Apple Pie Baked Beans

Baked beans with apples is a delicious side dish with dried beans or Bush’s canned baked beans. Both ways are easy, you choose whether you want to make from scratch or the cheater way. We won’t tell which it is when you serve this at your next bbq though. 😉

Ingredient Notes

Using Bush’s canned baked beans you would follow the directions below which makes this a lot faster and you can choose which style you want. Their brown sugar glavor is my favorite for this.

Can you use dry beans?

Now you could make a batch of Crockpot Baked Beans Recipe with Dry Beans first. Then fold in the can of fruit filling about an hour before it is done. This will give it time for the dry beans to get tender but still soak up the flavors from the apples.

Once soaked overnight and cooked until tender you can then follow the steps below to integrate the pie filling and go from there. Navy or cannellini beans are traditionally used for this dish but any variety would work.

If you want to eliminate as much processed ingredients as possible, instead of using a can of apple pie filling you can make your own filling first. Then you combine the two with bacon if you choose to add some meat into the mix.

Can you use fresh apples?

Yes, you could make our Instant Pot apple crispor saute peeled and sliced chunks of fresh fruit with a bit of juice and brown sugar on the stove. When softened just use those instead to combine with other ingredients.

To make a more wow flavor with the sauce I like to add some bbq sauce into the mix with diced onions which of course are optional but will soften nicely and add texture as well as flavor.

Can you add bacon?

Combining meat and/or fruit into this old fashioned side amps the flavors up. With it you can make an ordinary dish more special, with more protein and flavor. Meats do need to be cooked beforehand to be safe. If you used pork and beans there is already some bacon in the can but you could add more precooked bacon bits in the mix, or diced up leftover ham works well to add a savory element to it as well.

What else can you add to canned baked beans to make them better?

Well below is one of our ideas of how to make it tangy sweet and savory. You can even add some red pepper flakes to a baked bean casserole to it to make it spicy on top of that. Beyond that there are so many possibilities like;

1. You can cook bacon first, saute onions in the bacon grease to make your extra bacon bits over the top.
2. Small pieces of leftover ham
3. Pineapple tidbits
4. Chopped Roasted Jalapenos
5. Slices of hot dogs makes the perfect side into a meal
6. A splash of bbq sauce to traditional baked beans adds flavor

How Long to Cook Apple Pie Baked Beans

If you are starting with dried beans then you would need to boil Great Northern Beans or navy first until tender which if soaked overnight first will take about an hour. If using canned you can skip that and go straight to the oven for 25 minutes. If simmering on the stove cover the top, over medium heat, and it will take the same timing as the oven.

How do you store leftovers

After serving, allow them to cool down to room temperature within 2 hours. Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container. Seal the airtight container tightly and place it in the refrigerator. Store in the coldest part of the refrigerator, such as the back of the lower shelves, to maintain a consistent temperature.