This easy side dish can be made ahead (it actually tastes better the next day!) and uses canned beans. So it's perfect for Thanksgiving, potlucks and barbecues. It's also known as apple pie baked beans and has cinnamon for warmth, molasses and ketchup, which balance the smoky bacon and tangy vinegar for a sweet-savory flavor. If you've only had baked beans from a can, this version will surprise you in the best possible way.
Savory sweet side dish
This is the latest addition to the side dishes category, and it involves beans, apples, bacon and molasses. If that is not making your mouth water, let me add that this recipe makes your kitchen smell amazing while it bakes: rich, smoky, and just sweet enough.
It's inspired by vintage New England cooking, when beans were baked with molasses and sometimes stretched with fruit to add natural sweetness during leaner times. The apple variation became especially popular in community cookbooks from the 1930s to the 1950s.
Serve it as a side for roasts, grilled meats, or holiday turkey dinner, or make it the main event with some crusty bread and a salad.
It tastes better the next day. So this is a fantastic side dish to make ahead. Like chili or lentil stew, the flavor deepens overnight. Reheat gently with a splash of water if needed.
Testing Notes
Choose the right apple. I like Granny Smith, but Honeycrisp or Pink Lady can hold their shape and balance sweetness well. Avoid mealy apples.
Render the bacon first. This means you cook it at low heat so the fat melts slowly. Then you let it get lightly crisp before adding the onion; this builds the base flavor.
Don't rush the bake. The low, steady heat helps the sauce reduce and the flavors meld, while keeping it saucy. This is key.
Taste towards the end and adjust. Every ketchup and molasses brand varies in sweetness. Add more vinegar or mustard if you want more tang. Do so in small additions.
* If not eating it immediately, transfer it hot from the pot to a shallow dish and let it cool completely. This prevents it from slightly fermenting, which can happen when preparations with tomato and apple take too long to cool, as it might happen if left in the deep pot. Then cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.
Sweetness: If you prefer a more Southern-style or slightly richer dish, add the brown sugar that's stated in the recipe as optional. You'll get a thicker, glossier sauce and a slightly more "barbecue" flavor, especially if your ketchup is tangy. I tested both and found the apples and molasses made it sweet enough. But adjust to your palate.
Freezer-friendly. Cool completely as mentioned above, before freezing up to 2 months. Use freezer-safe containers or sealed, ziploc-style bags. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or at room temperature and reheat covered in the oven or on the stove at a low temperature.
Process steps
Make sure the pot you bake this recipe in is large and oven-safe.
Flavor base
Cook the onion and bacon slowly so they don't burn, but soften and release fat and crisp.
Apple
Cook it for a minute or two, but don't let it get too soft. It will continue to cook in the oven. You just want to sear it a little and coat it with the bacon grease.
Add the rest of the ingredients
Simply stir everything together and bake in the preheated oven.
Final mixture
It's thick and rich and has the most wonderful aroma.
Remember to taste and adjust as needed. I recommend doing it about 5 minutes before it's ready, to allow seasonings to meld again.
Paula's Tip
This dish tastes much better the next day, so you can make it ahead for the holidays. My recommendation: transfer it hot from the pot to a shallow dish and let it cool completely. This prevents it from slightly fermenting, which can happen when preparations with tomato and apple take too long to cool, as it might happen if left in the deep pot. Then cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.
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Baked Beans and Apples with Bacon
Ingredients
- 10 ounces bacon, chopped into small dice
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 apple, peeled and diced, Granny Smith or Honeycrisp
- 30 ounces navy or Great Northern beans, 2 cans (15 ounces each), drained and rinsed
- ½ cup regular ketchup
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 or 2 tablespoons brown sugar, optional, for a sweeter dish
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a large oven-safe skillet with high sides or Dutch oven, cook 10 ounces bacon, chopped, over medium-low heat until the fat is melted (rendered) and it's slightly crisp and brown. Remove some fat if there's too much, but keep about 2 tablespoons.
- Add ½ cup diced onion and 1 garlic clove, minced, to the pot and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until softened and fragrant and lightly browned. Don't let it burn, or it might turn bitter.
- Stir in 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced, and cook for a few more minutes.
- Add ½ cup regular ketchup, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon molasses, 1 or 2 tablespoons brown sugar (if using), 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg. Stir to combine.
- Add 30 ounces navy or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed, toss to mix, and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. At this point, it's hard to know if it will need more seasonings as their flavor concentrates during baking. So don't overdo it. You will adjust later.
- Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes, stirring twice during this time (don't forget the oven mitts!!), until the sauce thickens and bubbles gently. About 5-10 minutes before the time, when the preparation has thickened nicely, taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
- Remove from the oven (use oven mitts as the pot is extremely hot!) and let it sit 10 minutes before serving; the sauce will thicken more. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. If eating it the next day, see Notes below to cool it down.
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