Happy Valentine’s Day! I know that on this day of love, I’m supposed to offer you a rich, sugary indulgence or at least a romantic dinner for two with aphrodisiac potential, but what, dear reader, do I have in store for you instead? The lowly and much-maligned bean.
But wait, could there be any more thoughtful or loving gift of food? After all, in the words of the immortal “Ode to Beans”:
Beans, beans, they’re good for your heart,
The more you eat…
…the healthier you are! Or something like that. And it’s true: They’re excellent sources of soluble fiber, antioxidants, and folate. According to WHFoods, “As little as 3/4 cup of garbanzos per day can help lower our LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides in a one-month period of time.”
And black beans, with their dark skins, are loaded with phytonutrients so they’re especially heart-protective. Moreover, beans are good for lowering blood sugar, promoting digestive health, and decreasing risk of cancer. We all want our Valentines to be healthy!
So my Valentine’s gift to you today is this sweet and spicy casserole, made with three types of heart-healthy beans. I couldn’t resist the chance to make a normally bacon-laden dish in the “pig baker” casserole dish that my sweet husband and daughter bought me for Christmas. I’d seen it in a local kitchen store and thought it was adorable, and apparently they were taking notes because they surprised me with it on Christmas day. I love his stub nose and floppy ears, and I’m happy to give him a home where he will never be forced to cook bacon or ham.
Speaking of bacon, most baked bean recipes almost cancel the health benefits of the beans by loading them down with pork and sugar, but my delicious vegan beans are sweetened only with dates and apples. And, if you’re watching your salt, you can cut the sodium in half by using unsalted beans. So cook them for someone you love today!
Smoky Apple Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 2 large onions , finely chopped
- 1 large red or green bell pepper , finely chopped
- 8 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 large apple , chopped
- 1 15-ounce can black beans , rinsed and drained
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas , rinsed and drained
- 1 15-ounce can great northern beans , rinsed and drained
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 3 medjool dates , pitted and roughly chopped (see note)
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke or smoked salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add bell pepper and minced garlic to the pan and sauté for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the apple and cook for another minute. Add the beans and remove from heat.
- Combine tomato sauce and all remaining ingredients in blender. Blend at high speed until the dates are completely smooth. Pour this sauce into the onion and beans, and stir well. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7-inch non-metal, lightly-oiled baking dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
Have a lovely and loving V-Day!
Janna
This was delicious! I ended up using double the amount of recommended dates but everything else was the same. Normally I don’t look forward to leftovers however that was not the case with this recipe. I literally was eating this (and loving it) for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Am already planning on making again. 🙂 Thank you for a fantastic recipe!
Dawn
I thought these turned out great, and the leftovers only get better and more flavorful. Some of said leftovers have gone into burritos – with rocket, chopped tomatoes, black olives, avocado and salsa. Pretty tasty!
maryeb
I made this the last week and it was wonderful, the best baked beans ever! Thanks for the recipe. I’ll be making it again very soon.
Sandy
I just made these! I didn’t have dates so I used agave and I didn’t have the liquid smoke but they were still delicious…. and this is coming from a non-vegan. 🙂
SouthernBelle
Love, love, love this recipe! It may be the best one you’ve ever made, but then I say that about all of them. I took it to a family party last weekend and it was a hit. The apple, dates and liquid smoke create the most incredible blend of flavors. Thank you so much for all the time and effort you put into making your blog and your recipes so family friendly and delicious.
Blessings!
Cindy White
This was a wonderful recipe and proves that I can still have rich and savory dishes. The use of the date was brilliant. I also tried the curried cauliflower and it also rocked. You are a rock star! I have not been disappointed by any of your recipes yet!
j l koz
I’m not totally Vegan yet,but I’m diabetic & count & watch carbs.
I love all vegetables except okra & artichokes,yet I love spinach artichoke dip.
I’m sure to find many recipes on your site.
Chris
recipe looks great- love the dish, although it looks cast iron and your instructions say to use a non metal dish.. so I am kinda of entertained by that!! lol
Susan Voisin
Thanks, Chris. The baking dish is made of clay.
Stacy
I love your recipes, Susan! Inspirational! Do you think I could cook this recipe in a crockpot?
Susan Voisin
Yes, you’ll have to experiment with the timing, but I’m sure it would work great.
Emma M
I made this recipe last night, and I think the only alterations I made was the addition of 7-grain tempeh as well as omitting the ground chipotle pepper (only because I didn’t have it). It turned out absolutely delicious! I usually have to change recipes a bit to ‘healthify’ them (or adjust to flavor preference), but thankfully I didn’t have to for yours :). The combination of the sweet apple and smoky beans paired beautifully. Thanks for the recipe, I’m sure I’ll be making it again soon!!
Robin
Tried this tonight. Accidentally opened kidney beans instead of black beans. Also had some leftover lentils I tossed in. This recipe is a keeper! My husband and I really enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing!
Jessica
I love this recipe! I have wanted to make baked beans for such a long time and with this recipe it couldnt be easier. I added a 1/4 C of raisins instead of dates without blending and added coconut sugar for sweetness and they are seriously yum 🙂
Allison
I’ve looked at many of your recipes. I’m finally ready to review one. My fiance and I are vegan are truly appreciated this thicker, heartier, vegan approach to baked beans. We added a little more tomato sauce, some lapsang souchong dry tea, white miso paste instead of soy sauce, maple syrup to the roasting vegetables, more garlic cloves, a whole dried chipotle pepper, a splash of bourbon whiskey and 1.5 apples total. We probably used less liquid smoke but the tea really added another flavor to it. We used braeburn apples and the flavor wasn’t there at all aside from some extra sweetness, and texture. This recipe was simply amazing, much better than any other generic recipe we have found. Next time I’d love to try a more flavorful apple. Thank you for this amazing recipe. The two of us at it all in one sitting. If you’re looking for saucy side dish, this is not it (double the sauce if that’s what you want). If you’re looking for a sweet/spicy baked beans that-could be chili-could be sloppy joes-could be gourmet-could be rustic-ultimately, heaven on earth. Right here.
