Not Sugar Or Honey: Canned Baked Beans Are 10X More Flavorful With A Spoonful Of This Sweet Pantry Staple

Baked beans make an excellent side dish for everything from barbecue to fried chicken. In Britain, you'll find them as a baked potato topping, which speaks to how versatile and delicious this deceptively simple dish is. Because baked beans can be prepared in both sweet and savory styles, you can give canned or homemade varieties a quick boost by adding a spoonful of molasses as they cook.

It's worth brushing up on the difference between the three types of molasses before you choose one. Unlike sugar or honey, molasses has a lot more complexity to its flavor beyond simple sweetness. Understanding how to use those different sweeteners is one of the most important tips for making baked beans. The rich caramelized notes from molasses bring a hint of bitterness that balances the sweetness and deepens the flavor of baked bean sauce. Molasses also thickens the sauce, giving the beans a richer, stickier consistency.

Because molasses is a by-product of refining sugar, it brings a lot of sweetness to the table, but the mineral and slightly burnt notes can make even canned beans taste more like something you've had cooking on the stove all day. You can use light molasses for a more classically sweet taste, while dark molasses may bring a deeper flavor. Some people find blackstrap molasses brings too much bitterness, so you may want to avoid that. If you want that more robust flavor, you may need to balance it with more brown sugar. There are plenty of different brands of canned baked beans to try, and each of them can benefit from adding a little molasses to tweak the flavor.

Molasses can bring a strong flavor to your baked beans, so you don't want to add too much. Depending on the recipe, a ¼ cup of blackstrap molasses may be all you need for as many as six cans of beans. A ½ cup of light or dark molasses could be enough for four cans, keeping in mind you'll likely add in other ingredients like ketchup, bacon, onion, vinegar, and brown sugar. For one large 28-ounce can, just a ½ tablespoon could do. Too much molasses can overpower the other flavors, and the bitterness of blackstrap molasses might be too intense.

Molasses works well with ingredients like onion and garlic, as well as condiments like mustard, ketchup, and soy sauce. A splash of Worcestershire sauce can add even more savory depth. Apple cider vinegar helps brighten the sauce with a little acidity. Bacon also adds a smoky depth of flavor and some more richness, especially if you fry some onions in a bit of the bacon fat. These additions can give the existing sauce in canned baked beans a more complex, homemade flavor.

For a finishing touch, sprinkle crispy bacon or fried onions over the beans to add texture and a little extra saltiness. A classic combo is beans and wieners, so some browned hot dog pieces would pair really well. The same goes for sausage. Melted shredded cheese adds richness, while diced jalapeños offer a spicy kick.