Bacon Dr. Pepper Baked Beans

I know it may be a little late in the summer to be sharing a new baked beans recipe, but like so many people, life has thrown some curveballs and I’m just now getting around to it.

But I promise it’s worth the wait!

Like many of my baked beans recipes, it’s semi-homemade, starting with pork and beans as the base, and all kinds of deliciousness is added to make it truly something special.

Even if you’re not a huge fan of Dr. Pepper, the complex flavor that it brings is perfect in this recipe!

There’s also plenty of ways to switch things up and tweak it to your tastes and preferences, so let’s figure out how to make these baked beans.

What do I need to make this recipe?

• Bacon – I like to use a center cut bacon, but any type will work well.
• Pork and beans – you can use any brand, but I typically use VanCamps brand).
• Onion – I prefer the flavor of yellow onion in this recipe.
• Garlic – if you don’t have fresh garlic, you could use about 2 tsp of pre-minced or grated garlic.
• Brown sugar – I use light brown sugar, since that’s what I keep on hand. Dark brown can be used, but you may want to ease up on the molasses.
• Ketchup – any brand will work, we’re a Heinz family.
• Dr Pepper – I’ve only tested this with regular Dr Pepper, so I can’t say if a zero sugar alternative would work as well.
• Molasses – I use Grandma’s molasses, which is an unsulphured variety.
• Mustard – Dijon is what I typically use, but regular yellow, spicy brown, and whole-grain are other types that work well.
• Spices – in this recipe these are black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.

How to make bacon dr pepper baked beans:

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

1. Cook bacon. Cooking it about halfway through helps it crisp up during the baking process. After you’ve partially cooked it, set it aside on a paper towel lined plate.
2. Mix beans. In a big mixing bowl, add all other ingredients and stir together well.
3. Transfer to skillet/baking dish. You’ll want one that’s about 2-3 quarts.
4. Top with bacon. Don’t stir them in, just lay them on top.
5. Bake. The beans will take about an hour and 20 minutes.

Variations of this recipe

• Sweetness – if you prefer your baked beans nice and sweet, feel free to adjust the amount of brown sugar, or add some honey.
• Spicy – hot and spicy fan? You can use 1 – 2 diced jalapeños in addition to the onion. You can also add some cayenne pepper to the sauce, and/or top with some jalapeno slices.
• More bacon – you can absolutely increase the amount of bacon if you want more! Conversely, you can use less as well.
• Smokier – I don’t know about you, but I LOVE smoky baked beans. Try adding 1/4-1/2 tsp of liquid smoke to the bean mixture. You could also smoke these baked beans in your smoker at 325 for about 2 hours!
• Vegetarian – to make this vegetarian, use a vegetarian baked beans variety and omit the bacon.
• Thicker – if you like your beans nice and thick, you can bake them for a little bit longer than called for. Just keep in mind that they will thicken as they cool.

Making baked beans ahead of time

You can make these beans a day or so ahead of time.  I find that when I reheat my beans, they tend to dry out a bit though.

Alternatively, you can also assemble the bean mixture and pre-cook the bacon and store them separately in the refrigerator.  Then just add to baking dish, top with bacon and bake.  This will ensure your beans aren’t dry at all.

Freezing

While I haven’t tested freezing this particular baked beans recipe, I’ve done it with my other recipes with good success. Here’s what I do for that recipe (and I think it’ll work with this one too):

Let baked beans cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 3 months.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat at 350°F for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly throughout.

Storage

Leftover baked beans should be refrigerated in an airtight container and eaten within 3-5 days.