. 

Molasses – You can use light, dark, or blackstrap molasses. Light molasses will give your beans a sweeter flavor. Dark molasses and blackstrap molasses are less sweet and more savory. 

Brown sugar – Use either light or dark brown sugar. I like the rich flavor of dark brown sugar. 

Ketchup – Use whatever type of ketchup you prefer. For me, it’s Heinz.

Dry mustard – This is a dry, ground mustard seed. But if you don’t have any, simply substitute prepared mustard. 

Apple Cider Vinegar – I prefer the fruity flavor of apple cider vinegar. I don’t recommend white vinegar for this recipe. 

Tips for making Amish Baked Beans:

• I find that my enameled cast iron Dutch oven is the perfect vessel for baking these beans. However, if you don’t own a Dutch oven, you can cook the beans, brown the onions and bacon in any large pot, and then transfer the whole mixture to a baking or casserole dish to bake in the oven.
• This recipe takes about 4 hours in the oven, but the baking time might be a little more or less due to factors such as the age of the dried beans, the variety of beans, the hardness of your water, and how hot your oven runs. I like to check my beans every hour or so just to see how they are coming along, and to add a little more water or reserved cooking liquid if they are looking dry. I like to keep the beans looking nice and saucy for most of their time in the oven.
• Towards the end of the baking time, when the beans have been in the oven for about 3 hours, I set the lid slightly ajar on the pot, so that the liquid reduces down to a rich, thick sauce. If your beans are already reduced, you can just leave the lid fully on the pot.
• The baked beans are finished after about 4 hours in the oven, or whenever they are tender and the sauce is rich and thick. You will just need to use your judgment and decide when they are done to your liking.

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If you try this recipe for Amish Homemade Baked Beans, I hope you love it. And follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram so you don’t miss a post. 

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