Homemade Baked Beans with Marmite and Bacon

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Once you’ve tasted my homemade baked beans with Marmite and bacon, you’ll never look at canned baked beans in the same way again (no offence, Heinz)…

There aren’t many foods more convenient and comforting than that of baked beans. Traditionally regarded as a cheap and cheerful food accessible to all budgets, the humble old baked bean makes for a classic meal to tuck into while watching the telly, especially when dished up on butter-smothered toast.

Originally from the US, baked beans are now a staple part of the British diet; in fact, I bet you’ve probably got a couple of cans sitting in your cupboard right now. While American-style baked beans call for the use of sugar and bacon, however, us Brits like our baked beans in a thinner, tomato-based sauce. My recipe is more akin to the US version, only with the addition of the quintessentially British ‘love-it-or-hate-it’ yeast extract, Marmite.

As simple and affordable as canned baked beans may be, however, they really don’t compare to the taste of homemade baked beans. Besides, it doesn’t actually cost a great deal more to make your own baked beans from scratch and, if you cook in bulk, you’ll be able to fill your freezer with beans too!

What beans are in baked beans?

I’ve used cannellini beans in my homemade baked beans, but haricot and borlotti beans also work very well. In fact, I wanted to use haricot beans but I couldn’t find them; also known as Navy beans, these are the kind of beans used to make Heinz’s famous baked beans.

Should I use canned or dried beans for my homemade baked beans?

It’s best to use dried beans to make homemade baked beans as this will enable you to control the texture of them and I think they taste better too, but you’ll need to soak them overnight prior to cooking to soften them up. Alternatively, you can use pre-cooked beans from a can or a pouch if you prefer.

If you’re using pre-cooked beans, bear in mind that you’ll need to increase the quantity to use in your recipe (as dried beans always gain weight once cooked). I would probably use around 600g pre-cooked beans in place of 250g dried beans.

Are baked beans healthy?

High in protein and fibre, baked beans are thought to improve gut health and reduce cholesterol. If you eat canned beans, however, you’ll need to be wary of added sugar and salt. Making your own homemade baked beans means you can control exactly how much sugar and salt goes into them.

How do you make baked beans from scratch?

Making your own baked beans from scratch is actually a lot quicker and easier than you might think. Once you’ve soaked the beans overnight, simply boil them for 30-40 minutes until slightly softened, then transfer them into an oven or casserole dish along with all the other ingredients. Cook in a preheated oven at around 160°C for 3-4 hours.

Alternatively, you can also make these homemade baked beans in the slow cooker. Remember to brown off the bacon before adding it to the slow cooker with the other ingredients and you’ll also need to adjust the cooking time to around 6-8 hours.

Once the beans are tender, taste the sauce and assess the consistency, adding a little salt and pepper if required.

Adding Marmite to homemade baked beans

Homemade baked beans are so tasty and nourishing, but adding a dollop of Marmite really enhances the flavour. The Marmite is rather subtle in these beans, so don’t be put off if you’re a Marmite hater! You could always use a little less or replace it with a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce if you really want.

Use good-quality bacon

Similarly, the chopped bacon gives these homemade baked beans a delicious smoky taste. I’ve used Edwards of Conwy’s Dry-Cured Thick Cut Bacon in this recipe but you can use other varieties if you prefer. Just ensure you’re using good quality thick-cut bacon, from your local butcher if not from Edward’s of Conwy. If you use cheap, wafer-thin bacon, it’ll shrink into tiny morsels during cooking.

If you don’t have any bacon or you don’t eat meat, simply leave it out for vegan homemade baked beans.

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5 from 5 votes

Homemade Baked Beans with Marmite and Bacon

Crammed with smoky bacon bits, these Marmite-infused baked beans are full of umami. Homemade baked beans always taste so much better than the tinned variety (no offence, Heinz) but Marmite gives these beans a much richer, fuller-bodied flavour.

Thick-cut back bacon works best for this recipe, as you don't want it to wither away to nothing during cooking. I swear by Edwards's of Conwy's Dry Cured Smoked Bacon, but you can use bacon from other quality butchers if you wish.

Course Main Course

Cuisine British

Keyword bacon, baked beans, edwards of conwy, marmite

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 272kcal

Cost 2.50

Equipment

• Oven or casserole dish

Ingredients

• 250 g Organic Haricot Beans (borlotti and cannellini work well too)
• 1 tsp American mustard
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• ½ medium onion left whole
• 30 ml Cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp Marmite
• 150 g thick-cut smoked bacon cut into one-inch squares
• ½ tbsp black treacle
• 500 ml vegetable stock
• 250 ml passata
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp Salt

Instructions

• Place the beans in a large saucepan or bowl and cover them with water (if you're using pre-cooked beans, skip to step 3). Cover and leave to soak overnight, discarding any shrivelled or damaged beans or stones in the morning.
• Drain and rinse the beans. Bring some water to the boil in the saucepan (wash it first!) and add the beans. Simmer for around an hour to soften them up before putting them into the oven.
• While the beans are cooking, fry the bacon in a little olive oil for 4-5 minutes.
• Transfer all the beans into an a oven or casserole dish along with all the other ingredients, reserving 250ml vegetable stock. Cover and cook in the oven on around 160°C for 3 hours, until the beans are softened. Add more vegetable stock during cooking. Alternatively, you can also cook your baked beans in the slow cooker for 6-8 hours.
• Dependent on how hungry you are, you could either serve your homemade baked beans with Marmite and bacon on their own (I like mine topped with grated Welsh Cheddar!) or pair them with your fave comfort food. They taste delicious teamed with Edwards of Conwy’s Welsh Pork Sausages and creamy mash!

Notes

• This recipe uses 250g dried cannellini beans, which makes around 6-8 generous portions of beans; once cooked, the beans pretty much double in weight. If you’re in a hurry, you could use cooked canned beans in place of dried beans, but you’ll need to use around 500g cooked beans. You can also use haricot or borlotti beans if you prefer. 
• It’s important to soak the beans in cold water overnight before cooking. A saucepan with a lid is ideal for this, just make sure the beans are fully submerged in the water. The following morning, rinse the beans in cold water and sort through them, discarding any shrivelled or damaged beans.
• Not all baked bean recipes call for the beans to be pre-cooked but, personally, I think it helps to soften them up before they go into the oven. 
• For vegan baked beans, simply leave the bacon out when making this recipe. 
• I haven’t included the soaking of the beans in the prep time for this recipe, but I recommend leaving them to soak for at least 12 hours prior to cooking. 

Nutrition

Calories: 272kcal

Don’t forget to pin this post before you head off, so you’ll be able to find it once you’re ready to cook your homemade baked beans!

Before you head off, why not check out some of the other recipes I’ve created using Edward’s of Conwy’s products?

• Bacon and Asparagus Tart
• Nacho Burger
• Greek Spetzofai
• Brussels Sprout and Bacon Gratin
• Toad-in-the-hole with Pigs-in-Blankets
• Peri Peri Chicken Burger
• White Wine Chicken Casserole

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