Apple Pie Baked Beans
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These one-pot apple pie baked beans are a delicious side dish filled with wholesome ingredients. Bacon, beans, and apples are baked in a sweet and tangy sauce until bubbly. They're easy to make, delicious year-round, and they're ready in just an hour!
For more delicious bean recipes, try our cheesy white bean tomato bake and our black bean corn chili.
It doesn't get better than these apple pie baked beans. Between the bacon, bourbon, apples, and honey (or maple syrup), they're a hearty and filling side dish that's loaded with flavor.
Apples might seem like an unlikely ingredient, but they soften up nicely when they bake and they add a wonderful sweetness that will remind you a little of apple pie.
They're really easy to make, too. So easy that you'll wonder why you've never made homemade baked beans before!
We often double or triple this recipe because these baked beans freeze well for quick and easy dinners. They're also made in one pot so clean-up is an absolute breeze. In other words, these apple pie baked beans are an absolute winner!
What's in apple pie baked beans?
These baked beans with apples are full of wholesome ingredients, and most of them you're likely to have on hand. Here's everything you need to make them:
- Bacon – bacon adds a ton of flavor to these beans. We use streaky bacon (also known as American bacon or side bacon) which is the regular type you'd find at most grocery stores.
- Bourbon – save your fancy stuff because an average bourbon will do!
- Onion + garlic – a classic savory flavor.
- Apples – you can use any variety of apples but firm ones tend to work best.
- Cannellini beans and navy beans – we use both cannellini and navy beans for a mix of textures. You can use just one or the other if you prefer.
- BBQ sauce – your favorite BBQ sauce, or whatever you have in the fridge will do the trick!
- Honey or maple syrup – honey or pure maple syrup both add a lovely sweetness to the beans.
- Balsamic vinegar – the sweet-tart taste of balsamic vinegar adds some tang and makes these beans a bit darker in color.
- Soy sauce – soy sauce is what we use for saltiness and it also helps give these beans a darker color.
- Dijon mustard – for a kick of tangy pungent flavor.
- Chili powder, smoked paprika, and cinnamon – this mix of seasonings gives these beans a bit of heat, smokiness, and sweetness.
How to make apple pie baked beans
These one-pot apple baked beans are delicious and so simple to throw together. You'll wonder why you've never made them at home before! Here's how to make them in just two easy steps:
- Cook the bacon in a large pot on the stove, then add the onion until it softens.
- Pour in the bourbon and scrape off any stuck bits at the bottom. Add the rest of the ingredients, give it a good stir, then pop it in the oven to bake until thickened and bubbly. That's it!
What to eat with apple baked beans
These apple pie baked beans are one of those hearty side dishes you can enjoy with just about anything. They're perfect for dinner parties in the summer with grilled or BBQ foods, and of course corn on the cob. Oh, and don't forget the lemonade!
They're also just really warm and comforting, so they're delicious in the fall and winter months. Enjoy them for breakfast with some chorizo scrambled eggs, or for lunch or dinner with brown rice or garlic bread, and a crunchy kale salad.
Recipe FAQs
What can I substitute for the bacon?
If pork is off the table, you can use turkey bacon or beef sausage. For a vegetarian alternative, use a good quality liquid smoke.
Can I omit the bourbon?
Yes, bourbon is not necessary, but you'll need to replace it with another liquid like apple juice, broth, or even water.
Can I use apple pie filling instead of apples?
We don't recommend it. Apple pie filling often contains sweeteners and preservatives, so we prefer fresh apples.
Can I freeze baked beans?
Absolutely! These baked beans freeze really well. Store them in an airtight container in your freezer for up to three months.
How long do they keep in the fridge?
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in our refrigerator for 3 days.