Robin
Susan do you think this recipe can be made in a crock pot?
Jenn
This was so good. I had been wanting to try this and we were wanting a filling warm comfort food meal. These were of course the main hit of the meal. The little that were left were just as delicious cold the next day. We had this with your easy Mac and cheeze, your confetti cornbread, and some steamed collard greens.
Alex
Thanks for the recipe. It sounds really delicious. Instead of dates, I’m using a combo of molasses and a homemade apple BBQ sauce. Should be yummy!
Leiah
Is there a reason why you recommend a non-metal baking dish? I don’t have any non-metal baking dishes… Is it just for presentation’s sake, or does metal somehow affect the taste of the food? Thanks!
Susan Voisin
I recommend non-metal for two reasons. First, I don’t know if it’s my imagination, but I always think I can taste the difference when acidic foods are cooked in metal. But more importantly, metal cooks faster, so if you change the dish you’ll need to watch it closely to figure out the correct timing since I haven’t cooked it in a metal dish.
Patricia Maddox
Read many times how good these beans are. Indeed, absolutely delicious.!
Susie
I made these wonderful beans over the weekend, and they will definitely be in regular rotation for our meals! The flavor was wonderful. I doubled the sauce, since we like our beans a bit on the soupy side, and used a can of fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, since I didn’t have tomato sauce, but otherwise made according to the recipe. We loved it! Thank you, Susan, for your pkethora of truly tasty vegan recipes that make my life so much easier. You rock!
Carrie
This is an amazing baked bean recipe with a delicious complex group of flavors that work so well together. A week ago I made this for our dinner group. It was a huge hit and many wanted the recipe! Everyone joked how it was that I hid bacon in a vegan bean dish because of the smoke flavor. This was the first time using ground chipotle pepper. It’s my new favorite!
Judeen
Delicious deluxe! I have made many of your recipes and all top notch. Great job.
Sara
Can these beans be made in a crockpot? If so, how long would you suggest?
Marlene
Hi. I live in New Zealand. I like your fat free recipes, mainly the types that I can freeze in meal size containers. This suits my work/life style. The two recipes of yours that I have tried to date have black-eyed peas in them. Very tasty! I have lost a large amount of weight over last year. 44 kgs. I have learnt to plan my meals by putting food values on the recipe ingredients. Your low fat recipes are great for this. So glad that I have stumbled across your site. Thank you. Marlene
Carol
Susan,
I find your recipes very reliable and I’ve made a few and have more in the “que.”
This oen is delicious; I’ve made it twice within about eight days–and the first time I ate the whole thing by myself (not all at once).
BUT, you must add an addendum to this recipe. If you put some of the leftovers in a food processor, you will have the most absolutely wonderful, flavorful, delicious spread for crackers or a sandwich or even to just eat with a fork. I cannot think of any spreads which I’ve made (including some pretty good hummus) which is as good as this. It is definitely worth making the casserole just for the resulting yummy spread!
Thanks for all your hard work and for sharing it.
Michelle
Has anyone made this in a crockpot,?
NBMaggie
Susan, I’ve just pulled this wonderful dish out of the oven. I’ve made it three different times now. The sauce is gorgeous and the recipe is very reliable, even when I change out the type of beans used plus it freezes well so I increase the amounts, but not exactly as set out in your original recipe. I’ve opted to bake my own beans rather than use canned and use a greater variety of beans. I’ve also more than doubled the last set of sauce ingredients because I’ve found the original recipe to be just a tad ‘dry’ and the sauce really is what makes the dish, in my opinion. (On its own, this is my go-to BBQ sauce.) I’ve subbed my homemade unsweetened applesauce for the chopped up fresh apple in the original recipe. I’ve never used the dates and I always add a couple of cups of diced fresh green beans to the sauteed veggie mix. I serve this with coleslaw and count myself One Lucky Vegan! Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe.
Angie
I have made this several times now and it’s one of my hubby’s favorites. The first time, I made it as per instructions here. Next time, I was in a rush so I threw it all into my slow cooker and just let it go. Honestly? tasted quite the same! So for those of you in a rush, slow cooker works! thanks for the great recipes.
Eiry
Can it be frozen?
Thanks, it looks and sounds lovely. Adore the pig too.
Will give a rating after I’ve tasted it. 🙂
Susan Voisin
Thanks! Yes, it should freeze well.
Nicola
This sounds so good. I set up the slowcooker this morning for the family’s dinner. I don’t eat onions or garlic so I made it a tad sweeter and saltier but the spice is just right.
Sarah Catherine
Made these for the holidays and everyone loved it. Thanks for the yummy and healthy recipe!
Amy Stephenson
I’ve made these before and they turned out great. I’d like to make them for my daughter’s graduation party and was wondering if they could be made ahead and then frozen?
Susan Voisin
Sure! I think they’d freeze just fine.
Chris
I entered “romantic dinner” in your search engine and this recipe came up. It was delicious and my husband loved it! Smokey, and the beans are not overpowering. And it is a mighty dish. I served it with tiny new potatoes (skin on) and baguette. It will become a staple since it is so easy to make. Susan, thank you for keeping up such a great site.