Instant Pot Baked Beans

Instant Pot Baked Beans: Old fashioned maple baked beans made from dried beans in the pressure cooker. These delicious baked beans are a staple for summer gatherings. 

Does your family have summer time traditions? Growing up, my family had picnic after picnic in the summer months. My entire extended family would gather together and swim in the lake or pool and then feast on burgers, potato salad, watermelon and baked beans.

My papa was in charge of baked beans and his recipe for old fashioned baked beans has been a staple. And while it may seem wrong to mess with tradition, changing up my papa’s baked beans to be made in the instant pot, is not only a HUGE time saver, but a delicious way to enjoy Boston Baked Beans.

Instant Pot Baked Beans

You have probably seen baked beans labeled as Vegetarian Baked Beans, Maple Baked Beans, Brown Sugar Baked Beans and can also be called Boston Baked Beans. Regardless of what you call them,  Boston baked beans are simple beans cooked until tender and then baked in a sweetened tomato sauce. And it is extremely easy to make “baked” beans right in the pressure cooker.

The one thing that sold me on electric pressure cookers, was making dried beans without soaking. And you can make Baked beans just as easy as plain beans, just dump and mix.

What type of beans are best for baked beans?

Traditionally, baked beans are made with navy beans, which are just small white beans. You can use pinto beans, great naorthern beans, or even a mixture of dried beans if you like. Personally, I stick to the traditional navy beans.

How To Make Maple Baked Beans in the Pressure Cooker

It is really as simple as dumping all the ingredients into your Instant Pot and mixing. And let the magic of the pressure cooker do it’s work.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Maple Beans

• Dried Navy Beans (or pinto beans or great northern beans)
• Maple Syrup–I love the maple flavored baked beans. And because maple syrup is so rich in flavor, a little goes a long way.
• Apple Juice–This may sound crazy, but the apple juice sweetens the beans and pairs beautifully with the maple syrup used to sweeten the beans.
• Tomato Juice–I love using tomato juice in these pressure cooker beans, because as the dried beans cook, they absorb the tomato juice and are flavored perfectly as they cook.
• Vegetable Stock–if you do not pre-soak your beans, you will want to add in a bit of additional liquid. I use vegetable stock for extra flavor, but water will work.
• Tomato Sauce–just a bit to thicken the sauce for the baked beans.
• Onion–super traditional in baked beans to balance out the sweetness of the beans.
• Seasonings–I use salt of course and then add in dried mustard, and a bit of smoked paprika for a bit of smokiness.
• Apple Cider Vinegar–this adds a nice tang to the baked beans and helps break the beans down for easier digestion,

Can you add Bacon to Instant Pot Baked Beans?

My Papa always made his beans with the addition of some crumbled bacon. And if you do not want or need a vegetarian or vegan version of baked beans, go ahead and add bacon to these maple baked beans.

To add bacon to baked beans, you have a couple options.

• Add in a cube of slab bacon and let it render it’s fat and flavor into the beans as they cook. Remove the slab of bacon after cooking.
• Add in diced bacon, raw or rendered slightly, to the beans and cook as directed. In this method, there is no need to remove the bacon before serving.

Do beans need to soak before cooking?

Personally, I do not ever remember to pre-soak beans before cooking, so I rarely soak my dried beans before cooking.

However, to achieve super soft texture and cut down on cooking time, you can soak your beans for 10 to 12 hours in cold water.

If you pre-soak your beans, omit the vegetable stock as the soaked beans will not absorb as much liquid.

How to Prepare Baked Beans in Advance

Often times I want to make beans a day or so in advance and then reheat to serve for a party. The first time I tried to reheat the beans for a party, I dried them out. Now I have learned my lesson.

• Add in 1 cup of additional liquid BEFORE reheating. I choose to add in apple juice to keep these beans really flavorful. You can add in water or tomato juice instead if you would like.
• To reheat the baked beans in the slow cooker on low for 1-2 hours.
• To reheat baked beans in the oven, cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes at 300 degrees.
• To reheat baked beans in the instant pot, cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.

Baked beans can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days and frozen for up to 3 months.

Notes on Naturally Sweetened Baked Beans

• If your family is opposed to chopped onions, omit the onions and add in 2 teaspoons dried onion powder.
• Be sure to use pure maple syrup for the purest maple flavor in your baked beans.
• If you don’t want to use maple syrup as your sweetener, you can use brown sugar and these baked beans will remain vegan. Honey will work as well, but the beans will no longer be considered vegan.
• If you don’t have tomato juice, V8 will work, just cut your salt in half.
• If you use water in place of the apple juice, you will need to double or triple your maple syrup or sweetener of choice.
• It is really important to let your instant pot release pressure naturally when cooking beans. Find out more about natural pressure release on Instant Pot 101.

Serve Maple Baked Beans with:

• BBQ Drumsticks
• BBQ Turkey Quesadilla Burger
• BBQ Chicken Burger
• Creamy Cucumber Salad
• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
• Antipasto Pasta Salad

Easy Instant Pot Maple Baked Beans

5 from 3 votes

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Instant Pot Baked Beans Recipe

Old fashioned maple baked beans made from dried beans in the pressure cooker. These delicious baked beans are a staple for summer gatherings. 

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Instant Pot Baked Beans

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes

NPR 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 185 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried navy beans or pinto beans
• 2 cups apple juice
• 2 cups tomato juice low sodium
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried mustard
• 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
• 1 onion minced
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup water or vegetable stock if your beans are not pre-soaked

Instructions

1. If using soaked beans, soak beans overnight in cold water. Drain beans and then add to inner pot of instant pot. 

2. Add in remaining ingredients, mix together and place lid on instant pot. 

3. Set on high pressure for 40 minutes if beans were soaked, 70 minutes if beans were not soaked. 

4. Let pressure release naturally and then serve. 

Recipe Notes

• If your tomato juice is not low-sodium, decrease the seasoned salt from 2 teaspoons to 1 teaspoon. 
• You can soak your beans overnight if you like, the beans will be softer and similar texture to if you are using canned beans. 
• If you don't have maple syrup, you can instead use brown sugar or honey.  
• If your family is opposed to chopped onions, omit the onions and add in 2 teaspoons dried onion powder.
• If you use water in place of the apple juice, you will need to double or triple your maple syrup or sweetener of choice.
• It is really important to let your instant pot release pressure naturally when cooking beans. 

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Baked Beans Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 185

% Daily Value*

Sodium 442mg 18%

Potassium 678mg 19%

Total Carbohydrates 37g 12%

Dietary Fiber 9g 36%

Sugars 13g

Protein 9g 18%

Vitamin A 5.3%

Vitamin C 11.9%

Calcium 7.7%

Iron 13.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

To Make Pressure Cooker Baked Beans, You May Need

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