Apple Pie Baked Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon (chopped)
- 1 medium yellow onion (minced)
- ½ cup bourbon
- 2 large apples (skin on, one quartered then sliced, one roughly chopped (firm apples such as Ambrosia, Rose, Granny Smith or Honeycrisp work best))
- 28 ounce can white cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
- 28 ounce can white navy beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1 ½ cups BBQ sauce
- ¼ – ½ cup honey or maple syrup (depending on the sweetness of your BBQ sauce)
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (gluten-free if needed)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1-2 teaspoons chili powder (be careful as some chili powder can be quite spicy)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the bacon to a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the bacon begins releasing its fat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, or until the onion starts to brown, and the bacon is cooked through.4 strips bacon, 1 medium yellow onion
- Add the bourbon to the pot and scrape the bottom to remove any stuck on bits. Add all the remaining ingredients and give the pot a good stir. Cover the pot and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and is bubbly.½ cup bourbon, 2 large apples, 28 ounce can white cannellini beans, 28 ounce can white navy beans, 1 ½ cups BBQ sauce, ¼ – ½ cup honey or maple syrup, ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2 cloves garlic, 1-2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon cinnamon
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Nutrition
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If you liked these apple pie baked beans, check out the rest of our side dish recipes!
If made in the crockpot what temperature would it need to be on and for how long?
45- hours on high should do the trick!
What can I use instead if bacon. Sister doesn’t eat pork products. Thank you.
You could try it with turkey bacon. Or just omit the bacon.
Dynamite & a big hit! I ran out of barbecue sauce so I added peach jalapeno jam and hoisin sauce to make up some of the difference! This one is attached to my favorites page! Thank you for the recipe!
I was really looking forward to making this. I want to share how I failed and what I am trying to do to salvage it. Mistake # 1 – I came up a good 1/4 cup short on my BBQ sauce and proceeded anyway. Mistake # 2 – Since my BBQ sauce (shortage) was a Honey BBQ, I figured I could skip the Honey/Maple Syrup – Mistake # 3 – This was a doozy. I decided to live dangerously and use 2 teaspoons of Chili Powder rather than take the conservative route. Never two…!!!!!
You can probably guess by now. The Chili Powder totally overwhelmed the finished product, though it looked identical to the pictures…..haha! Kudos for that, hmm?
I froze most of it in single servings and plan to try and fix each one individually as I try to salvage them after a trip to the market. I want to add more BBQ sauce and some Craisins and was thinking of having some Cran-Apple juice handy if push comes to shove since it is pretty thick. Suggestions welcomed and if I need to just start over, I’m a big boy and can take it.
It’s pretty hard to lessen the flavor of spices once you’ve added them. If it’s too spicy from the chili powder, then adding sweetness can help temper that. I would make another batch and omit the chili powder then mix the two together. 🙂
Thanks Kristen – I’m going to take your advice. I thought grabbing at straws for a fix was the only way out but now I’ve been persuaded to take your suggestion. Note to others: Chili powder can be your enemy if you’re careless…..Kristen tried to warn us….I just didn’t listen. My bad……
I hope it worked out!
Hi! I hear ya! Got yourself a little hot mess. I have done something very similar to this. Here is what I did. I went to Sam’s and purchased the huge cans of Bush’s Baked Beans. I put one can in a huge stock pot added 1 container of my messed up recipe and let it heat up. Then I tasted it. I continued to add more of my containers one at a time. Then I fried more bacon and onions and added them in. It corrected the problem. I also added in more of Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce. Hope this helps.
Could this be made without the bourbon? Is there something else I could substitute? Looks soo good!
You could easily leave the bourbon out if you don’t have any. It’s adds a little sweetness but it will be just as good without it. 🙂
I love baked beans and totally digging the combo of apple and bourbon in these! Thanks for sharing, Kristen!
Thanks, Savita! It really was a delicious combo. 🙂
Looks delicious! Can this be made in a crock pot?
Hi Linda,
I haven’t made it in a crockpot before, but I suspect it would work great. I’ve got a crockpot on my list of kitchen gadgets that I really want, so hopefully you’ll see some more crockpot recipes showing up here soon!
I’m drooling over that spoonful of delicious beans!! I love, love, love baked beans. These would be PERFECT to kick off football season with! 🙂 Great job on this one! (And it’s totally not weird just to eat a bowl of beans for dinner!)
Oh maaaan! These beans look seriously dreamy with those gorgeous apples! And bourbon too?? Well, twist my arm why dontcha. 😉 These are so coming along to our next cookout!
Oh my goodness! A 65th anniversary is amazing!!
These beans look ridiculously good! With the apples, they are perfect for fall. 🙂
I know, right?! I think it is just the most beautiful thing … and they looked so happy after all those years. 🙂
Love the apple! Such a classic comfort dish for sure!
Thanks, Rebecca!