Molasses Baked Beans
Updated January 2026 with expanded notes and clearer instructions.
These molasses baked beans are a classic Maritime-inspired recipe made with dried beans that are soaked overnight, briefly boiled with baking soda, then slow-baked in the oven for eight hours. The process takes time, but the beans are easy to make and are just as good served as a cold-weather meal as they are alongside grilled meats in summer.
“These are fantastic! I couldn’t find good canned beans (my husband’s favourite) that weren’t from the US, so I decided to go back to making my own. I searched for a recipe online and was delighted to find just the one I wanted and double delighted to find that it was posted by a fellow Canadian. OMG, they are so good!” — Micheila
Baked beans are such a traditional dish in Nova Scotia. You start by soaking dried navy beans overnight, which helps soften them. After soaking, you drain the beans, then boil them with a bit of baking soda to tenderize them even further. Once the beans are cooked, you simply drain them, mix them with the other ingredients right in the pot, then slow-bake them for eight hours.
The slow-baking process is where the real magic happens. I don’t know what kind of sorcery it is, but baking beans at a low temperature for eight hours in a sweet, smoky sauce turns these tiny pantry staples into freakin’ flavour bombs. I like to bake mine overnight, so when I wake up, I’m instantly hit with the smell of comfort and home.
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A Note From Kelly
I’ve never loved beans. Something about the wet-yet-powdery texture inside them makes me gag, but that was before I tried this bean recipe. Given to me by a former colleague, Kathleen, I’ve had this recipe in my rotation for many years now, and everyone who tries them loves them.
Ingredients for Molasses Baked Beans
Ingredient Notes
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Use standard apple cider vinegar, not apple cider or flavoured vinegar.
- Bacon: You can use any bacon you like. I like thick-cut double-smoked bacon for extra smoky flavour.
- Baking Soda: When added to the boiling beans, it may cause the water to foam and rise quickly, so be mindful.
- Beans (Dried): The original recipe calls for yellow-eyed beans, but I prefer the texture of navy beans. Either will work.
- Ketchup: I use plain Heinz ketchup (not sponsored).
- Molasses: Fancy or mild molasses is best; I would avoid blackstrap, which can taste bitter.
- Mustard (Ground): For the best flavour, use ground mustard that has been freshly or recently opened.
- Onion: Standard white or yellow onion is what you want.
- Pepper (Black): Use any ground black pepper you like.
- Sugar (Brown): Light or dark brown sugar (sometimes called old-fashioned) both work.
It’s important to note that when making substitutions in recipes, the texture and flavour may be slightly different. However, these substitutes are the best options for changing the original recipe.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Replace with white vinegar or white wine vinegar.
- Bacon: Use the same amount of diced pancetta or salt pork.
- Beans (Dried): Substitute with dried yellow-eyed beans.
- Ketchup: Use the same amount of plain tomato sauce.
- Mustard (Ground): 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard.
- Onion: 2 large shallots, chopped.
- Pepper (Black): ¼ teaspoon of white pepper.
- Sugar (Brown): Replace with ¼ cup (60 ml) of pure maple syrup.
Recipe Variations
Try any of the following for a twist on this molasses baked beans recipe:
- Apple Cider: ½ cup, unsweetened, stirred in with the sauce ingredients before baking
- Bay Leaf: 1 whole leaf, tucked into the beans before the pot goes into the oven
- Garlic: 2 cloves, minced, stirred in with the onion before baking
- Smoked Paprika: 1 to 2 teaspoons, added with the other seasonings before baking
- Soy Sauce: 1 to 2 teaspoons, stirred into the sauce before baking
- Thyme (Dried): ½ teaspoon, sprinkled in with the sauce ingredients
- Worcestershire Sauce: 1 tablespoon, stirred in just before the pot goes into the oven
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of this post, or scroll to the bottom to see the PRINTABLE recipe card with ingredient measurements and complete instructions.
How To Make Molasses Baked Beans
STEP 1: Place the dried beans in a Dutch oven. Cover with cold water and soak for eight hours or overnight.
STEP 2: Drain and rinse the beans. Place them back in the Dutch oven and cover with fresh, cold water. Bring the beans to a light boil and cook for 30 minutes, or until tender, then drain, reserving the cooking liquid.
STEP 3: Give the Dutch oven a quick wash, then add the ketchup, molasses, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, ground dry mustard, and pepper.
STEP 4: Stir the sauce ingredients together until smooth.
STEP 5: Add the onion, bacon, reserved bean liquid, and cooked beans to the pot. Stir to combine.
STEP 6: Place the lid on the Dutch oven and transfer the pot to the preheated oven. Bake the beans for eight hours. Remove the beans from the oven, remove the lid, stir, and serve.
Kelly’s Top Tips
- I buy my bacon from 2 Boys in Cole Harbour (not sponsored). It’s double-smoked and thick-cut and adds maximum smoky flavour.
- Pick over the dried beans before soaking to catch any small stones that may have slipped into the bag. You don’t want broken teeth!
