Gluten-Free Baked Beans (Perfected Flavor)

Enjoy the best gluten-free baked beans with this easy, tangy, southern-style recipe flavored with crispy bacon and sweet onions. Learn not only how to make baked beans gluten-free, but which store-bought brands are safe and what to look out for.

Easy Baked Beans Made Gluten-Free!

The safest way to ensure a baked beans recipe is gluten-free is to make this southern, homestyle BBQ recipe. These homemade gluten-free baked beans show up on game days, summer pot lucks, and weeknight dinners.

If you are looking for tons of flavor-packed gluten-free side dishes, this one’s a winner. It’s flavored with brown sugar, sweet onion, and bacon makes the ideal accompaniment for barbecue, corn on the cob, or extra creamy gluten-free mac and cheese.

Besides delivering you a recipe that has just the right balance of tang, sweet, and savory, you have the piece of mind it’s safe to eat! Many canned brands have unfamiliar ingredients, which leaves things ambiguous. All beans are naturally gluten-free, so the issue with gluten-free baked beans recipes is the sauce.

It could contain gluten-containing ingredients, like smoke flavoring, Worcestershire, or thickeners. Sometimes recipes contain vinegar, which may cause a reaction among some people with celiac disease or who have a gluten sensitivity. While some consider distilled vinegar to be safe, others believe ones derived from gluten-containing grains could cause a reaction.

Ingredient Tid Bits

• Beans – I used canned beans to make this recipe quick and easy, but dried beans may be substituted. Choose from navy beans, pinto beans, cannellini, great northern, lima, or kidney beans.
• Brown Sugar – Baked bean recipes vary in the amount of sweetener used. Since ketchup is also used, I like to use a reduced amount of brown sugar. Replace with maple syrup for less sweetness.
• Worcestershire – This can be a red flag ingredient for gluten-free baked beans. I recommend Lea & Perrin’s Original, but for other brands read the label to make sure it’s safe.
• Bacon – Adds a great smoky, salty flavor, but may be left out for vegetarian or vegan baked beans. However, if you don’t have to, I feel the same way as adding it to my famous crunchy fresh broccoli salad. Why not???
• Ketchup – To cut back on sweetness, this may also be replaced with tomato puree or tomato sauce. The dish may have to bake longer to thicken, though.

Let’s Make This Together!

(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)

Safe Brands Gluten-Free Baked Beans

If you are wondering if canned baked beans have gluten in them, the answer is yes and no. While bean products themselves are naturally gluten-free, the sauces mixed with them could contain flavoring or thickeners with wheat, barley, rye grains or malt.

The bean brands below carry some variety of gluten-free baked beans. However, many have varying sauce recipes to make flavors like brown sugar hickory, country style, or sweet heat. Be sure to read the labels carefully.

• Bush’s Baked Beans (all varieties)
• Heinz (Original, Hickory Smoke, and Molasses & Pork varieties only)
• B&M (all varieties)
• Amy’s Kitchen

The following brands either contain gluten or are not clear about their ingredient list, so it’s advised to stay away from – Campbell’s, Grandma Brown’s, Pacific Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Van Camp’s.

Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa