Vegan Baked Beans (Instant Pot)

By Chuck Underwood @brandnewvegan

One of my most popular recipes to date, is this recipe for Best Dang BBQ Vegan Baked Beans.

I first published it in May of 2015, and it has practically stayed in my top 10 list ever since – no matter the season.

This is one of those recipes grandma or mom might have used, as the beans were slow cooked on the stove for hours to get that authentic, homemade taste.  And it definitely shows!

But I knew it was only a matter of time before someone asked for this recipe to get converted for the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker.  And since I have a potluck to go to this weekend……  here you go.

They still take a bit of time, so give yourself a few hours when you decide to make these….but they are SO worth it.  They taste 100x better than anything you could ever get out of a can.

And there’s absolutely no worry of any weird chemicals, BPA lined cans, added oils, or HFCS when you make them yourself.

The process is fairly easy…

  • We’re going to quick soak the beans for 1 hour
  • Sauté a few veggies right in our Instant Pot
  • Mix in a few more ingredients
  • Pop on the lid
  • And then let our IP do its job for the next 45 minutes
  • Piece of cake…… (vegan cake of course)

Sound good?  Alright!

Let’s get cookin’ !

Vegan Baked Beans (Instant Pot)

Vegan Baked Beans | Brand New Vegan

Take a 1lb bag of Navy Beans, and spread them out in a bowl or pan.  We just want to pick through them and remove any weird colored beans, rocks, or basically anything else that doesn’t belong.

Now toss them into a large pan and cover them with 2-3″ of cold water.  Stir in 1 Tbs of Kosher Salt and bring that to a boil.

Once they begin to boil, allow them to cook for 1 minute, then remove them from the heat, cover them with a lid, and let them sit for at least 1 hr.

This is called the Quick Soak Procedure and saves you the time of soaking them overnight.  

After the hour is up, sauté 1 medium-sized, diced white onion in a few tablespoons of veg broth (or water), directly in your IP, using the SAUTE mode.

Make sure the Sauté Power setting is on LESS.

Stir in a diced Green Bell Pepper and about a teaspoon of chopped Jalapeño (optional but good).  While the veggies are softening, drain the other pot of beans and rinse them well.  Again, pick out anything that doesn’t belong.

Onne the veggies have softened, stir in the garlic,  turn OFF the IP and stir in the beans and 2 cups of water.

In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups of Low Sodium Veg Broth, a 6oz can of Tomato Paste, ¼ cup Molasses, ¼ cup Brown Sugar (packed), 1 Tbs Yellow Mustard, 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar, ¼ tsp black pepper and ¼ tsp Smoked Paprika.  (a dash of liquid smoke could be used in place of the paprika)

Whisk the sauce until smooth and then pour into the beans and mix well.

Attach the lid ensuring the vent valve is set to SEALING and then press MANUAL, HIGH PRESSURE, and set the time for 45 minutes.

Once the time has passed, allow the IP to naturally vent for 15 minutes, and then you can (carefully) release any remaining steam manually.

If at this point the beans still have a lot of liquid, you can turn the IP back on to SAUTE mode and allow the beans to continue cooking until they reach your desired consistency.

Taste and adjust any seasonings if necessary.

These beans are great for BBQ Picnics, Potlucks, or….as I found out from my British friends, AND to steal a line from Shrek…

 “Actually, it’s quite good on toast”  

Enjoy!

Vegan Baked Beans (Instant Pot)

These Vegan Baked Beans will surely be a ht at your next BBQ.   That old fashioned baked bean taste – without hours of simmering on the stove, thanks to the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker. 

  • 1 lb Navy Beans ((picked over))
  • 1 Tbs Kosher Salt
  • 1 med White Onion ((diced))
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper ((diced))
  • 3 cloves Garlic ((minced))
  • 1 tsp Japapeno ((minced – and optional))
  • 2 cups Water
  • 2 cups Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
  • 1 can Tomato Paste ((6oz))
  • 1/4 cup Molasses
  • 1/4 cup Brown Sugar ((packed))
  • 1 Tbs Yellow Mustard
  • 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika

  1. Pick through the beans, removing any debris, and then add them to a large pot.  Cover with 2-3″ of water and stir in salt.  Bring to a boil.  

  2. Boil beans for 1 minute, then remove from heat and cover.  Allow to soak for at least 1 hour.  After an hour has passed, drain and rinse beans thoroughly.

  3. Saute the diced onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño directly in your IP, on SAUTE mode, LESS power, until softened.  Stir in minced garlic and then turn IP off.

  4. Add 2 cups of water and rinsed beans to IP and stir.  

  5. In a separate bowl, combine veg broth, tomato sauce, molasses, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, pepper, and paprika and whisk until smooth.  Pour sauce into beans and mix well.

  6. Attach lid, ensuring vent valve is set to SEALING, and then set IP to MANUAL, HIGH PRESSURE, and 45 MINUTES.  

  7. Once countdown has completed, allow IP to naturally vent for at least 15 minutes, before carefully venting any remaining pressure manually.  

    Careful – the steam is HOT.

  8. Remove lid and stir beans.  If there is still a lot of liquid, turn IP back on to SAUTE mode and continue cooking until desired consistency is reached.  

  9. Taste and adjust for any seasonings if needed.