September may be here, but I’m not quite ready to let go of Summer yet… So here’s one hurrah for cookouts and warm weather comfort foods! These instant pot vegan baked beans are quick, easy, naturally sweetened, and FULL of flavor. Plus, they are a great dish for every season. From sunny summer picnics to cold winter days, this is one comfort food recipe you’ll want to have handy.
It all starts with my favorite kitchen gadget of ALL TIME. Not exaggerating here… If I could only keep one thing in my kitchen, it would be my Instant Pot (paid link)**, hands down. If you don’t have one, you need one. Trust me. And if you have one and use it, you probably know why I love it so much! I use my Instant Pot at least once a day for everything from oatmeal, rice, pasta, steamed veggies, soup, beans (of course!) and much more. It is quick, mess free, I don’t have to worry about things boiling over or burning (a huge plus since I have 3 littles four years-old and under), and it cuts the cook time down on so many foods. Thus, it was natural to create a recipe for the beans that involved my Instant Pot!
Something that is important to remember about an Instant Pot is that you need to account for the time it takes to pressurize, and then depressurize again after cooking. But with a little forethought, that isn’t an added hassle. How long it takes depends on how full it is, and the temperature of your ingredients when you start.
I like to set my pot on “saute” when I start adding all the ingredients to the pot for these baked beans, so that it is already heating them before I begin to actually cook them. This step will make the process much faster. It usually takes about 20 minutes for my pot to pressurize with this recipe, 75 minutes to cook, and about 40 for it to self-release afterwards. In total, this recipe takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes. But the good news is that only about 5 minutes of that is hands-on!
If you really like the “baked” part of baked beans, simply stick them in a baking dish in a 350º F oven until they are warm and bubbly, then serve hot! We especially like to eat these on top of whole grain toast. Baked beans are also yummy with potato salad and corn on the cob, or as the ultimate comfort food when served with some delicious vegan mac and cheese.
This is a large recipe, since we usually make these to share. If you want a smaller amount, don’t worry! These will keep in the fridge for 5-6 days, and store great in the freezer!
I hope you will try these! As always, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe! We love hearing from you. 🙂
- 2 pounds navy beans (4 cups dry beans)
- 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 4 Tbsp molasses
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp smoke seasoning (hickory is my favorite!)
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 small piece (about 1 inch) roasted green chile (this makes the recipe, in my opinion)
- 8 cups water (or vegetable broth for added flavor)
- Set Instant Pot to "saute." It helps if you add about 2 cups of water at the beginning, then save the other 6 for the end.
- Add all ingredients to Instant Pot. Stir to combine.
- Secure lid on Instant Pot, and set cook time to 75 minutes. The Instant Pot will now pressurize. This takes time, so be patient! It usually takes about 20-30 minutes.
- Once they are done cooking, allow the pot to self release (this can sometimes take as long as 40 minutes. Be patient - it will happen!). 🙂
- Enjoy hot out of the pot, or place them in a baking dish and bake them in a 350º oven until bubbly.
**As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I only promote items that I use and trust.