Baked Beans Sweetened with Dates

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: African American, North American, Soul Food

Keyword: baked beans, beans, dates

Prep Time: 45

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 1 15

Servings: servings

Calories: 25kcal

These Baked Beans are a hearty dish made with pinto beans folded into a date-sweetened sauce and baked until plump and tender.

This recipe is a gluten- and dairy-free recipe that is great for any day of the week.

Heat an oven to 350°F (180°C).
Lightly grease an 8x8-inch (160x160cm) baking dish with vegetable or canola oil. Skip this step if you're preparing the beans in a dutch oven.

Add the chopped bacon to a cold sauté pan.
Heat the pan over medium heat and render the bacon grease for 8-10 minutes.
Par-cook the bacon just until the edges turn golden brown.
Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain it on a paper towel-lined dish.
Carefully drain all but 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of the bacon grease from the pan.

Add the yellow onion, green bell pepper, and garlic to the grease in the pan.
Sauté the aromatics for 3 minutes over medium heat until they begin to take on a golden color.
Make a hole in the middle of the pan and add the tomato paste.
Cook the tomato paste for 30 seconds to develop its flavor.
Add the dates, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, creole seasoning, yellow mustard, black pepper, and 1 1/2 to 2 cups (360-480 milliliters) of water to the pan.
Add the greater quantity of water if you like saucy baked beans.
Bring the liquid in the pan to a gentle simmer and cook it for 5 minutes.

Fold the pinto beans into the sauce after 5 minutes or when the sauce is thick and syrupy.
Next, fold 3/4s of the par-cooked bacon into the beans. Save the rest of the bacon for topping the baked beans.
After folding the bacon in the sauce, scrape the contents of the pan into an 8x8-inch baking dish.
Scatter the remaining bacon on top of the beans, then cover the dish with aluminum foil (or its lid) and bake the beans for 15 minutes.
Remove the foil after 15 minutes and bake the uncovered beans for 15-20 minutes longer.
After baking, remove the beans from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes before serving them.
Serve baked beans as a side dish to BBQ or smoked meats or own their own with cornbread.

Swaps and Substitutions:

Replace the pinto beans in this recipe with navy beans, Cannellini beans, or black beans.
You can replace the bacon in this recipe with turkey or beef bacon if you abstain from pork products.
For vegetarian beans, omit the bacon and replace it with a tablespoon (15 milliliters) of vegetable oil instead. Replace the Worcestershire sauce with soy sauce.
Swap the water out for beef, chicken, or vegetable broth for more flavor.

Tips and Techniques:

Storage Instructions:

You can proceed with the recipe after folding the beans into the sauce or refrigerate the covered beans for 24 hours until you're ready to bake them.
Store leftover baked beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat baked beans in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes with 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of water, stirring halfway through the warming time.

Freezing Instructions:

To freeze the beans before baking:
1. Transfer the beans to a freezer-safe container.
2. Freeze them for 2 months.
3. Thaw them overnight before baking the beans.
To freeze baked beans after baking them:
1. Cool the beans completely, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container.
2. Freeze the baked beans for up to 3 months.
3. Thaw the beans in the refrigerator a day before reheating and serving.