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These homemade pork and beans are the perfect summer side dish. They’re healthier than traditional canned pork and beans, too! Turkey bacon and honey are the magic ingredients in this delicious backyard BBQ recipe.
These healthy pork and beans are the perfect addition to my Healthy Baked Beans with Ground Turkey–perfect for summer!
Homemade Pork and Beans with Molasses
That sweet and smoky flavor of pork and beans is a unique one that many people love, but I never loved opening a can of beans that had sugars and meat in it. The molasses in this recipe is a great way to use a natural sweetener for that deep sweetness we all love in this recipe.
Can you make these Homemade Pork and Beans in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker?
Yes! I add them to the pot and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. I love that the pressure cooker can quickly meld those flavors together. I’ve also made these on our smoker and the smoky flavor is amazing. I allow them to simmer for an hour on the smoker.
Why are these beans healthier than canned baked beans?
This pork and beans recipe is made from fresher ingredients, and the bacon hasn’t been sitting in a can on a shelf for a year ;)
Turkey bacon, while lower in fat than traditional bacon, is highly processed so there are conflicting views about if it’s really healthier than regular bacon. I find myself often using nitrate free center cut regular bacon and watching how much of it I eat. For the sake of this recipe I used turkey bacon, but you can definitely choose what works best for you.
How to make Homemade Pork and Beans:
- Add all ingredients to a medium sauce pot or large pan. I always spray my pans with olive oil before cooking, if you’re nervous about sticking you can use olive oil, as well.
- Allow the pork and beans simmer for 45 minutes or so, stirring a few times so the beans don’t stick. If you’d like thicker beans, I leave the top off so some of the moisture can escape. If you’re not worried about thick beans I’d leave the top on.
Note: I love simmering these beans on the grill in a foil pan–if you have a smoker, I highly recommend using that!
Tips for cooking pork and beans from scratch:
- These are tough to under or overcook because of the canned beans, so it’s ok to allow them to simmer longer or less time. You’re just waiting for the spices and bacon flavors to meld together.
- I love allowing these to simmer on low on our smoker for a deeper flavor. I usually do this for at least an hour.
- Use these beans in traditional baked beans recipes, or as their own side dish. You can use these however you’d use traditional canned pork and beans.
Can you freeze these pork and beans?
You certainly can freeze these. I’d recommend freezing in single servings after they’ve cooled and in freezer safe bags or containers. You can simmer the beans on the stove or in the microwave to reheat.
I love making freezer staples like these pork and beans, cream of mushroom soup, and brown rice so that I always have healthier alternatives to prepackaged foods in my house.
Healthy Eating Plans
Weight Watchers Freestyle Points: 6 Blue Points, 9 Green Points, or 6 Purple Points per serving.
21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix Counts: Just under 1 yellow container, 1/2 red container, and just over 3 teaspoons per serving. To reduce the teaspoons, reduce the amount of honey in the recipe.
Homemade Pork and Beans Recipe
Equipment
- Stock Pot
Ingredients
- 1 can white beans 14 oz can, undrained, I used great northern beans
- 8 slices bacon turkey or nitrate free | cooked, but not crispy. Cut into small pieces.
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp molasses
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
- 1. Add all ingredients to a medium sauce pot or large pan. I always spray my pans with olive oil before cooking, if you’re nervous about sticking you can use olive oil, as well.
- 2. Allow the pork and beans simmer for 45 minutes or so, stirring a few times so the beans don’t stick. If you’d like thicker beans, I leave the top off so some of the moisture can escape. If you’re not worried about thick beans I’d leave the top on.
Nutrition
Make This Recipe?
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This looks so delicious and yummy! My family is going to love this! So excited to make this!
Made these beans outside on the grill and they were perfect! I LOVE white beans and I didn’t tell my family I used turkey bacon :) Thanks for the recipe.