These Brothy Baked Beans are packed with flavour and are naturally vegetarian and gluten-free with a vegan option. They’re perfect to enjoy for a cozy meal on their own or with a side of crusty bread!

cannellini beans in broth with crusty bread

Easy brothy beans

When it comes to classic comfort food, nothing compares to the warming goodness of baked beans. While most of us are familiar with the sticky, and sweet variety of classic baked beans, today I’m sharing a different style of baked beans…brothy beans! These brothy baked beans are packed with flavour and hearty and sit in a delicious herby broth.

Beans are a great pantry staple to have on hand and are great for easy, healthy vegetarian meals that are packed with plant-based protein. This recipe is perfect for a cozy lunch or dinner when the weather starts to get cooler.

While I typically enjoy making most of my bean recipes with a can of beans, this recipe is made with dried beans, which is important to develop rich flavour in the beans. (Trust me, it’s worth it.)

Why you’ll love these brothy beans

  • One pot recipe. This entire recipe is made in one large pot, making it easy to throw together and of course, most importantly, makes for an easy cleanup.
  • Packed with protein and fibre. Each serving of these brothy baked beans has 16 grams of fibre and 15 grams of protein!
  • Hearty and cozy. there’s nothing like getting cozy on a cool fall or winter day and eating a warm bowl of baked brothy beans.

Ingredients and substitutions

  • Cannellini beans: you can substitute with any type of white beans such as navy beans or lima beans. Just make sure to use a white bean.
  • Garlic: this recipe calls for fresh garlic. Don’t substitute for pre-chopped or dried garlic!
  • Shallots: I recommend shallots for this recipe for the best taste, but you can use a sweet onion of you prefer.
  • Sage: fresh sage is needed. You can also substitute with rosemary if you don’t like sage.
  • Bay leaves: a couple of dried bay leaves for flavour.
  • Chilli flakes: you can leave this out if you don’t like spice.
  • Salt: for flavour.
  • Olive oil: this adds richness to the broth.
  • Vegetable stock: I recommend using a low-sodium vegetable broth so you can control how salty your brothy beans are.
  • Parmesan (optional): adds a savoury richness to the broth. Leave this out for a vegan version.

*Full recipe measurements and instructions are below in the recipe card.

Best beans for brothy baked beans

This recipe uses dried cannellini beans.

You can substitute any type of white beans in this recipe. White navy beans and lima beans would make great options!

While you can *technically* use canned beans in this recipe, I highly recommend using dried beans for a few reasons:

  1. Cooking the dried beans in the broth will allow the beans to absorb all the flavours of the broth, and also contribute their flavour to the broth
  2. Canned beans are usually packed with sodium and can tend to have a bit of a metallic taste. Truth be told, dried beans taste better.
  3. Soaking dried beans helps to unlock all the nutrients in the beans

How to make brothy baked beans

Step 1

This recipe is really simple to make! Add the beans, garlic, shallots, sage, bay leaves, chilli flakews, salt, olive oil, parmesan and vegetable stock to a large pot.

A blue pot filled with white beans, sage, shallots, garlic and bay leaves

Step 2

Cover the pot and place it in the oven at 350 degrees F for 60-75 minutes until the beans are tender.

A blue pot filled with beans in borth

Step 3

Transfer the beans to a bowl and enjoy them just as they are or serve them with some crusty bread.

a bowl of white beans in broth topped with chili flakes

Do you need to soak beans before cooking them?

Before getting started with this recipe, It’s recommended to soak your beans overnight in a bowl of water.

Why? Simply because it will reduce the cooking time of the beans if they’re soaked. Plus it’s not much effort to soak them, just put them in a bowl or pot of water and stick them in the fridge the night before.

If you don’t soak your beans, you can still make the recipe, but you will likely need to double the cooking time.

Recipe additions and substitutions

  • Subbing canned beans for dried: You can technically still make this with canned beans (though it won’t be quite as yummy and flavourful.) Simply follow the recipe and cook for just 30 minutes.
  • Add in additional veggies: like chopped carrots, potatoes and squash. Add these in after the beans have been cooking for about 30 minutes, and then let these veggies cook in the pot with the beans for the rest of the time.

How to store

Fridge: Store these brothy baked beans in a sealed container the fride for up to a week.

Freezer: these beans are freezer-friendly! Transfer them to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost let thaw on the countertop or defrost in the microwave.

Tips for making this recipe perfectly

  • Use dried beans and soak your beans the night before. This will give you the most flavourful brothy baked beans and soaking the beans will cut the cooking time by half.
  • Use at least some veggie stock for your liquid. You can use all water, however using veggie stock will create a more flavourful broth.
  • Taste and adjust cooking time as needed! Different brands of beans and sizes of beans will have slight variations in cooking time. Check your beans after 60 minutes, if they are a bit too firm, put them back in the oven.
  • Make this recipe a day in advance. As the beans sit in the broth, they will become even more flavourful. Try making this recipe a day before you want to eat it!

More bean recipes to try

a bowl of cannelini beans in broth

If you tried these Brothy Baked Beans or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!

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cannellini beans in broth with crusty bread

Brothy Baked Beans

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Jessica Hoffman
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 60 minutes
  • Total Time: 70 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Method: Cook
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Print Recipe

Description

These brothy baked beans make for the ultimate healthy and cozy meal and are PACKED with flavour!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cups dried cannellini beans, soaked in water overnight then drained
  • 1 bulb of garlic, outer layer peeled off(or 2 small bulbs)
  • 4 shallots, outer layer peeled off
  • 1 sprig of sage (about 6–8 leaves)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3-inch cube of parmesan cheese (optional, omit for vegan)
  • 6 cups of water or veggie stock (I use a mix of both)

For serving

  • Crusty toasted bread
  • A drizzle of olive oil
  • Pepper

Instructions

  1. Add all the ingredients to a large pot and bring to a boil. Stir everything together and let bubble for 2-3 minutes.
  2. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven at 350 degrees F, letting cook for 60-75 minutes until the beans are tender. 
  3. Remove from the oven and give everything a stir. Optionally (but recommended) to use a wooden spoon to squeeze the garlic out of their skins and mix them into the broth. 
  4. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, pepper and some rustic toasted bread. 

Notes

Use dried beans and soak your beans the night before. This will give you the most flavourful brothy baked beans and soaking the beans will cut the cooking time by half.

Use a mix veggie stock or a mix of veggie stock and water as your liquid. This will create a more flavourful broth.

Taste and adjust cooking time as needed! Different brands of beans and sizes of beans will have slight variations in cooking time. Check your beans after 60 minutes, if they taste a bit too firm, put them back in the oven.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe
  • Calories: 260
  • Sugar: 1g
  • Fat: 5g
  • Carbohydrates: 40g
  • Fiber: 16g
  • Protein: 15g