- My favourite method is soaking the beans overnight. The next day, I boil and assemble the beans, then stick them in the fridge for the day to slow-bake overnight. The scent will haunt your dreams in the BEST way!
Recipe Notes
- For detailed ingredient notes, substitution tips, variations, and step-by-step photos, scroll through the full recipe post.
- Use a digital kitchen scale for precise measurements and an oven thermometer to confirm your oven is heating correctly.
- To switch to gram measurements, click Metric grams in the ingredients section of the recipe card.
- When boiling the beans, keep the heat at a low bubble to prevent them from breaking apart. Rapid boiling can cause the beans to become mushy.
- If your beans are watery when you take them out of the oven after baking, don’t worry, because they thicken as they cool. If your beans are still watery, preheat the oven to 250ºF (120ºC), place the pot back in the oven uncovered, and bake until saucy but not wet.
- If your beans seem dry after baking, try stirring them first. Sometimes, the top can look dry, but the beans are perfect underneath. If you still find your beans dry, stir in a splash of water to loosen.
Storage
- Leftover baked beans can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can reheat them gently on the stove over low-medium heat or in the microwave. If needed, add a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
- For longer storage, freeze the beans in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Avoid refreezing to maintain the best texture and flavour.
Try These Recipes With Molasses Baked Beans
Printable Recipe Card
Molasses Baked Beans
Equipment
- 4 to 6 quart (litre) cast iron Dutch oven with lid
- Colander
- Measuring cups and spoons or digital kitchen scale
- Sharp knife
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
Ingredients US cups or click for Metric grams
- 2 cups dried white navy beans
- 6 cups cold water
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup ketchup
- ½ cup molasses
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup brown sugar (tightly packed )
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (ground)
- 1 medium onion (ends trimmed, peeled, chopped)
- 6 to 8 strips bacon (cut into ½ inch (1 ¼ cm) pieces)
Instructions
Soak The Dried Beans (8 hours)
- Place the dried navy beans in a 4-quart (4 L) Dutch oven. Cover the beans with cold water and let them soak for eight hours or overnight.
Rinse & Cook The Beans (45 minutes)
- Drain and rinse the beans with cool water. Place the drained beans back in the Dutch oven and cover them with 6 cups (1 ½ L) of fresh cold water. Bring the beans to a light boil over medium-high heat. Once bubbling, add the baking soda. Reduce the heat, place the lid on the pot, and simmer the beans for 30 minutes or until tender.
Bake The Beans (8 hours)
- Preheat the oven to 250ºF (120ºC).
- Drain the cooked beans into a colander fitted over a large bowl or another vessel to catch the liquid. Once drained, you should have about 3 ½ cups (875 ml) of cooking liquid (if you don't have 3 ½ cups, top it up with water until you do). Rinse the cooked beans with cool water and drain. Set the cooking liquid and the drained beans aside.
- Give the Dutch oven a quick wash to remove any cooked on bean scum. Add the ketchup, molasses, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, ground dry mustard, and pepper to the pot. Stir together until smooth.
- Add the chopped onion and bacon to the pot. Add the 3 ½ cups of reserved bean liquid and the cooked beans. Stir well to combine.
- Place the lid on the Dutch oven and transfer the pot to the preheated oven. Bake the beans for 8 hours (I usually bake mine overnight). Remove the baked beans from the oven, remove the lid, stir, and serve.
Notes
- For detailed ingredient notes, substitution tips, variations, and step-by-step photos, scroll through the full recipe post.
- Use a digital kitchen scale for precise measurements and an oven thermometer to confirm your oven is heating correctly.
- To switch to gram measurements, click Metric grams in the ingredients section of the recipe card.
- When boiling the beans, keep the heat at a low bubble to prevent them from breaking apart. Rapid boiling can cause the beans to become mushy.
- If your beans are watery when you take them out of the oven after baking, don’t worry, because they thicken as they cool. If your beans are still watery, preheat the oven to 250ºF (120ºC), place the pot back in the oven uncovered, and bake until saucy but not wet.
- If your beans seem dry after baking, try stirring them first. Sometimes, the top can look dry, but the beans are perfect underneath. If you still find your beans dry, stir in a splash of water to loosen.
Storage
- Leftover baked beans can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can reheat them gently on the stove over low-medium heat or in the microwave. If needed, add a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
- For longer storage, freeze the beans in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Avoid refreezing to maintain the best texture and flavour.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided as a courtesy. For precise nutritional data, please calculate it independently using your preferred nutrition calculator.
More Nova Scotia Recipes
Kelly Neil is a recipe developer, food photographer, and lifelong Nova Scotian building a sense of home and identity through recipes. She lives in her hometown of Dartmouth with her partner, Chris, their daughter, Elodie, and their little dog, Skipper.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission if you buy something through one of them at no extra cost to you. I only share products I use myself and genuinely recommend.
These sound so good! I haven’t made baked beans for ages, but I love them. Thanks for the reminder!
