Homemade baked beans recipe

The ulimate comfort food! Tasty baked beans are so versatile and kids will love helping out with this easy recipe.

Homemade baked beans are a tasty, healtier alternative to shop-bought beans.

While they may be a storecupboard staple, shop-bought baked beans are packed full of sugar and salt, not to mention a whole load of other additives to give them a longer shelf life.

Our baked beans have twice the flavour thanks to the recipe's unique blend of ingredients, with hardly any salt and no added sugar (only natural maple syrup to give a hint of sweetness). They're one of our favourite ever store-cupboard recipes!

Cook up a batch of these homemade baked beans and freeze some for later. They can be enjoyed as part of a healthier weekend fry up, in a jacket potato - or, everyone's favourite, on buttered toast with a sprinkle of cheese.

If you don't have all the ingredients - don't worry! Get creative in the kitchen with what you do have. As long as you have some form of beans and a tomato base, you can rustle up some homemade baked beans in no time. Season with salt, pepper, chilli flakes or warming spices like paprika or cumin - the choice is yours!

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 400g tin cannellini beans
• 400g tin haricot beans
• 2 400g tins of tomatoes
• 2tbsp tomato ketchup
• 2tbsp barbecue sauce
• 2tbsp maple syrup
• 2tbsp Worcester sauce

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Finely chop the onion and fry lightly in vegetable oil until onion is translucent, using an oven proof casserole dish.
3. Add all other ingredients and bring to the boil.
4. Transfer to the oven and cook for 1 hour, 30 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
5. If you can, let the mixture cool and refrigerate overnight for the flavours to develop, before warming on the hob or microwave and serving.