Oh good, I’m so glad Elaine! They are one of our winter time favourites for sure! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Nutrition info needs correcting. Serving size stated at 1 g. Thanks
Hi Kelly, Today I am making your baked beans recipe in my kitchen in Belgrade Serbia! I just scored a jar of molasses from a fellow Canadian friend (a pantry item that you will not find here). Stay tuned! I’ll send you a photo later 🙂
Keely
Hi there!
I wanted to drop a line to you to say thank you for this old fashioned baked bean recipe! I’ve been looking for a good one for quite awhile. This fits the bill. I grew up in Alberta, far away from your Nova Scotia, but these are like the beans i remember.
These days i cook recipes from all over the world, but i’m looking forward to making another batch of these and introducing my kids to weenies and beanies! Thanks again.
This is the first time I have ever made molasses beans and I used this recipe which is almost the same as my Mom’s. I took them out of the oven a couple of hours ago and they were a tad dry in my opinion but the overall taste was spot on. I added a cup of cold water to them to make them a bit more saucier which seemed to help. Just had one question for you before I make the recipe again — what type of molasses is the best one to use? There were at least three different kinds on the store shelf and I honestly had no idea on which one to select. I bought Crosby’s Cooking Molasses and that is what I used. I saw in a different recipe that the type of molasses to use is important. The best type for baked beans is apparently Crosby Fancy Molasses (not the cooking kind that I bought). Can you comment on that so I will be wiser next time. Many thanks again Kelly for your excellent recipes. You have excellent tastes and share good recipes that we love!
Oh yay, that’s so great, thank you so much for letting me know! You’re right, the beans do thicken after cooking, which I like, but I will make a note to add a bit of water or more bean water for people who may like them a bit looser. Also, I always buy Crosby’s Fancy Molasses because that’s what I grew up with here on the East Coast—I honestly haven’t tried any other brands!😅 Thank you again so much for trying the recipe and for your kind words!🥰
Hi! Love these. Made this recipe for Thanksgiving I sauteed the onion in butter and baked the bacon then crumbled it and then I added cooked 80/20 ground chuck and added more seasonings to taste because the ground chuck needs more it soaks it up so to speak. I had lost my good recipe for baked beans and this is perfect! BTW when I click on the appetizers it doesn’t take me to recipes like the other links am I missing something? Love your blog.
Love this thank you very much just like mom used to make
Aww, I love hearing that Everett! Thank you so much for letting me know.🥰
We were just talking about how nice a pot of beans would be after the cold snap on the weekend. Looking forward to these very much!
Thank you so very much this recipe is outstanding. I followed the recipe exactly as described and it’s now my favourite baked bean dish. This I will keep forever and share the recipe with my daughter. I will make a larger batch next time because there’s just not enough. Thanks again can’t wait to try your other recipe’s
Can I use canned navy beans? If so do I need to add liquid
Hi Danette! I haven’t tested this, but you could try:
1. Drain and rinse the canned beans.
2. Skip the soaking and initial cooking steps for the dried beans.
3. Reduce the cooking time, as canned beans are already soft, maybe 2 to 3 hours?
4. Adjust the liquid in the recipe, as canned beans won’t absorb as much. I’m not sure how much exactly but you could just eyeball it and make sure they’re not completely swimming?
Also, please note, the texture may be slightly different from using dried beans!
These are fantastic! I couldn’t find good canned beans (my husband’s favourite) that weren’t from the US so I decided to go back to making my own. I searched for a recipe on-line and was delighted to find just the one I wanted and double delighted to find that it was posted by a fellow Canadian. I made the recipe exactly as written but cooked the beans in a crock pot on low for 8 hours. Next time maybe only 3 cups of the cooking liquid, otherwise, OMG they are so good! Thank you, Kelly, and I look forward to trying your other recipes. The NS lobster roll looks very authentic and yummy but I live on Vancouver Island and Atlantic lobster is… not here!
You cooked these on low in a crockpot? Did they get mushy?
I just made these & they are soooo delicious! Next time l want to double the recipe & l notice everything is just doubled EXCEPT the 3 1/2 cups of boiled bean water. Shouldn’t it be 7 cups???
Hi Carole, I’m so glad you loved the beans! They are truly a family fave. I just visited the recipe card and when you click “2x” it only doubles the ingredient list not the ingredients in the instructions, so yes you’re right it would be 7 cups. I’d love to know how the double batch turns out as I’ve never made it this way. Also, you probably saw this in my post but the beans freeze beautifully.😃
Love this recipe! I’ve made several times now and always a hit! I used the slow cooker. Many thanks from Cole Harbour.
Going to try this. I haven’t had baked beans since I was a kid.
The pressure cooker really speeds up the initial cooking of the soaked beans. I usually cook up the bag of beans, and freeze half for the next time I get an urge to make chili.
Sending on the type of bean it takes 15 to 20 minutes at pressure.
Is it okay to bake the above recipe in 2 separate bean pots? I only have a 3 litre and a 2 litre bean pot.
Yes,Sheri, that should be totally fine!